Homeopathy is a type of treatment that uses the same substance that causes symptoms to treat or alleviate various types of ailments, from asthma to depression, for example, following the general principle that "similar like cure".
Usually the substances used in homeopathy are diluted in water until too little of that substance in the final blend, thus producing a homeopathic remedy that may be able to relieve the symptoms rather than make them worse. Generally, the more diluted the homeopathic medicine, the greater the power of treatment.
Homeopathic treatment should always be indicated by a homeopath, who is the professional most capable of adapting the treatment to the physical and emotional conditions of each person, and should never replace the clinical treatment without previous knowledge of the doctor who prescribed it.
Does homeopathy work?
Homeopathy was created by a physician trained in conventional medicine, called Samuel Hahnemann, in order to cure physical and psychological problems without the need to use chemical drugs that could cause side effects.
The World Health Organization releases the use of homeopathy for almost all diseases but disapproves its use for serious diseases such as childhood diarrhea, malaria, tuberculosis, cancer and AIDS, for example, by the doctor.
Examples of homeopathic remedies
Homeopathy can be used to help treat various types of diseases, the most common of which include:
| Problem to treat | Some homeopathic remedies available |
| Asthma and Bronchitis | Tossemed or Almeida Prado nº10 |
| Sinusitis | Sinumed or Almeida Prado nº 3 |
| The flu | Gripemed; Almeida Prado nº5 or Oscilococcinum |
| Cough | Tossemed or Stodal |
| Rheumatism | Reumomed or Homeoflan |
| Dengue | Proden |
| Depression and Anxiety | Homeopax; Nervomed or Almeida Prado nº 35 |
| Overweight | Besomed |
See other remedies used in homeopathy in: Homeopathic Remedies.
These homeopathic remedies should always be used to complete the clinical treatment and therefore should not replace the remedies prescribed by the doctor, also known as allopathic remedies.
In addition, although most homeopathic remedies are safe, some contain substances that can prevent the absorption of other remedies, and it is necessary to always inform the doctor when using some type of homeopathy remedy.
How is the consultation with the homeopath
Consultation with a homeopath is very similar to that of a conventional medical practitioner, as an assessment of each person is done, as well as tests to help identify a diagnosis. However, in the case of the homeopath, it will also try to understand how the symptoms are affecting each person's day-to-day and what other problems may be occurring in their life.
In this way, the consultation of the homeopath is more time consuming, lasting at least 30 minutes, since this professional can ask several types of questions to know more about the personal life of each one.
After this evaluation, and after arriving at a diagnosis, the homeopath is able to indicate what the homeopathic remedy should be, as well as the strength of its dilution, creating a therapeutic plan with doses, times and duration of treatment.
Learn about some home remedies to naturally treat some problems that are also treated with homeopathy:
- Home Remedy for Anxiety
- Home Treatment for Weight Loss
