How do I know if it’s acute or chronic condition?
An acute illness most likely will have a sudden onset and a limited duration, normally a few days or weeks.
Acute refers to an illness that has just come on suddenly – a cough, cold, virus or infection, stomach upset after eating out, a fall or injury.
An acute consultation might help symptoms for a little while, it would be a partial or temporary cure. Your illness may need a deeper remedy to clear your symptoms and resolve the primary cause.
Chronic is a more in-depth symptom or set of symptoms. A cough that you have had for a longer period of time or that keeps returning, a long standing skin condition, a hereditary condition or any condition that keeps recurring. It has not resolved completely, it may dissipate but not cure.
Symptoms????
An acute illness will have a particular set of symptoms. These are normally quite clear for the patient to describe as they are “new” and may be intense. With homeopathy the more symptoms the better.
When it comes to treating a chronic condition the homeopath needs a full picture on both physical and mental/emotional symptoms. There are thousands of remedies that could possibly help with your symptoms so a trained homeopath works through your case to find the most suitable remedy for you.
There can be numerous remedies for a headache for example so knowing how you – the patient experiences the headache is most important.
We love descriptions too – how the pain feels, what time of day it is worse, what body temperature you feel, how’s your mood, appetite and sleep, what’s really bugging you – your mental emotional state are so important – this brings us to the sweet spot and brings you to recovery!
Dosage 🌿
This will depend on the symptoms and whether it’s an acute or a chronic condition we’re dealing with.
An acute may need a remedy repeated a number of times. It’s fast paced and symptoms can change rapidly ie sore throat feels better but fever arises, ear ache subsides and now there is constant nasal discharge.
Some guidelines for when you are prescribing for acute illnesses –
- Give dose and WAIT
- No improvement Repeat and WAIT
- If there was improvement and then symptoms returned REPEAT remedy
- If symptoms change WAIT and assess if there is further improvement.
- If new symptoms emerge RETAKE case with new symptoms.
Chronic conditions need to be dealt with by a trained homeopath – they are experienced in looking at the full picture of the patient and can prescribe accordingly.
Potency 🌿
Acute symptoms will respond to 30c or 6c, often a repeated dose is needed. In cases of accidents and injuries you may need 200c. One dose at a time and WAIT – after an hour if no improvement follow guidelines above.
Chronic conditions and their symptoms may need a varying potency depending on the clients needs. A liquid dose may be needed daily – we call these LM potency. It can also be a pillule (dry dose) given for a few days. Homeopath can also prescribe a few different remedies and potencies over a number of weeks. This is the beauty of homeopathy – it is tailored to suit just you.
Interactions
Homeopathy can be used alongside your supplements, herbs and medication. You just need to take it at a different time. Also good to know that strong substances like peppermint and coffee may interfere with our remedies so again have your cuppa at a different time please!
When to consider seeing a homeopath
Using remedies at home for your family is the greatest sense of a achievement for the families I see. They feel so empowered in being able to care of their family in a natural way.
When symptoms keep returning or you have a more serious condition that’s not resolving then it’s time to let the homeopath know. Knowing the full case of a patient takes some experience and knowledge- this is what the homeopath is trained to do.
