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ho\u00b7me\u00b7op\u00b7a\u00b7thy<\/p>\n
\/h\u014dm\u0113\u02c8\u00e4p\u0259TH\u0113\/<\/p>\n
the treatment of disease by minute doses of natural substances that in a healthy person would produce symptoms of disease.<\/p>\n
Disclaimer<\/em><\/strong>: I don\u2019t have any financial interest in any homeopathic manufacturers. I just LOVE homeopathy and want you <\/em><\/strong>to know about it!<\/p>\n The term \u201chomeopathy\u201d is derived from the Greek word homeo<\/em> \u2018like\u2019 + pathos<\/em> \u2018disease\u2019. Homeopathy uses a substance that causes the symptoms of the disease the patient has, in ultradilutions, to cure that disease. Conventional medicine, on the other hand, is referred to as \u201callopathy\u201d from the Greek allo<\/em> \u2018other,\u2019 that uses substances to fight against the disease.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before we dive into what homeopathy IS<\/em><\/strong>, it might be easier first to discuss what homeopathy IS NOT<\/em><\/strong>. Homeopathic medicine is NOT<\/em><\/strong>:<\/p>\n So then, what the heck IS<\/em><\/strong> homeopathy? Homeopathic medicine IS<\/em><\/strong>:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Homeopathic medicine uses a substance in very dilute form to treat the symptoms that is causes in larger doses. Homeopathic medicines basically help your body to recognize what\u2019s going on and do what it needs to do to heal itself. Homeopathy trusts that your body knows what to do to heal itself, given the right information.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n An easy example is an onion. What happens when you cut into an onion? You may sneeze several times, your eyes and nose may water and burn. When diluted homeopathically, onion is given to treat these very same symptoms and is, therefore, a commonly prescribed medicine at the start of a cold or hay fever attack.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>However, not all people with colds or allergies will have these symptoms. Another person may get a sore throat with cough and congestion. Even though they may have the very same cold virus or pollen allergy, these 2 people are experiencing their illness very differently. So they would each get a different homeopathic medicine. What matters most in choosing a homeopathic medicine is how that person is experiencing their illness. In conventional medicine, these 2 people would be prescribed Benadryl or Sudafed even though their symptoms are different. The conventional model can often be boiled down to this awesome quote by Voltaire, who lived in the 18th<\/sup> century, but might as well be talking about most docs in our 21st<\/sup> century:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little of,<\/p>\n To cure disease of which they know less,<\/p>\n In human beings of whom they know nothing.<\/p>\n (Voltaire)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Homeopathy solves this problem. Homeopathic medicine is individualized medicine. It is truly a holistic approach to medicine that takes into account not just the patient\u2019s physical symptoms, but also their emotional state, their past history, and triggering factors. Yes! There IS<\/em><\/strong> a homeopathic medicine for sibling rivalry with tantrums starting after the birth of a younger brother or sister! Rather than focus on protocols and algorithms and practice a one-size-fits-all approach to a particular diagnosis as conventional medicine does, homeopathic medicine seeks to find the appropriate medicine that fits the specific symptoms that a patient is experiencing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The substance used to make a homeopathic medicine is diluted in a very specific way to enhance its effect. When you go to Whole Foods and pick up a little blue tube, on the label you\u2019ll find the name of the medicine (usually a very odd, difficult to pronounce word or words) and a number with the letter \u201cC\u201d after it. The \u201cC\u201d stands for the Roman numeral 100. The number in front of the \u201cC\u201d indicates how many times the substance has been diluted 1:100 times.<\/p>\n Totally clear, right?<\/p>\n Sometimes a picture is worth a 1000 words.<\/p>\n So let\u2019s take our example of the onion above, or homeopathic Allium cepa (its Latin name). 1 part onion is mixed with 99 parts liquid and shaken up \u2013 this is a 1C dilution. 1 part of the 1C dilution is then mixed with 99 parts liquid and shaken up to give you a 2C dilution. And on and on until you get the dilution you\u2019d like. Then you coat sugar pellets with the final liquid dilution, swirl it around, and voila! Homeopathic medicines can also be made into creams, eye drops, and suppositories and other preparations.<\/p>\n The most commonly found dilution at Whole Foods is a 30C, which means that the substance has been diluted 10-60<\/sup> times! Beyond 12C dilution (for all you math geeks out there, this is beyond Avogadro\u2019s number of 6.023 x 1023<\/sup>, there is no detectable original substance.<\/p>\n Yes \u2013 you heard me. No original substance detected. BUT, these ultradilutions absolutely have an effect on our body at a cellular level. At ultradilutions, homeopathically diluted histamine was found to reduce histamine release from our cells when faced with an allergen. Does that mean, then, that ultradiluted histamine can be used to treat our allergy symptoms without<\/em> the side effects of Benadryl or Claritin \u2013 YES<\/em>! I think that\u2019s pretty cool!<\/p>\n Because homeopathic medicines are so diluted, even a substance like Belladonna, which is a beautiful but poisonous flower, can be given homeopathically to treat fever without any concern for side effects or toxicity. This is why homeopathic medicines are often my first go-to for babies and pregnant and breastfeeding moms.<\/p>\n Because any dilution above a 12C has no more original substance in it, there really aren\u2019t any contraindications or interactions with any other meds that you or your child might be taking. And don\u2019t worry if your kid finds them so delicious that she eats all the pellets in one tube \u2013 it\u2019s not<\/em> a problem. No need to call Poison Control! You can\u2019t \u201coverdose\u201d on a homeopathic medicine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So now you\u2019re telling yourself, wait a second, sounds too good to be true. A medicine that tastes good, is totally safe with no side effects, and can help my kids\u2019 physical and emotional complaints? You\u2019re either thinking, \u201cWhere do I sign up?\u201d OR, <\/em><\/strong>like most, \u201cSounds too good to be true,\u201d Where I live, in Silicon Valley, a lot of my parents ask \u2013 what\u2019s the evidence? How can anything in ultradilution have any effect. It must be just placebo!<\/p>\n I\u2019m not gonna bore you with the details, but there is a TON<\/em><\/strong> of evidence in peer-reviewed scientific journals, that prove the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines. Since I\u2019m a pediatrician, I\u2019m naturally drawn to studies that are relevant to my kiddos. There are several studies showing that homeopathic medicines can be effective for childhood diarrhea, stomach flu, influenza, upper respiratory infections, ear infections, hayfever, ADHD, and pediatric eczema. Not only that, homeopathic medicines were found to work faster and have fewer side effects than conventional drugs.1,2,3,4,5,6,7<\/sup><\/p>\n Would I rather try a homeopathic medicine for my kid with eczema before lathering on stronger and stronger steroids, especially after seeing a kiddo with stunted growth and adrenal failure from using too much steroid cream? Heck, yeah! Would I rather try a homeopathic medicine for a kid with ADHD or depression before I go to Ritalin or Prozac, when most psychiatric drugs don\u2019t have any longterm safety studies in kids and have \u201cblackbox\u201d warnings about their risk for sudden death due to serious heart problems or increase in suicidal thoughts \u2013 that would be an even bigger HECK, YEAH!!!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes conventional drugs are necessary, which is why I\u2019m so glad that as an integrative pediatrician, I have both conventional and natural medicines in my toolkit. But it\u2019s time to get the word out that heavy-duty drugs are not the only answer when our kids are sick.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nSay, WHAT???<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Let\u2019s break it down.<\/h3>\n
\u201cLike cures like\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Homeopathy is Individualized Medicine<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Ultradilutions \u2013 huh?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"BoironDilutionChart\"](\"https:\/\/healthykidshappykids.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/BoironDilutionChart.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWha, Wha, WHAAATTTT???<\/h4>\n
<\/h3>\n
Safe and Gentle<\/strong><\/h3>\n
An evidence-based medicine<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Homeopathic medicines are FDA-Regulated Drugs<\/strong><\/h3>\n