Homoeopathy is the world’s second largest medical system, meant for just about everyone. However, myths around homoeopathy keep it away from its audience.

MYTH means – a widely held but false belief or idea.

FACT means – a thing that is known or proved to be true.

Gellert’s Poem:

“The truth we mortals need
Us blest to make and keep,
The all-wise slightly covered over
But did not bury deep.”

Being a student of homoeopathy, I take the privilege of busting such myths.

MYTH-1:

“HOMEOPATHY IS NOT SCIENTIFIC”

FACT-1:

There is a large body of evidence from scientific research data, control clinical studies and clinical outcome trials conducted by various molecular biologists, physicists and nanotechnologists all around the world who have proven that homeopathy is scientific.

MYTH-2:

“HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINES ACT SLOWLY”

FACT-2:

While this is not true, there are two common factors that determine speedy recovery.
1) TIME
2) SEVERITY OF DISEASE (SOD)

Homoeopathy acts in infective diarrhea, fevers, urticarial rashes, in acute exacerbations of asthma, to name a few instances. Unfortunately, people go to a homeopath as a last resort and by then the disease would have progressed quite a bit. Severity of disease increases with time.

So the key is, “SOONER YOU APPROACH A HOMOEOPATH, FASTER YOUR RESULTS WILL BE”

MYTH-3:

“A STRICT DIET MUST BE FOLLOWED IN ORDER TO TAKE HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINES”

FACT-3:

There is no such diet restriction in homeopathy; however diet may be applicable to the nature of disease you are suffering from. Restrictions always come as general management to particular disease condition. Eg: Avoiding sweets in diabetes and avoiding oily and fried food in patients having high cholesterol levels. Avoid strong coffee, balms and smoking.

MYTH-4:

“HOMOEOPATHY CANNOT TREAT SERIOUS/ADVANCED MEDICAL CONDITIONS”

FACT-4:

Homoeopathy is just like any other medical system wherein various conditions from acute to chronic can be treated. You can avoid surgery by taking homeopathic medicines. In short, you can approach a homeopath from ‘C’ to ‘C’ i.e., from Cold to Cancer.

Based on the severity and pathological changes, homoeopaths guide the patients whether to take medication or to go for surgery. Every homeopath is well aware of the scope and limitations of his system.

MYTH-5:

“HOMOEOPATHIC DOCTORS ARE NOT QUALIFIED ENOUGH”
“HOMOEOPATHS ARE QUACKS”

FACT-5:

In India, it takes 5 and half years to graduate as a homeopathic doctor. Homoeopathy is recognized by an Act of the Parliament.

The syllabus of this course is similar to conventional medicine

1st year- Anatomy, Physiology, Homeopathic Pharmacy, Biochemistry
2nd year- Pathology, Microbiology, Parasitology, Forensic medicine and Toxicology, Org of medicine and Materia Medica
3rd year- Gynecology and Obstetrics, Surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology. Org of medicine and Materia medica
4th year- Practice of medicine, Community medicine, Org of medicine, Materia medica and Repertory

In fact, homeopathic doctors study additional subjects related to this system.
* Homeopathic pharmacy
* Materia Medica
* Organon of medicine and Homeopathic philosophy and Psychology
* Repertory

Specialization i.e., MD (Hom) and PhD in Homoeopathy.
This is the knowledge every homeopath gains during their study.

MYTH-6:

“WHILE TAKING HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE YOU CANNOT TAKE MEDICINES FROM OTHER MEDICAL SYSTEMS”

FACT-6:

Around 60% of patients who approach homoeopathy will be already taking some or other medicines for different ailments like diabetes, hypertension, IHD; so it is not a constraint to use conventional medicines along with homoeopathy.
Homeopathy goes hand in hand with other system of medicines like Siddha, Ayurvedic, Unani, Naturopathy, Allopathy. If really there is some interactions, homoeopathic doctor will give the instruction how well the time should be maintained between both medicines.

MYTH-7:

“HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINES CONTAIN STEROIDS AND HEAVY METALS”

FACT-7:

In homoeopathy, there is no place for steroids. Since all the source materials undergo process of potentisation and trituration, there won’t be even a trace of crude metal elements in it. Homoeopathic pharmacies have strict standardization and quality control systems.

Homoeopathic pills show positive for steroid test because few plant drugs contain active principles where natural steroid content is present, thus this makes the sulphur powder to sink and shows positive reaction for steroids.

MYTH-8:

“HOMOEOPATHY ALWAYS AGGRAVATES THE DISEASE CONDITION DURING THE INITIAL DAYS OF TREATMENT ”

FACT-8:

In any chronic disease the selection of remedies will be based on the disease condition and the susceptibility of the patient. So unwanted aggravations will be avoided. In some cases where the patient approaches homoeopathy after some suppressive treatments, homoeopathic medicines will bring them to the surface before curing it. It is called Homoeopathic aggravation, and it will disappear in the course of treatment.

MYTH-9:

“SELF MEDICATION IN HOMOEOPATHY IS HARMLESS”

FACT-9:

This is a very wrong idea. Each and every homoeopathic drugs has its wide range of action and application. So just knowing few drugs by its name without knowing its pharmacology will cause unwanted side effects in long duration. So it is always wise to consult a homoeopathy doctor to start with a treatment.

T.MANJUSHA,
III YEAR BHMS,
JIMS