Homeopathy gets to the root cause of anaemia

Anaemia is often neglected by people because they are blissfully unaware of it, or because they don’t take it very seriously. Many people tend to associate anaemia with iron deficiency, which is the most common but not the only cause of the condition.

Anaemia could be due to various reasons such as a decrease in the normal number of red blood cells (erythrocytes), reduction in their haemoglobin level, or a drop in the oxygen carrying capacity of haemoglobin molecules owing to structural abnormalities. A decrease in the number of erythrocytes could be indicative of their excessive destruction, decreased production in the bone marrow, or actual loss through haemorrhages.

Anaemic patients usually look pale and experience various symptoms due to poor oxygenation of the tissues. Fatigue, weakness, giddiness, headache, depression, irritability, breathlessness, palpitations, chest pain, decreased libido and hair loss are common manifestations of anaemia.

Iron deficiency anaemia, the most common type, affects about 400 million women worldwide, often due to malnutrition and heavy bleeding during their menses. Nearly 60% Indian women lose hair due to low iron levels. In many cases, in spite of eating right, some patients exhibit deficiencies of certain nutrients such as vitamin B12, folic acid or iron, which are due to absorption problems.

Homeopathic remedies could be a ray of hope for such patients. While conventional treatment advocates the supplementation of deficient nutrients artificially, homeopathy recommends natural sources instead, namely eating fruits like apples, dates and amla, and vegetables like brinjal, beetroot, broccoli, and spinach. Homeopathic remedies work towards removing or reducing the tendency of anaemia and tackling causative factors, rather than temporarily treating the condition or offering symptomatic relief. Ferrum Phos, for example, is a homeopathic remedy for people with a tendency of low serum ferritin levels. China is useful in treating anaemia resulting from excessive menstrual bleeding and post infectious diseases like malaria or typhoid. Anaemic young girls who get pale and emaciated in spite of eating well may require Natrum Mur. Thus, chronically anaemic patients should seek homeopathic treatment to explore the possibility of a better treatment outcome.

Article by Dr Mukesh Batra
L.C.E.H., F.H.M.A. (U.K.), F.R.S.H. (Med) P.(Lon), M.D.H. (U.S.A.), F.B.I.H.(U.K.)
Published in Times of India on 5 September 2009