A sigh of relief thanks to homeopathy

Gasping for breath is a horrifying experience and no one knows this better than an asthmatic. Asthma affects children and adults alike. Often claimed to be triggered by environmental factors and allergens or occupational stimuli with heredity in the background, latest researches now identify asthma as a psychosomatic disorder.

Eight-year-old Anna would wheeze and get breathless whenever she visited her grandmother, who had a pet cat. The severity of her condition made her dread visiting her grandmother. Conventional treatment hadn't helped her much. A few doses of Tuberculinum, based on her disgust for cats and tendency of recurrent colds, not only relieved her complaints but also helped her to overcome the fear of cats. While the treatment was based on psychological aspects in this case, in other cases, it is customised individually, with medicines varying on the basis of allergens, specific time and positional modalities, and relation to food; e.g., asthma triggered by eating apples calls for Antim tart; whereas that caused by fatty food will need Pulsatilla. Asthma caused by dust exposure may respond to Pothos, while Psorinum helps cases of asthma that get better by lying down. Kali carb treats the cases that get aggravated by the same.

Avoiding exposure to allergens, exercising lightly, meditating to relax mentally and doing breathing exercises like pranayam can help to improve lung capacity and reduce the chances of having an asthmatic attack. Homeopathy, being mind and body medicine, helps to deal with the anxiety associated with the disease and helps to improve the quality of life. The goal is to identify and treat the root cause by modulating immune responses.

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 Hindustan Times on 22 August 2009