Beat The Heat With Homeopathy

 Beat The Heat With Homeopathy
 

Homeopathy plays an important & vital role in summer complaints. As Winter ends & summer starts due to change of weather from cold to hot Human Body unable to balance as per temperature change causing common problems like Cold , Coryza, Cough i.e. Upper respiratory infection, Fever etc.

 HOW CAN THE SUN BE HARMFUL?

• Hot  and  humid  environment  slows  down  the  evaporation  of  sweat. While  atmospheric temperature  continues  to  rise, our  body  cannot  cool  down  fast  enough. There  is  a  state  of  elevated  core  temperature  or  Hyperthermia. This  can  lead  to Heat  Exhaustion  and  in  severe  cases ( core temperature > 40  degree  Celsius )  Heat  Stroke.

• Extra cellular  sodium  depletion  following electrolyte  loss  as  a  result  of  persistent  sweating with  replacement  of  water  but  not  salt  can  lead  to  painful  cramps  called  as  Heat  Cramps.

• Dehydration  can  occur  if  fluid  loss  due  to  perspiration  is  not  compensated.

• Skin  problems  are  the  commonest  ranging  from  simple  sun  tan  to  skin  cancer  due  to  harmful effect ofUltra  Violet  rays  of  the  sun. As  Patricia Farris, a  famous  dermatologist  has  rightly  said - " Your  skin  remembers  every  bit  of  sun  it  ever  had ! "

• BAD EFFECTS OF SUN AND HEAT CAN LEAD TO: -

• HEAT  EXHAUSTION - Elevated  core temperature  associated  with  hyperventilation and  symptoms  of  tiredness, fatigue, muscular  weakness, dizziness  and  collapse.

• HEAT  STORKE - Life threatening condition when core temperature of body is > 40 degree Celsius. Symptoms of heat exhaustion occur in addition to headache, nausea, vomiting. Coarse muscle tremor and confusion which may progress to loss of consciousness may be seen as a neurological manifestation.

• HEAT CRAMPS - Painful muscle cramps occur most commonly in the legs of young people following vigorous exercise in hot weather.

• HEAT RASH - Skin redness, dryness, irritation from excess sweating.

• PRICKLY HEAT / MILIARIA RUBRA - Papular itching eruption of the skin due to blockage of sweat ducts.

• CATARACT - Long term UV exposure increases formation of free radicals which injures the lens and can cause its opacity.

• PHOTOAGING - More the exposure to sun, more are the signs of aging like dry rough skin, sallow complexion, etc.

• SUN BURN - Erythema caused by exposure to critical amounts of UV light.

• SUN TAN - Brownish discolouration of skin from exposure to sun.

• FRECKLES - Asymptomatic small circular brownish macules appearing on face, forearms, and other sun exposed areas of the body.

• SOLAR PURPURA - Easy bruising, bleeding into the skin with bleeding from mucus membranes.

• SKIN CANCER - Main risk factor for most forms of  skin cancer is exposure to UV radiation in absence of adequate melanin pigment.

• HEAT TETANY - Hyperventilation on exposure to heat leading to respiratory alkalosis manifesting as tetany.

• SOLAR KERATOSIS - Actinic keratitis ( inflammation of cornea )

• HEAT SYNCOPE / FAINTING

• CONJUNCTIVITIS

• DYSPEPSIA

• VERTIGO

• EPISTAXIS FROM NOSE PARTICULARLY

• EXCESSIVE OFFENSIVE OR STAINING PERSPIRATION

• SUN HEADACHE

In such cases our weather change remedies like Dulcamara, Bryonia, Pulsatilla plays an important role.

Dulcamara is very important remedy in sudden change in hot weather (Bryonia) from cold in hot weather, cold air flowing in hot weather.

I hope you might have heard this line ‘Wherever the cold air Flows Dulcamara Follows’.

Bryonia comes when warm weather sets in after cold days or from cold drinks or ice in hot weather, from chilling when overheated, from exposure to draft of cold air in summer.

Due to heat of summer there occurs feeling of weakness, tiredness, dullness, drowsiness in some case in such cases remedies like Gelsemium, China, Natrum Mur plays an important role.

Gelsemium is useful for General depression from heat of summer or Sun.

Natrum Mur feel weak, having headache due to exposure to sun.

China is useful for weakness arising from summer diarrhea or vomiting.

As heat increases in summer complaints like Headachae, Heat Stroke/ Sunstroke, Symptoms of Sunstroke like severe headachae, palpitation, vertigo, high blood pressure etc may occur in such cases we have effective remedies like Glonoine, Belladonna, Natrum Carb, Natrum Mur, Gelsemium.

We have preventive solution for problems of Sunstroke / Heat stroke like giving Homoeopathic Medicines like Glonoine, Gelsemium.

Glonoine not only prevent the Sunstroke but also an effective medicine for severe sun headachae from exposure to sunheat or working under gas light, walking in sun, palpitations etc. In Glonoine Headachae head feels enormously large, sensation as if skull were too small for brain, it increases & decreases everyday with sun worse by jar, stooping, ascending, touch of hat.

Gelsemium proves effective remedy for weakness, tiredness, dullness, general depression arising from effects of Sunheat. In Gelsemium vertigo spreading from the occiput with diplopia, dim vision, loss of sight, seems intoxicated when trying to move.

In Belladonna headachae is due to exposure to sun or sunheat < jar, motion, noise, bursting, throbbing type of pain > rest.

Fever due to exposure to Sunheat we have remedies like Bryonia, Belladonna, Gelsemium which proves effective in fever.

Belladonna is useful remedy for High Grade fever with headachae, restlessness, delirium, thirstless patient.

Gelsemium is for Fever with weakness, tiredness, dullness, drowsiness, general depression arising from effects of Sunheat.

Bryonia is best remedy for Fever due to exposure to Sunheat with great thirst at large interval, bodyachae, restlessness < motion.

 In summer due to heat there may occur shortage of water people try to get water from any way, even purification system weakness due to water shortage causing chance of infected water from various bacilli or causing water borne diseases like Diarrhoea, Dysentery, Cholera, Typhoid etc.

We have effective medicine for summer Diarrhoea like Podophyllum, China, Croton Tig, Bryonia, Veratrum Album, Chamomillla, Aethuja, Mag Carb etc.

Merc cor, Merc sol, Nitric acid, Rheum plays important role in Dysentery cases.

Camphor, Veratrum Album can be epidemic remedy in Cholera cases.

In Veratrum Cholera stool is profuse, watery, gushing, prostrating, vomiting excessive with nausea and great prostration worse by drinking and by least motion.

Camphor indicated for first stage of Cholera Morbus and Asiatic cholera with severe, long lasting chill, pulse weak, extremely small, scarcely perceptible.

In Podophyllum Diarrhoea stools are profuse, offensive, gushing, and painless. Diarrhoea worse in morning, teething babies.  

In Diarrhoea of China painless and undigested stool, copious & putrid in nature.

Merc Cor indicated for Dysentery with scanty stools with blood and incessant straining not relieved by stool.

In Croton Tig Diarrhea stool are yellow, watery come out like shot while nursing or immediately after nursing. It’s especially indicated in nursing babies.

In Chamomillla Diarrhoea stools are watery, greenish, excoriating, smell like rotten eggs. It is indicated in teething babies.

Mercurius indicated for slimy, even bloody diarrhea with straining followed by chilliness. Not better by profuse perspiration. Symptoms are worse at night, from warmth of bed.

Bryonia indicated for Diarrhoea from hot weather and return of hot weather, there is colic with thirst for big drinks and lumpy diarrhea.

Aethuja indicated for severe Diarrhoea in summer with intolerance of milk. There is violent vomiting of milk and after milk. Stools are undigested, thin, green and bilious. It is the remedy for Violence – violent vomiting, violent convulsion, violent pains and violent diarrhea.

HOMEOPATHIC APPROACH

With homoeopathy as our weapon we can surely beat the heat ! Following are useful homoeopathic remedies for these solar ailments.

• HEAT EXHAUSTION - Antimonium crud, Gelsemium, Natrum carb, Selenium, Lachesis, Nux mosch.

• HEAT STROKE - Glonoine, Natrum carb, Belladonna, Lachesis, Amyl nit.

• HEAT CRAMPS - Colocyinth, Cuprum met, Gelsemium, Belladonna, Natrum mur, China.

• HEAT RASH - Kali bich, Ledum pal.

• PRICKLY HEAT - Acon, Bry, Jaborandi, Ammonium mur, Arsenicum album, Ledum pal, Syzigium, Urtica urens.

• CATARACT - Pulsatilla, Natrum mur, Euphrasia.

• HEAT SYNCOPE - Gelsemium, Aconit, Antimony crude, Lachesis, Nux vomica.

• FRECKLES -  Lyc, Phos, Antimony crude.

• SOLAR KERATITIS - Acon, Bell, Kali bich, Merc cor.

• CONJUNCTIVITIS WITH < HEAT - Acon, Bell, Ferrum phos, Puls, Kali bich, Natrum mur, Calcarea carb, Nux vomica.

• DYSPEPSIA IN SUMMER - Antimony crude, Bryonia, Lycopodium.

• SUN HEADACHE - Gels, Glon, Natrum carb, Bell, Kali bich, Lach, Antimony crude, Bry, Calcarea carb.

• VERTIGO WITH < HEAT - Acon, Agar, Bell, Natrum carb, Nux vomica.

• EPISTAXIS FROM NOSE WITH < HEAT - Acon, Bell, China, Nux vomica, Croc, Lach, Puls, Natrum mur.

• OFFENSIVE PERSPIRATION WITH < HEAT - Lycopodium, Nux vomica, Pulsatilla, Graphites.

• PERSPIRATION STAINING LINEN WITH < HEAT - Lachesis, Belladonna, Graphites.

Self Care

• Stay in a cool shady place as much as possible specially during afternoon.

• Wear light coloured light weight loose clothes.

• Do not go out without a hat or scarf or an umbrella

• Use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.

• Reduce the consumption of tea, coffe, cola, alcohol. Do not drink liquids with large amount of sugar.

• Drink lots of water, clear juice, electrolyte containing drinks.

• Eat small meals and more often. Avoid foods high in protein which increase the metabolic heat.

• Do not exercise too hard. Cool down yourself with a cool shower.

• In case of heat stroke use cold wraps and fan the person. Seek medical help as quickly as possible.

REFERENCES

BOOKS :- Oxford medical dictionary

Davidson Medicine

Kent 's repertory

 Boger Boenninghausen's repertory

 Boericke's repertory,dr pawan chandak ,dr harsha joshi