Articles by Pranali

Coronavirus infection and Homeopathic treatment

What is coronavirus infection?
Coronaviruses are a group of related viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, coronaviruses cause respiratory tract infections that can be mild, such as some cases of the common cold, and others that can be lethal, such as SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. 

Is it a new virus?
No It's not a new virus. SARS (Severe Acute REspiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) were the two epidemics caused due to Corona viruses 

An epidemic of SARS affected 26 countries and resulted in more than 8000 cases in 2003. WHO reports a 14% fatality rate during the SARS epidemic. But fatality was 50% among people who were older than 64years.

MERS was reported in Saudi Arabia in 2002 and in Korea in 2015. WHO reports 34.4 % fatality rate due to MERS.

COVID-19 
The first case of COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan,China in December 2019.  In a short period of  3 months it has spread worldwide. As of 18 March 2020, more than 218,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in over 170 countries and territories, with major outbreaks in mainland China, Europe, Iran, South Korea and the United States. More than 8,900 people have died from the disease and more than 84,000 have recovered

The World Health Organization  declared the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak a pandemic and a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

I think two main reasons the COVID-19 has left people all over the world panicking and caused turmoil in public health organizations are: Superfast transmission worldwide  and no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment against it. The So  far management of COVID-19  involves treatment of symptoms, supportive care, isolation, and experimental measures.

The incubation period of COVID-19 is 2 to 10 days. The symptoms may show up slowly as dry cough, cold, low grade fever. So disease is getting  transmitted silently from the people who haven't been diagnosed positive for COVID-19. As per the current criteria of COVID-19 testing, one will get tested only if there is history of close contact with confirm case of COVID-19, or if one has travelled overseas in past 14 days or if you are a health care worker, or if one is suffering from severe community acquired pneumonia and there is no clear cause. So the virus has already taken hold of the immune system even before it is diagnosed. Moreover even after diagnosis of COVID-19 is confirmed, there is no confirmed curative treatment nor vaccine. And so the focus of all public health organizations is on prevention and isolation. And we are witnessing the outcome…..all stores are running short of sanitizers and paper towels, grocery stores are getting empty, companies are encouraging employees to work from home, schools are closed and people are staying caged in their own houses....If situation continues the same way then recession, unemployment, food shortage are likely to follow. Global mental health  getting affected with fear and panic is another issue.

Now is the time people and health care professionals should start looking at the disease and epidemic from a holistic point of view. If we change our approach to look at the disease, certainly we will be able to find faster and effective solutions to control worldwide spread.


Is there any treatment for corona in Homeopathy? Is corona curable with Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a powerful alternative for the treatment of COVID-19. Homeopathic treatment is based on symptom similarity. That means we see all the signs and symptoms present in the person, and select an individualized remedy suitable  for that person. The indicated Homeopathic remedy can be safely given at any stage of the disease even before the diagnosis of Coronavirus  is confirmed. This is the biggest advantage of Homeopathic mode of treatment.
    When the epidemic is going on around , mild cold, cough make people feel insecure. Why am I having a cold?....Is it common cold? Is it allergic? Is it due to bad weather? Or is it Coronavirus? 
The Homeopathic treatment can safely be started at this stage.  The treatment against Coronavirus (or any other infection) can be started even before it is confirmed pathologically. Earlier the infection is checked, less is the morbidity, lesser is the spread.

If I have to explain the approach of Homeopathy  from the point of view of allopathy or modern medicine, I will say ,Homeopathic remedies do not have any direct effect on the virus but they just stimulate the immunity or the natural healing power and strengthen it. With the powerful defense mechanism, the body becomes capable of fighting all types of infections. Homeopathic medicines increase the general immunity of the individual making it capable of fighting against any infection. This is in contrast to the vaccines, which increase the specific immunity. And so you need to take a separate vaccine for each different infection/disease.

Some additional advantages of Homeopathic treatment are:
1: Since Homeopathic medicines have no direct action on viruses, they never have an issue with resistance.
2: Homeopathic medicines have no side effects and they produce no allergy reactions. 
3:It is safe for all ages, newborns, old people and pregnant women.
4: It is seen that people who seek Homeopathy for their minor or major complaints, fall sick less frequently and also they don’t require taking vaccine shots for every other infection.

Genus Epidemicus:

Genus epidemicus is the medicine that is indicated in the majority of patients affected from an epidemic disease. This remedy works as a curative in most of the cases and it can also be used as a prophylaxis and early treatment of cases. This approach of Homeoprophylaxis can be compared with Vaccination. 

We can arrive at the Genus epidemicus for COVID-19 when one treats at least a few cases of COVID-19 Homeopathically  or When we have a statistic of Homeopathically treated cases of COVID-19 in different areas. In India, Homeopaths have already started working on it. Hope more and more people seek Homeopathy during this current epidemic of Coronavirus and we will be able to arrive at the Genus epidemicus soon.

Homeopathy has repeatedly proved effective and reliable in epidemics of cholera, gastroenteritis, meningitis, chicken guinea, Influenza and many other epidemic diseases.

Here are some examples of Homeoprophylaxis:

     During the smallpox epidemic of 1902 in Iowa USA, the Homeopathic remedy Variolinum was given preventively to 2,806 patients of 15 doctors. The protection rate was 97%.

    The worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918 killed 22 million people worldwide and 500,000 in the U.S. The death rate was 30% or higher for those treated conventionally, while homeopaths cured an amazing 98% of their cases.
    In the 1957 polio epidemic in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Homeopathic remedy Lathyrus was given to thousands of people. Not one case of polio was reported in these individuals.
    In 1974, during the epidemic of meningococcal meningitis in Brazil, 18,640 children were given a Homeopathic remedy for prevention. Only 4 cases of meningitis occurred in these children.

Let’s dare to be wise ….Let's not get panic and choose a wiser approach to fight against COVID-19 …..Let’s work together to fight the Corona epidemic...….Remember a healthy person contributes to the health of the whole community.
 Aude Sapere!

 Two cases of Cervical cancer

Cancer of cervix is the third most common cancer among women. Both cases described in this article were suffering from high grade malignancy and started treatment at very late stage. In such situations where complete cure of cancer is not possible, giving quality life to the patient with palliative treatment gains importance.

This article based on the cases of cervical cancer treated by Pranali Kamat Lotlikar was published in Hpathy magazine 'Homeopathy4Everyone', February 2017






A Case of Chronic Migraine Headaches

This article is based on a case of a 32 years old lady who was suffering from migraine headaches every week. She turned to Homeopathy only after receiving allopathic treatment for six months that failed to give her relief, instead she developed side effects due to those medicines.
This case was treated and cured Homeopathically by Pranali Kamat Lotlikar.
This article was published in Hpathy magazine, Homeopathy4everyone, December 2016:


http://hpathy.com/clinical-cases/a-case-of-migraine-2/




Antibiotics: Handle with care

World Health Organization has declared this week (14 to 20 November 2016) as World Antibiotic Awareness Week that aims to increase awareness of global antibiotic resistance. The theme of the campaign is Antibiotics: handle with care.

Why antibiotic awareness is required?

After their discovery in the 1940s, antibiotics considerably reduced illness and death from infectious diseases that are caused by bacteria. But overprescribing them has resulted in the development of resistant bacteria, that don't respond to antibiotics that may have worked in the past resulting in longer illnesses and deaths.

Antibiotic resistance, which has been called one of the world’s most pressing public health problems, has led to antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ causing an estimated 37,000 deaths in the EU each year. Antibiotic resistance has become one of the biggest threats to global health and is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. . It poses a major challenge to health, food security, & development. It can affect anyone, of any age, in any country. Virtually all important bacterial infections throughout the world are becoming resistant. Common infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning are becoming harder to treat. If urgent action is not taken, infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again take the lives of people.

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of antibiotics. While this happens naturally, the over-use and misuse of antibiotics has accelerated the process, leading to record high levels of antibiotic resistance.

Misuse of antibiotics:

Main reasons causing antibiotic resistance are the increasing and indiscriminate use of powerful, broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat common infections and, the use of antibiotics in inappropriate situations, such as treating viral infections such as the common cold. Patients also misuse antibiotics many times.
Every year most of us suffer from cold, cough, sore throat, fever and end up in visiting doctor’s office. Most commonly these complains are diagnosed as upper respiratory infections. 90% of these upper respiratory infections are caused due to viruses. And antibiotics do not help against viral infections. Still the data tells that 75% of the antibiotics are prescribed for upper airway infections.
Side effects of antibiotics:

Antibiotics may have short term and long term side effects. Some common side effects of antibiotics are stomach upset, nausea, sick feeling, diarrhea, constipation or even an allergic reaction. Antibiotics  disrupt the normal gastrointestinal flora and damage the immune system function. If not used properly, antibiotics can even damage the kidney function.

In addition, there is some evidence that antibiotics actually increase the prevalence of allergy and asthma .Children who receive antibiotics within their first six months of life are three times more likely to develop allergies (to pets, ragweed, grass and dust mites), and in case of broad-spectrum antibiotics even 8-9 times more likely to suffer from asthma.

Research tells that even short term treatment with antibiotics disrupt the gut flora in infants and in children, making immune system weaker. If used very early in life, the antibiotics could negatively influence long-term health particularly by boosting the risk of developing asthma, allergy, and obesity. Use of antibiotics in children can cause long term health problems and diseases in later life.


Research demonstrates that homeopathy can be effective as an alternative to antibiotics

In reality, infection is always the result of two factors: exposure to a pathogen and the person’s susceptibility. From this perspective, bacteria and viruses are not the cause of disease but at best a ‘co-factor’ to disease. That also means that taking a conventional antibiotic may get rid of the pathogen but do nothing to strengthen a person’s immune system.

Antibiotics may provide symptomatic treatment, but people given these medical treatments tend to experience recurrent infections. By contrast, homeopathic doctors have the experience that many people with infections can be effectively helped by homeopathy and that it is an important way to strengthen a person’s own immune system.

Scientific research on the use of homeopathy as an alternative to antibiotics has been mainly conducted in respiratory tract and middle ear infections. An international observational study  involving 500 consecutive patients with upper respiratory tract complaints, lower respiratory tract complaints, or ear complaints, found 83% of patients receiving homeopathic care experienced improvement, while only 68% of those receiving conventional medication experienced a similar degree of improvement. People given a homeopathic medicine experienced more rapid relief (67.3%) than patients given conventional medicines (56.6%).

Since sinusitis and bronchitis account for millions of missed workdays each year and acute ear infection is the most common infection for which antibacterial agents are prescribed for children in the Western world, it is clear that homeopathy can play a crucial role as an alternative to antibiotics. It is seen that those children who receive Homeopathic medicines to treat common cold cough and upper respiratory infections, do not suffer from asthma or recurrent ear infections. Also their immune system grows stronger leading to stronger and healthier people who do not get severely or recurrently ill.

Homeopaths have also found great success in treating a wide variety of other bacterial infections. One of the additional advantages of using homeopathy is that homeopathic medicines can be prescribed even before a definitive diagnosis has been made. This is because homeopaths prescribe based on the totality of symptoms, and laboratory work is not always necessary to find the correct medicine. Since some viral conditions are difficult to diagnose even after laboratory tests, one is often able to cure people with homeopathy before a conventional medical diagnosis can be made.

In addition, Homeopathic medicines are cost effective.

 

 A case of Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of large intestine.This article based on a case of Ulcerative Colitis where patient was advised Colectomy (surgical removal of large intestine) as only option of treatment. This case was treated and cured Homeopathically by Pranali Kamat Lotlikar.
This article was published in Hpathy magazine, Homeopathy4everyone, September 2016:


http://hpathy.com/clinical-cases/a-case-of-ulcerative-colitis-2/



A case of Bell's Palsy (Facial Paralysis)

The article based on a case of Bell's Palsy (Facial paralysis) that was treated and cured with Homeopathy by Pranali Kamat Lotlikar. This article explains how Homeopathic constitutional treatment evokes deeper healing than just the original complaint...
This article was published in Hpathy magazine, Homeopathy4everyone, February 2014.


http://hpathy.com/clinical-cases/case-bells-palsy/



A case of Hemorrhoids(Piles)

The article based on a case of external Hemorrhoids that was treated and cured by Pranali Kamat Lotlikar. The articles explains holistic approach of Homeopathic treatment and how constitutional treatment evokes a deeper cure and well being of the person.
This article was published in Hpathy magazine, Homeopathy4everyone, November 2013.


http://hpathy.com/clinical-cases/hammamelis-case/





Two cases of cervical cancer:


Even in 21st century, not all cases of cancer have complete cure. Radiations, chemotherapy which are considered most effective mode of treatments for cancer, also have serious side effects. Many times, side effects of cancer treatments are more serious than the actual suffering of cancer. Offering quality life to the patient is an equally important part of managing cancer cases.

I was fortunate to be able to treat few cases of cancer in my practice. These cases make me to believe that Homeopathy is equally effective yet gentle mode of treatment for cancer patients. Homeopathic medicines have no side effects. They increase the natural resistance power of the body, making it capable to fight against cancer. It offers curative as well as a palliative treatment depending on the individual case of cancer.

Here I will like to share my 2 cases of cancer of cervix, which is the third most common cancer among women.

Case 1:

 I met this cancer patient in Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, Mumbai while she was waiting to go for radiotherapy. I was shocked when I saw her there. I was shocked not because she developed cancer but by looking at her helpless condition. Until few months back, I used to work with her in a NGO. She was our support worker. She was very enthusiastic, loving and vivacious lady. She was a farmer but also was serving as a political leader in her village. She was courageous and hardworking lady. But now this 50 years young lady was looking as old as 70 years. She had lost weight by more than 20-25 lbs. All flesh had gone and only skeleton was left behind.

She was lying on a bench covered with a blanket and had no strength to sit up or to talk. When I went nearer to her, she started weeping. Even I couldn’t stop my tears because I was remembering her calling my name loudly and hugging me and greeting me every time we met. She always used to talk enthusiastically about her activities and farming. But now she hardly could whisper few words in my ears.

After talking to her son and going through her reports, I came to know that she was diagnosed having cancer of cervix at stage IIIB. Cancer was involving cervix, whole of vagina, posterior wall of urinary bladder and anterior wall of the rectum. She was on radiotherapy and already finished 15 radiations out of 26.

In spite of radiations, she was growing worse. Since few months she was suffering from vaginal bleeding in the form of big and very offensive blood clots every day. She had severe burning pains while urinating and diarrhea every day. She had severe burning pains in vagina and peri-anal region after passing urine or stools. The burning was so much that, it used to compel her to sit for a long time after passing stools or urine. Since she started with radiotherapy, she was also having severe burning of whole of the body.  During night time, burning used to aggravate so much so that she wanted to take out all clothes from her body. In spite of that, burning used to be persistent. She was sleepless day and night because of severe burning pains all over body. In spite of severe burning pains she was chilly+++, thirst less. Her appetite went down remarkably so that she could hardly eat anything. She was very much prostrated and weakness was getting worse day by day. She was not able to talk or walk. Uttering few words used to leave her breathless. She was very much depressed and was weeping constantly. Her son said that more than cancer, the side effects of radiations were killing his mother day by day. Doctors were expecting her to live for another few months after completing radiations.  But her son was thinking that she will die even before completing the course of radiations.

When I repertorized all her symptoms using Kent repertory, ‘Kreosotum’ was the remedy that came up. It covered all symptoms of the patient. Kreosotum is a well known remedy for cancerous affections. It is suitable for lean persons, old women in their post climacteric diseases. Profuse, acrid, hot, foul discharges; Burning like fire; Great debility with miserable feeling are the keynote indications of this remedy.

 I suggested her to take a single dose of Kreosotum 200C in-between two radiations.

 Kreosotum worked like a miracle on her. She started feeling better from the next day of receiving the remedy. Her energy level increased, burning of the body became less and less. She was able to sleep and eat well. Kreosotum cured her from side effects of radiations and also increased her resistance power. So she could complete the course of radiotherapy without many side effects.  When I met her six weeks after starting Homeopathic medicines, I saw that she had gained weight. There was no sign of depression on her face. She was as happy and energetic as she was before developing cancer.

I treated this lady with homeopathy for another 8 months. Meanwhile she didn’t receive any other treatment for cancer. She hardly had any complains until 1 week before she died. She was actively working till end.

This case of mine has taught me a lot. In this case, for the first time I used homeopathy along with radiotherapy. So in the beginning I was doubtful about the benefit. But Homeopathic medicine increased her tolerance towards radiations and cured her of its side effects. It improved her health, minimized her suffering and gave her a quality life.

Case 2:

This lady was diagnosed having high grade malignancy of mouth of uterus at age of 65. She had complains of post menopausal vaginal bleeding ; white, painless  but very offensive vaginal discharge, occasional abdominal pain, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, severe constipation with burning after stools. Her weight was 35kg. Because of her old age, low weight and high grade malignancy, she was diagnosed unfit for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and for surgery. She was tired of suffering and used to pray for death.

This old lady was receiving only Homeopathic treatment for 2 years. Within few months of starting treatment, her vaginal bleeding and offensive discharge stopped and reoccurred only occasionally. Her complains of constipation, burning after stools, loss of appetite improved and she gained weight by 3-4 kg.

The aim of cancer treatment is to cure the patient and save life. The cases where complete cure is not possible, treatment aims to control the disease and to keep the patient normal and comfortable as long as possible. The treatment of each patient is designed to suit an individual and depends on the age of the patient, stage and type of cancer.

In this Particular case, cancer already attained high grade. Because of old age and poor resistance power, complete regression of cancer tissue was impossible. Homeopathic medicines gave her a quality life. Symptomatically she was stable till end. She never suffered from superadded infections or complications. She was never bedridden until 2 weeks before she died.

This case gave me the confidence that Homeopathy can also be a stand-alone therapy for cancer. However, when used correctly, and in combination with necessary therapies, it can be an amazingly powerful tool for empowering someone.



Homeopathy: Alternative to flu shots



Season is changing. Rain has started drizzling every 2-3 days. Leaves are shedding their leaves and slowly the winter is creeping in. It’s the perfect time to be alert of flu as the flu season is also approaching.

Yes, Flu occurs most frequently in winters, rainy season, humid atmosphere and sudden change of weather. In the United States, the flu season is generally considered between October and May with the peak of the season falling between late December and March.


What is the flu?                                                                                                                                                         The flu, more scientifically known as influenza, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. The influenza virus usually enters the body through mucus membranes in the mouth, nose or eyes. When a person with the flu coughs or sneezes, the virus then becomes airborne and can be inhaled by anyone nearby. But, the virus can also live for a short time on objects - such as doorknobs, pens, pencils, keyboards, telephone receivers, and eating or drinking utensils. Therefore, it may also be spread by touching something that has been handled by someone infected with the virus and then touching your own mouth, nose, or eyes. In most communities, school-age children are the first age group to get the flu. They then carry it into their home and to places where they interact with other kids, such as after-school activities. Some people, such as older adults, young children, and people with specific health conditions, are at high risk or serious flu complications. On average in the United States each year: 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu


How to Know If You Have the Flu?                                                                                            The flu symptoms are very similar to the common cold but they are caused by different viruses. The common symptoms of the flu include:


  • Fever (usually high)
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Chills
  • Extreme tiredness
  • Sneezing, runny nose, watering eyes, nasal congestion etc.
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, may also occur but are more common in children than adults


You don’t need to experience all of these symptoms to have the flu. If you have one or two, it’s recommended that you see your doctor.


Diagnosis of flu :                                                                                                                                     Virus isolation- nasopharyngeal secretions are the best specimens for obtaining large amounts of virus-infected cells. Certain virus can be detected by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique.

There may be some further complications of flu like pneumonia, acute bronchitis, sinusitis, strep throat so diagnose such condition investigations like chest X-ray, complete blood count, lungs scan has to be done.
Flu vaccines: 
The best recommended way according to allopathic physicians to prevent or lessen the severity of the flu is to get a flu shot each fall.  Various news channels, Radio shows, Health channels remind you of the Flu vaccine as the flu seasons begins. They insist flu shot needs to be taken every year. It takes one to two weeks to become effective. However one should be aware that flu vaccines are not always 100% effective.
Even though the vaccine is definitely recommended by most conventional experts, vaccine effectiveness varies from person to person, depending on factors such as age and overall health.
 The flu vaccine preparation is based on the strains of the flu viruses that are in circulation at the time.  Scientists make different flu vaccines every year because the strains of influenza viruses change from year to year. Nine to 10 months before the flu season begins, they prepare a new vaccine made from inactivated (killed) influenza viruses. Effectiveness of the flu vaccine varies from year to year, depending upon the degree of similarity between the influenza virus strains included in the vaccine and the strain or strains that circulate during the influenza season. Sometimes an unpredicted new strain may appear after the vaccine has been made and distributed to doctor’s offices and clinics. These mutations sometimes reduce the ability of the vaccine-induced antibody to inhibit the newly mutated virus, thereby reducing vaccine effectiveness. Because of this, even if you do get the flu vaccine, you still may get infected with flu.
  As with other vaccines, there are possible side effects to be aware of. The most common side effect in children and adults is soreness at the site of the vaccination. Other flu shot side effects — especially in children who have never been exposed to the flu virus — include fever, tiredness, and sore muscles
The most serious side effect that can occur after influenza vaccination is an allergic reaction in people who have a severe allergy to eggs. For this reason, people who have an allergy to eggs should not receive the influenza vaccine.
Homeopathic approach:

Homeopathic remedies do not have any direct effect on the virus but they just stimulate the immunity or the natural healing power and strengthen it. With the powerful defense mechanism, the body becomes capable of fighting all types of infections. Homeopathic medicines increase the general immunity of the individual making it capable of fighting against the infections even without taking the vaccine. (this is in contrast to the vaccines, which increase the specific immunity. And so you need to take a separate vaccine for each different infection/disease) 

      So homeopathy is the most natural way to heal you. Since Homeopathic medicines have no direct action on viruses, they never have an issue with resistance. Homeopathic medicines have no side effects and they produce no allergy reactions. It is safe for all ages, newborns, old people and pregnant women.

It is seen that people who seek Homeopathy for their minor or major complains, fall sick less frequently and also they don’t require taking vaccine shots for every other infection.

In the end, Homeopathy may end up being the most reliable method of saving lives in a bad epidemic. It has happened before, and it may happen again. We owe it to ourselves to be ready.


The success of Homeopathy in treating the flu epidemic of 1918:
The worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918 killed 22 million people worldwide and 500,000 in the U.S. While the mortality rate of people treated with conventional medicine was 30 percent, those treated by Homeopathic physicians had mortality rate of 1.05 percent.
Of the fifteen hundred cases reported at the Homeopathic Medical Society of the District of Columbia there were only fifteen deaths. Recoveries in the National Homeopathic Hospital were 100%. In Ohio, of 1,000 cases of influenza, Dr. T. A. McCann, MD, Dayton, Ohio reported NO DEATHS.


 As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for flu treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, signs and symptoms and modalities of the complaints. The Homeopathic treatment for flu is as rapid as conventional medicines and without any side effects. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified Homeopath in person.
There are a few basic guidelines in addition to using homeopathy for staying healthy during cold and flu season:
  • Eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins C and E. Foods containing these vitamins like nuts, seeds, citrus and broccoli are believed to help support the immune system.
  • Stay hydrated. When you are feeling under the weather, drinking extra fluids prevents dehydration caused by cold and flu symptoms. The regular use of a neti pot is also a great way to keep our nasal mucosa clean and moisturized.
  • Exercise regularly. Not only can regular exercise lower stress, but research indicates that exercise
 
 
 
 
 









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