What is Rheumatoid Arthritis

 Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that can cause pain, swelling and stiffness in joints.

It is what is known as an auto-immune condition. This means that the immune system, which is the body’s natural self-defence system, gets confused and starts to attack your body’s healthy tissues. In rheumatoid arthritis, the main way it does this is with inflammation in your joints.


Rheumatoid arthritis affects around 400,000 adults aged 16 and over in the UK. It can affect anyone of any age. It can get worse quickly, so early diagnosis and intensive treatment are important. The sooner you start treatment, the more effective it’s likely to be.

To understand how rheumatoid arthritis develops, it helps to understand how a normal joint works.

How does a normal joint work?

A joint is where two bones meet. Most of our joints are designed to allow the bones to move in certain directions and within certain limits.



For example, the knee is the largest joint in the body and one of the most complicated. It must be strong enough to take our weight and must lock into position, so we can stand upright.

It also has to act as a hinge, so we can walk, and needs to twist and turn when we run or play sports.

The end of each bone is covered with cartilage that has a very smooth, slippery surface. The cartilage allows the ends of the bones to move against each other, almost without rubbing.

The joint is held in place by the synovium, which contains thick fluid to protect the bones and joint.

The synovium has a tough outer layer that holds the joint in place and stops the bones moving too far.

Strong cords called tendons anchor the muscles to the bones.

What happens in a joint affected by rheumatoid arthritis?




If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system can cause inflammation inside a joint or a number of joints. Inflammation is normally an important part of how your immune system works. It allows the body to send extra fluid and blood to a part of the body under attack from an infection. For example, if you have a cut that gets infected, the skin around it can become swollen and a different colour.

However, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, this inflammation in the joint is unnecessary and causes problems.

When the inflammation goes down, the capsule around the synovium remains stretched and can’t hold the joint in its proper position. This can cause the joint to become unstable and move into unusual positions.

Swine flu

What is Swine Flu infection?

Everyone knows about and may have suffered with influenza or flu infection. Flu is an infection caused by certain virus, which comes, stays for a few days and goes away. Similarly, Swine Flu is also a kind influenza virus. Here, the difference is that it can be more severe than regular flu infection.

Why is it called H1N1?

All virus have been named. H1N1 is a name given to the Swine flu virus. In the same group, there are some related virus-named as H1N2, H2N3, etc.

What are the symptoms of Swine flu?

The symptoms are similar to regular flu:

Fever

Cold

Cough

Runny nose

Body ache 

Sore throat 

Chilliness

Backache

Pain in joints 

Nausea and vomiting

Diarrhea

Lack of appetite

Low energy

Where do you get it from?

Swine flu being a viral disease, it spreads from a person suffering with the same virus. It spreads through air, by sneezing and coughing, and touch of the affected patient. A sneeze or a cough of a patient can through millions of Swine flu virus in the air.

Congested places such as closes room, classroom, office, train, bus, mall, etc are sources of infection, as one infected person could spread it to many healthy patients.

Who is at higher risk?

Those who are already suffering with poor resistance.

Children having tuberculosis

Elderly people above 65 years

Children below five years

Patients with diabetes or other disease which lowers vitality

Pregnant female

HIV positive patients

Patients with heart, lung, liver or kidney disease

Patients who are on immunosuppressive medicines for other diseases

People with tremendous physical or mental stress

Patients on cortisone or chemotherapy

Why is so much of Panic about Swine flu?

Well, swine flu is now an pandemic, which means the entire world is at risk. Since the disease spread rapidly and it can have serious consequences, there is obviously threat to life. 

It is important to get alert and extremely careful about:

Controlling the spread

Timely treatment

What happens to Swine flu patient, finally?

Swine flu infection, like most other viral infections, is likely to subside eventually; whether treated or not. However, some of the patients are at risk of turning into a serious medical condition called ARD (Acute Respiratory Distress syndrome), which may turn even fatal.

How to diagnose Swine flu?

The diagnosis test is done using nose and throat swab at the laboratory. Many labs are able to conduct this test for the cost of about USD 30. Some countries have control over the test. In India, as on today, only the government run hospitals are allowed to conduct the test.

Treatment for Swine Flu: 

For conventional treatment, please consult your local doctor.

Homeopathic treatment for Swine Flu

The doctors, conventional as well a the homeopathic, have limited experience so far about the treatment of Swine flu, as the infection is new to the humans.

However, on the basis of the nature of the disease and its pathophysiology, we can opine that homeopathic is likely to work well in the cases of Swine flu, since homeopathy has well established role in the treatment of many viral diseases.

We can recommend homeopathic medicines which are likely to help cases of Swine flu, which may work by enhancing the immune system. The medicines are also likely to work as preventive in some cases. However, such statements would always go with the disclaimer that no claims are being made for its cure or prevention.

Commonly indicated homeopathic medicines:

Depending on the individual symptoms of the patients, one or more of the medicines could be prescribed: Influenzinum, Gelsemium, Arsenic albub, Rhus toxicodendron, Occilococcinum, etc are some of the common medicines. They can also be used as a part of probable preventive measure.

Precaution:

If you have recently visited a country or place/city under Swine flu attack or have met a person suffering from the infection, it is advisable to get a test done.

What to Do for Avoiding Swine Flu:

• Always cover your mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing
• Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth frequently as there is always some virus on tabletops, telephones and computers
• Wash your hands frequently
• Alcohol-based gel or foam hand sanitizers
• Wear a well-fitted mask in public places
• Drink loads of water and get enough sleep
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people
• Stay away (3-feet distance) from people who have a respiratory infection
• Use disposable tissues

Swine flu is not a food borne illness so there is no restriction on food and drinks.

Special Note:

Swine flu is most contagious in the initial five days. In the case of children, it can be contagious up to 10 days. If you have already got it: Please confine yourself to a room. Wearing a mask is a must and Keep yourself away from social gathering, your work place and other public places, to avoid spreading the infection to others.

What is Homeopathy?


Homeopathy is a system of natural medicine developed by Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician in the early 1800s.  He discovered that the same substance that could cause a reaction in a healthy person could also be a remedy for someone suffering from similar symptoms.

That is the basic premise of homeopathy: “like cures like.”  It may seem hard to believe, yet the approach to vaccination used in Western medicine is a similar one, albeit one that is fraught with potential side effects, unlike homeopathy which is completely safe.

Homeopathy is a natural, holistic, approach to healing a person, using minute doses of specific remedies, rather than simply eliminating a particular symptom using a Band-Aid approach.  Unlike many health models, the model for homeopathy is one of individualization.  No two people are alike, so just because two people suffer from headaches, the homeopathic remedies provided for them may be completely different.

MYTHS N  FACTS

1. It is slow to act
This myth is popular, because most of the people approaching a Homoeopath after they have tried all treatments and by that time their acute complaints have become chronic. Homoeopathy is, in fact, FAST AND RAPID IN ACTION in conditions like acute infections, fever, diarrhea, etc. while in cases of chronic diseases as the disease has been there since a long time it does take time to cure but recognizable improvement starts within two to three weeks time.

 2. All medicines are same, small and white 
Homoeopathic medicines are prepared in an alcohol base. The white sugar globules or pills are only a medium or vehicle for the transport of the medicine into the body. The liquid medicine is dispensed in the sugar globules that are made from lactose.

 3. Homeopathy is only good for chronic cases
The notion that homoeopathy works well in chronic cases is true but it works equally well in acute cases too with the additional advantage that the recurrence of acute problems like that of tonsillitis, recurrent cold and coughs, frequent skin allergies is markedly reduced by the use of constitutional homoeopathic medications. Homoeopathy has excellent medicines to treat colic, diarrhoea, headache, cough, toothache, viral fevers etc.

4. Homoeopathy first aggravates the disease and then improves
It is a myth. It does not happen to all cases. But if medicine is repeated more than the need, or the potency chosen is higher than required by the patient then there is a medicinal aggravation or increase in the complaints, but these symptoms would subside on its own as soon as that medicine is withdrawn and the right potency medicine is to be administrated for getting the curative action.

 5. Dietic restrictions 
It is a myth regarding restriction in diet like onion, garlic, perfume, paan and tobacco. These medicines have been used on patients who are habituated to coffee and betel. IT ALWAYS ACTS. But yes, certain homoeopathic medicines when given, can be inactivated by certain substances so only in those medicines these restrictions are required and not in all the medicines.

6. Homeopathy and Allopathy cannot be taken together 


 In patients suffering from drug-dependant diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, allopathic drugs cannot be suddenly withdrawn; hence, homeopathic medicines may be taken with allopathic medicines. However, allopathic medicine is often palliative or suppressive. For example, if a patient with headache takes a painkiller, his symptoms would get masked and therefore a good prescription by a homeopath could become difficult. Similarly, some medicines in Allopathy tend to suppress rather than cure while homeopathic medicines may expel toxins. In such cases, it is better to take Homeopathy alone.

As with many people my first homoeopathic experience involved purchasing a home remedy kit and a home prescribing book, and attending a class followed by classical homoeopathic consultations for my family. My Homoeopath taught me how to manage health issues at home and also showed me the beauty of the deep acting classical prescription. I was so impressed that I undertook to study Homoeopathy.

In the late 1700's a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, discovered a different approach to the cure of the sick, which he called Homoeopathy (from the Greek word meaning "similar suffering").

Homoeopathy is an effective and scientific system of healing that gently and safely restores health and vitality to the mind and body by encouraging the natural tendency of the body to heal itself. This makes it an empowering tool for parents in the nurturing and health care of their children.

Homoeopathy recognises that all symptoms of ill health are expressions of disharmony and that it is the patient who needs treatment - not the disease.

Homoeopathic medicine is understood to act by stimulating a healing response in the body by way of its similarity to the existing complaint. When choosing a remedy we note the important symptoms experienced by the person and select a remedy with a similar ‘remedy picture'. A very small dose of that remedy is then administered to stimulate healing.

Homoeopathy follows definite scientific laws of preparation, prescription and cure. These medicines have been prepared in a specific way by a potentising or activating process involving dilution and succussion (shaking hard). The potency and dose varies, depending upon each person's individual need, and the medicines are provided in either pilules or drops.

Choosing a remedy to suit the entire person rather than just to treat a few symptoms is known as Constitutional prescribing. Uncomplicated problems are usually treated very effectively with home prescribing, but for recurrent and stubborn emotional or physical symptoms treatment by a qualified Homoeopath will result in a deeper, more sustained result. Chronic long-term illnesses that can be treated include ailments such as insomnia, constipation, menstrual disorders, acne, eczema, sinusitis etc. A medicine prescribed by your Homoeopath covers the state of mind, as well as physical complaints.

Many problems - such as simple first aid, fevers, coughs and colds, tummy upsets and even calming over-excited or fearful youngsters - can be treated effectively with home prescribing using a simple and economical home remedy kit (like the one Saffie uses in the TV show, Absolutely Fabulous). You can use your home remedy kit instead of over-the-counter medications, which often cause adverse reactions.

Most Home Remedy Kits are provided in 6c potency and can be used for any member of the family, including pets, if the symptom pictures correspond. This low potency has a broad action that allows you, for most situations, to choose a remedy from your kit to stimulate a healing response and re-instate good health and a sense of well being. A well-chosen remedy is understood to stimulates a healing response in the body, and after a few doses will may either start to see an improvement OR the remedy picture will change and indicate another remedy is needed to continue the healing.