It is another name for baldness. It may be partial or complete. The cause is unknown but many factors contribute.

·        Stress: In present days life is full of stress which can be one of the factors contributing to Alopecia.

·        Some medicines like anticoagulatants.

·        Food  additives

·        Excess of male hormone which stimulates the Sebaceous glands to produce excess of oil or sebum which may cause dandruff and this can be one of the contributory factors for Alopecia.

·        Hereditary influences: If parents suffer from hair fall or baldness the child will be more disposed to suffer from it also.

·        Poor general health: The patient does not take food balanced diet and may have some food fade which leads to Anemia and other deficiency disorders this can be a contributory factor for Alopecia.

Alopecia Areata: It is hair loss in an isolated patch, cause unknown.

The Homoeopathic medicines found useful by in treatment of Alopecia are elicited below I will like to say one thing that constitutional remedy will work wonders in the case of Alopecia even if it is not specifically indicated in case of Alopecia.

1.     ALUMINA: Extensive falling of hair of the scalp. Parts become entirely denuded. Falling of hair all over the body including eyelashes. The skin is dry. There is lot of itching of the scalp. The patient also has pressure in the fore head and throbbing headaches.

2.     THUJA: One of the best anti sycotic remedies, ill effects of vaccination. Left sided headache. The patient also suffers from white scaly dandruff. Hair is dry and falls out.

3.     ACID FLOUR: Falling of hairs due to dryness. The hair mat split and breaks. Become ragged in masses and are lusterless.

4.     ACID PHOS: The patient is liable to have acne, boils. The hair fall from head eyebrows, eyelashes and genitals one of the remedy for hair fall from grief.

5.     NATRUM MUR: The patient’s hair falls easily when touched or combed commonly seen in nursing women. There is loss of hair after chronic headache.

6.     SELENIUM: Falling of hair from the whole head having the scalp smooth and hairless. Falling of hairs from eyebrows and face which gives a very strange look. The patient also suffers from pain over left eye which is worse on walking in sun. There is great debility.

7.     VINCA MINOR: There is falling of hair with itching of scalp skin affections. Spots on scalp ooze moisture, matting the hair together. Bald spots.

8.     PHOSPHORUS: There is itching of the scalp. There is presence of dandruff also. There is falling of hair in large bunches which cause bald spots. The roots of the hair turn grey.

9.     LYCOPODIUM: The patient suffers from poor circulation and cold extremities. The patient craves everything warm. There is great apprehension. He or she suffers from throbbing headache. Great falling out of hair. Premature baldness and grey hair. The patient has great craving for sweets.          

There are eruptions which are produced by the blockage of the sebaceous glands and the hair follicles. There is excessive activity of skin glands. The blockage leads to inflammation. There is great discomfort, irritation, infection and discharge with scars. The problem is aggravated from stress and bad diet.

Causes of Acne: 

·        Diet over rich in carbohydrates chocolates

·        Harmone imbalance

·        Lack of hygiene

·        Stress: it increases the sebum or the oil production which is very toxic and bacteria thrive on it.

·        Constitutional and hereditary reasons.

Homoeopathic Treatment for Acne

The acne cases have to be treated with great care. The patient’s anxieties have to be dealt with. He or she has to be reassured that the problem will be solved and that scars will also go. I always advice my patients to take a low carbohydrate diet with plenty of fluid in take. I also ask them to wash their face 4-5 times with water during the course of the day.

The following remedies have been found very effective in treating Acne:

1.     SULPHUR:  It should be given in chronic affections. Skin is rough and hard. The patient has comedones and constipation. It is given as an inter current remedy when well selected remedies fail to give relief or improvement stops.

2.     PULSATILLA: The Acne is aggravated by heat. The patient is thirst less and has lot of starchy food.

3.     SANGUINARIA: It is useful in the females with scanty menses and acne is aggravated at the time of menses.

4.      KALI BROMATUM: Acne on the face, neck and shoulders. Useful in acne simplexi.

5.     ASTERAAS RUBENS: Very useful for pubertal acne. The eruptions are mainly on the face.

6.     BERBERIS AQUIFOLIUM: Acne, blotches and pimples on the face. Helps in clearing the complexion.  Skin is rough and persistent.

7.     ANTIM CRUD: Small red eruptions on the face. Acne is drunkends with gastric deragenents. The tongue is coated white.           

The causes of anemia’s can be divided into following categories:

1.     Loss of blood which may be acute or chronic.

2.     Inadequate production of normal red cells by bone marrow.

3.     Excessive destruction of red blood cells.    

The symptoms caused by anemia are the direct consequences on the tissue of the diminished oxygen carrying power of the blood. Their occurrence and serving depends on the degree of anaemia and especially on the rapidity of its development. The symptoms of anemia are fatigue, lassitude, breathlessness on exertion, palpitation, anorexia, dyspepsia, dizziness of vision, headache, insomnia, paraesthesie in the fingers and toes. Signs include pallor of the skin, more significantly of the murmurs, and in severe cases edema of the ankles.

The following Homoeopathic remedies are useful in treating Anemia:

1.     FERRUM MET:  The patient has an appearance of full bloodedness or plethora followed by paleness of the face and puffiness of the extremities. The patient is easily exhausted. Vomiting of food after eating may occur. The patient is constantly chilly.

2.     PULSATILLA: The system is relaxed and worn out. The patient is chilly and suffers from gastric and menstrual disorder. The patient is better in open air. The patient feels dizzy on rising, there is absence of thirst.

3.     CINCHONA: Chief remedy for anemia resulting from loss of fluids, as in lactation or hemorrhage, or from all exhausting discharges such as menstrual flow, long lasting diarrhea. There is heaviness in head, loss of sight fainting and ringing in the ears pale salon complexion, sour belching, poor digestion and bloated abdomen.

4.     CALC CARB: There is disgust for meat, crewing for sour and indigestible things, swelling of abdomen, vertigo and palpitation on going upstairs, chronic anemia.

5.     CALC PHOS: Chlorosis of young girls with a waxy complexion. The face sometimes has a true greenish hue or sallow one. The menses are too early.

6.     ARSENIC ALBUM: Useful in pernicious anemia or anemia’s due to malarial or toxic influence. The indications are excessive prostration, considerable edema, violet and irregular palpitation, rapid emaciation. The stomach is irritable with intense thirst.

7.     PICRIC ACID: Useful in extreme prostration of pernicious anemia. The body of the patient is heavy, tired with burning pains along the spine and aggravation from excitement.

8.     HELONIAS: Useful remedy for anemia from prolonged hemorrhage in women. The patient is worn out with hard work, too tired to sleep, the muscles burn and ache patient is better when her attention is diverted. It is one of the best blood makers we have.

9.     ALTERIS FARINOSA: Chlorosis there is great weariness of body and mind due to protracted illness. Suitable for chlorotic girls and pregnant women. Tendency to repeated abortions. It is called china of uterine organs.

10. NATRUM MUR: One of the best remedies in anemic conditions. There is paleness and emaciation in spite of the fact that patient eats well. There is throbbing headache and dyspnoea on ascending the stairs. The patient is constipated. He is depressed and has hypochondriac symptoms. There is palpitation and fluttering in the region of the heart. When loss of blood and fluid result in anemia.

The most common allergens include pollen plant, micro-organism and their products, animal tissues, digestants, cosmetics, drugs serums, article of clothing, dyes, industrial products, weather conditions (heat, cold, rains, etc) and psychic tensions.

The allergens can be introduced to host by exposure, contact, inhalation, oral administration.

The first site of action of the allergen could be skin, mucosal membranes (eg. respiratory mucosal membrane), endothelial lining (Intestines), vascular.

The clinical manifestation resulting from exposure of shock organ to allergen may be mainly cutaneous, respiratory, digestive, nervous circulatory or related to sense organ.

(When treating allergies we should remember that we should not treat allergy but rather the patient with allergy)

One allergen may cause one person intestinal symptoms, in other a migraine and the individual may react in different ways at different times.

Homoeopaths do not treat allergy, but they treat individuals with allergies. The situation in allergy is identified as a chronic miasm, one of the psoric disorders. Since allergy is a chronic manifestation psora, the family history. Past history contains the key to relive this patient distress. Suppressed infections must be sought in the history and to clear the symptoms a nosode is frequently indicated. Tuberculium,Psorinum, Lyssin, Pneumococcin, Syphyllinum, Pyrogenum, Meddorhinum are few of the nosodes used inlercurrently.

It is a cardinal requirement that a remedy applied on homoeopathic or curative grounds should be given in quantities to stimulate nature’s defenses or remove them in other words, instead of producing more symptoms.

There is so called modern conception but by no means new one, that this allergy can best be removed by giving minute dose of the same allergen that is causing factor. This form of medication corresponds very closely to what was called “Isopathy” an offshoot to Homoeopathy.

Homoeopathic Treatment:-

Copper, Sulphur and Alumina to counteract suspected Aluminum allergy.

For the pain in stomach after eating the following foods to which the difference may be allergic:

·        Fat Foods – Puls, Ars, Caust.

·        Fruit – Bry, Lyco, china.

·        Ice-Cream  - Argnit, Ars, Calc, Phos, Ip.

·        Meat – calc, Ferrmet, Kali, Bi.

·        Milk – Alumina , Ars, Mag Mur, Nat.C.

·        Oysters- Bromium, Lyco

·        Pears- Bovista

·        Potatoes- Alum, Coloc

·        Wine- Bry

·        Chocolate- Raphanus

·        Coffee- Cistus.C

·        Alcohol- Nux Vom

·        Beer- Alumina

·        Bread- Hydrastis, Nat Mur, Puls.

·        Cabbage- Bry, Plb

·        Butter- Sangunaria, Puls.

·        Cold Foods- Ars Alb.

·        Eggs- China Ars. Alb

·        Meat- Thuja

·         Fruits- Bry, Ars, C.P, China, Ipec, Podo, Puls,Verat Alb

·        Lead- Platina, Colo.

·        Milk- Bell, Cale Carb, Nat Carb, Puls.

·        Onion- Thuja

·        Pork- CarboVeg, Psor, Puls

·        Potatoes – Alumina , Thuja.

·        Quinine- Ars, Nat Mur.

·        Shell Fish- Urtica Urens

·        Smell of Cooking- Colchicum. Ars, Sep

·        Spices- Nux Vom

·        Strawberries- Oxalic Acid

·        Sweets- Caust

·        Tobacco- Nat Mur

·        Vinegar- Borax, Nat Mur

·        Cats& Dogs- Tub

The first aid in such a case is to lay down the patient in cool place with feet slightly raised and loosen the clothing. Then give the patient saline water or juice in small quantities after every fifteen minutes.

The remedies which are helpful for treating heat exhaustion are:

1.     GLONOINE: The face is pale, eyes fixed, tongue is white, full pulse, laboured   respiration, vomiting and sinking in the pit of stomach. There may be high temperature with unconsciousness.

2.     ACONITE:  When the great heat seems to have a paralyzing influence on the circulation. There is fever with dry heat, red face and sudden chill.

3.     LACHESIS: The heat makes the patient dizzy and faint. Hot weather greatly fatigues.

4.     BELLADONNA: The patient is drowsy, may be unconscious. There is whizzing in the ears and constriction of the chest. There is throbbing headache and heavy head from heat.

5.     GELSEMIUM: It can be used as preventive for sunstroke .There is cerebral congestion, delirum , headache, high temperature and tendency to coma.

6.     NATRUM CARB: Useful in chronic headaches caused by the heat. There is debility and headache from the sun.

Sun Burn

Some people have very sensitive skin and their skin gets burnt even if they are out in sun for a very short time. Even if the skin is not very sensitive it tends to get burnt on prolonged exposure to sun. The sun burnt skin is markedly red, tender and warm to touch. The symptoms of sunburn may appear the next day. If the symptoms of shock such as rapid pulse and breathing, dizziness are there they have to be dealt accordingly. Infants, toddlers, persons with fair skin are more susceptible to sun burns. The best preventive measure for sunburn is to apply sunscreen at regular intervals. However even with the use of sunscreen we should limit the time we spend not in sun.           

The Homoeopathic medicines I have used to break sun burn are:

1.       Urtica Urens: Burning heat with formication, violet itching. Enythema with stinging pains. The ointment of Urtica Urens can be applied on burnt part.

2.        Cantharis: Vesicular eruption with burning and itching. There is rawness of skin with smarting pain relieved by cold application. The patient is very restless.

3.       Apis: The skin is sore and sensitive to touch. There is swelling with rosy line with burning stinging pains.          

1.       Apis Mel:  Bites by bees producing odeme and swelling.

2.       Urtica Urens: An excellent remedy for bee stings. Application in mother tincture cures and gives instantaneous relief.

3.       Ledum Pal: When given in mosquito bites, bee stings it gives immediate relief.

4.       Arnica Mont: For wasp bites apply Arnica mother tincture externally and give catharis 200 orally.           

1.     Ammonium Mur: Itching aggravated in evenings. Intense burning better cold applications.

2.     Apis: Skin is swollen with rosy line. Small eruptions. There is burning and stinging pain. The patient gets amelioration from cold applications.

3.     Arsenic Alb: There is lot of itching and burning chronic case of prickly heat. The eruptions are popular. The skin is dry rough scaly. The patient is worse from cold and scratching.

4.     Urtica Urens: Violent itching and burning. Erythema with burning and stinging pains.

5.     Sulphur: Skin is dry and unhealthy. There is itching, burning worse scratching and washing, excoriation especially in fold. Itching aggravated from warmth.      

Dysentery, Diarrhea, Vomiting leading to dehydration is very common in summers. The cause is eating stale food, taking less water, taking polluted water and going out in the heat. To prevent this one should have lots of water from a reliable source and avoid eating out.

Homoeopathic medicines which I found very useful in treating summer stomach complaints are:

1.       Aloes:  When patient is unable to control and has to run to the lavatory. The stool flows like water from a hydrant. Cutting and cramping pain in the umbilical region worse eating and drinking. 

2.       Aresenic Album: The patient is very restless and is in great anguish. Great thirst for small quantities of water at short intervals. Quantity of stool passed is small but prostration and weakness is out of all proportion to the quantity is passed. Body is ice cold.

3.       Croton Tig: Diarrhea with yellow watery stools which are expelled like a shot and are aggravated by drink or food. It is associated with nausea and vomiting. Amelioration from drinking warm water. Every moment causes discharge.

4.       Veratrum Album: Profuse stools, restlessness, great thirst for large quantities of water. Great prostration after stool. Cold sweat, coldness and blueness of the body generally.

5.       Gratiola: Summer diarrhea stool is yellowish watery and gushing as from hydrant. Diarrhoea from excessive intake of water with cold feeling in abdomen.

6.       Podophylum : Diarrhea due to drinking impure water, stool is offensive , watery, yellow or undigested, forcibly expelled and painless. Diarrhea of long standing aggravated in morning.

7.       Merc Cor: Head remedy for dysentery, there is blood in stool with severe painful tenesmus. Stools are scanty with mucus shreds. Blood is there in abundance or may be scanty. Tenesmus before and after the stool.

8.       Merc Sol: It is indicated in dysentery when there is no blood but there is mucus.     

When coming from sun everyone enjoys a cold drink be it juice, water or any aerated drink but this is one of the most common cause of  getting throat infections in summer due to the extreme change in temperature. We must relax for few minutes after coming inside from heat and then have what ever one wants to have. Then there is also excessive intake of ice creams, ice crushes, etc which increases the rate of throat infection in summer.

I found the following remedies very helpful for summer throat in summers during my practice:

1.     Belladonna: In acute cases with congestion and redness of the throat, difficulty in swallowing, dryness of the throat, swollen and enlarged tonsils. Right sided sore throat with pain extending to the right ear.

2.     Lachesis: Sore throat, tonsillitis , diphtheria, better by swallowing solid food but finds difficult to swallow liquid, worse by hot drinks. Pain goes in to the ear.

3.     Hepar Sulph: Sore throat caused by excessive intake of cold drinks. Sharp splinters like pain in throat, suppuration of tonsils.

4.     Merc Bin Iod: When the throat infection starts on the left side the throat is dark red, swallowing is painful with sensation of lump in the throat.

5.     Merc Proto Iod : Throat affections with greatly swollen glands. Worse right side. The exudates are offensive. Much tenacious mucous. Constant inclination to swallow.