Homeopathy calms the heat of summer ailments

Its summer time. The temperature is anything but bearable. Well, it also looks like natures 'thermostat', which regulates our bodys temperature, is working overtime. Forget about sweaty clothes and tanned faces. There are a handful of illnesses that are a part of the summer landscape, viz., earache, or swimmer's ear, heat-triggered headaches, summer colds, allergies (hay fever), indigestion, eye problems, prickly heat, sunburn, and heat exhaustion.

Swimmer's ear is common in children and adults who love to cool in the pool. The ear hurts, although there is no apparent illness. Yet, the 'affected' individual feels ill. Sometimes, fluid or pus may leak from the ear. Its best to clear dampness in the ears because this provides the perfect 'soil' for bacterial growth. Homeopathy is extremely useful and effective in summer maladies. Most ear infections respond to Hepar Suphuricum. When earache is accompanied by a foul-smelling discharge, Mercurius Vivus is helpful.

Skin rashes and heat boils are common blemishes. Avoid scratching the area; this may lead to infections. For rash that itches and burns, Urtica Urens is calmingly beneficial. If theres an underlying allergy, Apis Mellifica is effective. Heat boils are really annoying. They sometimes come in crops a result of suppressed eruptions brought about by conventional medicines and/or topical creams. Homeopathy addresses the underlying cause of such eruptions and treats them from the inside-out. Painful boils often respond to Arnica Montana. For too many boils , Echinacea Angustifolia would come in handy. For summer eye troubles, including irritation, soreness or infections-waiting-to-happen, Euphrasia is remedial, as is Jaborandi for prickly heat.

Its ironical that allergies and colds have a liking for summer. A few doses of Allium Cepa (when your eyes and nose run like a faucet) or Sabadilla (when sneezing is intense) are helpful and effective. For indigestion with gas, Lycopodium is handy. For sunburn, Cantharis is comforting. Natrum Carbonicum is effective for summer headaches, accompanied by heat exhaustion. Glonoinum is excellent for busting headaches. Severe, throbbing headaches respond well to Belladonna. When simple measures or suggested remedies do not provide relief or your child is not drinking enough water an office consultation with a professional homeopathic physician would be most appropriate.

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 Times of India on 12 April 2010