Treat H.pylori infection effectively with Homeopathy

Hundreds and thousands of body functions are going on 24x7 in our body, and we are not even aware of even 5% of them. Do we hear the heart beating, or kidneys filtering, or stomach churning the food that we just ate? No! It is when these bodily functions get derailed, we become aware of them and we term it as dis-ease.

In the similar fashion, there are many bacterias that reside in our body for ages, only to make ourselves aware of them when they start disturbing our health economy. H-pylori is one such bacteria. It is estimated that around 50-60% of the total world population hosts H-pylori, but only few of them get affected by it.

What is H. Pylori ?

Helicobacter pylori is a type of bacteria that infects our stomach, usually during our childhood. It is one of the most common causes of peptic ulcers and is known to be very obstinate to respond to the treatment. Most people with H.pylori will never have any signs or symptoms, since we may have an innate resistance to its harmful effects.

Symptoms:

•          Severe and persistent abdominal pain
•          Fullness or bloating of the abdomen
•          Burning in the food pipe and stomach
•          Nausea and vomiting
•          Frequent eructations (burping)
•          Dark colored vomit or black tarry stools
•          In severe case, difficulty in swallowing

·      Complications:

o   Ulcers in the stomach wall

o   Inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis)

o   Severe mal-absorption leading to weight loss

Spread:

H pylori infection can spread through direct contact with saliva or vomit/fecal matter. It can thus be spread through contaminated food or water. Thus a poor hygiene is the primary culprit behind the spread of this worldwide infection.

Precipitating factors:

•          Severe anxiety
•          Type A personalities
•          Smoking
•          Surprisingly, spicy food has been proved to have minimal role

Diagnosis:

•          Blood test to detect specific antibodies
•          Upper gastric tract endoscopy
•          Urea breath test

Treatment options:

Allopathic mode of treatment primarily includes antibiotics to kill the bacteria in association with various kinds of medicines to reduce the acidity of the stomach. For those who have got peptic ulcers, surgical correction adds to the treatment plan in addition to the above.

Homeopathic treatment:

The primary aim of homeopathic treatment is targeted towards restoring the constitutional balance within, to aid in setting the body-equilibrium. It is achieved by carefully selecting an appropriately suited remedy for an individual patient, considering the various characteristics at the physical, emotional and intellectual sphere. A professional is trained in ascertaining these qualities and analysing them to arrive at the most-similar remedy selection.

Homeopathic treatment of H. Pylori infection involves two approaches:

1. Treating the acute symptom picture with a remedy selected on the basis of disease picture alone. Remedies like Carbo veg, Arsenic album, Nux vomica, Robinia and Anacardium have proved to act wonderfully in acute exacerbations of the underlying chronic ailment
2. Supporting the acute remedies with a constitutional deep-acting remedy that will set the basic constitution at its equilibrium, thus restoring and maintaining the health for longer time period. This medicine varies from person to person and is thus selected by a professional homeopath.

Taming the over-active bladder with homeopathy & bach flower essences

Definition & clinical picture:

An overactive bladder is a medical term used for a pathological condition, that is characterised by a pattern of sudden, involuntary contractions of the urinary bladder wall muscles, leading to a sudden and unstoppable need to pass urine, irrespective of the quantity present in the bladder. It is also called as ‘urge incontinence’ and is more common in women compared to men. It is estimated that at least 20% of the elderly population (above 70 yrs of age) is affected by it.

Thus a patient who suffers with an overactive bladder will get a recurrent urge to pass urine even though there is not much left in the bladder to pass. Or in other words, there would be a constant sensation of an overfilled bladder although nothing has accumulated in the bladder in real.

The most common symptoms include a recurrent urge to pass urine, urgency of urination, increased frequency of urination during night time and incontinence of urine especially while coughing , or sneezing, or laughing aloud. An overactive bladder can cause a significant degree of physical, social as well as psychological problem for the individual.

Causes & Mechanism:

The primary disturbance lies in the nerves and the muscles of the urinary bladder. Usually a signal is sent to the brain when bladder gets filled with urine to a specific quantity (approx 350-500 ml). The chief muscle of bladder contraction is named as detrusor, which responds to the signals from the higher nerve centres to contract the bladder. Voluntary control of the sphincter muscles at the opening of the bladder controls the urination at will. In case of an overactive bladder, there is an inappropriate contraction of the detrusor muscle regardless of the amount of urine.

The most common causes include:

•           Urinary tract infection
•           Renal calculi
•           Senility or aging
•           Diabetic neuropathy
•           Prostate enlargement
•           Prostatic surgery
•           Multiple pregnancies
•           Spinal cord injury
•           Stroke
•           Parkinson’s disease
•           Multiple sclerosis

Treatment options:

Apart from the medicines (anticholinergics) that can increase the tone of the bladder muscles, certain pelvic muscle rehabilitation programmes like ‘Kegel exercises’ are used to improve the pelvic muscle tone and prevent leakage. Pelvic-floor electrical stimulation too can help few patients. Behavioural therapists can assist with bladder training.

Most of the medications have some common side effects including dryness of mouth, constipation, blurry vision and confusion (especially in the elderly population). To avoid such adverse effects, one can definitely take help of gentler yet equally effective therapies like Homeopathy and Bach Flower Therapy.

A well selected homeopathic remedy based on the individual symptom picture will act as effectively as any other medicinal options. Remedies like Cantharis, Lycopodium, Sepia and Belladona are used quite frequently in these patients. These remedies can be supported by patient’s constitutional remedy, based on the analysis of the individuality at physical, emotional and intellectual sphere.

Rescue remedy, a wonder combination from the Bach flower essences, has done wonders in relieving the acute discomfort and anxiety, especially during a sudden aggravation or precipitation of the symptoms during an important meeting or programme. Though one can try Rescue remedy as an ‘over-the-counter’ medication, a word of caution is necessary to try homeopathic medicines on your own. It is always wise to consult a professional to select the best one for you.