Homeopathy

In conjunction with the up-coming World Menopause Day on the 18th October, I’m so excited to be hosting a special Zoom event to celebrate the Day.More

‘Hot’ Women is a term I use referring to Peri-menopausal and Menopausal symptoms in women, not necessarily hot flushes and night sweats as not all women suffer with these symptoms. Apparently, there are approximately 40 menopause related symptoms women may experience either naturally, surgically or medically induced. More

Homoeopathy can be very helpful in treating the signs and symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease by assisting the sufferer’s vital force (body’s unique intelligence) to restore balance, harmony and wellbeing – our natural Homeostasis.

I know only too well the difficulties of living with Ulcerative Colitis after seemingly developing the ‘dis-ease’ from contracting amoebic dysentery in my early twenties.

According to the NHS website “Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition where the colon (the large intestine or bowel) and rectum (the end of the bowel where the stools are stored) become inflamed. Small ulcers can develop on the colon’s lining, can bleed and produce pus.

Main symptoms

The  main symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis are:

• Recurring diarrhoea, which may contain blood, mucus and/or pus.
• Tummy pain
• Needing to empty your bowels frequently.
• You may also experience extreme tiredness (fatigue), loss of appetite and weigh loss.

The severity of the symptoms varies, depending on how much of the rectum and colon is inflamed and how severe the inflammation is. For some people, the condition has a significant impact on their everyday lives.

Symptoms of a flare-up

Some people may go for weeks or months with very mild symptoms, or none at all (remission), followed by periods where the symptoms are particularly troublesome (flare-ups or relapse).

During a flare-up, some people with ulcerative colitis also experience symptoms elsewhere in their body.

For example, some people develop:

• Painful and swollen joints (arthritis)
• Mouth ulcers
• Areas of painful, red and swollen skin
• Irritated and red eyes

In severe cases, defined as having to empty your bowels 6 or more times a day, additional symptoms may include:

• Shortness of breath
• A fast or irregular heartbeat
• A high temperature (fever)
• Blood in your stools becoming more obvious

In most people, no specific trigger for flare-ups is identified, although a gut infection can occasionally be the cause. Stress is also thought to be a potential factor.

When to seek medical advice:

You should see a GP as soon as possible if you have symptoms of ulcerative colitis and you have not been diagnosed with the condition. They can arrange blood or stool sample tests to help determine what may be causing your symptoms. If necessary, they can refer you to hospital for further tests.

It is estimated around 1 in every 420 people living in the UK has ulcerative colitis. This amounts to around 146,000 people.

IBD or IBS?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term mainly used to describe 2 conditions that cause inflammation of the gut (gastrointestinal tract).

They are:

• Ulcerative colitis
• Crohn’s disease

IBD should not be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is a different condition and requires different treatment.” [www.nhs.uk]

What works for me?

Thankfully over thirty years on I’m currently symptom free, not reliant on prescription drugs and enjoying life to the full. I contribute this to a healthy lifestyle, avoiding triggers – certain foods and stress, good nutrition, meditation, yoga and homoeopathy.

It’s not simply a case of one remedy to match a disease name. A professional homoeopath, such as myself will closely ascertain how the symptoms are expressed by each individual and match the homoeopathic prescription accordingly.

In homoeopathy we look at the patient’s physical symptoms, emotional state, lifestyle factors and family history as these all assist in matching the Homoeopathic remedy to the individual.

Please contact me directly if you’d like to make an appointment or take advantage of a no obligation, up to 15 minute telephone conversation or online chat to discuss.

The charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK are a brilliant source of information and support for sufferers.

Head lice and nits are very common in children and their families. Apparently, they do not have anything to do with dirty hair and are picked up by head-to-head contact. [www.nhs.uk]. I also believe they can be picked up sharing brushes, combs, hats, helmets, clothing, bedding and towels of someone with head lice. The NHS website offer information, photos and videos to help your recognise and successfully treat head lice so please don’t panic.

I contracted head lice at school and in the past so have my children. I’ve tried many different methods to eliminate the headlice (tiny insects approximately 5mm in size or smaller if they’ve not long hatched) and nits (their tiny white eggs that stick to strands of hair) but by far the most effective treatment I’ve found is Delacet Head Lice and Nits Lotion. This is made from Tincture of Larkspur and Acetic Acid (Vinegar) and is available from The Homeopathic Supply Company [www.hsconline.co.uk].

According to Homeopathy Plus:

Tincture of Larkspur or Staphysagria is made from the herb Delphinium Staphysagria. It is also known as Larkspur or Lice-bane because of its herbal use in killing body lice. The ancient Greeks and Romans recorded using this toxic herb as a herbal medication for a variety of uses, including as a salve that worked as a remedy for bites, stings and lice.”

It is the most effective treatment for head lice I’ve ever used and witnessed working successfully time and time again. It is the only natural treatment which does not involve prolonged combing, applications on consecutive days.

It does need to remain on the hair for 2-3 hours and I find placing a shower cap over the hair as soon the Delacet lotion application is completed, helps prevent the lotion dripping and/or strands of hair straying. In fact, the instructions for use recommend using a shower cap but always supervise children and vulnerable adults during the treatment. Of course, it is also wise to carry out a skin patch test in case of sensitivity prior to using this product.

According to Delacet their lotion is made from a unique dual action flower extract used in Europe for decades due to its outstanding effectiveness after just one application and highlights the benefits as follows [www.delacet.co.uk]:

“Used successfully for over 50 years
No organophosphates
No detection combing required
No prolonged applications
Easy to wash out
Suitable for adults and children
Quick, simple, safe and effective
Disinfecting & conditioning properties
Excellent for dreadlocks & thick hair
Suitable for permed hair/extensions
Not tested on animals
Suitable for vegans
Packaging fully recyclable
Produced to GMP standards (ISO 9001)”

If you suspect head lice to be a problem in your hair or that of your child I recommend using a nit-comb for headlice detection as you only need to use a head lice lotion treatment if you discover head-lice in the hair. In my opinion by far the best product for the job is ‘Nitty Gritty’.

This is a revolutionary nit-comb made by mums. How does it work? “The NitFree Comb’s 33 round-tipped teeth go through your hair quickly and easily, and the ‘micro-spiral’ groove in each one gentle removes anything that’s attached to your hair … lice, nits and even unhatched ‘live’ louse eggs. The rounded tips won’t scratch your scalp – and just one NitFree Comb is all you need to check and treat the whole family.” [www.nittygritty.co.uk]

The ‘Nitty Gritty’ is larger than most nit combs on the market, including the ones that are often included in the main brands of head lice treatment. This larger nit-comb make is easier to handle and use as you work your way through the strands of wet hair with a liberal application of hair-conditioner applied. Wet combing the hair from the roots to the tips, focusing especially on the warmer areas of the scalp e.g. back of neck and behind the ears.

It is easier if you can separate the hair into sections and keep the sections you’ve checked away from those left to do. I find wiping the nit comb in white kitchen roll sheets or white paper very effective as you can see if any headlice and nits have been picked up in your trawl through the hair, I also rinse the nit comb in water to reduce contamination and the conditioner build-up make this a slippery task.
If I detect head lice I continue nit combing the whole head of hair and rinse off the conditioner. I then apply the Delacet lotion as directed and wash off with shampoo, then dry the hair as usual.

I trust you will find this information useful.

Often when a patient consults me for homoeopathic treatment they are surprised at the questions I ask during their first appointment, especially regarding their dietary preferences and habits. I’m very passionate about the impact food has on our health and wellbeing.More