What is homeopathy?

The growth in the sale of homeopathic medicines online continues

The data collected by Doxapharma for Omeoimprese (association of manufacturers of homeopathic and anthroposophic medicines) is clear: one in two consumers of the analyzed sample buys online up to 8 homeopathic products a year. It is mainly women (over 60%) who buy homeopaths and the average age is around 44 .

What is homeopathy based on?

Homeopathy is a therapeutic clinical method based on the administration of medicines taken from vegetable, mineral or animal substances to stimulate the healing response in a natural way . This principle, already discovered and studied since ancient times by Hippocrates and St. Augustine, was rediscovered by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann during the 18th century.

Homeopathy is fundamentally based on the law of similars : to cure a disease or ailment one should take the substance that causes a similar effect . For example, to counteract insomnia you should take a substance that causes insomnia, such as coffee. Therefore, whatever the causes of the symptoms suffered by the individual, these will also play the role of cure and remedy.

How to choose the right homeopath online?

There are many homeopathic remedies on the web, but how can we find the right solution for us? The largest online Italian catalog ofhomeopathic remedies (over 15 thousand products) is available on www.tuttofarma.it . From the most classic products such as granules, single doses and drops to the most particular remedies: the great advantage of this online shop is the possibility of using specific filters:

• Manufacturer: you can choose from 40 of the best brands in the industry;
• Strain: ie   the active substance at the base, before being diluted and dynamized, from which the homeopathic product originates. They can be of a vegetable, animal or mineral nature;
• Dilution: this filter allows us to choose the products based on the number of dilutions and dynamization. Generally the dilutions indicated by letter D are recommended for more sensitive people, since they provide a lighter action than the CH dilutions;
• Format: finally, this filter divides the products according to their pharmaceutical form (sachets, tablets, capsules, eye drops, etc.).

How are homeopathic medicines prepared?

Homeopathic products are basically based on “dilution” and dynamization (shaking and hitting the bottle). Each homeopathic formulation, in fact, must be diluted several times in water (or alcohol). The dilution is necessary in order not to have any toxic effect of that substance , but only the homeopathic response.

Instead, dynamization would increase the power of the product’s effectiveness . This is because the shaking process would allow the dilution water to retain the memory of the original substance.

How to read the labels of homeopaths?

Knowing how to read the labels of homeopaths is essential to understand what type of product we have in front of us. The name of the strain (often in Latin) is shown on the package, alongside a number and letters, which indicate the number of dilutions and dynamizations that the strain has undergone (and of the bottles used). (eg Abrotanum 4CH).

We can therefore divide the dilutions are divided into three types:

• CH: is the dilution with a ratio of 1: 100 and is called centesimal. A part of the active substance was diluted in 99 parts of the solvent;
• DH: is the decimal dilution, so the ratio is 1:10. A part of the active substance was diluted in 9 parts of the solvent;

• LM: is the fiftieth dilution, one part of active substance in 49.999 parts of solvent.

The dilutions accompanied by the letter K instead belong to the Korsakovian dilutions , which take their name from their creator Simeon Nicolaievitch Korsakov , a Russian physician contemporary to Hahnemann. This type of dilutions differ in the preparation technique : the same bottle is always used (unlike the previous ones which are carried out in more bottles), in which all the dilutions take place and using distilled water as a solvent. This is why in the field of homeopathy they are also known as “single bottle dilutions”. Also in this case, the figure before the letter indicates how many times the dilutions and dynamizations have occurred.

What can homeopathy be used for?

Those who embrace this type of “philosophy” use homeopathy as an aid for various types of ailments, such as dermatitis, depression, stress, anxiety, asthma and allergies.

However, it is always necessary to pay attention to the type of homeopathic preparation chosen: those that contain glucose and lactose are not recommended for people intolerant to these substances or for diabetics.

In case the doctor suggests us to administer homeopaths to children, we must always make sure that the preparations have been diluted in water and not in alcohol .

Finally, it is important to remember not to use homeopathy as a substitute for a conventional treatment of proven efficacy . If you want to choose to take a homeopathic remedy, it is advisable to discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist.