Dr. Valkal's Polyclinic

If you are looking for effective first-aid remedies, you can opt for homeopathy. A first-aid kit should be a part of every household, containing medicines which serve a variety of medical conditions. For putting up a first-aid homeopathic kit, you need to add around 10 homeopathic medicines to start with as homeopathy is an ideal branch of medicine, which is efficient for a lot of first-aid purposes. Here is a list of the top first-aid medicines, which should be a part of your homeopathic kit:

1. Arnica- Arnica is the best homeopathic medicine in case of all types of injuries and shocks. It helps in moving blood back into the blood vessels. This medicine is ideal for every injury or pain-related first-aid. It is good for curing strains and sprains, and also essential in case of jet lag and extreme exhaustion.

2. Aconite- This medicine is used in cases of sudden emotions and intense anxiety. It is effective for all kinds of health issues, which occur after being exposed to cold, windy, and dry weather conditions. This is an ideal first-aid remedy for cough, cold, fever, and chill. Aconite is also used during a panic attack.

3. Apis- This homeopathic medicine is used in cases of swelling, redness, and heating of the skin along with stinging pain. It is commonly used in case of insect bites and bee stings. It also serves as an emergency medicine in the cases of anaphylactic shock.

4. Arsenicum Album- This homeopathic first-aid medicine is used in cases of food poisoning accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting. A person tends to feel cold, and is usually afraid of being alone.

5. Belladonna- Belladonna is a popular homeopathic medicine, which is used in the case of fever. A person’s skin becomes hot and red, the pupils get dilated, and a throbbing pain is experienced. It is an effective first-aid remedy for mild sunstrokes and intense, throbbing headaches.

6. Bellis Perennis- This medicine is specifically used where there is a bruising of soft tissues such as the breast tissue, and other internal organs. The medicine is effective after a fatal injury or blow. It is a good remedy for internal bruising, following a hysterectomy.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

A migraine is one of the worst forms of headaches. It can result in excruciating pain leading to temporary impairing of a person. The pain is often one-sided and can last up to days. The pain can be pulsating or throbbing. Apart from pain, some other symptoms of this disease are insensitivity to light, vomiting, nausea, light temperature etc. For extreme cases, a patient might face symptoms such as temporary blindness, tingling sensation on the hand or leg area, flashes of light etc. Some common triggers of a migraine include loud music, sunlight, mental stress, improper sleep etc. While lifestyle changes can bring temporary relief to migraine patient, homeopathy treatment aims at permanent relief from a migraine altogether. In this article, we will describe few homeopathic medicines that can do wonders for a migraine patient-

1. Belladonna- This is one of the most effective medicines for a migraine. This medicine is appropriate to those whose pain is throbbing in nature and originates from the temporal region of the brain. The pain of this kind starts suddenly without any warning signs whatsoever. The pain worsens with exposure to sunlight, cold air, touch etc. Applying pressure to the region of pressure makes the patient feel better. The patient of this nature finds it difficult to sleep as the pain increases with supine posture. Belladonna can be the perfect medicine for patients suffering from these symptoms. Daily intake in the empty stomach can improve migraine pain by leaps and pounds.
2. Sanguinaria- This homeopathic medicine is used especially for migraine patient who feels pain only on the right side of the head. For patients whose a migraine gets initiated at the back of the head, faces the pain once in every week, gets relief from sleeping and lying down etc, Sanguinaria is the best homeopathic medicine one can have. It is wise to consult a homeopathic doctor to decide the dosage, medicine intake timings etc.
3. Spigelia- This is a homeopathic medicine that pays rich dividends to those migraine patients whose pain starts from the left side of the head and finally settles down in the eye region. The patient often feels that there is a tight rubber band that has been around the head. The pain is sharp and aggravates with touch. Applying ice further worsens it. Spigelia is one homeopathic medicine that can greatly extend relief to such kind of migraine patients and can even cure the condition with prolonged intake.
4. Natrum Mur- This is one universal homeopathic medicine that can extend relief to those migraine patients who has a headache that is congestive in nature. Some typical symptoms include face redness, throbbing nature of the pain, increase of pain with exposure to heat, feeling relieved by uncovering the head etc. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

What is Psoriasis? 

Psoriasis is a common skin disease characterized by thickened patches of inflamed, red skin covered with thick, silvery scales. The elbows and knees are the most common areas affected by psoriasis. It will often appear in the same place on both sides of the body. The patches can range in size from smaller than a dime to larger than a hand. 

Description of Psoriasis-

Normally, skin cells mature and shed after about a month. In psoriasis, the cell maturation speeds up, taking only three to four days. Because the lower layer of skin cells divide more rapidly than normal, dead cells accumulate in thicker patches on the skin's outermost layer called the 'Epidermis'. 

Forms & Classifications-

Psoriasis occurs in a variety of forms that differ in their intensity, duration, location, shape and pattern of scales. The most common forms are: 

1. Plaque Psoriasis: Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of psoriasis. It is characterized by raised, inflamed, red lesions covered with a silvery-white buildup of dead skin cells (scales). This is found primarily on the Body, elbows, knees, scalp and finger or toe nails. 
2. Guttate Psoriasis: Guttate psoriasis occurs most frequently in children and is characterized by numerous small, red, drop-like scaly macules that develop rapidly over a wide area of skin. This may appear following an infection, most frequently strep throat. 
3. Inverse Psoriasis: Inverse psoriasis occurs in the armpit, under the breast, in skin folds, around the groin, in the cleft between the buttocks and around the genitals. It is usually pink and irritated but lacks the thick scale seen in other forms of psoriasis. 
4. Pustular Psoriasis: Pustular psoriasis is a rare form characterized by small pustules (whitehead-like lesions) found all over the body or confined all over the body or confined to the palms, soles and other isolated areas of the body. 

Some dermatologists classify psoriasis as mild, moderate, or severe- Mild psoriasis is considered to be scaling over less than 5-10 percent of the body, moderate psoriasis is considered to be scaling over 10 to 20 percent of the body and severe psoriasis is considered to be scaling more than 20 percent of the body. 

In 5 percent of all psoriasis sufferers, arthritis will develop. This condition is called psoriatic arthritis. Arthritis is inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling and changes in joint structure. 

Causes: 
The underlying psoriasis cause is unknown; however, it can be genetically inherited or passed from generation to generation. Most researchers agree that the Auto Immunity is somehow mistakenly triggered, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis can be triggered by a number of factors, such as stress, climate changes, streptococcal or HIV infection, superficial wounds, physical illness, or taking certain drugs such as lithium, beta-blockers such as propranolol, quinidine (Heart medication) or antimalarial medications. 

Treatment-
Homeopathy is preferred over other methods due to the reason that it does not entail any side effects. Instead of suppressing inflammation like other methods of treatment, it aims to cure the root cause of the disease. Yes, psoriasis can be cured permanently through constitutional Homeopathy treatment but the question is how can a patient know whether eruptions are disappearing for permanently or temporarily? 

Permanent Cure takes place as follows: 

Cure is taken place from Upward to downwards and Center to periphery. First, the cracks come down with arresting of blood coming out from it. After that, the eruption on scalp comes down, if the scaling is thick it becomes gradually thin and then becomes powdery and with time, the scaling disappears totally. After that, eruptions on face and body come down, and at same time eruptions in hands & legs may increase with itching. Eruptions on elbows reduce, after sometime eruptions near to hands, also reduce. While eruptions on legs itches more. However, eruptions on legs also get disappeared. During the total process of cure, you will feel sleepy, and the bowel movement will be regular, sometimes there may be loose stools as well. The various homeopathic remedies that are used to treat psoriasis: Lycopodium, Sulphur, Pulasatilla, Staphysagria, Graphitis, sepia, Arsenic alb, Natrum mur etc.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

One of the best pleasures of life is to watch a child grow up and begin to learn and explore new things in the surroundings. However, children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism may not be able to do this at the same pace as other kids. They are a little slow to respond and may not socialise very easily.

ASD is a collective term used for a range of symptoms, including poor verbal and nonverbal communication, poor social skills, repetitive behaviour, and impaired learning abilities. The onset and severity of symptoms also vary across children. While some show symptoms in preschool, others would be completely normal and start showing symptoms after a couple of years of schooling. The following are some symptoms that indicate the child could have autism.

1. Lack of babbling by 9 months of age
2. No response when called by their name even after 12 months of age
3. Not uttering single words by the age of 16 months, two words by 24 months
4. Lack of social skills including resistance to cuddling, not mingling with other kids
5. Self-injurious behaviour like banging head on the wall, hurting a toy, etc.

Homeopathy offers safe, effective remedy for children with autism. Treatment regime is highly customised based on underlying and accompanying symptoms of each patient. The following are commonly used ingredients; however, self-medication is best avoided.

1. Agaricus: The child talks and sings but does not respond. There is indifference, fearlessness, shouting, constant jerking of the head, difficulty reading, possible double vision and feels awkward physically and mentally.
2. Carcinosin: The child is obstinate and has compulsive obsessive tendencies. It is hyperactive, does not sleep, has addictive tendencies, and likes to drink milk which worsens the symptoms.
3. Androctonus: The child is destructive, suspicious, mischievous, but very quick to respond. The child behaves very well at times and can be very naughty at other times.
4. Helleborus: The child is generally weak, slow to respond, appears thoughtless, often stares into air, and looks depressed with involuntary sighing and habit of lip biting. Sight, hearing, and taste could be affected.
5. Cuprum Metallicum: The child is extremely tense, irritable, rigid, malicious, and very difficult to handle. Does not like to be touched or spoken to or played with. Can be aggressive with the parents, driving them to despair.

May have tics infestation on the scalp.
Another recent approach is the CEASE (Complete Elimination Autism Spectrum Expression) Therapy. This combines homoeopathy with orthomolecular medicines that provide the required nutrition for brain development (vitamins, minerals, Omega 3 fatty acids, etc.) This helps in overall brain development and restoring function in affected children. As noted, the right potency of these products will determine the response to treatment.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

High blood pressure is also referred to as hypertension in medical lingo. It is a condition in which a patient has high blood force striking the walls of the artery. High blood pressure is a silent killer as it can cause major damage to the heart resulting in cardiovascular diseases. Some common lifestyle changes such as refraining from alcohol, increasing the intake of potassium, cutting down iodine in the diet and regular exercise can play rich dividends in maintaining a steady blood pressure. For those who do not believe in conventional medicine, homeopathy can help to bring down the level of blood pressure. In this article, we will discuss few homeopathy medicines that has been tried and tested in countering high blood pressure:

1. Belladonna- Belladonna is one of the best homeopathic medicines that is mighty effective for patients suffering from high blood pressure accompanied by frequent headaches. The pain originates from the temporal region and is more of a throbbing sensation. This leads to reddening of the face. The pain might get initiated from the heat or sudden jerk in the head etc. Vertigo is also very commonly witnessed in this type of condition. Belladonna helps to bring down the pressure and stop the onset of frequent headaches.
2. Nux Vomica- This homeopathic medicine is best suited to males who are aggressive in nature and has characteristics such as nervousness, irritation, agility etc. This medicine is also prescribed to those whose hypertension has resulted from excessive liquor, caffeine, spicy food etc. For patients like these, mornings are the worst nightmares as all the symptoms get aggravated during this time of the day. Nux vomica can successfully bring down high blood pressure and normalize the symptoms mentioned above.
3. Glonine- This medicine suits best for those whose face tend to turn red as blood gets congested in the face and the head. They too suffer from frequent headaches with a throbbing sensation. Patients of this group tend to feel lethargic most of the times and get easily annoyed with the least bit of opposition. It is difficult to withstand any heat around the head area for a patient of this nature. Exposure to the sun can start the pain.
4. Natrum Mur- Patients of blood sugar who is in the habit of consuming too much salt and salt related products is best suited to this medicine. The eating habit has a very distinct pattern. They like to consume fried food, pickles etc. The mouth of these patients often gets dry leading to increased thrust. Asymmetric coat of the tongue is yet another symptom of this group. Natrum Mur is an ideal medicine for patients suffering from these symptoms along with high blood pressure.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

1. Start using moisturising or creamy soaps or body wash. Avoid frequent bathing.
2. Moisturise your skin soon after dabbing off the water after a shower or bath.
3. Daily apply any gentle oily or less oily cream or olive oil or pure cow ghee (depending upon what suits you) as first thing after washing your face in the morning.
4. You can choose to scrub your facial skin gently using ready srubs like apricot scrubs or a quick home made one. Homemade scrub- mix 1 tpsb gram floor with 1 spoon curd, turmeric and 2 drops of lemon juice. Scrub gently on face and leave it to half dry then rinse with plain water. Perform daily to avoid deposition of dead skin cells that dry winds cause in winter.

Have a pleasant winter with lovable skin. 
 

Nothing in the world can be more precious and valuable than holding and cuddling your baby for the first time. For most, pregnancy and parenthood gives a new dimension to their lives. It completes their family. People wait with bated breath for the beautiful phase to unfold. However, of late, infertility has been on the rise. As per a survey, 1 in every 1000, suffers from infertility issues. Infertility in males, as well as females, can be triggered by factors such as stress (personal or professional), unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy food habits, obesity, medical complications.

Medical assistance and treatments are available, but some of the treatments are way too expensive or have harmful and undesirable side effects. In this regard, homeopathy comes as a much-needed blessing. It is natural and has negligible or no side effects. Furthermore, most of the homeopathic medications are affordable, leaving you with only a small pinch in the pocket.

The first step in homeopathic treatment is identifying the root cause of infertility. In males, infertility can be due to

1. Erectile dysfunction.
2. Low semen count.
3. Sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia.
4. Small testes or testicular injury.
5. Abnormal or premature ejaculation.
6. Obstruction in Vas deferens (Ejaculatory duct).
7. Varicocele, Prostatitis.

Female infertility may be due to

1. Thyroid problems.
2. PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), Endometriosis.
3. Hormonal imbalance and irregular periods.
4. Uterine fibroid.
5. STD's like gonorrhea and chlamydia.
6. Blocked fallopian tube.
7. Uterine (cervix) abnormality.

Certain lifestyle habits and environmental factors also contribute towards male and female infertility.

Homeopathy to treat male infertility:

Some of the homeopathic medicines work wonders to improve male infertility.

1. Caladium Seguinum: Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation can be effectively treated with Caladium Seguinum (American Arum). In some men, erectile dysfunction results in pruritus (severe itching) in the genital organs. Caladium is the best bet to deal with pruritus.
2. Agnus Castus (Chaste Tree): Agnus Castus is used to treat both male and female infertility. Men with erectile dysfunction, low libido, and low sperm count benefit immensely from this medicine. This medicine is a blessing for women with menstrual problems (irregular periods, heavy or scanty periods).
3. Lycopodium Clavatum (Wolf's Foot): Men with serious erectile dysfunction (due to stress, anxiety) benefit from this medicine.
4. Calcarea Carbonica: This medicine is helpful for men with a high libido but premature ejaculation.
5. Conium: Conium is used to treat low libido and weak erections in men.

Homeopathy to treat female infertility:

1. Pulsatilla: This homeopathic medicine comes as a relief for females who have infertility due to PCOD and irregular periods.
2. Sepia: Infertility resulting from menstrual problems (scanty and short periods) can be successfully treated with Sepia. It is also helpful in case of women with hypoactive sexual desire.
3. Natrum Carb: This homeopathic medicine is used to treat women who are unable to retain the sperm.
4. Aletris Farinosa: This medicine is used to treat infertility triggered by heavy periods.

Though effective, these medicines should not be used without medical prescription and recommendation. Self-medication will do more harm than good. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Homeopath.