Coronavirus

Coronavirus and homeopathy

Lots of people are asking me how homeopathy can help them to avoid getting Coronavirus. I think it’s a broader question than that. Homeopathy is a way, my way, of staying well. But it doesn’t work alone.

There’s a new virus out there.

We can’t do anything to change that. Now, it’s disrupting our lives in ways that seemed inconceivable a month ago; streets are empty, shops are empty, theatres and restaurants are closing and we are being asked to practice social distancing (a phrase I wouldn’t have understood until two weeks ago).

It’s frightening, but it is also interesting jumping off point to think again about our health.

We all know that the medical model is to inoculate against it. Right now, even if you were of a mind to do that, there isn’t a vaccine.

So what can you do?

If the government is right and 80% of the population is going to get it, there’s a good chance that you are too. You can reduce the chances of getting it soon if you follow advice; you should definitely ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, try to avoid touching your face and eyes unless you have scrupulously clean hands and throw away tissues you sneeze into, keep away from anyone who might have the symptoms or who has been in contact with someone who has, monitor your health closely and keep up with recent advice.

What else can you do?

You can take precautions like avoid contact with people, wear a face mask or isolate yourself for the time being, but it seems to me that, as with all contagious health problems, the most effect use of your energy is to take steps to be as well as possible so you have the best chance if you become infected.

How?

Eat well, drink lots of water, don’t suppress symptoms (from sweat to headaches, bad breath to skin rashes) enjoy your fiends, take exercise, sleep well and try to minimise stress, perhaps by meditation and if that is new to you, you could try an app to help.

I know that!

Yes, me too. All of the above are actions we should always take because a healthy person is less likely to succumb to external pathogens. I’m sure we all know this. But do you do them? I don’t. But I am now.

Could this perhaps this could be the silver lining of Coronavirus; we could stop taking our health for granted? This is a wake up call. It’s up to you whether you pull the duvet over your head or get up and get at it.

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PMS pre-menstrual syndrome

alt=snarling lionness PMS pre-menstrual syndrome
Feeling Snarly

You feel snappy and mean. Your breasts are tender and your ankles are swollen. Chocolate is your only friend. Yes, you’ve got PMS again. You know that these last few days before your period are going to be a struggle. At least nowadays you recognise it for what it is and you no longer believe that the world has turned against you, but it still feels like it.

Most women get premenstrual syndrome at some time. But only between 10 – 20% get it to the degree that it blights their lives. PMS has been the cause of women leaving their jobs, falling out with friends and even ending relationships.

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I think I’m losing it

alt= losing it, confusionDo you ever get the feeling that you are losing it? ‘What did I come in here for?’  ‘I’ve lost my thread. What was I about to say?’ ‘Where are they? I know I put them here somewhere.’  Is this familiar? Does it sound like you? It sounds like a lot of my patients. It also sounds like me sometimes too on occasion. I know what that is like. I’ve missed planes (see Forgiveness), lost keys and very, very, very slowly, while looking the other way, driven my car into a post and written it off.

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Migraine

alt=migraine
Killer headache

You’ve got that blinding headache again. It’s (probably) one-sided and pounding or throbbing. It pins you to the spot. You don’t want to see anyone or be disturbed, can’t stand the light, noise or smells  and it might go on for days. Yes, it’s another migraine.

I’ll come clean here. I’ve only had one bad headache in my life in my twenties, but I remember at the time thinking I’d rather be dead than go on in that sort of pain for any longer. I am truly in awe of people who have migraines and somehow get on with life.

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Indigestion

alt=indigestion
Indigestion

Oh no! You’ve got indigestion again. It’s that terrible pain in your chest that always makes you think you are having a heart attack. Or that horrible feeling of fullness that means you can’t consider bending over. Or that embarrassing belching and a bad taste in your mouth. Whatever it is, it probably comes from a faulty upper digestive tract.

It’s not surprising that it feels so awful because digestion is a complex system, mixing your food with enzymes that require strong alkaline and then strong acid solutions to work. So you’re dealing with a chemistry set. The acid in your stomach can be as low as 1 or 2 on a ph scale and that is very acidic.

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I think I drink too much

Too much wine alcohol
I think I drink too much

Do you sometimes think you drink too much. Or you wonder how much alcohol is too much alcohol. You can’t sleep well and you wake feeling creaky and stiff after getting up in the night to pee. Your digestion isn’t good and your eyes are dry. You have a sneaking idea that all these things are related to alcohol rather than to ageing or life in general.

Well, you are not alone. We are bombarded by TV programs and articles telling us that we have become binge drinkers and we can’t even congratulate ourselves that we have never been seen out in a drunken state because now we know that most alcohol is consumed in the home, not in the pub.

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Insomnia and why sleep is so important

Insomnia sleeplessness
I can’t sleep!

Yes, you know what it’s like to have insufficient sleep. You wake up feeling hungover, fuzzy in the head, heavy eyed, dull thinking, maybe with a headache, grumpy and not fit for the day. But do you remember what it’s like to wake up after a really good sleep? Feeling bright, cheerful, capable of getting on with the day and optimistic.

There is a reason for the difference. The brain, which is only about 2% of the body’s total weight, uses up 25% of its energy. All metabolism has toxic by-products which the lymphatic system carries away. So far, just basic level biology. But what happens to all the toxins that accumulate around brain cells (using a quarter of the calories you consume)? The lymphathic system is not connected to the brain. Continue reading

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