Is it Flu or Ebola?
The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed more than 3,300 people and the toll is still rising. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that it is the largest outbreak in the nearly 40 year history of the disease. Currently medical authorities have no answer to this disease. The fear is that the Ebola virus will mutate, become airborne and will be able to infect even more people and possibly, in other countries. With our ability to travel around the world, diseases can also travel fast so we need to be prepared.
“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report Tuesday predicting as many as 550,000 to 1.4 million cases of the Ebola virus in Liberia and Sierra Leone alone, by the end of January. “ (Fox News, September 23, 2014). According to ABC News, Texas resident Thomas Eric Duncan, first patient diagnosed with Ebola in United States, came into contact with more than 80 people and his family is now required to stay in isolation (quarantined) to avoid possible spread of the disease.
How can we prepare for a possible epidemic? Is there anything that can be done? Several of my clients expressed concern about Ebola virus and what will be the right course of action if the epidemics ever gets closer. I would like to share information that can potentially help you and your family to feel safe and possibly resolve virus exposure without serious consequences.
Homeopathy has a history of success in treating and preventing epidemic illnesses. Homeopathy has been used successfully in the following epidemics: Scarlet Fever Outbreak [1800], Typhus outbreak in Germany [1813], Cholera Outbreak Russia [1831], 1918 Spanish Influenza, Japanese Encephalitis in India [1999], Meningitis in Brazil [1998], and Leptospirosis in Cuba [2007]. Ebola is a quite recent disease and as far as we know, homeopathy has not been tested against the Ebola virus. However, since homeopathy was successful in resolution of other acute, killer diseases it would be remiss of me not to share information on how homeopathy can help you and your loved ones if epidemic ever comes close to your neighborhood.
German physician Samuel Hahnemann had established homeopathy as a system of natural medicine more than 200 years ago. Homeopathic remedies are natural, safe, effective and stimulate the body’s innate ability to heal itself. The main law of homeopathy is ‘like cures like’, meaning that a substance that causes symptoms of disease in a healthy person given in small amounts can cure a sick person suffering from similar symptoms. Old homeopathic books talk about the 1918 Spanish Influenza characterized by bleeding from all parts of the body, just as Ebola does in its most deadly form; homeopaths are familiar with the remedies that can produce such symptoms and the remedies that can likewise cure. Multiple studies prove homeopathy efficiency. Just recently, in August, The American Journal of Therapeutics,a conventional pharmacology journal, has published a research article on effectiveness and safety of a homeopathic remedy Arnica Montana. The researched concluded that “Cumulative evidence suggests that Arnica montana may represent a valid alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.”
Homeopathic remedies are inexpensive and very safe when used properly. During the flu season we use our favorites, tried and true homeopathic remedies. Gelsemium can be taken when the onset of the flu is gradual, and there is dizziness, weakness, and chills run up and down the spine. The person experiences extreme muscle weakness, trembling and body aches all over. Aconitum napellus should be taken when the onset of flu is sudden with high fever, especially, after exposure to dry cold winds. The person is fearful and restless. Bryonia alba is useful when onset of the flu is slow with constant low fever. The nose and mouth are dry, the thirst is intense and any movement causes discomfort. The person is irritable and wants to be left alone. There are many other homeopathic remedies that are used for flu and colds. Usually, 30C potency is efficient for acute flu and colds.
Early stages of Ebola virus exposure can look like flu: headache, sore throat, muscle pain, fever and weakness. As the disease progresses, other symptoms appear, like rash, vomiting, internal and external bleeding and diarrhea. Additionally some people may experience hiccups, chest pain, difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing. Each person is unique, and immune system reacts differently to the same virus or stress. That means that if 2 people are exposed to the same virus, most likely they will get 2 different remedies depending on how their body reacted to that virus. During the time of epidemics, many people are exposed to the same virus and statistically, many people will react in the same way. When many people react in the same way to the virus, homeopathic practitioners analyze the symptoms the virus had produced in the population and come up with the remedy that matches those symptoms the best. That remedy is called genus epidemicus. One of the possible genus epidemicus remedies for the current Ebola outbreak is a homeopathic remedy Bothrops LanceolatusBothrops Lanceolatus(yellow viper) is a remedy that is made from highly diluted snake venom that matches the following symptoms: nervous trembling, difficulty articulating speech, vomiting, bleeding from all orifices, day blindness and fever with shivering followed by profuse cold sweat. The second closest to Bothrops is Crotalushorridus(rattlesnake), a homeopathic remedy that has to be considered if there is difficulty in swallowing due to spasms and constriction in the throat and bleeding from any part of the body including the eyes, gums, nose and the sweat. There are multiple other remedies that can be used if epidemic ever reaches your neighborhood.
Prevention is always to best way to stay healthy. If the epidemic gets closer, the genus epidemicus remedy can be taken profilactically to improve chances of not getting the disease. If you do get symptoms of viral exposure, do not wait; take an appropriate remedy right away in the comfort of your own home, match your symptoms to the remedies above, refer to your handout from the workshop offered below or call your homeopath if you need further help. There are other common sense precautions that can be taken as well, like washing hands after shopping or school, eating healthy foods (forget McDonald’s until the cold season is over!), getting fresh air, sun and exercise is always a good idea. The healthier you are, less likely you will get affected by any virus, and if you will, the disease will be mild and easily relieved with homeopathic remedies or just rest.
Would you like to learn more? Sign up for ‘How to protect yourself and your loved ones from influenza and other viral diseases” workshop that will take place at Roots &Wings, 317 N. Main street, Natick, MA on Sunday, November 9th at 2pm-3:30pm at Heartwood room (2nd floor). Space is limited, please call 508.397.6098 or email
veravolfson@gmail.com to register.
REFERENCES
1. “The Homeopathic Treatment of Influenza”, Julian Winston, Sandra J.Perko
2. Homeopathy in Influenza– A chorus of fifty in harmony, W.A. Dewey, Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy, May 1921, pp. 1040
3. Am J Ther. 2014 Aug 28. Effectiveness and Safety of Arnica montana in Post-Surgical Setting, Pain and Inflammation.
Iannitti T1 Morales-Medina JC, Bellavite P, Rottigni V, Palmieri B.
4. Mroninski C, Adriano E, Mattos G (2001) Meningococcinum: Its protective effect against meningococcal disease. Homoeopathic Links Winter Vol 14(4); pp. 230-4.
5. “Decreased Intensity of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection in Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane Under Influence of Ultradiluted Belladonna Extract”, American Journal of Infectious Diseases 6 (2): 24-2 8, 2010 ISSN 1553-6203
http://homeopathyplus.com.au/belladonnastudy.pdf
5. Application of 200C potency of bacteria for Leptospirosis epidemic control (2010) FULL TEXT
7. http://www.wholehealthnow.com/homeopathy_pro/hahnemann_rev1.html
8. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/09/23/who-forecasts-more-than-20000-ebola-cases-by-november-2/
9. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/texas-ebola-patients-contacts-now-reach-100/story?id=25912405
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