Natural Summer Remedies
Summer is in full swing, and people are celebrating with cookouts, hikes by the ocean, and picnics in the park. These seasonal delights are frequently accompanied by seasonal ailments, such as indigestion, poison ivy, sunburn, and insect bites. Drug store shelves are full of medicines that suppress symptoms but often cause unpleasant side effects. What if there were safe, effective, natural solutions to the problems—remedies that could ease symptoms and, with chronic issues like allergies, make future bouts less severe and less frequent?
Homeopathy may well be the solution. Based upon the principle of “like cures like,” first noted by Hippocrates, the term “homeopathy” was coined by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century. Hahnemann carried out detailed research to develop homeopathy into a comprehensive system of healing that, by using natural remedies derived from minerals, plants, and animals, gently stimulates the body to heal itself. Rather than camouflaging symptoms, as traditional pharmaceuticals often do, homeopathy treats the root cause of the problem.
You can use homeopathic remedies, many of which can be found in your local health food store, to treat mild afflictions yourself. The effectiveness of a remedy is determined by whether the symptoms of the illness match the symptoms of the remedy; the right combination will strengthen the body’s natural healing defenses. As there may be several potential remedies for a given ailment, care must be taken in selecting a treatment to ensure its efficacy. Take one dose and wait for a response; take more only if there is no improvement or if symptoms return. If you’ve taken three doses without relief, select a different remedy. Here are suggestions for combating common summer complaints:
• Hay fever—Allium cepa
• Bruises and sore muscles—Arnica
• Insect bites and jellyfish stings—Apis mellifica
• Sunburn—Cantharis
• Muscle cramps and sprains—Rhus toxicodendron
• Cuts and burns—Calendula
• Poison ivy or oak—Rhus toxicodendron
• Indigestion—Pulsatilla
For chronic health problems, you may benefit from professional advice. Professional homeopaths have access to a wider range of remedies than are available in health food stores as well as the training and experience to determine the best remedy for you.
Finding a Homeopath
These organizations have lists of qualified practitioners:
National Center for Homeopathy
Council for Homeopathic Certification
About Deborah Hayes
Deborah has been practicing homeopathy for 8 years. She is a certified, registered homeopath seeing patients of all ages with a variety of health issues in her Mountain View office. She can be reached at realhomeopathy.com.
