HOMOEOPATHY IN DIARRHOEAL CASES

by

Dr. Varsha Sharma

Diarrhoea is one of the most common conditions occurring during the monsoon season. Diarrhoea is defined as an increase in the frequency and fluidity of stools. It is a common but potentially serious illness in early childhood. Even a brief episode of diarrhoea leads to loss of 1-2% of body weight per day. There is excessive lost of water and electrolytes from the body during an episode of diarrhoea. Significant dehydration disturbs the balance of electrolytes and acid- base status of the body.

CAUSES -

There are several factors responsible for the onset of diarrhea. Some of them are as follows:-

•         Viruses.

•         Bacteria.

•         Parasites.

•         Food poisoning.

•         Dietary allergies.

•         Carbohydrate intolerance.

•         Decreased host immunity. (E.g. after attack of measles).

•         Poor personal hygiene or food contamination.

•         Inadequate treatment of acute diarrhoeas may lead to chronic diarrhoea.

•         Deficiency of bile salts.

•         Inflammatory bowel disease.

•         Reactions to medication.

•         Food addictives.

•         Intolerance to food proteins such as cow's milk or even soya milk.

•         Idiopathic or functional diarrhoea.

 LEVELS OF DEHYDRATION:

            Dehydration is a common feature which takes place in diarrhea. The level of dehydration needs to be judged to find out the severity of the condition. Levels of dehydration can be judged considering the status of certain features, which are described in the below table.

APPROACH TO A CASE OF DIARRHOEA -

•         Prevent dehydration.

•         Ensure that the patient is taking sufficient fluids.

•         Avoid giving the child dairy products during an episode of diarrhea and for two weeks after it is

        resolved so that, the intestines get time to settle and heal.

•         Avoid consuming heavy food, so that the stomach and intestines will have time to rest and heal. 

        Eliminate foods that are difficult to digest.

•         Fats should be eliminated from the diet.

•         Proteins should be avoided for about forty-eight hours.

•         Eliminate refined sugars, especially if the diarrhea is bacterial in origin. Bacteria thrive in the

        presence of sugar. Sugar also makes the body more acidic. An overly acidic internal environment 

        slows healing.

•         As the patient starts to feel better, offer a simple diet so that the digestive tract can easily absorb

        nutrients. Administer foods that are easily digested and absorbed.

HOMOEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT -

Homoeopathy is rapidly curative in diarrhoeas and gives splendid results. But, the remedy must be homœopathic. It must be a remedy not only of diarrhea, but it must fit the peculiarities of this case of diarrhœa for cure (Aphorism 147). One diarrhœa remedy will not cure another case of diarrhoea until and unless the remedy matches the peculiarities of that particular case. As these cases require urgent and immediate care, one needs their remedies at one's finger-tips. Few remedies indicated for diarrhoea are discussed below.

Aconite - Diarrhoea comes on suddenly with a distended abdomen. From exposure to cold. Diarrhoea with inflammation of the bowels

Pulsatilla – Diarrhoea, worse at night and by rich foods.

Argent. Nit. - Diarrhoea caused by anxiety & after eating too much sugar, characterized by belching and cravings for sweet and salty food.

Carbo veg - Caused by food poisoning by fish.

Arsen. Alb. - Caused by food poisoning by meat, anxiety or stress. Diarrhoea with inflammation of the bowels. Frequent and scanty stools with weakness and wasting.

Calcarea carbonica - After eating dairy products, or dentitional diarrhea.

China - After eating too much fruit with abdominal bloating.

Colocynthis - Effective against the twisting and cramping abdominal pain that often accompanies diarrhea.

Mercurius solubilis  - Stools greenish, whitish, offensive, clay-coloured, bloody, watery, or mixed with mucus. Has to strain at stools. Stools followed by chilliness. Worse at night and from warmth of bed.
Diarrhoea from errors in diet, from worms and from exposure to cold.

Pulsatilla - Diarrhea after eating fatty foods.

Natrum muriaticum - Tendency toward recurrent diarrhea and craves salt.

Magnesia phosphorica - Helps relax the bowel and ease cramping. Colycynthis with Magnesia phosphorica in alteration for any kind of abdominal pain.

Ant Crud – Diarrhoea from errors in diet and from worms.

Crot. Tig - From errors in diet. Yellow, putrid, watery stools, coming out like a shot. Any food or drink starts diarrhoea. Stool is induced by eating.

Sulphur - Morning diarrhoea, drives her out of bed. Stool acrid.

Calcarea Carbonica - Diarrhoea in weakly, pale-faced, wasted children, liable to glandular swellings. Stools undigested, sour, pappy, frothy, bad-smelling or involuntary. Pains during stools followed by faintness.

Podophyllum - Diarrhoea with inflammation of the bowels. Profuse, sudden, foetid, exhausting discharges. Worse in the morning, forenoon and in teething babies.

Chamomilla - Diarrhoea during teething, or from cold, with fretfulness. Stools greenish, watery, frothy, offensive with colicky pains.

Veratrum Album - Frequent copious, watery discharges, occurring in gushes, and accompanied by excessive vomiting and prostration.

Aethusa Cynapium - Stool is undigested, thin, green and bilious. Violent straining before stool and after stool.

Aloe Socotrina - Has to hurry after eating or drinking ; with want of confidence to restrain stool. Diarrhoea drives out of bed in the morning. Or, difficulty to pass a solid stool, which presently escapes unnoticed.

Iodium - Thin, foetid diarrhoea, with distension of the bowels.

Phosphorus - Chronic diarrhoea in children having a consumptive tendency. Yellow tinge of the eyes and skin.

Biochemic tissue salts:

Ferr.phos - Sudden onset of diarrhoea that consists of undigested food. Usually accompanied with fever and thirst.

Kali.phos - Depression or exhaustion is also present.

Calc.phos - Best remedies for diarrhoea of teething children.

Miasmatic Presentation of Diarrhoea -

PREVENTION OF DIARRHOEA -

1) Educate people about personal and food hygiene.

 2) Water used for drinking and preparing feeds should be clean, potable, preferably boiled.

3) Use clean containers.

4) Avoiding exposure of food to dust, flies or cockroaches.

5) Improve environmental sanitation, good water supply, adequate sewage disposal system and protection of food from exposure to bacterial contamination are effective long-term strategies for control of all infectious illnesses including diarrhoea.

            Hence, if the above mentioned preventive strategies are followed, a potentially dreaded condition like diarrheoa can be averted and if inspite of it diarrhoea prevails then through Homoeopathy, a sure and a safe cure can definitely be achieved.

DR. VARSHA V. SHARMA MD (Hom.)

139/B, Sindhi Society, 

Opp. Bhakti Bhavan Bus Stop,

Chembur, Mumbai – 400071

Email: drvarshasharma@gmail.com

About the Author-

Dr. Varsha V. Sharma, MD (Hom), teaching at YMT Homoeopathic Medical College at Navi Mumbai since, last 7-8yrs. Practicing Homoeopathy & counseling at Chembur, Bandra & Vashi. Online Editor of Medical books & medical sites. Author of Homoeopathic book on Materia Medica. Author of several articles in various journals, magazines & sites.