It would seem that we are living in an age of increasing disaster and chaos. In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Asia we are now contemplating the possibility of a flu pandemic. Indeed it would appear that the latest avian flu threat is a hot topic; the newspapers, television and radio broadcasts are continuously informing us every day the about the increasing number of people who may succumb to this virus and there has been some discussion about the effectiveness and shortage of anti viral medicines. Health experts warn that the Bird Flu vaccine may come too late, it could take six months to manufacture adequate vaccine stocks and current stocks may be useless because the flu virus has mutated. Clearly some people are beginning to panic. In the light of this current situation I felt it necessary to update and rewrite this article which was originally published a few years ago.

Over many centuries medical practitioners have always noted that in any epidemic there are always a number of people, who despite exposure, never seem to get sick. These people seem to have stronger constitutions and are less susceptible. Unfortunately, many of us have weaker constitutions, and we are asking ourselves what we can do to keep the flu at bay this year. For most of us if we do get sick it is not likely to be a life-threatening problem, there will simply be the inconvenience of a few days off work or school. However, there are growing numbers of people who are immune compromised and for them an encounter with the predicted avian flu may land them in hospital or prove to be life threatening. The current press is speculating that hospitals will be overwhelmed and that many people will die.

During the 1918 influenza pandemic fifty million people died worldwide, much more than those struck down by bullets in the trenches of wartime France. Scientific evidence indicates this was an avian influenza that managed to mutate and infect the human population. It was young people, in the prime of their life, 25 -34 years of age, which were most severely affected; they appeared to have no immunity and succumbed to a pneumonia that would kill within days. It was not uncommon for someone physically strong and in good health to get up feeling well in the morning and by bedtime they would be dead.

As a homeopath and Executive Director of The Minnesota Homeopathic Association, one of my main priorities is to inform the general public about this wonderfully effective system that can help the body to heal quickly and without the toxic side effects of conventional medications. However, few people understand the principles and practice of homeopathy. Most people that I encounter at my public speaking engagements confuse homeopathy with herbalism. Homeopathic remedies come from different sources and although many are derived from plants there are a number of remedies that come from the animal and mineral kingdoms. The FDA regulates the manufacture of all homeopathic remedies sold within the United States.

The interesting point about these remedies is that they are made in a way that renders them so dilute that in most cases there is nothing of the original substance in the pill. As a result of this process there is no danger of toxic substances building up in the body and producing unwanted side effects. Homeopathy is probably the safest type of medicine that you will ever find. Many people say that homeopathy must work because of the placebo effect. The truth is that no one has been able to explain exactly how the remedies work but for the past twenty years or so veterinary medicine has contributed to the development of homeopathy. It has shown that this system of healing works on animals that are unaware of what they are taking. There has been at least three large scale double – blind placebo -controlled trials to treat people with flu or influenza – like syndrome. Each of these large scale studies were conducted by independent researchers, and a treatment is considered proven when at least three independent studies verify positive results.

I have a nine year-old dachshund that took a turn for the worse a few years ago. He developed a right-sided herniated disc and suddenly his back legs became paralyzed. The prognosis was extremely poor for him. I gave him a homeopathic remedy specific to this problem for over a period of three months. I am delighted to say that according to the vet he made a 98% recovery and now he always wants to play tag and go for a long walk when I get home from work.

I know that homeopathy works and I get to witness its miraculous results every day in my professional practice. Only yesterday, the grandmother of a young boy who I have been helping with severe behavioral and ADD problems for the past year, looked me in the eye and announced that I have given her back her life and that of her grandson. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Homeopathic remedies are prescribed according to the Law of Similars.This law states, “That which makes sick shall heal.” This means that the symptoms caused by an overdose of a substance are the symptoms that can also be cured by a small dose of that same substance. As an example, we know that when we cut up an onion most people experience an acrid runny nose, soreness in the throat and stinging runny eyes. A homeopath will prescribe Allium Cepa, this is the homeopathic remedy made from the onion for the individual who has a cold and a sore throat with these symptoms. Therefore, homeopathy uses remedies prepared from natural substances that are similar to the illness in contrast to conventional or allopathic medicine, which treats and often suppresses the patient’s symptoms with large amounts of drugs, which then have the opposite effect.

A well chosen remedy acts as a signal, which energizes or stimulates the body’s self healing powers, mobilizing the defense systems and working on all aspects of the body – mental, emotional and physical. Homeopathic literature, both past and present, documents cases, sometimes of severe pathology, that have been cured or significantly helped by homeopathy.

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