Despite being hailed as the second largest system of healing in the world by the World Health Organization, homeopathy is still plagued with several misconceptions. A majority of these criticisms have been made by the non-medical and non-homeopathic community which have continued over the years without any attempt to understand the facts and science behind it.
Here are some common myths about homeopathy which are simply not true:
Myth 1: Homoeopathy is slow to act
Fact:. Homeopathic treatments have shown excellent results in treating acute conditions like diarrhoea, fevers and other infections within a day. Homeopathy is labelled as “slow to act” in chronic conditions because chronic conditions do take an extended amount of time to cure because of the sheer nature of the condition.
Myth 2: Homeopathy cannot be used for acute conditions
Fact: Homeopathy has proven to be a great alternative in treating acute conditions like fevers, cold, tonsillitis, sinusitis to even pneumonia. Homepathic experts are of the opinion that if homeopathic medicines are given in the initial stage of the illness, they can help manage the illness much effectively. When given in acute conditions, they provide instant relief to the patient.
Myth 3: Homeopathy is placebo science
Fact: Homeopathic medicines undergo a process known as potentization, in which the crude medicinal substances become ultra-diluted which help in stimulating the immune system, affecting a cure. In fact, there are several experiments that prove homoeopathic dilutions contain nanoparticles of the original drug. As these medicines are super diluted, controversies arise as the dilutions may not contain any traces of the original drug, but all homoeopathic dilutions are clinically proven on human beings, before being used as drugs.
Myth 4: Homeopathic medicines contain heavy metals and steroids
Fact: Homeopathic medicines contain neither of the two. Homoeopathic medicines are prepared from natural sources like plants and minerals and do not contain any chemicals or steroids. Homoeopathic medicines are prepared under the strict standardisation guidelines and are thoroughly checked for quality and genuineness before they are released into the market.
Myth 5: Homeopathy cannot be used with other conventional treatments
Fact: Majority of patients who approach a homeopath, are already on some form of conventional or herbal treatment for conditions like diabetes or hypertension. There is no reason to discontinue taking these medications, as homeopathy and other drugs act at different molecular levels within the body. If a certain drug is known to interfere with homoeopathic treatment, the homoeopath will make it known to the patient and will adjust the dose accordingly.