What is the difference between "acute" and "chronic" health?
I am writing here "What is acute?" and "What is chronic?" I also describe how to prescribe these different terms in homeopathy.
Keywords: acute condition, chronic condition, acute consultation, how to choose remedies, acute prescription in homeopathy, chronic prescription in homeopathy
I receive many various questions at the pharmacy, mostly acute conditions like coughs and colds or injury.
Sometimes I often come across "I have been in this condition for a long time, can you recommend any remedies for me?" However, it is not so easy to choose chronic conditions over the counter.
Because Homeopathic remedy is not prescribed by "diagnosis", and it is prescribed by presenting conditions. If someone has the same diagnosis, each one would be prescribed different remedies because each one presents different symptoms.
I will describe the difference between acute and chronic, and different homeopathic prescriptions in these different terms.
#1 - Acute conditions
Acute conditions are "sudden onset" of symptoms and they mostly present for a short period.
For example, a cold or injury happens suddenly.
#2 - Chronic conditions
Chronic conditions are piling up the underlying problems for a long time, and then symptoms appear on the surface.
The condition may be related to maintaining causes such as genetic, ancestral, stress patterns and lifestyle.
When you temporarily get better at the acute conditions, you may repeat the same conditions again and again.
In this case, you need to consider you may have susceptibility to these symptoms and they could be "chronic" conditions. It is important to investigate key issues.
#3 - How to choose a remedy for acute conditions
When you choose a remedy for acute conditions, you observe the symptoms and find matched keynotes in a remedy. It requires the skills to collect symptoms from various angles.
We use and call "CLAMS" for acute prescribing. Each letter stands for,
C: concomitant
L: location
A: aetiology
M: modalities
S: sensations
Concomitant conditions alongside the main symptoms. For instance, When you have a headache, you may have vision disturbance, vomiting, nausea or other symptoms alongside the headache. These symptoms include concomitant.
Location is where the symptom is located. It could be the right side or the left side. If it is a headache, the pain would be in the forehead, temples, occiput, or top of the head. People experience headaches differently.
Aetiology is the event when the main complaint is triggered. For example, your headaches started when you changed a job or headaches began after having a cold. Changed a job or after having a cold is the aetiology.
Modality is when the condition or environment changes the symptoms. Your headache feels better when you get fresh air, stay still or close your eyes. Getting fresh air, staying still or closing your eyes is the modality of your headache.
The sensation is how you feel. Your headache may be heavy or dull, sharp stabbing sensation, or pulsating sensation.
If you have eczema, you may feel itching, burning, or stinging sensation.
How you feel the sensation of the pain or symptoms will help to choose the right remedy.
For instance, when you have a cold,
fever
sore throat - sensations
right or left?
when you swallow, how do you feel?
what is the colour of the discharge from the nose?
cough is dry or chesty?
what is the colour of phlegm?
and more.
You can pick up the core conditions and find the same pictures the remedy has.
For self-prescribing, It is very important how to observe the symptoms to choose the right remedy.
It may be difficult to do at the beginning, but you will get used to doing it over time.
#4 - How to choose a remedy for chronic conditions
When you choose a remedy for chronic conditions, it is a different process of selection from the medication from your GP like being prescribed by "diagnoses".
Because your conditions are individual and present different pain, location, or sensation from the others who are identified with the same terms.
It is a different prescription method for between acute conditions and chronic conditions.
For acute conditions or self-prescribing at home, the prescription method is more focused on presenting complaints and associated conditions. However, there are various prescribing methods for chronic conditions.
When you have a consultation with a homeopath, you will be asked various questions.
Of course, a homeopath will ask you the details of your main complaints, and some examples are as follows,
How was the condition when you were born
How were you when you were in the womb
How were your ancestors suffering from
Does your family have some cancer sufferers?
Do you have an allergy in your family?
Relationships in your family
Diet
Lifestyle
Stress level
Mental emotional health
Your medical history
Your medications or supplements
Do you have any traumas in your life?
A homeopath collects your background information and searches the relation to your complaints, digs into the deeper level (including mental/ emotional condition) of what is going on in your whole body, so your homeopath is looking at not only your complaints but also a whole person.
Then you will be prescribed a bespoke remedy.
In conclusion...
I hope you understand the difference between "acute" and "chronic" conditions, and the difference in how to choose remedies for each condition.
When you have acute conditions like a cold, and you are keen to try homeoapthic remedies by yourself, you can try them as self-care.
However, if you suffer from chronic symptoms for a long time, you can try it by yourself, but a homeopath can observe your whole condition from a different perspective.
I offer "acute consultation" and "Initial/ subsequent consultations" for chronic conditions.
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If you would like to read more about homeopathy, you can read the blogs.
Happy using homeopathy!