A 45-years-old lady (PIN 29088) visited Life Force on 24th June 2016 with the complaints of asthma. She was suffering from asthma from the last ten years. Her episodes of asthma would start with sneezing and progress making it difficult for her to breathe easily. There was a productive cough with occasional pain in the chest. On inquiring about the triggering factors, she mentioned that her asthma would get aggravated in monsoons. Her cough would get aggravated after meals, on lying down at night, and after having cold food. The patient had to sit up at night due to breathlessness. She was on the conventional medicines and had taken steroids for the same which would give her a temporary relief.

She wanted to get rid of asthma completely and did not want to be dependent on the steroids, which gave her a temporary relief.

Physical Generals:

She was a non-vegetarian by diet and enjoyed a good appetite. However, there was easy satiety during the acute cold episodes. She craved for spicy food. She used to experience profuse sweating all over the body, particularly on the face. Thermally, she was sensitive to the cold weather and draft of air. Her sleep was sound but disturbed intermittently during the asthma episodes due to the difficulty in breathing.

Past History:

She had a few episodes of urticaria a year back.

Family History:

There was a major history of diseases in her family. Her father was suffering from hypertension and chronic heart disease. Her mother had expired due to lung cancer. Paternal grandfather suffered from oral cancer, and maternal aunt had a history of uterine cancer. 

Self And Family Set-Up:

The patient was working as a demonstrator in a DMLT college. Her family comprised of her husband, who was into government service, and a daughter, who was studying in the college. She would get along well with everyone in the family. 

By nature, she described herself to be a reserved person. She needed time to mix up with new people. She had a tendency to worry a lot, particularly about her family.   

Prescription:

After reviewing her case in detail, Dr. Rajesh Shah prescribed her research-based medicines. She was advised to go through an allergy test (IgE levels) and Vitamin D blood test for further evaluation of her immunity and allergy levels. Dr. Shah assured her about controlling the further progress of the disease and reducing the frequency and duration of the episodes. She was also informed that the dependency on conventional treatment would reduce and that she may need to take them as and when the episodes would be severe. Instructions for exercises like pranayama and leading an active life were advised. 

Follow-Ups:

The patient visited for her first follow-up on 12th October 2016. The patient had not taken the medicines regularly since she suffered from an acute asthma episode. She was hospitalized for the same and was on the conventional medicines. The patient had a notion that the episodes occurred because of starting the homeopathic medicines. Hence, she did not consume the medicines for two months. The nature and course of the disease were explained to her. She was also pacified and explained the fact that homeopathic medicines do not have any side-effects and are safe to take for a long time.

As expected in a case of asthma, the allergy (IgE levels) was quite high and the vitamin D was deficient. (21st October 2016) IgE levels 1521, Vitamin D - Less than 8. She was advised to have vitamin D supplements accordingly. 

The second follow-up dated 14th December 2016 showed a remarkable improvement in her relief from asthma. She called-up to order the next batch of the medicines, where she mentioned that she did not suffer from an episode of a cold of a cough in the last two months. There was almost a 50% improvement in her overall condition. The intensity of exertional breathlessness was reduced, and she could now have a sound sleep. She mentioned about having a new health issue of gastritis from the last 15 days. She was not having her meals on time due to which she had persistent bloating of the abdomen and dry burps. She was advised to correct the dietetic errors and have meals at regular intervals. Medicines were couriered accordingly. 

The patient visited the clinic on 28th March 2017 for a follow-up. She happily mentioned that she was keeping well with the relief from asthma, and there were no significant symptoms pertaining to asthma in the last four to five months. She did not need to take any conventional medicines, and she also mentioned that her energy levels had improved. Her efficiency at work was also improved. Dr. Shah prescribed the medicines according to the follow-up.  

The patient called-up to give her feedback on 6th July 2017. She did not suffer from breathlessness episodes in spite of the monsoon season. There was a minor cough episode in the last month which was tackled by using the home remedies. The symptoms of acidity had also mellowed down, and she had now improved her lifestyle by regular exercise. She was taking the necessary precautions as advised.

Conclusion:

This case depicts the power of homeopathic medicines. This case also cracks the myth and preconceived ideas that people have about homeopathy. Usually, people believe that after starting the homeopathic medicines first the symptoms would aggravate and then start recovering. Many individuals also feel that homeopathy cannot be taken along with the conventional (allopathy) treatment. It is very clear from this case study that the homeopathic medicines can be taken during the acute or severe episodes of asthma. The homeopathic medicines do not aggravate the existing condition, but chronic recurring diseases like asthma have a tendency of increasing and their episodes fluctuate as per the exposure to triggers and aggravating factors. A chronic case (10-years-old) like this got cured in just one year of treatment. 

- Written by Dr. Kanchan, Associate doctor to Dr. Rajesh Shah