Homeopathic Remedies - Do's And Don'ts

Modalities

Modalities are influences that worsen or improve the symptoms of the patient. They are an invaluable guide to narrowing down the choice of a homeopathic remedy. These are the main types of modality:
• Physical modalities: include how the patient is affected by movement, position of the body, touch, rest, exertion, noise and smells.
• Temperature: heat, cold, warmth, wind, damp, and the season of the year may affect the individual's symptoms.
• Time: symptoms may be more noticeable in the daytime or at night, or in the morning, afternoon or evening. Symptoms may even change hourly.
• Diet: different foods, drinks, stimulants or alcohol may affect the patient and his or her ailment.
• Localised modalities: symptoms may be worse on the left or right side of the body. Left-handed and right-handed people may experience symptoms differently.

Do's

• Leave your mouth free from food and liquid 20-30 minutes each side of taking the remedy.
• Use a homeopathic tooth­paste such as calendula, as this will be free from substances that may antidote the remedy.
• Store the remedy in a dark, cool place.
• Check the expiry date before use.
• Keep tablets out of reach of children and pets.
• Store the remedy away from strong-smelling perfumes or essential oils.

Don'ts

• Don't swallow the tablet; suck it till it dissolves.
• Don't drink coffee or smoke while taking treatment.
• Don't eat mints, peppermints or menthol cough sweets, as this may Interfere with the remedy's action, This also means avoiding brushing your teeth with mint or peppermint-flavoured toothpaste.
• Don't use the essential oils of camphor eucalyptus, menthol, peppermint or rosemary.
• Don't touch the pills directly. Always tap the tablets into the lid. as the sweat from your fingertips or palm may absorb the remedy rather than your mouth.
• Don't apply perfume or aftershave thirty minutes either side of taking the remedy.