By: Michelle Hua
Homeopathy is considered by small groups of people to be an alternative to modern medicine. Within these groups, modern medicine is often seen as an unnatural way that is potentially toxic, and that the correct way to treat someone is with homeopathy. With that comes the question: Is homeopathy actually effective?
Homeopathy was developed about 200 years ago. The medicine for homeopathy comes from plants, minerals, and animals, and comes in the form of ointments, creams, sugar pellets, and more. In homeopathic medicine, the fewer doses of medicine applied, the more effective it is supposed to be. This results in highly diluted medicines thought to have a higher potency. Another belief of homeopathy is that “like cures like”, meaning that a disease will be treated with substances that induce similar symptoms in a healthy person. For example, allergies might be treated with red onion, since both red onion and allergies make your eyes water.
While some people are firmly convinced that homeopathy is effective, there is no scientific evidence to prove so. Some beliefs of homeopathy conflict with basic rules of science, such as the idea that fewer doses are more potent. Homeopathic immunizations (nosodes) have also been shown to be ineffective. The most common belief among homeopathic critics is that homeopathy is the result of the placebo effect. Some homeopathy treatments can even have negative effects, due to the use of medicines on infants and toddlers.
If you want to use homeopathic treatments, it is best to consult a medical professional to make sure the treatment is considered safe. In general, homeopathic treatments have not been proven to be effective.
Source: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/homeopathy
