Believing the cat hasn’t seen it yet, a pigeon shuts its eyes but alas, it gets eaten anyways. Precisely, ignoring a minor health issue way too long may not necessarily be a right way to respond to it. It may be an alarm for an even bigger problem, a serious more complex medical condition.

According to a recent report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), about 3 in 10 people, between ages 18-54, have never got their Blood Pressure (BP) checked.

It was also revealed that most Indians were found reluctant to get their BP checked. The key reasons for their reluctance:

1. A widespread perception that high BP is not a serious issue until symptoms are present.
2. Lack of awareness about the importance of regular check-ups.
3. Fear of receiving bad news or diagnosis of high BP.
4. Fear of being on life-long medication on high BP diagnosis.
5. Financial constraints.
6. Cultural barriers.

The increasing prevalence of hypertension among young Indians is indeed worrisome.

I read this somewhere: ‘“Fries or salad?” Sums up every adult decision you have to make.’

You could just be one of those individuals who have never got your Blood Pressure (BP) checked or are avoiding regular BP monitoring. Avoidance may occur at any point – from failing to take necessary preventive action; overlooking relevant symptoms; not complying with the required course of treatment.

As a case in point, BP monitoring has become an important aspect of understanding one’s health as rates of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease are increasing, globally.

As per the first-ever report released by WHO on the global impact of hypertension, at least 4.6 million deaths in India can be prevented by 2040, if half of its hypertensive population controls its blood pressure. It also reveals, about 31% of India’s population, which is about 188.3 million people are hypertensive.

I am reminded of a couple in late-30s who consulted me for their health issues a year back. They often took over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for fevers, headaches, body pains, tiredness; took antibiotics for common infections; used antacids for acidity & heartburn etc. They had infrequent use of homeopathic remedies for acute conditions on their own, certain times.

However, when the husband developed kidney stone complications, did they decide to consult a homeopathic physician for the first time, instead of self-medicating.

At the time of the first consult, he was overweight, had a sedentary lifestyle with hardly any physical activity, consumed alcohol & non-veg almost daily and smoked regularly. He also had poor sleep-wake cycle. He struggled with severe acidity, heartburn, and constipation was an accompanying complaint. He reported being on a conventional treatment for high BP for last couple of years. He managed a family run business and had a stressful life. Wife, into service, was a pre-diabetic, hypertensive and obese.

They were in two minds to begin a family. They had a very hectic daily schedule, hardly could find time to spend together and rarely went out holidaying. On inquiring further, I came to know, that they had been consuming homeopathic remedies for kidney stone, hypertension & diabetes also on their own until now. With results not up to the mark, on advice of a family member, they decided to seek homeopathic physician’s help.

While it is easy to focus on larger health issues, we often tend to ignore the seemingly everyday ones.

• Witnessing frequent headaches?
• Constipation & indigestion are troubling you?
• Struggling with sleeplessness or disturbed sleep, off late?
• Skin rashes are bothering often?
• Catching frequent infections?
• Increasing stress levels?
• Experiencing bloating & fullness of abdomen?
• Blood pressure has been fluctuating?
• That dizziness is frustrating?
• Strained eyes always?
• Uncomfortable flatulence?
• Feeling lethargic & tired all through the day?
• Worried about hair fall & hair thinning?

You may be witnessing one or two or a combination of above (or more) symptoms. A random quote says it all – ‘Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live in’.

To lower the chances of encountering serious illnesses, take time to look at these usually overlooked aspects of your health – sleep, skin, hair, mental health, blood pressure, digestion, hearing & sight.

I often come across patients who keep OTC medicines handy with them all the time, and a few others who ask a pharmacist to give medicines to cure their everyday illnesses. In most cases, either they don’t know the side-effects of these medicines or despite knowing continue using them. Now the question is how far do these serve our health or our happiness?

It’s much like taking an analgesic for a headache: the medicine relieves your pain for a few hours, but if the source of the headache is lack of sleep, stress, or a terrible cold, that headache will return with full force as soon as the effect of analgesic wears off.

Hence, relief is usually short-lived. In most cases, symptoms continue to persist, necessitating the regular use of and increasing dependency on these OTC medicines. When use of OTC medicines becomes regular, evading their side-effects becomes impossible.

Adding another perspective, it is real when patients talk about healthcare systems failing them:

In order to avoid challenges that healthcare systems bring along, many people tend to use OTC medicines available to treat everyday health conditions, without ever getting to the root cause of these troubles.

Take charge of your health before your condition becomes complex or unmanageable. For sustained relief, it is important to identify & address the root cause of the symptoms or condition.

Here I want to change the lens and share that every patient expects to receive fast and effective treatment from a homeopath. Desiring relief to be served as food in a quick service restaurant.

For those seeking fast acting relief, I advise try slowing down. More than half of your health issues will vanish.

In treating a ‘whole person’ you, a homeopath considers a ‘whole’ set of information (in addition to the clinical diagnosis) around your illness, individuality, characteristics, circumstances, mental/emotional disposition, family history etc. A homeopath:

• gets to the root cause
• treats you as a unique individual
• considers you as a whole individual &
• does not treat you merely as a set of symptoms or a diseased person

In a nut shell, a homeopath enables you to navigate your everyday health issues and avoid complications such that you lead long and healthy life. Homeopathy is proven effective as a first line of treatment in primary healthcare setup in most medical conditions.

Starting homeopathic treatment, right at disease onset or early after detection/diagnosis offers excellent health outcomes. If you are seeking better health outcomes – Reach out and timely consult a homeopathic physician to help navigate your everyday health issues in subtle yet effective way, benefitting your overall health and wellbeing.