Assessment Of Exciting Causes In Homeopathic Management Of Acute Pharyngitis

BRIEF RESUME OF INTENDED WORK

NEED FOR STUDY

Every effect has cause behind it. Even discovery of our great science of homeopathy is based on event when our MASTER DR.HAHNEMMAN discovered the effect of cinchona bark on healthy human being while translating William Cullen Book Named A Treatise on Materia Medica from English to German in year of 1790. Then he searched for the cause and he discovered the principle of homeopathy i.e. law of similia. Likewise, many discoveries have been done in search for causes irrespective of medical field i.e. the Discovery of Newtonian law by falling of an apple. You may ask why we have to investigate for cause in every disease especially exciting cause? Because an illness can represents itself by a perceptible sign and symptoms although the internal deranged nature is hidden within the man. As in homeopathy we give great importance to origin of melody and characteristic features of an individual in the treatment of disease. So, by identifying an exciting cause and understanding its value in treatment of disease helps a man to heal.

Now, what are these factors responsible for man in disease and how they affect man? As we know that an individual is made up of two parts:

1.The Inner man and

2.The Outer man

The Inner man is our vital force including his hereditary miasms, diathesis etc. While the outer man is made up of his own external surroundings, life styles etc. In healthy condition of man, these outer man and inner man is interconnected to each other. The exogenous factors which triggers illness in healthy person by onset of signs and symptoms named as exciting cause as mentioned in aphorism no.5 of Organon of Medicine. Yet, these exciting cause not produce disease directly but it produce disease on response of an individual to his external environment which leads to derangement of vital force.

Yes, one may think that how they help homeopathic physician in prescription especially in acute ones? Now, these derangement of vital force otherwise if not treated with homeopathic medicine may cause injuries effect to life of patient i.e. acute condition may progress to chronic disease in patient. Additionally, these exciting causes are one of the components of complete symptoms which when strong and peculiar, helps in selection of remedy. Therefore, if we treat the patient by considering these factors in our prescription, it will restore the disease of patient from sick to health. So, it is most important for homeopathic physician to be aware about these type of causes which can disturb the health of patient and make them sick.

Pharyngitis is the inflammation of mucus membrane from various aetiological factors i.e. bacteria, virus etc. Pharyngitis is the most common disorder in adults and children, with more than 10 million ambulatories visits per year. Viruses are most common causes of pharyngitis and accounts for 25 to 45 percentages of all cases. Poor housing conditions and indoor pollution contribute to the increased prevalence of sore throat.

Homeopathic treatment of pharyngitis based on treating the patient as a whole by enquiring into factors affecting the individual i.e. food, climate, etc. In most of cases, these external factors troubling the patients with pharyngitis and let him come to physician. As a Homeopathic physician our duty is to find out an exciting cause in individual in every cases of pharyngitis in order to heal patient from within not only by considering only external manifestation of disease but also enquiring the underlying cause of a disease. These serves holistic healing to every pharyngitis patients.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

DEFINITION OF PHARYNGITIS

Pharyngitis is defined as the inflammation of the pharynx, hypopharynx, uvula and tonsils.

EPIDEMIOLOGY

Pharyngitis is the most common disorder in adults and children, with more than 10 million ambulatories visits per year.

Viruses are most common causes of pharyngitis and accounts for 25 to 45 percentages of all cases.

TYPES

ACUTE PHARYNGITIS

AETIOLOGY

Viral: Rhinovirus, Influenza, Measles and chicken pox, Infectious mononucleosis.

Bacterial: Group A beta haemolytic streptococcus, Diphtheria.

Fungal: Candida albicans, Monilia.

CLINICAL FEATURES

It may occurs in different grades of severity.

Milder infection: Discomfort in throat, malaise and low grade fever. Pharynx is congested but there is no lymphadenopathy.

Moderate and severe infection: Pain in throat, dysphagia, headache, malaise, high fever. Pharynx shows erythema, exudate, enlargement of tonsils and lymphoid follicles on posterior pharyngeal wall.

Very severe infection: oedema of soft palate and uvula with enlargement of cervical lymph nodes.

CHRONIC PHARYNGITIS

It is a chronic inflammatory condition of the pharynx. Pathologically, it is characterised by hypertrophy of mucosa, seromucinous glands, sub epithelial lymphoid follicles and even the muscular coat of the pharynx.

AETIOLOGY

A large number of factors are responsible:

Persistent infection in neighbourhood: ex. Chronic rhinitis, etc.

Mouth breathing: It includes nasal polypi, adenoids, etc.

Chronic irritants: excessive smoking, chewing of tobacco and pan, etc.

Environmental pollution: irritant industrial fumes, etc.

Faulty voice production: excessive use of voice in certain professionals.

CLINICAL FEATURES

Severity of symptoms in chronic pharyngitis varies from person to person.

Discomfort or pain in throat.

Foreign body sensation in throat.

Tiredness of voice

Cough

Congestion of posterior pharyngeal wall.

Uvula become elongated and appear oedematous.

DIAGNOSIS OF PHARYNGITIS

Clinical features and physical examination of oral cavity is useful for diagnosing pharyngitis.

TREATMENT

In every case of chronic pharyngitis, aetiological factor should be sought and eradicated.

Voice rest and speech therapy is essential for those with faulty voice production.

Hawking, clearing the throat frequently or any other such habit should be stopped.

Warm saline gargles, especially in the morning, are soothing and relieve discomfort.

VIEW OF MASTER HAHNEMANN ON CAUSE OF DISEASE

According to Master Hahnemann, there are three causes of diseases:

1.Exciting cause

2.Fundamental cause

3.Maintaining cause

In which, he mentioned exciting and fundamental cause in aphorism 5 and maintaining cause in aphorism 7 in organon of medicine.

THE EXCITING CAUSE:

APHORISM 5: Useful to the physician in assisting him to cure are the particulars of the most probable exciting causes of the acute diseases, as also the most significant points in the whole history of the chronic disease, to enable him to discover its fundamental cause, …are to be taken into consideration.

It can be defined as the cause that excites disease condition, either acute disease or acute exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Master Hahnemann in aphorism 73 gives examples of exciting causes:

APHORISM 73: As regards acute diseases, they are either of such a kind as attack human beings individually, the exciting causes being injurious influences to which they were particularly exposed. Excesses in food, or an insufficient supply of it, severe physical impressions, chills, overheatings, dissipation, strains, etc., or physical irritations, mental emotions, and the like, are the exciting causes of such acute febrile affections,…the Asiatic cholera, etc.

TYPES OF EXCITING CAUSE

Physical: Physical and environmental conditions like exposure to excess heat or cold, thunderstorm, intake of excess or lack of food, etc.

Mechanical: Damages caused by physical trauma. Ex: injuries, accidents, burns and insect bites, etc.

Nervous: Psychological reasons like fear, shock, jealousy, grief and over joy etc.

Hygienic: Food poisoning, pollution and lack of personal and social hygiene.

IMPORTANCE OF EXCITING CAUSE

1.Helps in selecting medicine both in acute and chronic diseases.

2.The proper understanding of exciting cause also helps to avoid those influences in future.

3.Removal of exciting cause helps to restore health in Indisposition.

REVIEW OF STALWARTS

J.T.KENT: According to Dr. Kent, the probable exciting cause is the inflowing of the cause as an invisible, immaterial substance, which flows from centre to outer economy. Acute diseases exist from specific cause and their influences might exist in atmosphere.

There are many stalwarts like Dr. H. A. Robert, Dr. Stuart close, Dr. C. M. Boger etc. also gives some idea about exciting cause.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

1.To identify the factors or agents that triggers acute pharyngitis.

2.To understand different types of exciting causes in patient suffering from acute pharyngitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

SOURCE OF DATA

Project site:

O.P.D. and I.P.D. of C.D.Pachchigar College of Homeopathic Medicine and Hospital, Near Navjivan Circle, Udhana Magdalla Road, Surat.

Peripheral centre O.P.D. allotted by C.D.Pachchigar College of Homeopathic Medicine and Hospital, Near Navjivan Circle, Udhana Magdalla Road, Surat.

MATERIAL

Materials utilized in study consist of:

Standard case taking format of C.D.Pachchigar College of Homeopathic Medicine and Hospital, Near Navjivan Circle, Udhana Magdalla Road, Surat.

Homeopathic computer software : RADAR OPUS 3.3.24, COMPLETE DYNAMICS and other homeopathic softwares.

Books: All homeopathic and allied literature and source books related to my topic.

Websites, Articles and Journals (if any)

Any Software for Statistical Analysis, if required.

Data analysis:

Case taking will be done according to guidelines of Master Hahnemann as per case record format.

After proper analysis and evaluation, totality of symptoms will be formed including specific causation.

Selection of remedy will be done on bases of totality of symptoms either from repertorial or non repertorial approach.

Selection of potency and repetition will be done as per requirement of case.

Administration of remedy will be done according to guidelines given by Dr. Hahnemann in organon of medicine.

The follow up of cases will be taken as per requirement of cases.

Response will be analysed into following criteria:

Significance improvement: Sensation of general well being of patient physically and mentally with disappearance of all the symptoms.

Mild improvement: Decrease in intensity or severity of symptoms with general wellbeing of patient.

Not improved: No change in presenting complain.