Homeopathie bij spijsverteringsklachten – maag, lever en darmen

Homeopathy for Digestive complaints- Stomach, Liver and Intestines

When it comes to writing something about Homeopathy, I don’t understand where to start and how much to say. Homeopathy is so vast like a big ocean and whatever little I know it’s like a few drops of water from the ocean that I am trying to put up.

In this article I will try to give you a gist about Homeopathy and how Homeopathy can help in gut problems.

Let us first understand about the Gut – our digestive system.

Understand the GIT (gut):

When we talk about the Gastro-intestinal tract, it covers everything from the mouth to Anus. The food that we take from the mouth is broken down, absorbed, assimilated and then some of the waste is thrown out. The entire GIT is based on the Balance- PH balance (Acid-Alkaline balance).

PH values in the GIT:

• PH in stomach cavity is 1.5-2 (acidic),
• PH in duodenum is 6-7,
• Small intestine PH is 7-7.5 and
• Large intestine PH is 7-8.

In nature where there is balance, there is no disease. There are millions and trillions of bacteria present in our gut. They work in harmony as long as the PH balance is normal. Where the intestinal mucosa or the gut mucosa is healthy, the B.coli bacteria present in the gut is non-pathogenic. Any change in the host which affects the intestinal mucosa will upset the balance and will be followed by a change in the habit and the bio-chemistry of the B.coli, which may then be said to be pathogenic. But it should be noted that the primary change, the disease originated in the host, which compelled the bacillus to modify its habit in order to survive.

We have more bacteria in our body than our body cells. There are trillions of bacteria living in our body. If the PH balance is perfect these bacteria are working for us. But if the PH balance changes, they start working to help themselves to survive and not help us.

Do you know there is a strong connection between our Gut and Nervous system

Gut-Brain Axis: Why our gut is called our Second Brain

There is a strong connection between our brain and gut, they are in constant conversation. This connection is known as the gut-brain axis. It is a complex communication network that links our digestive system and central nervous system. The gut-brain axis is a two way communication system between

• The brain
• The gut
• The millions of bacteria living in our gut

This communication happens through nerve signals from Vagus nerve, Hormones, Neurotransmitters, Chemicals produced by the bacteria in the gut.

What happens in your gut can influence your mind, and what you feel in your mind can affect your gut.

Imbalances in the gut bacteria have been linked to anxiety, depression and mood swings. It can be both ways. When we are stressed, digestion slows down or increases. Emotions like anger, grief, worry, anxiety, and fear are not just “in the mind” — they create real, measurable changes in the body, especially in the gut. This is why many people notice digestive issues during emotionally difficult periods.

Emotions and the gut:

The gut is called our second brain. The nervous system and the endocrine system collaborate in the digestive system to control gastric secretions and motility- thus helping the passage of food through the entire tract and its metabolism. As the PH starts becoming more acidic, the mucous lining of the stomach, intestines starts depleting. There can be gastritis, ulcers, polyps, perforation, later on may progress into diverticulitis and cancer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, IBS. All of this starts from your PH imbalance and your PH is determined by your nervous system. All emotions like anger, fear, worries, over-thinking, grief, etc have a huge impact on gut health. GIT problems can be acute as well as chronic.

Acute complaints: nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, acidity, piles, fissures.

Chronic: autoimmune conditions, ulcerative colitis, IBS, Crohn’s disease, GERD, gall stones, liver cirrhosis, fatty liver, allergies and lactose intolerance.

What is Homeopathy and how can Homeopathy help in such cases:

Homeopathy is a safe, gentle and natural healing method that can be useful in both acute as well as chronic problems. Homeopathic medicines are made from natural substances and have been used around the world for more than 200 years. The WHO estimates that Homeopathy is used by 500 million people worldwide, making it the second most widely used medicine. Homeopathy is a complementary medicine that works well with conventional medicine and will not interfere with any conventional medicines that you are taking. Homeopathy is safe and gentle without any side effects.

Homeopathy stimulates the body’s natural defense mechanism (by boosting the immune system) and helps the body’s self healing capacity and thus can help in stomach, liver, gall bladder, intestines conditions to improve naturally and permanently. In Homeopathy we give a lot of importance to the connection of mind, emotions to the physical body. We consider mind and body as one unit. Mind and body are interconnected. Whatever the person feels mentally or emotionally is reflected on his physical body. That is why we always ask the patient- What is the thing that is bothering you ? What is the stress in your life? There is always a history of some stress or suppressed emotions or disappointment in love, disappointment in ambition, history of grief, loss of loved ones- all these become the root cause of the diseases.

Homeopathy acts at a much deeper level. Homeopathy acts at Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-immunological axis (Mind-Body-Soul). After complete detailed case taking of the patient, we find an individualised tailored Homeopathic medicine for that patient that addresses the root cause of the disease. Through detailed case taking in Homeopathy we try to find out “Man in Disease”. We try to find out who this person is suffering from IBS or liver pathology or autoimmune conditions. Based on that we give an Individualised homeopathic remedy that is suitable to that person. Then later on we may need a series of other Homeopathic remedies that have a specific action on the liver, gall bladder, intestines, pancreas,etc and that can be helpful as supportive remedies to strengthen the organ and support it. The bowel problems, disturbances of liver, pancreas, gall bladder are mostly lifestyle disorders. Complete recovery may not be possible in some cases then we can at least do palliation.

I would like to give an example of a disease commonly seen in today’s time – Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

IBS is a common chronic gastro-intestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, gas, mucus in stools and irregular bowel habits with constipation or diarrhoea or alternate constipation and diarrhoea.

Why do some people develop IBS:

Not everyone under stress develops gut issues. IBS often appears when multiple factors combine:

• Emotional sensitivity or suppressed emotions
• Past trauma or chronic stress
• Gut infections or antibiotic use
• Genetic predisposition
• Lifestyle factors (diet, sleep, lack of exercise).

In cases of IBS we as Homeopaths not only focus on the symptoms of IBS but we try to look at the different areas of the patient’s life like what happened when the first symptom of IBS came, the fears and anxieties of that person, their lifestyle, their dreams, any stress in life, past history of the person, any childhood trauma, abuses is also very important and also the family history (genetic disposition) is also important. In IBS like cases, we always try to find out what triggered this IBS and most of the time there is always a history of emotional suppressions, patterns of some emotional excitement, faulty lifestyle, work related stress, etc and we also try to know the response of that person to the stress, how he reacts or perceives the stress is also very important. With Homeopathy we can beautifully help such cases by addressing the root cause and changing the perception of the patient towards their stress and with proper management these cases can be helped significantly. Integrated Homeopathic approach helps in IBS cases. Along with Homeopathy in these kinds of cases with stomach, liver, gall bladder problems, we need to do some lifestyle modifications, healthy diet and exercise, yoga, meditation for better results.

Healing gut Naturally:

Follow a healthy lifestyle:

• Eat fresh home cooked food.
• Include fibre (fresh fruits, vegetables) in the diet.
• Include probiotics (yogurt, fermented food).
• Take a good sleep.
• Regular exercise.
• Calm the mind – breathing techniques, mindfulness sessions, yoga, meditation, etc.
• Express emotions by talking to someone, avoid suppressing emotions.

If you are suffering from these kinds of gastric problems, GERD, liver problems, food allergies, IBS, lactose intolerance then contact a Homeopath near you. Homeopathy has a better, gentle, natural holistic and permanent solution for these kinds of problems. Please contact a Homeopath near you for digestive problems or problems related to the liver, gall bladder.