Can homeopathy help treat chikungunya and dengue fever?

Given the limited number of options for providing relief in conventional medicine, homeopathy has become an extremely effective treatment for both infections. Homeopathic medicines are prescribed to tens of thousands of patients to help them manage their symptoms and keep their illness short, every year.
As the summer approaches, the arrival of the rains brings a necessary respite to the heat. However, the rains also cause certain diseases that are peculiar to the season.

Of these, chikungunya and dengue fever are two viral infections transmitted by mosquitoes that have become quite widespread in recent years. In fact, the incidence of dengue fever has increased thirty-fold over the last fifty years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dengue fever is the world's most critical mosquito-borne viral disease – and the most widespread – with a 30-fold increase in global incidence over the last 50 years.

Before 1970, only 9 countries had experienced severe dengue epidemics. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries in the WHO regions of Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. More than 40% of the world's population, in more than 100 countries, is at risk of dengue infection. Each year, an estimated 390 million dengue infections worldwide. Of these, 500 000 cases develop into dengue haemorrhagic fever, a more serious form of the disease, which causes up to 25 000 deaths per year worldwide.

According to data from the National Vector-borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP) and the 2018 National Health Profile, the peak of dengue cases was the highest in the last decade, from less than 60,000 in 2009 to 188,401 in 2017, an increase of more than 300%.

Chikungunya was first identified in Tanzania early in 1952 and has caused periodic epidemics in Asia and Africa since the 1960s. In 2005, more than 2.72 000 people were infected during an epidemic. chikungunya in the islands of Reunion and Mauritius, located in the Indian Ocean. In 2006, a major epidemic in India was reported. has already witnessed more than 19,113 cases of dengue and chikungunya.

These two diseases are most often caused by the bite of the infected Aedes mosquito and have almost similar symptoms. They begin to appear three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The patient has high fever, severe joint pain and swelling, headache, nausea and fatigue. Newborns, people over the age of sixty-five, and people with other health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes, may have severe symptoms.

It is possible to contract chikungunya and dengue at the same time. An infection is supposed to confer immunity for life. However, since there are different subtypes of the dengue virus, it is possible to contract the infection several times.

They are usually spontaneously resolving and last two to three days. Some of the residual symptoms of body pain, weakness, loss of appetite, etc. can last a few more days.

Dengue infection can also be manifested by a severe form of dengue fever. This was previously called dengue hemorrhagic fever. It is a serious illness and the patient may need a hospitalization to manage his symptoms such as bleeding gums, bleeding in vomitus, rapid breathing, persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, etc.

There is no specific anti-viral drug for chikungunya or dengue fever. Treatment with conventional medicine is limited to acetaminophen and paracetamol. In case of dengue, it is very important to avoid the use of other types of conventional drugs. The use of aspirin and ibuprofen can significantly increase the risk of bleeding.

Given the limited number of options for providing relief in conventional medicine, homeopathy has become an extremely effective treatment for both infections. Homeopathic medicines are prescribed to tens of thousands of patients to help them manage their symptoms and keep their illness short, every year. Homeopathy provides effective and safe relief of pain in these patients while maintaining a low fever range. It is important to remember that in both these conditions, the severity of muscle, joint and headache pain can be serious. Patients often cry out in pain, which has earned dengue the nickname of "bone fever". Providing safe and effective pain relief without the use of some of the most common pain relievers in conventional medicine becomes difficult. This is an important reason why homeopathy is so popular among patients. Patients with severe dengue infection also report a rapid cessation of bleeding and rapid return of platelet count to normal values. Transfusions of blood or platelets are often avoided after the start of homeopathic treatment.

Unfortunately, these infections often occur at a time when other bacterial infections and viral fevers are increasing. In areas with dengue fever, it is important for patients to ensure that dengue fever is excluded before starting treatment with antibiotics or pain medication. For this reason too, the use of homeopathic medicines before a definitive diagnosis is made is entirely safe and can prevent the occurrence of serious complications.

Homeopathy or not, some common sense precautions can significantly reduce the risk of contracting these and other mosquito-borne diseases. We are all aware of the need to wear loose clothing that covers our limbs during outings and to maintain our environment free from stagnant water. Keeping the area around our homes and workplaces clean and garbage-free is also very helpful.

In urban areas, the use of mosquito nets is usually avoided. This is probably due to aesthetic reasons. Residents of areas with high mosquito density will do well to remember that mosquito nets are one of the most effective methods of protection against mosquitoes. This can be a very effective option for chemically sensitive patients. They may think that inhaling mosquito chemicals all day long is a triggering factor of other allergic conditions.

A final point should be stressed: if you contract an infection transmitted by a mosquito; It is essential to ensure that mosquitoes do not bite you during your illness. This will reduce your chances of getting the same infection.

So while the monsoons cross the rest of the country, enjoy the rains but remember these simple steps to stay healthy and without infection.

Dr. Kushal Banerjee is a second-generation homeopath of the famous Dr. Kalyan Banerjee Clinic, CR Park, and has more than ten years of experience in the practice. He is also a member of the British Register of Complementary Medicine, England, and has conducted research on homeopathy with senior collaborators from the University of Oxford and Imperial College London.