BHA Bytes : BHA Bytes Issue 4

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Issue 4	Your e-newsletter from the British Homeopathic Association
Welcome to Issue 4 of BHA Bytes! In this issue I have started a new section called In the news - a round up of the latest articles in the national press on homeopathy. It is always interesting to see how the media covers homeopathy so I hope you will find some items of interest here. Also this issue: hay fever, circulatory problems and how you can help during Homeopathy Awareness Week! As always the newsletter is available on our website at www.trusthomeopathy.org/emailnews.html where you can view back issues as well.	BHA Bytes
Hope for hay fever sufferers Did you know that about 15% of the population suffers with hay fever and rhinitis? In children between 11-21, the figure is now closer to 25% (Source: Allergy UK). Unfortunately, conventional treatments such as antihistamines and topical steroids can leave you feeling drowsy and in some cases detract from your quality of life. Well, homeopathy can help! The most well-known remedies for hay fever and rhinitis are Allium cepa (derived from red onion, pictured), Sabadilla and Euphrasia, but as is always the case with homeopathy, there are a whole host of other remedies that could potentially alleviate the individual symptoms of the hay fever sufferer. For a remedy tailored to your particular symptoms, visit a homeopathic doctor in your area - search our UK & International practitioner list. Read more about hay fever on our home page Download article on hay fever and rhinitis Homeopathy for circulatory problems Circulatory complaints tend to affect us later in life, as the veins lose elasticity and arteries clog up with cholesterol. A number of ailments result from poor blood flow including cold hands and feet, chilblains and varicose veins. Cold hands and feet may result from nervous tension (as blood flow is also controlled by the nervous system), a poor diet or an inherited condition. People who suffer with Raynaud’s disease, in which the arteries that supply blood to the fingers and toes rapidly contract on exposure to the cold, also suffer with cold hands and feet. Raynaud's can be aggravated by stress or the repeated use of vibrating machinery or equipment, and may also be a side-effect of drugs. Chilblains occur on the fingers and toes and are caused by extreme sensitivity to the cold. The skin becomes red, swollen and itchy and may eventually break. Varicose veins usually occur in the legs and are caused by the weakening of valves in the veins. Weak valves may result from being overweight or pregnant, from prolonged sitting or standing, or constipation. Constitutional homeopathic treatment can aid these sorts of conditions by improving the overall wellbeing of the individual as well as the body’s metabolic function. Click here to find a practitioner in your area who can treat you constitutionally. The following remedies may also help: Cold hands and feet with a burning sensation – Secale Cold hands and feet with mottling of skin – Carbo veg Burning itchy chilblains – Agaricus Chilblains with swollen veins – Pulsatilla Varicose veins that feel bruised - Hamamelis You can read some useful articles on conditions of the heart by clicking on the links below: High blood pressure Circulatory problems Precautions The BHA promotes the practice of homeopathy by medically qualified doctors who have been trained in homeopathy. You should consult a doctor if you experience the following: - Numb and cold fingers and toes on a frequent basis - Pain in the calves with swelling and dark red discolouration of the skin Focus on: travel sickness - how can homeopathy help? In this issue, David Croker from Dorset talks about how he finally found a cure in homeopathy for his severe motion sickness. David was given homeopathic treatment by his GP, who is trained in homeopathy. How long have you suffered from motion sickness for? For about 45 years. Journeys by car, coach, plane and ferries all resulted in me being sick. What treatments did you try before turning to homeopathy? Everything available! Including Stugeron, Quells, root ginger and travel wrist bands. How was the homeopathic consultation different from the conventional consultation? The consultation was more in depth, with the questions covering aspects of my career and lifestyle as well as my health. Which homeopathic remedy were you prescribed? Cocculus 30c. What effect is homeopathy having? I have had outstanding results. To date I have been able to travel anywhere in anything! How often do you need to use your homeopathic remedy? I take it before leaving home and then whenever I feel I need it. What would you say to somebody who believes that homeopathy is a placebo effect? Try it for yourself. The results are everything needed in the way of proof that it works. Planning a holiday? Find out what first aid homeopathic remedies to take with you Find a GP in your area who practises homeopathy Have you had success with homeopathy? Would you like to feature in our e-newsletter? Email me at sbuckingham@trusthomeopathy.org Please make sure your story is only about homeopathy, as I won't be able to use it otherwise. Thanks! Homeopathy Awareness Week – 14 to 21 June Would you like to help promote homeopathy in your local area? The British Homeopathic Association will be providing posters and flyers for supporters to distribute between 14 and 21 June, so if you would like to help out please contact me and I will send you a pack at the end of May. Materials provided include leaflets on what homeopathy is and how to access treatment on the NHS, as well as flyers and posters displaying 'five reasons to choose homeopathy'. Good places to distribute include health food shops, pharmacies, gyms and libraries. Help us spread the word and make sure homeopathy gets the attention it deserves. Join us! Become a Friend of the BHA The British Homeopathic Association is the largest homeopathic charity in the UK. We believe that the benefits of homeopathy should be available to everyone – people and animals. If homeopathy has helped you, why not join us today? The BHA will continue to: 1. Explain to people what homeopathy is and how it can help them 2. Persuade government, decision-makers and the medical profession of the benefits of homeopathy 3. Ensure that people can get access to homeopathy through the NHS 4. Train healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses in homeopathy 5. Carry out important research to prove that homeopathy works For more information about what the BHA does, read our latest annual review. If you join us as a Friend you will receive four issues per year of our magazine Health & Homeopathy, as well as invitations to BHA events, access to local homeopathic groups and information about the BHA direct mail book service. Most importantly, you will be helping the BHA to achieve its aims. Just click here to fill in a form on our website. Alternatively, give my colleague Jacqui a ring on 0870 444 3950 to sign up. Thank you for your support. Bye for now! I hope you have found this issue useful. Let me know if there is any particular subject you would like to see covered in future issues – just email me with your ideas. I look forward to hearing from you! Best wishes, Sarah Sarah Buckingham sbuckingham@trusthomeopathy.org Forward BHA Bytes to a friend
	Contents Hope for hay fever sufferers Homeopathy for circulatory problems Focus on: travel sickness – how can homeopathy help? In the news Homeopathy Awareness Week - 14 to 21 June Join us! Become a Friend of the BHA How to get treatment on the NHS     In the news A selection of the latest articles on homeopathy from the national press. Sunday Times - What’s the alternative? Homeopathy for lichen planus The Independent Alternative treatments under scientific scrutiny Woman’s Weekly Positive effects of homeopathy Article featured Dr Tim Robinson’s study (covered in the last issue of BHA Bytes) showing that homeopathy could be used effectively in a 10-minute GP consultation. Yours magazine Guide to alternative medicine Article explained what homeopathy is and mentioned the results of the study at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital, where 70% of 6,500 patients with chronic diseases reported positive health changes after homeopathy. Guardian – Ask Emma Constitutional homeopathy The Observer Homeopathy for irregular periods and bloating The Observer Homeopathy for allergies How to get treatment on the NHS What do I do first? Go to your GP. If you are very lucky you may already be registered with a GP who practises homeopathy! If not, find out if there is a homeopathic GP in your area that you can register with by searching our practitioner list. If there isn’t, you can ask your current GP to refer you to one of the homeopathic hospitals, clinics or a GP who takes NHS referrals. Will I have to travel far to get treatment? Hopefully not, if there is a homeopathic hospital, clinic or GP taking NHS referrals near you. Unfortunately there are many areas in the UK that don’t have access to local homeopathic services, which may mean you have to travel some distance to get treatment. My GP won’t make a referral. What shall I do? Your GP is the gatekeeper to homeopathic treatment on the NHS and it is up to him/her to refer you based on an assessment of your needs. Your GP may decide that homeopathic treatment is not appropriate for you and therefore not make the referral. This may be a valid conclusion and they should be able to discuss their decision with you. If you feel that you have not received a satisfactory explanation for the refusal, you can take a number of steps: Contact the BHA - we can send you information which you can pass on to your GP to help him/her reconsider their decision. Request a second opinion - usually from one of the other doctors at your practice. Register with another GP in your local area - your Primary Care Trust (PCT) in England or Local Health Board (LHB) in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can provide you with a list of practices. (It would be a good idea to investigate a surgery’s position on homeopathic referrals before re-registering). What if my GP makes a referral but there’s no local funding for the treatment? In most parts of the UK your referral to a homeopathic hospital will be funded by your Primary Care Trust in England or Local Health Board in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, some GPs may not be aware of the funding arrangements for NHS homeopathy, in which case the homeopathic hospital to which the referral is being made can usually advise. There are some PCTs/LHBs that restrict access to homeopathic treatment and who will only fund GPs to refer patients in exceptional cases. If this is the case where you live, your referral will go to a panel of doctors and managers who will decide whether your treatment can be funded. A few areas may refuse to fund the referral altogether. In this case, it can begin to feel like a real struggle but there are a number of things you can do to encourage your PCT/LHB to review your case. Perseverance often pays off. What can I do? Contact the BHA - If the PCT/LHB under which you live is refusing to fund your referral because of weak evidence that homeopathy will help your condition, the BHA can send you some supporting documentation on the efficacy of homeopathy, in some instances tailored to your particular condition. If the BHA doesn’t have any suitable information, we can put you in touch with the British Homeopathic Library. Make a formal complaint - if you still cannot get the initial referral from your GP or specialist, or if you have the referral but the funding is refused, you may like to make a formal complaint. If you live in England and would like to take your case further, the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) for your local trust will be able to help you with the next step. To find out who to contact in your local area, telephone NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or log on to www.dh.gov.uk. If you live in Wales, your local Community Health Council can point you in the right direction (telephone NHS Direct or log on to www.wales.nhs.uk). In Scotland, the Scottish Health Council can help you (telephone 0141 241 6308 or visit www.scottishhealthcouncil.org to find your nearest one). And in Northern Ireland, the local Health Council can guide you (telephone NHS Direct or visit www.healthandcareni.co.uk) Each of these bodies will help you to liase with the practice, PCT or LHB making the decision. Contact your local press and politician - there are MPs, MSPs (Scotland) and AMs (Wales) of all political parties who support the provision of homeopathy within the NHS and you may like to contact them for help. The local press is also often a good tool to use in applying pressure to local decision-makers. The introduction of practice-based commissioning, rather than commissioning by PCTs, may mean that homeopathy becomes more widely available in the future Support homeopathy - cast your vote on our web poll at www.trusthomeopathy.org
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