Until the later part of the 20th century, the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the entire world have been epidemics of communicable diseases including typhoid, cholera, smallpox, diphtheria, influenza, etc. Although some of these diseases remain epidemic in third world countries, industrialisation and progressive modernisation of many communities have resulted in major improvements in housing, sanitation, water supply, nutrition, etc. Discovery and availability of antibiotics as well as vaccines have radically changed the profile of many diseases. But extreme modernisation and rapid urbanisation gave birth to yet another most difficult, long lasting chronic problem known in homoeopathic prevalence “pseudo chronic disease”. Today the disease burdens have been shifted from the era of “communicable disease to non- communicable disease”. Today, the doctors have to develop a vision to judge a patient from a non-communicable disease point of view. It is of high clinical importance. It works as a predisposing factor and reduces the immunity of the person thereby making them vulnerable, susceptible to allergies, pollutants, and infective agents. No bacteria, no pathogen are supposed to enter and implant their foot-hold in the interior of the human anatomy. Therefore patients are advised to adopt appropriate natural methods of management with natural lifestyle in food habits, environmental conditions and even adopting natural systems of medication as far as possible with minimum medication i.e. preferably homoeopathy. It is also one of the reasons for overmedication by doctors. It so happens when medicines are prescribed/administered without addressing the portion of noncommunicable diseases, then overmedication remains the only option.
In § 77 of organon of medicine Dr. CFS Hahnemann writes “ Those diseases are inappropriately named chronic, which persons incur who expose themselves continually to avoidable noxious influences, who are in the habit of indulging in injurious liquors or aliments, are addicted to dissipation of many kinds which undermine the health, who undergo prolonged abstinence from things that are necessary for the support of life, who reside in unhealthy localities, especially marshy districts, who are housed in cellars or other confined dwellings, who are deprived of exercise or of open air, who ruin their health by overexertion of body or mind, who live in a constant state of worry, etc. These states of ill-health, which persons bring upon themselves, disappear spontaneously, provided no chronic miasm lurks in the body, under an improved mode of living, and they cannot be called chronic diseases.” Aphorism 77 is a clear attempt to completely separate those cases of apparent disease expression that could improve from good diet, regimen and hygiene, from those that were due to fundamental chronic miasms present that affected the harmonious functioning of the vital force. The apparent disease expression has been termed PSEUDO CHRONIC DISEASES.
Pseudo chronic disease is the disease of modern world where we are living in a world of pollution of broad spectrum, addictions of innumerable addictable agents, modern living style, devoid of adequate exercise, indulgence adequately in sugar & sodium rich diets, developing a habit of emphasising on junk, chemical based food stuff, occupational problem & even many more. These above causes contribute largely to the growing population of obese, diabetics, hypertensive, low bone mineral density among the adult mass.
Pseudo chronic diseases are basically lifestyle related noncommunicable diseases. The epidemic of infectious diseases which ruled and reigned the world for over 10 decades with innumerable loss of precious human lives in the mid-19th century to mid-20th century were largely combated with the use of antibiotics of different spectrum. Today, we are living in an epidemic of non-communicable diseases. It is casting a big shadow on the health and economy of our country. The basic philosophy behind the Hahnemannian concept of pseudo chronic diseases since 250 years ago was crystal clear. His concept was basically chronic disease is of true and false in nature. Pseudo chronic diseases begin with life-style errors but they could lead to irreversible pathological changes if not corrected in time. For example – Hypertension High blood pressure (with or without high cholesterol), excessive alcohol consumption and use of tobacco, junk food, fried and spicy food (High sodium diets – such as wafers, corn etc.), obesity and physical inactivity are direct and indirect consequences of modernisation. While these risks and the diseases are highly preventable if taken proper steps otherwise may lead to many terminal illnesses. Cardio-vascular accidents are one example among the tip of the ice-berg. Today almost 30% of the adults of the global population are suffering from hypertension. Hahnemann had advised for a correction of the pseudo chronic disease characters first, and then followed by anti-miasmatic remedy in every individual case.
Pseudo-chronic symptoms could easily disappear once the lifestyle is regularized with enough rest and exercise, bad habits curtailed and they eat fresh food in a balanced diet. As homeopaths, it is important that we investigate the lifestyle of our patients, find out what may be contributing to symptoms and suggest appropriate changes where necessary before expecting an indicated remedy to work.
