I have very dry and brittle hair. How can I make it soft and shiny?
Anubhuti B, Howrah
• Hair that is dry and brittle isn’t nourished, and no amount of conditioner or vitamin-enriched emollient is going to repair it. The only answer is a balanced, healthy diet. Brittle hair could also be due to medical causes like hypothyroidism, anaemia, and systemic lupus. Drink lots of water and fruit juice since 90 per cent of us have dry, brittle or frizzy hair because it is deficient of water (moisture)! Oil your hair before shampooing. Use lukewarm water to wash as hot water can make hair dry and rough. Medical intervention may be required if self-care doesn’t solve the problem.
I have been detected with dry gangrene on my right foot due to diabetes. Please help.
R Saha, Birati
• Diabetics are most prone to foot gangrene because they typically have poor circulation or nerve damage which can lead to loss of blood supply.
Approximately 5 per cent of diabetes patients eventually require amputation of a toe or foot due to gangrene. This can be prevented by managing blood sugar levels and daily foot care. Continue your conventional treatment for diabetes as per the advice of your diabetologist. Also follow a diabetic diet. Take Secale Cornutum 30, four pills twice daily. Consult a doctor if symptoms persist.
I have noticed traces of bright red blood in my stool. Please advise.
Purabi B, Dumdum
• Since the colour of your blood is bright red, the most probable site of bleeding is the rectum. This could be due to any one of these conditions: piles, fissure, fistula in ano, polyp and many others. I would advise you to consult a physician and undergo a rectal examination, a proctoscopy, and if required, a colonoscopy, to determine the cause and site of the bleeding. Take homeopathic medicine Hamamelis Virginica 30, five pills twice daily.
I have a keloid in the middle of my chest caused by a bee sting in 1995. I have tried all sorts of treatments but the keloid continues to extend (currently 4cms x 2 cms) beyond its original size. It is itchy and painful. Please help.
Pradip Nath, Dum Dum
• Keloids can be considered scars that don’t know when to stop growing. Unlike scars, keloids do not subside over time. Homeopathic treatment can help to control the spread of the keloid and alleviate the itching and pain. Regression of the keloid may or may not take place. Take homeopathic medicine Thiosinaminum Rhodallin 6c, 5 pills twice daily. You can help prevent keloids by treating skin injuries with care. Do not pick at or scratch acne lesions, insect bites and other skin irritations, and do not pierce your body.
My 27-month-old child has developed lactose intolerance. Biochemic homeopathic remedies have helped him to improve general immunity but have not solved his lactose intolerance. Please help.
Manasi R, Howrah
• Your child’s condition is not unusual; most people are lactose intolerant without realising it. The body stops manufacturing lactase (an enzyme to digest lactose) when you’re around two years old. After weaning and once the child has teeth, the body loses the ability to digest lactose as it no longer requires milk. Instead of worrying, start your child on soyamilk. Also give homeopathic medicine Aethusa Cynapium 30, 5 pills, daily once and continue with the biochemic remedies that are helping him to improve his general immunity.
My 18-year-old daughter has not had her menstrual period for the last three months. Kindly suggest a remedy.
S Mullick, Tollygunge
• It is vital to identify the cause of irregular menses in order to suggest a remedy. At this age, the most probable cause for delayed menses is polycystic ovaries, which can only be ruled out by an ultrasonography. Other corroborative symptoms may be weight gain, extra facial hair, and acne. Clinical trials in Europe on women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) showed that following homeopathic treatment, 83 per cent of the study group no longer had any symptoms of PCOS including irregular periods.