If someone has a cold sore but they are otherwise "well"...but you had a complete symptom..cold sore burning with yellow crust worse in winter or something like that..should they be treated or wait for more complaints?

should they be treated or wait for more complaints??? interesting remarks. I think nip the evil in the bud.

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Dr. Faiz Rasool Faizy<br />Registered Homeopath

A Cold sore may be a sign of reduced vitality and may preceed frank infection.

So check the modalities and concomittants and give a remedy. If the cosnitutional similimum covers these, then that's the best remedy.

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http://www.homeopathy2health.com

Yes, I will definitly try a remedy on that single symptom.

If the person is otherwise well, then why treat this symptom at all? It is difficult and often counterproductive to treat a single symptom without a complete picture. Treatment on one symptom, ESPECIALLY a skin symptom could very well suppress the symptom and create a much worse disease. You must understand the Law of Direction of Cure - all things naturally move from inside to the outside, and it is the vital force's strongest defence to place symptoms on the skin. By treating this symptom when there is no need to (as the person's general state - which far more important than an eruption on the skin - is healthy) you may be interfering in a natural and effective healing process.

Knowing when to treat and when not to treat is as important as getting the right remedy. Let things progress before throwing remedies at this person. How will you know the internal state - the Vital Force - if you look only at the external state?

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David Kempson.<br />Dip.Homoeopathic Medicine.<br />Lecturer Australian College of Natural Therapies (Brisbane Campus)<br />Member AHA, AROH, HMA<br />Member Australian Homoeopathic Association. Member#0442.

David, I understand your reasoning but isn't an external expression a sign that a remedy is needed?

A cold sore is a sign of flagging immunity, stress, etc which causes reactivation of dormant virus (herpes Simplex) particles as is a break our of herpes zoster - or any infection for that matter. It is a herpectic viral infection, and should be considered as such.

I understand about avoiding a single symptom suppressive remedy, but I think treatment is required for this patient as they often also accompany acute infections or are prodromal to them.

http://www.animated-teeth.com/cold_s...cold_sores.htm

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http://www.homeopathy2health.com

Direction of cure is not only from within outwards, it is also chronologically backwards and the latter may take precedence over the other in a chronic case - even in skin infections or nerve infections with a skin manifestation.

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http://www.homeopathy2health.com

I might mention that this person had their first remedy..rhus tox.. six months ago...which fit his modalities, time..etc, perfectly. He has had cold sores off and on for many years. All his complaints had disappeared under the remedy...many years duration of spasms in the back...recent tiredness at five o clock...and some other things.

Dear Doctorleela,

unfortunately, that is medical reasoning, not homoeopathic. The understanding of the virus has no meaning to the case from our perspective, but the need to treat a cold sore is certainly a cultural need more often than a medical need. Don't we hate cold sores!

While it may be true that the cold sore might be part of a prodrome or represent a deeper condition, until you have general symptoms to show us the nature of that state or impending disease, how will we know what remedy to use?

Many of my patients present with cold sores. If they are improving under a remedy, then I do not treat even if the cold sores appear at this time. Until I see a clear indication for a new remedy or to repeat the old remedy, I wait. It is too easy to muck up a case by jumping to treat every symptom that comes up. Let things develop and THEN make a decision about treatment. At this stage the patient could just be producing cold sores to protect himself from whatever morbid influences normally create his previous set of symptoms.

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David Kempson.<br />Dip.Homoeopathic Medicine.<br />Lecturer Australian College of Natural Therapies (Brisbane Campus)<br />Member AHA, AROH, HMA<br />Member Australian Homoeopathic Association. Member#0442.

YEs David,
What you are talking about is a patient who is ALREADY under treatment!

We're talking about someone presenting with a cold sore or recurrent cold sore with no other obivous symptoms.
The original question was - Would you treat this person or tell him to come back when he has more symptoms?

This is not a medical reasoning it is a homeopathic reasoning from a medical perspective and one treats with a similimum. IF a person has a cold sore, its a sign that his immunity is poor and he needs treatment with an indicated remedy.
Otherwise what would be the indications for you to start this person on treatment?
Are you assuming there are not enough characteristics to prescribe on?

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http://www.homeopathy2health.com