Homoeopathy - How to Describe Skin Symptoms

A large number of patients seek homoeopathic treatment for skin ailments. These questions will help them to observe the symptoms and give an accurate description to the physician while case taking.

This includes all eruptions, pimples, sores, abscesses, ulcers, carbuncles, boils, warts, abnormal growths, and tumors as these are all amenable to the homoeopathic internal treatment.

Consult Sections Homoeopathy and Sensations,

                            Homoeopathy - Symptoms Better or Worse By

                            HOMOEOPATHY AND PAIN

                            Homoeopathy - How to describe Discharges of all kinds

1.      Does the skin heal readily after an injury ?

2.      Any roughness, cracks, sores from washing or cold weather ?

3.      Are you subject to skin diseases, and for how long ?

4.      Have any of your near relatives been troubled in the same way, or with any other skin 

       trouble ?

5.      Have you been vaccinated ?

6.      Was there any side effect ?

7.      Have you suffered from symptoms of eruptions with itching ?

8.      What treatment was used for it ?

9.      Have you had measles, scarlet fever, chicken pox, mumps, or other similar diseases, and how did you get along during the sickness and afterwards ?

10.  Have you ever had a surgical operation for the removal of tumors, abnormal growth, warts, etc. ?

11.  Do you have problems with your nails ?

12.  Ingrowing toe nails ?

13.  Have you foul, sweaty feet ? (See Homoeopathy - How to describe Discharges of all kinds)

14.  How long has the skin trouble been present ?

15.  How did it first start ?

16.  Is the trouble sensitive to touch or pressure ?

17.  Give the exact location of places affected.

18.  Has the trouble been treated by local applications ?

19.  Has any skin disease ever been suppressed or apparently cured by local applications ?

20.  If so, what and when ?

21.  What does the disease or ulcer or skin-sore look like ?

22.  What is the appearance of the skin around the sore or under the sore ?

23.  Is there any itching of the sore ?

24.  What is the effect of scratching - better or worse by it ?

25.  Any scabs ?

26.  What is the appearance and general form of the scabs ?

27.  Any matter under scabs ? (See Homoeopathy - How to describe Discharges of all kinds)

28.  Describe any discharge from the sores as in Section Homoeopathy - How to describe Discharges of all kinds.

29.  Describe pain as in Section Homoeopathy And Pain.

30.  Any roughness of the skin ?

31.  In what way is the skin different from healthy skin ?

32.  Is there itching of the skin ? (Refer to Section Homoeopathy - Symptoms Better or Worse By)

Give location, color and character of any spots or blotches on the skin, whether very small or large.

Give location, color and appearance of moles or warts.

33.  What is the location, color, size, shape and appearance of any swelling ?

34.  Any sensations on skin as itching, burning, pinching, crawling of insects or bugs, stinging or anything else ? 

See Sections Homoeopathy and Sensations and Homoeopathy - Symptoms Better or Worse By

35.  Is the skin oily, shining, scaly ?

36.  What is the color of the skin ?

37.  Is the color natural or after any disease ?

Describe pimples, little blisters, etc., as to location, size, contents, appearance, etc.

Describe corns and bunions as to appearance, location and pain as in Section Homoeopathy And Pain.

Reference: What the doctor needs to know in order to make a successful prescription by Dr. James Tyler Kent

Homoeopathy: Details Related To Eating and Drinking

Food habits play an important role in causing, aggravating and relieving your symptoms. Carefully observe your food habits and describe your symptoms by using these questions mentioned below.

1.      Have you a craving for any special article of food ? (Not merely a desire, but a feeling that you must have it.)

2.      Any aversion to any special article of food ?

3.      Name the article in either case.

4.      Are you hungry much of the time or at any special time ?

5.      Is the hunger or craving for food excessive ?

6.      Have you no desire for food ?

7.      Do you have hunger with aversion to eating ?

8.      Do you eat without hunger ?

9.      Does the food taste good ?

10.  Has the food a natural taste ?

11.  How do you feel before eating ?

12.  Have you any bad effect from eating much or little ?

13.  Do you desire little or much food at a time ?

14.  Is there any special food that disagrees ?

15.  Do you desire solid or liquid food ?

16.  Do you crave for something but you don't know for exactly what ?

17.  Do you crave substantial food or dainties, candy, cakes, sweet things, sour things, etc., etc.

18.  Is the appetite even or variable ?

19.  Does food satisfy you ?

20.  Any trouble that always comes on after eating all you want, or after a little food ?

21.  Do you eat hastily or slowly ?

22.  Do you have sick stomach or vomiting after eating ?

23.  Does eating aggravate other complaints ?

24.  Are you sleepy after eating ?

25.  Have you pain anywhere after eating ? (See HOMOEOPATHY AND PAIN)

26.  Do you suddenly lose your appetite for food while eating, or at any time ?

27.  Are you very thirsty or thirstless ?

28.  Do you wish to drink often or seldom ?

29.  Do you want to drink much at a time, or little ?

30.  What effect has drinking on you ?

31.  Any trouble that always comes on after drinking ?

32.  Do you crave any special drink ?

33.  Do you wish hot or cold, or ice cold drinks ?

34.  Do you feel badly after drinking ?

35.  Does drinking satisfy you ?

36.  Do you use tea or coffee ?

37.  How much ?

38.  Do you use alcoholic or other liquors ?

39.  Do you use much milk ?

40.  Does milk agree ?

41.  Do you have sick stomach or vomiting after drinking ?

42.  Does drinking aggravate other complaints ?

43.  How does water, or other drinks, taste ?

Reference: What the doctor needs to know in order to make a successful prescription by Dr. James Tyler Kent

Homoeopathy - How To Describe Discharges Of All Kinds

Observations and methods to describe discharges that accompany your disease.

This refers to discharges from open sores, boils, fistulas, ulcers, etc., from the eyes, nose, cars, mouth, private parts, lungs, the skin, etc.

Give the quantity and the time or condition under which the quantity varies.(See Homoeopathy - Symptoms Better or Worse By)

Give the consistency, whether thin or thick, stringy, clotted like jelly, white of an egg, gruel, water, etc.

The appearance, just what it looks like, the color, and the time or condition when the appearance varies.

The odor, what it reminds you of ; whether the odor varies and the time and circumstances of the variation.

Whether it makes the parts sore, and in what way ;
whether the discharge has any effect on your feeling or strength ;
how long it has continued ;
whether the discharge comes and goes, and
the time and circumstance of this variation.

Whether it is sticky, forms a scab, etc.

Mention anything else about it that you may notice.

Reference: What the doctor needs to know in order to make a successful prescription by Dr. James Tyler Kent

Homoeopathy - Symptoms Better or Worse By

While giving the homoeopathic case history modalities play a vital role in remedy selection.

This aspect refers to each disease, each sickness and to every symptom.

No matter what the trouble may be, it is necessary to describe this aspect while giving the case.

Be sure that the aggravation or amelioration you notice is from the cause given. 

The time of an aggravation or amelioration refers to the year, the month, the week, the day, the night, or the hour.

State at what time your trouble, or any single symptom, is better or worse.

State what season of the year,
what time in the month,
whether the phases of the moon cause either,
what part of the week,
what hour of the day or night the trouble or single symptom comes on, or is made better or worse.

Is there any position which you may assume that causes the trouble or any single symptom to be better or worse ?

It may be when you first lie down, or after lying down awhile, or rising up after lying down ;
on sitting down, after sitting awhile, or on rising after sitting ;
standing, after standing awhile, or on sitting after standing ;
walking, walking much, walking in the house or in the open air, or in cold or warm air, or at night ; running, running rapidly or slowly ;
when stooping over, after stooping, or on rising from stooping ;
leaning the head backward, forward, to one side, or leaning the head on the table or the hand ;
lying with the head high or low ; lying in some particular position ;
crawling on the hands and knees ;
or some other of many possible positions.

Does anything cause the trouble or a single symptom to be better or worse ?

It may be reading,
writing,
music,
ascending or descending the stairs or a hill,
biting the teeth together,
blowing the nose,
before or after one of the meals,
breathing, breathing deeply,
when chewing food, when eating or drinking,
closing or opening the eyes, looking up, down or sideways,
from heat, cold, from warm or cold air, heat of the stove or sun,
dry or moist air,
going into the air or going into a warm room,
sunlight or lamplight,
from excitement, fright, grief, sorrow,
fasting, some kind of food or drink,
motion or quiet,
when nose is discharging or is dry,
from ratification of the passions,
scratching, rubbing,
beginning of sleep, during or after sleep, loss of sleep,
sneezing,
before or during a storm,
swallowing food, drink of saliva,
talking, singing, hearing others talk or sing,
music,
touch,
turning over in bed, covering up or uncovering,
wet, dry, windy, or cloudy weather.

The above is given to impress on the mind the great importance of noticing what may seem to be little things.

Any one of these may be great or little, but your physician must be the judge of that.

Reference: What the doctor needs to know in order to make a successful prescription by Dr. James Tyler Kent

Homoeopathy and Sensations

The description of Sensations is very important and should be specially noticed and described to the homoeopathic physician while giving the case.

For Sensations of pain, pain of all kinds, see Section on HOMOEOPATHY AND PAIN.

These special Sensations may occur in any part of the body, or internally, or in the head or extremities.

Give the sensation in your own language to express it.

No matter how simple, or even ludicrous, it is necessary to give it.

It may be like a mouse or bug crawling ;
like wind blowing into the ears or eyes ;
as if someone was pulling a hair ;
as of a blow on the back ;
as if the heart was grasped by an iron hand ;
as if claws were grasping the bowel ;
as of a splinter in the throat or flesh ;
like a string or thread on the tongue or in the throat ;
as if a joint were dislocated ;
as of a band or cord around the head ;
as though you had a cap on or hat ;
as of a plug in the ear or in some other place.

These are merely illustrations, a few that have occurred to other persons, and are given that you may understand what is meant by sensations.

Always give the location as well as the sensation.

Reference: What the doctor needs to know in order to make a successful prescription by Dr. James Tyler Kent