Present lifestyle with less physical activity and more mental strain leads to diseases and disorders different from known earlier. The causative factors which affect primarily at the mental level are hectic job schedule, pressure of high targets, difficult timings, etc. Other factors which affect both mind and body are habits and addictions. These may be from simple habit of taking junk foods and chewing gum or from serious addictions like alcohol and smoking. In majority of cases it initially affects mind and subsequently the body.

Stress is the prime factor for the ailments due to contemporary job profiles. More and more pressure on the employee lead to stress. Stress and depression lead to lowered capacity of the immune system and causes hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cancer, etc. When immune system is impaired, it invites various infections and other disorders.

A software professional came with severe migraine, insomnia and a few other symptoms. While taking history it was known that his office timing was 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but always he is not allowed to leave his office before 8 p.m. Twice or thrice a week he had to stay till 10 or 11 p.m. Apart from these timings there was always short deadline for his jobs with other pressures from his higher official. He was always in the state of fear and anxiety. It lead him to generalised anxiety disorder which exhibited as headache, sleeplessness, irritability, palpitation, easy fatigue, etc. Calcarea carbonica and Nux vomica were the first two remedies when analysed with RADAR. Few monthly doses of Calcarea carbonica 200 and Ginseng 1x Tablets 2 tds have removed most of the symptoms and he was advised to change the job. Couple of similar cases from BPO sector and call centre have been benefited with constitutional and lifestyle remedies. But one of these cases has got repeatability of the symptoms after a period, because the maintaining cause (lifestyle) continues.

Modern lifestyle leads to many of bad habits and addictions. These habits start as fashion or style and over a time they become addicted to the habit. It can be from simple pan masala, snuffing, chewing gum to smoking, liquor drinking, tobacco chewing or drug addiction. Data reveals over 8 lakh people in India have been losing their life every year, because of the habit of chewing or smoking tobacco. Every habit has adverse effect on the health.

Another effect from modern lifestyle is in the form of junk foods. Food containing high calorie and less nutrition becomes the regular part of diet. Habit of eating more of vegetables and fruits is reducing. Fast food like pizza, noodles and other fried foods increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions occurs together, including obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high triglycerides. Drinking carbonated cola drinks with high calorie and less nutrition is putting people under high risk of various ailments.

A very recent study evidences that soft drink consumption, no matter whether it is a new generation “diet drink with zero calorie” or the conventional one, is associated with a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome. It shows its link with weight gain, obesity and diabetes.

The patho-physiology of modern lifestyle is outsourced as any of the conditions like obesity, hyper-cholesteraemia, hypertension, diabetes and osteoporosis. In such circumstances homeopathy aims at treating the products of such lifestyle. A few doses of polychrests in medium or high potencies and regular doses of pathogenesis specific remedies in low potency or mother tincture can be beneficial. In case of people with habits and addictions homeopathy can give temporary relief, but the habits and addictions have to be removed by to get rid permanently.

Polychrests commonly prescribed in lifestyle ailments are Aconitum napellus, Arsenicum album, Belladonna, Calcarea carbonica, Cinchona offinalis, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Natrum muriaticum, Nux vomica,  Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sepia, Silicea and Sulphur. These have to be selected based on totality of symptoms, constitution, modality, etc. of the individual.

Pathogenesis specific remedies for specific lifestyle ailments

In lifestyle ailments one has to discriminate between the disease itself and its end product. Since the disorders that are the products of modern lifestyle are mainly with organic changes and persisting or maintaining cause, the scope of homeopathic dynamic dose is limited. The constitution and totality based remedy followed by a specific drug in similimum with pathogenesis in lower potencies like 1x may give better success rate. The following indications of the remedies are proven in low potencies/mother tincture.

Azadirachta indica – Frequent respiratory infections due to impaired immune system; good detoxifier; right-sided headache, worse in open air with congested eyes and nasal discharge.

Avena sativa – Bad effects of morphine habit; sleeplessness in alcoholics; has selective action on brain and nervous system; favourably influences the nutritive function; tonic for debility after mental strains.

Bacopa monnieri – Research shows it possesses a potent adaptogenic activity (helping the body adapt to stress, fatigue & cold); has significant influence on learning abilities; it improves mental functions, memory and concentration; gives relief to patients from anxiety neurosis.

Crataegus oxyacantha – Dilates the coronary vessels, reducing peripheral resistance and thus lowering the blood pressure; brings excellent results in chronic dilatation of heart; said to have a solvent power upon crustaceous and calcareous deposits in arteries; diabetes insipidus.

Damiana – Controls anxiety and depression; useful in sexual neurasthenia.

Echinacea purpurea – Stimulates immune system and raises body’s resistance power to bacterial and viral infection.

Fraxinus americanus – Useful in the outcomes of lifestyle problems in female like enlarged uterus, fibroids and ovarion tumours.

Ginkgo biloba – Insomnia between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.; stimulates central nervous system; prevents life threatening clots by inhibiting platelet-activating factor; useful in diminution of libido.

Ginseng – Mental and nervous exhaustion from overwork; research confirms its adaptogenic activity; increases resistance to infections by enhancing immune function; acts on lumbago and sciatica due to prolonged sitting in the office and less physical activity.

Glycyrrhiza glabra – Research showed that it is effective in the treatment of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis; shown to be hepatoprotective; study indicated it helps excretion of cholesterol.

Hypericum perforatum – Research finds it is useful in mild to moderate depression; useful in emotional and nervous complaints.

Passiflora incarnata – Produces calming effect on the nervous system; produces normal sleep without disturbing cerebral function in those who are mentally worried and over worked; useful in anxiety disorders.

Rauwolfia serpentina – High blood pressure without marked atheromatous changes in the vessels; palpitations and irregularity of the heart worse lying down, ameliorated by standing and by walking; also used for insomnia, hypochondria, anxiety; congestive headache with arterial palpitations in the temples and forehead.

Syzygium jambolanum – Influences carbohydrate metabolism; lowers blood sugar in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus; reduces level of glucose level in the urine.

Terminalia arjuna – Used in organic and functional heart disease; corrects weak heart function; useful in ischemic heart disease; chronic stable angina; has cardio protective effect.

Withania somnifera – Has cardio protective action and adaptogenic activity; restores vitality in those suffering from overwork and nervous exhaustion; counters debility that accompanies long term stress.