Acute vs chronicIt is important to differentiate between an acute condition that you can treat at home and a chronic condition that requires regular homoeopathic consultations.

How to identify the the acute state? When somebody is born they can normally be classified into a homoeopathic constitutional group, so for example if someone is born as a Sulphur type they will be hot independant and desire spicy food, if suddenly this child changes to dependent, tearful and thirst less (pulsatilla) then you know that another state is developing. So try to identify the changes in symptoms such as thirst, temperature, mood these will help you identify the remedy needed for the acute state.

How to pick the acute remedy It is not essential to have a diagnosis in order to pick the correct remedy.The remedy is selected on the basis of the of symptoms. In order to pick a remedy the person has to have three main symptoms of the remedy (the three legged stool)

How to pick the correct potency The best acute potencies are 30c and 200c. It is inadvisable to use 1m, 10m or 50m for acute prescriptions. Never descend in potency. But you can ascend in potency. Try and match the potency to the strength of the illness, if it is a high grade fever or a bad ear pain the 200c potency is best. As a general rule the 30c is best given 3 times daily and the 200c is best given twice daily. Never put 2 remedies in the mouth together they will simply act as one dose. To repeat a remedy allow at least a 10 minute gap.

To touch or not to touch? It is fine to touch your own remedies but definitely not to touch another persons remedies. When giving remedies to a child either put them on a spoon or let them take it out of the packet themselves.This is because the remedies are made by coating the tablet on the outside with the appropriate substance so if you touch someone elses then you will absorb all the goodness!