Dr. Lauri Grossman

Homeopathy for A Superstar Performance

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 18:24:15 +0000

While I was reading at my favorite Joe Coffee Cafe on the UWS, my friend Melissa Jones pulled up the chair next to me. Melissa is a Broadway producer and is about to leave for London where her show, Super You, will open on the West End. Then the show returns to New York for its grand opening on Broadway. While we were catching up, Melissa asked if there was anything homeopathic that could help the Super You cast while performing this season.

It’s common for actors to get sick when they are on tour. People who appear on stage deal with reduced sleep, jittery nerves, and overused vocal cords. Fortunately, there are specific homeopathic medicines for each of these challenges. If you’re performing, see if they can help you along the way to star-studded performances this year.

Kali phosphoricum 30C is a homeopathic medicine that can help if you are working long hours, not sleeping well and feel tired.

Gelsemium 30C is helpful for stage fright with terror before a performance and loss of memory from stress. There may be weakness with chills as well.

Argentum nitricum 30C indicated for anxiety accompanied by a hurried sensation and GI troubles. It will benefit actors who crave sweets and who get overheated easily.

Throat Calm is a medicine that comes in tablet and spray. It is a broad acting medicine for singers or actors with a sore throat, hoarseness, and scratchy, red, dry throat.

Arum triphyllum 30C is indicated for hoarseness, especially from over-use of the voice. The throat can feel raw and burning and worse when swallowing. There may be mucus in the larynx.

Causticum 30C will offer greater relief if your throat is hoarse in the morning and feel better when you have cold drinks. It will also help singers and actors who feel that they must constantly clear their throats and do so with great difficulty.

Homeopathic medicines are sold in tubes that contain pills that look like tiny tic tacs. They are slightly sweet and easy to take without water. Begin with the homeopathic medicine that matches your symptoms best and repeat every 4 hours. If you don’t notice a response after 24 hours then discontinue, review your symptoms, and see if there is a better match.

For best results: Rest your voice as much as possible. Avoid dust and tobacco which irritate the throat. Wear a scarf if it offers you comfort. If you are feeling stressed, cut back on alcohol, coffee, and tobacco. Get rest and exercise when possible.

If symptoms persist, contact your healthcare provider, or feel free to reach out so that I can work with you to find a more effective homeopathic medicine for your symptoms.

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How to Travel without Jet Lag

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 18:21:02 +0000

Early this morning, I got a note from Janine Dolan. Janine is a travel agent known for her customized travel planning and the extra steps she takes in designing trips for her clients. Janine was planning a trip from New York to Australia. Since some people aren’t able to sleep on planes, she was looking for something to help vacationers and businesspeople avoid the discomfort of jet lag. She asked me if homeopathy could help.

Yes, homeopathy can provide great relief for the fatigue, lack of focus, nausea, and muscle soreness associated with Jet Lag. What’s more, it’s natural and very easy to use.

The homeopathic product No-Jet-Lag is especially helpful for people who have to work at their final destination. It contains a combination of remedies that address fatigue, disorientation, and interrupted sleep. Just follow the directions on the box.

Other homeopathic medicines that can help with specific jet lag symptoms include:

Cocculus indicus 30C for nighttime sleeplessness and daytime drowsiness that lead to feelings of dizziness and vertigo.

Nux vomica 30C for stomach cramps, nausea. constipation, and irritability associated with jet lag.

Arnica montana 30C for muscle soreness from sitting for an extended period of time on the plane.

Gelsemium 30c is indicated if there is extreme physical tiredness with a heavy feeling in the arms and legs.

Homeopathic medicines are sold in tubes that contain pills that look like tiny tic tacs. They are slightly sweet and easy to take without water. For travel, take the homeopathy at the start of your trip and repeat the medicine every four hours.

Begin with the homeopathic medicine that matches your symptoms best. If you do not notice any response after 24 hours then discontinue, review your symptoms, and see if there is a better match.

For best results: Eat small meals and drink plenty of water on the plane.

Try to avoid alcohol and only drink coffee in the morning.

If symptoms persist, contact your health care provider or feel free to reach out so that I can work with you to find a more effective homeopathic medicine for your symptoms.

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Keeping Your Family Healthy During the School Year

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 18:14:37 +0000

My favorite Instagram post of the week included a father’s claim that his three kids were healthy all summer. Three months of sheer bliss – No stomach aches. No sniffles. No coughs or flu. But then school started, and the nurse called and within a few hours of Day One he had to get in the car to pick up his sick daughter before she infected the whole school.

Sound familiar?

Even when we get enough sleep, exercise, and wholesome organic food, the stresses of work, exams, and challenging relationships can overwhelm our immune systems, so we fall prey to whatever illness is running around our community. Here are a few steps you can take to keep your family healthy despite the stresses of the year ahead. Simply follow the directions on the packaging. I hope this will ease things for your daughter when she is stressed about soccer tryouts, for your son when he is trembling about exams, and for the whole family when the weather turns cold, and the flu season is upon us. Keep me posted and let me know what helps you the most. Also, write to me to let me know what other health issues you are facing. I’m happy to help!

Begin the following at the very first sign of a cold, cough, or sore throat:

Zinc – in lozenge or spray form. Zinc has anti-viral qualities and will support the immune system

Elderberry syrup is incredibly useful for a common cold.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C supports the immune system by increasing WBC activity

If you do come down with a cold or sore throat or if you feel like you might be getting the flu, start one of the following immediately:

They will lessen the severity and the length of the illness.

The three homeopathic medicines every family should have in their medicine cabinet (and every college student should take with them to school) :

ColdCalm: for sneezing, runny nose, sore throat and nasal congestion

Follow directions on the box

Begin to take it the moment you think a cold might be coming on

ThroatCalm for relief of sore throat, hoarseness, or scratchy red dry throat

Comes in tablets or spray

Start the moment you start to feel throat symptoms

Oscillococcinum for onset of flu symptoms: body ache, headache, fever chills and fatigue

Follow dosing as written on the box. The sooner you start this, the more effective it will be.

If symptoms linger and you do not respond, you may need professional help. I’m happy to set up a consultation with you to hear what’s going on so I can recommend a more specific homeopathic medicine to address your specific symptoms.

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Creating Connection: How Homeopathy Can Help

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 20:43:24 +0000

Loss of Connection In a World Without Community

Everyone needs connection. We want to feel valued and respected. For generations, people found this in community gatherings. Regional marketplaces attracted crowds where needs were met, and information exchanged. Houses of worship (churches, synagogues, and mosques) were at the heart of daily life and members felt cherished there. Later, as marketplace and religious gatherings became less common, bonds were formed in office meeting rooms, in break rooms by the water cooler or coffee machine and in small after-hour groups. Gyms were also popular spots for sharing stories and making meaningful conversations. But lately, since the pandemic, as we spend more time at home and in isolation from each other, many of our most reliable ways to connect are falling by the wayside. Loneliness and isolation are becoming increasingly problematic around the world. Fortunately, homeopathy can provide support when we feel alone. For children and adults alike, homeopathy can ease suffering when we feel isolated in our own worlds. Let’s explore this together:

Homeopathy for mothers who feel isolated

For many women, the most challenging part of motherhood is the feeling of being all alone. Many feel overburdened by the responsibilities of caring for young children, especially when this isn’t balanced by meaningful personal activity or connection outside the house. The pandemic has exacerbated this for many parents. Faced with children being home from school for prolonged periods of time and less chance to participate in activities they enjoy, more women are feeling isolated and depressed. Homeopathic Sepia can help restore a feeling of connection in women whose hormones have contributed to feelings of guilt and isolation. Sepia will also make it easier to build more loving connections within the family and the home environment.

Homeopathy for sensitive people with easily hurt feelings

As we go through life, each of us experiences inevitable hurts. We can be criticized, insulted or rejected in any number of ways. We suffer from romantic breakups and divorce. Dear friends and family move away. We lose loved ones. After a period of time, the strongest amongst us finds their footing again. They forgive or let go and create a new path forward. Others struggle with prolonged periods of pain. Homeopathic Natrum muriaticum helps those who feel humiliated by loss, who keep the hurt inside and who struggle to find joy again. It can also reduce chronic complaints like headaches or sleeplessness that can accompany hurt feelings. Most impressively, Natrum muriaticum can allow connection again for people who have built a wall of protection around their hearts so they are not hurt again.

Homeopathy for high achievers with unexpected business or personal reversals

We live in a world that praises individual achievement. We root for students who get into the best schools, for boys and girls who become the stars of sports teams, and for entrepreneurs who envision the needs of the future creating businesses founded on completely new ideas. But little support is offered for those same people when they suffer from an unexpected reversal of fortune. Instead of being lifted by community, these people often isolate themselves and fall into prolonged states of despair. This is when homeopathic Aurum can offer hope. Aurum helps to open the door to self-loving. It enhances one’s ability to reach out for support. With this homeopathic medicine, one can accept being human and take steps to walk out from the darkness to join others in the sunlight.

Using homeopathy to ease connection

If you or anyone you know is experiencing feelings of isolation, homeopathic medicines are available in the US in health food stores, pharmacies and online. For mild symptoms, try a 30C potency taking 2-3 pellets up to four times a day as needed for up to two weeks to see if you notice a response. Stop if symptoms go away and start up again if they return. If you do not get relief or if your symptoms are strong or chronic, contact me for a consultation. I am happy to explore the homeopathic medicines that can help you feel valued and securely connected to the world around you.

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Homeopaths Without Borders

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 21:02:29 +0000

“People tell me that it must feel so good to help people affected by disasters, but it is the chance to be surrounded by people who are completely focused on the well-being of their neighbors that brings the greatest reward. In life, we can forget about caring for each other. Disasters remind us to reach out to our neighbors.”

Committed to the vision that everyone deserves access to high-quality healthcare, Homeopaths Without Borders builds and maintains partnerships across the Americas to help close healthcare gaps affecting under-resourced areas and populations. HWB-NA’s mission is to introduce or advance the understanding and use of homeopathy in areas where it does not yet exist or is minimally available as well as to promote and provide homeopathic care and healing in emergency situations.

My first mission with Homeopaths Without Borders was in Trinidad in 2009. Shortly thereafter, I flew with the first HWB Emergency Response Team to provide support for those in need after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. There, we treated wounds, acute injuries, vertigo, head pain and infections. We also provided relief for grief, anxiety, sleeplessness and loss. We offered homeopathic support to children and older adults at risk because of lack of food, access to water and quality hygiene. I returned to Haiti on about ten missions. Over time, we set up mobile clinics, trained nurses, and met with community leaders to build alliances.

Since then, Homeopaths Without Borders has expanded partnerships with local and national agencies to offer critical support to those affected by earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, epidemics, pandemics, and poverty. HWB has also created a course in the Fundamentals of Classical Homeopathy for medical professionals as well as a course in the Fundamentals of Homeopathy for the Childbearing Year for professional birthing attendants.

For more information or to donate, go to www.hwbna.org

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Thriving in a World Where the Rate of Depression Is Skyrocketing- A Series That Offers Hope

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:33:58 +0000

I’ve been getting a lot of correspondence lately. Patients, colleagues and friends want to draw my attention to the soaring rate of depression in the world today. The articles point out that songwriters mention love far less frequently and hate more often these days. Newspaper headlines are increasingly harrowing, and news coverage is far more negative. Social scientists, researchers and physicians assign the blame to a myriad of factors. And for some people who struggle, these articles provide a sense of comfort. Readers feel less alone. Their misery feels like part of a global shift that is unavoidable. But I’ve been asking myself if that’s the only way to look at the situation. Are there other ways we can deal with sadness so that we can turn things around for ourselves? Can we create a path that leads to greater happiness in our communities and in the world around us? In this series, I will explore several factors that contribute to unhappiness and how we might address them so that the outcome brings hope instead of despair.

Hope for People with Chronic Pain

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:29:46 +0000

The rising incidence of chronic pain is one factor that plays a major role in the rise of global unhappiness. According to a research paper on the prevalence of chronic pain published in the Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain, more than 1 in 5 adults in America experiences pain on most days or every day. The most common strategies used to address the pain are gentle noninvasive approaches to strengthen muscle groups and restore flexibility, and modalities like physical therapy and massage are the most frequently sought after. However, we can expand the treatment of pain so we experience speedier healing and longer-lasting results. Homeopathy has proven to be effective in providing relief for pain in all of the most common pain locations: the low back, hip and knee, and foot. So, let’s review a few of the most helpful remedies here:

Back pain

Homeopathic Belladonna can relieve severe low back pain that comes on suddenly and keeps you from moving even the slightest bit.
Rhus toxicodendron is of greater help when sciatica or injury makes it difficult to sit still, causing you to get up and move around. Think of this for sprained low back.
Ignatia is a specific for back spasms that are connected to emotional stress.

Hip and knee pain

Lycopodium is a homeopathic medicine that can provide relief for hip pain that is worse when you first start walking but then feels better from continued motion.
Berberis is effective for knee pain ( especially when it is the left knee) that comes on every time you try to stand up from a chair.

Foot pain

Calcarea carbonica is the most useful homeopathic medicine from cramping in the foot and calf at night in bed or when stretching.
For bunions with nerve pain in the big toe, you can get relief with Hypericum, a homeopathic remedy that is useful for shooting pain in any area rich in nerves.

You can try any of these homeopathic medicines if the indications match your symptoms. For chronic pain, take the homeopathy in a 30C potency two times a day for two weeks. Stop after you notice a response. Start again if symptoms return. If there is no response, you may contact me for a homeopathic consultation; I am happy to help.

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Getting Through Hard Times

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 16:28:55 +0000

We are living in high-stress times. My patients worry about the coronavirus, their kids’ schooling, global politics, and the environment. Women who have been good at balancing responsibilities, tell me they are anxious and can’t hold up anymore. Relationships that used to be steady and reliable are cracking. Lingering COVID symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, loss of taste and smell and thinning hair are taking many people over the edge. Men with symptoms they’ve never had before (sleeplessness, digestive issues, nerve pain, skin outbreaks) tell me they are sure that their complaints have been brought on by worry. I recommend homeopathic remedies and fortunately for most, symptoms are clear. But after that, what can we do to manage all this stress? Where can we turn when life seems too hard?

While searching for a new book to read, my daughter-in-law recommended “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle. I got it on audiobooks and once I started, I could not wait to get back in the car to hear more. Glennon’s story is about her digging deep to find her Truth. And in listening to her story, she inspires us to do the same – to realize that the stress is not going to go away and that even when we are anxious or depressed, we can still put one foot after the other and in so doing, move forward through the craziness. She encourages listeners to find their inner voices, the reliable voices that are always there to guide us one step at a time through difficult days towards a better, more meaningful life.

Doyle has gone on to create a podcast (with her wife, Abby, and her sister, Amanda) called “We Can Do Hard Things”. The three women engage in conversations that get to the core of many of the challenges that women typically don’t discuss. This includes what it’s like to be locked in the house with the same people day in and day out, how-to guide our kids through meltdowns at home, how to let go of them when they take off for college, and how to keep meaningful friendships and to let go of the ones that bring us down. They don’t offer advice and they don’t tell us what to do. Instead, they expose the realities of these scenarios that most of us try to sweep under the rug, and in conversations that are sensitive, caring, (and at times quite funny), they build a more confident community that can better cope with hard things and navigate towards personal solutions. This group, called the PodSquad, is welcoming, loving, and nonjudgmental. What a breath of fresh air!

Another voice offering wisdom in these anxiety-provoking times belongs to Martha Beck, a Harvard graduate who left her career in academia to help others “claim the lives we were meant to live”. In her book, “Finding Your Own North Star”, she guides the reader back to his or her true self so that it becomes clear how to shift things away from worry and fear towards joy and freedom. In “The Way of Integrity”, she carries this message further so that we learn on an even deeper level how to live a life of purpose, one free of mental suffering.

When we are locked in our homes and unable to meet friends, when our children are nervous about school because they can get sick and bring illness back home, when we are overwhelmed with financial concerns and when we worry about the state of the world, there’s little room for destructive behaviors and negative beliefs about ourselves. These authors help us get by. For young women and men, there’s the “Girl’s emPOWERment Experience,” “empowering every girl to be her own superhero” and offering support for boys as well. The website has sections on movement, mindfulness, and self-love with the goal of building confidence, courage, and connection. Check it out HERE.

Since the start of the pandemic, I’ve been turning to headspace.com. This is a website and app with the singular mission “ to improve the health and happiness of the world.” When life gets tough, when health issues couple with work stress, global unrest, and environmental crises, headspace offers a place to help you find peace each day. There are meditation and mindfulness tools to reduce stress and improve your mental health. Its effectiveness is revealed in its numbers. Headspace is already used in 190 countries around the world and by over 70 million members!!

And so, I encourage you to reach out to any one of these sources when life gets hard. You are not alone, and you deserve the support of a caring community. Homeopathy can be incredibly helpful if you are experiencing depression or anxiety, but there is more to support you on your journey to health and harmony. Together we can get through these hard times, and I am happy to share resources that can make the process a bit lighter, a bit easier and perhaps even a bit more joyful.

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Research that Supports Homeopathy

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 19:48:36 +0000

I have a patient who I once treated for recurrent urinary tract infections. Before treatment, her pain was so bad that she had to take a few days off from work every month. After her initial consultation, she had an excellent response to a simple homeopathic protocol. Delighted by her results, she referred a co-worker who experienced anxiety for which therapy and medications had provided no relief. But this coworker had never heard of homeopathy before and she didn’t know what to make of the suggestion. Was homeopathy safe? Does it really work? How could it help anxiety when medications and therapy couldn’t even help?

Another patient came to see me for chronic migraines. After responding swiftly to homeopathy, she referred her brother who was challenged by ongoing sleeplessness. He too was a bit hesitant about using an unconventional approach that no doctor had ever mentioned. Like the woman above, he contacted me and after I told him about my practice (fees, frequency of visits, what the sessions entailed) the very next thing he asked was, “ Is there any research on homeopathy? Are there studies that demonstrate its effectiveness?”

Over the many years that I have been in practice, scores of men and women have called but held back on setting up an initial consultation because they (or their partners) were skeptical and needed more information about homeopathy’s effectiveness before they could be open to using homeopathy to clear troubling complaints. One parent of children with anxiety, depression, digestive issues and more can be eager to help their youngsters with homeopathy, but too frequently their spouse or partner is hesitant to try homeopathy because he or she fears there is no evidence backing it up. This is especially true when there are allergies involved and parents are concerned about side effects or an adverse reaction.

Certainly, those who have experienced the relief of a chronic issue with homeopathy and those who have witnessed a drastic improvement of a sudden complaint with only one dose of a homeopathic remedy do not need supportive research. But for many, reading through a few studies can provide great support. Here are some for you to share.

In 2020, German health insurance analysts compared patient outcomes after six months of homeopathic vs conventional care. Upon completion of the review, they found that primary health effectiveness outcomes were statistically significant in favor of homeopathy over conventional care for: migraine or headache, asthma, dermatitis, and depression. Read Here

Also in 2020, the Swiss health insurer SECURVITA released data comparing 15,700 adult and pediatric patients treated homeopathically with a similarly sized group of adults and children receiving conventional care. They found that both adults and children receiving homeopathic care did significantly better and needed fewer conventional medications than those who did not receive homeopathic care.

In 2011, the Swiss Government performed a similar comprehensive review of homeopathy, finding that “it can be said that there is sufficient evidence for the preclinical effectiveness and the clinical efficacy of homeopathy and for its safety and economy compared to conventional treatment.” (Matthiessen, B., “Homeopathy in Healthcare. Effectiveness, Appropriateness, Safety, Costs”. Springer. 2011.)

Robert Hahn MD, Ph.D., (a medical researcher not connected to homeopathy) sought to examine all the available evidence on homeopathy and found that, “To conclude that homeopathy lacks clinical effect (as some special interests claim), more than 90% of the available clinical trials would have to be disregarded.” Read Here

Dana Ullman, MPH, serves as the President of the Foundation for Homeopathic Education and Research. When speaking of relevant research, he highlights the following government-funded report. According to Ullman, this analysis “contains the most comprehensive review of research on homeopathic medicine which shows that basic science AND clinical research support the biological activity and the clinical efficacy of homeopathic medicine. This article also shows that other reviews of research that claim no benefits from homeopathy were “junk science” reviews that had very significant flaws (and one review had potentially questionable ethical violations)”. Read Here

And for those who want to know how homeopathy’s low dose medicines work, the journal, Dose Response, published an article by Ullman that provides compelling explanations. “Drawing from the newest developments in the fields of material sciences and the physics of water, there are now viable explanations for how homeopathic nanodoses persist in water solutions and how they can have an influence on biological systems and in creating relevant clinical benefits.” Read Here

You may be someone who has experienced the benefits of homeopathy. You may have seen your anxiety, depression or grief lessen so that you feel like you have your life back. You may have witnessed a reduction of your digestive issues, joint pain, migraines, or low back troubles to such an extent that they seem like a thing of the past. And it makes perfect sense that you’d want to share your enthusiasm for homeopathy with those you love. Just remember that homeopathy can be very new to some.

Trust that the parent of a troubled child might need a bit more assurance before trying something that to you seems like such an obvious next step. If you really care, the best path forward is to be respectful. I truly believe that we all need to trust the small voice inside us. Your friends and relatives should try homeopathy only when they feel it is the best option for them. Hopefully, the above research will be of assistance in helping them make that decision. Then, you will be able to celebrate when your co-worker, mother, brother or friend calls and says, “ I was hesitant to try homeopathy at first, but I appreciate the research you sent my way. After reading those articles, homeopathy made sense to me and gave me the confidence to go forward with treatment. Now I want to thank you for your suggestion. After one homeopathic remedy, my headaches are gone and so is my anxiety. I sleep through the night for the first time in ages. Now that’s a real dream come true. Thanks for supporting me and giving me the time I needed to make that choice. I’m so very glad I did.”

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Devising a COVID Readiness Plan

Dr. Lauri Grossman — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 20:10:49 +0000

At the start of the pandemic, I didn’t think I had to worry about COVID-19 if I ate well, rested, exercised and took simple precautions like masking and avoiding indoor crowds. I’ve always been a healthy person with a strong immune system so I felt confident that I’d be okay. Then I got sick after being exposed to a woman without symptoms or any knowledge of her having coronavirus at the time. That’s when I learned just how hard having COVID can be on a family and how absolutely everyone needs to be prepared.

Even if you have no children to care for, don’t mind being alone, have mild symptoms, and can work from home, getting COVID is no walk in the park. For me, the biggest hardship was the result of my going about my daily life before ever finding out I had been exposed. I unknowingly transmitted the virus to a handful of family members and many of them then faced far greater challenges than me, ranging from missing work to hardships with childcare to long-term symptoms that took months to heal. That said, no matter how healthy you are, we are all in this together. And there are things that each of us needs to do to make the journey with COVID less excruciating for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

As case numbers increase across the country and the new variant offers easy transmission, this gives us even more reason to be ready if someone in our household finds out they’ve been exposed to the virus or develops symptoms. Already many of my young patients are coming home from school with fevers and coughs. College students are returning home after testing positive on campus. Numerous adults are calling me to report that they are out sick with COVID. My boyfriend came home from a dinner with friends this week after which he told me that despite being vaccinated and boostered, everyone at the table believed that they would get COVID this winter. If that’s the case, we should get ready now so we have what we will need to feel more in control this season.

Rachel Wilkerson Miller wrote an excellent article in VOX that includes suggestions from Syra Madad, the senior director of system-wide special pathogens for NYC Health + Hospitals, on how you can plan for the inevitability of getting COVID including testing, masking, and isolating. I am including many of those suggestions below.

First, get vaccinated and get your booster. Too many people have thought that they could avoid the virus without the vaccine only to regret it later. You owe it to yourself, your family members and your friends to take care of yourself today.

When leaving your home or apartment, be sure to mask up. Even fully vaccinated people can transmit the virus and many people feel fine the entire time they are contagious. When you wear your mask, be sure it covers both your mouth and nose. The N95, KN95 and surgical masks provide more protection than cloth masks, but if you want to stick to cloth, be aware that a cloth mask needs to be replaced after going in the washing machine 100 times or the dryer 50 times because the fabric becomes more porous.

If you develop symptoms or learn that you’ve been exposed to someone with the coronavirus, it’s important to get tested. Many winter illnesses have the same signs and symptoms as COVID. If you have a fever, cough, or runny nose, you want to get checked to be certain of the cause. It’s best to come up with a plan for testing now. Trust me, the last thing I wanted to do when I first came down with COVID-19 symptoms, was having to search on the Internet for testing locations. So look into both at-home and lab tests now. The rapid at-home antigen test will reduce anxiety if you know you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID and don’t have to go out. As these test kits are becoming more difficult to obtain, you also want to find a rapid PCR testing site near you. Check their hours, see if you will need an appointment and figure out how you can get there without relying on UBER or public transportation. Remember, you’ll want to do your part to minimize the spread. If you must take public transportation, be sure to have a reliable mask and stay as far apart from others as possible.

Keep in mind that if you test positive or become symptomatic and have to wait for test results, you need to be able to take care of yourself without leaving your home or apartment so that you don’t infect others. So stock up now on tissues, your favorite throat lozenges, and the items you tend to use during the cold and flu season. Consider Boiron’s Oscillococcinum or Hyland’s Fever Reducer, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc. You also want to be sure you have a good working thermometer and pulse oximeter (to test oxygen levels) so you can accurately report your symptoms to health care providers.

Think about the foods you like to eat when you are ill. (My son likes bone broth. My daughter in law, steamed rice. My grandkids only want ramen noodles and popsicles.) When I first came down with symptoms, I could barely sip water, but as my health improved and my appetite increased I wanted brothy soups, lightly cooked vegetables and endless cups of tea. Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared and I ended up scraping by on the things in the back of my pantry that I hadn’t wanted to eat in years.

If you are already seeing a professional homeopath, get in touch with him or her now to ask which remedies to have on hand to reduce mild symptoms and to boost your overall wellbeing. Remember that homeopathy is based on individualized symptom analysis. So the remedies you may need are often different from those needed by others in your family.

Many people in the holistic community don’t have a regular primary care provider. That won’t serve you well if you come down with symptoms and need to speak with someone about treatment options (like monoclonal antibodies) or whether you should go to the hospital. Do your research now, while you are healthy. (Ask friends if they have a doc they’d recommend. Ask other health care providers who they work with or who they think would be a good match for you.) Then make a commitment to set up an appointment in the next month. You actually might be lucky enough to get by with a telehealth visit. Until you have a reliable PCP visit, your public health department’s website to track down resources and information about free or low-cost telehealth options. This may be one of the most important things you can do for yourself this year.

If you need to isolate, take it seriously. The CDC currently recommends for you to stay at home for ten days. That might not sound too bad, but remember you’ll need to confine yourself to one room, one floor, or whatever will work in your home so that others can remain healthy. Opening windows or running an air purifier will help ventilation. If you are unable to isolate in your home, New York City residents are fortunate in that there is a free hotel for people and families who need to isolate. Remember to think of a plan for childcare if you have young kids. Who will watch them if you have to isolate and can’t send them to daycare or school? Same for cats and dogs. Is there someone who can pick up Fluffy or walk Rover while you are healing?

After your ten days at home, you might feel eager to jump back into your usual routine: to catch up on your work, hop back on the Peloton, and run around town to see the family members you have missed. Some people have little choice, they have a demanding boss or kids that need attention. However, I cannot stress the importance of continued rest. Although you may not need to stay in your apartment, it takes many people quite a long time to recover fully. So do your best to take it easy for at least a couple of weeks after your symptoms go away.

And last but not least, be prepared for the emotional roller coaster that can come with a positive diagnosis and ten days of physical isolation. You’ll need to inform all the people with whom you’ve had contact. This includes people at work, at school, in the gym, restaurants and theaters. I know from experience how awful this feels. I could barely get a word out of my mouth when I had to tell my pregnant daughter-in-law that I tested positive. However, we are all in this together and we must take care of each other and be as open as possible no matter how hard it is and how much it hurts.

I was in a lot of emotional pain while I had COVID. My third grandchild was born and I was still stuck at home, unable to welcome her into this world or do my part in helping my children care for her. Other patients have reported a myriad of feelings while they were in isolation. One patient weeps all day because her middle school-aged children need more support than the family can give without her. Another is angry since she has become sensitive to odors and noise and even the tiniest of footsteps or the sweetest scent of cooking make her scream at her husband and children through the closed door. Fortunately, homeopathy can be helpful in releasing difficult feelings. Therapy, meditation, and listening to music may be useful too. If you have access to the outdoors and can safely isolate there, being out in Nature can be deeply soothing. Just be aware that you may need help dealing with challenging emotions and there are many pathways to explore.

I never appreciated my cell phone as much as when I had COVID. It was a great comfort to know that I could stay in touch with physicians, my homeopath, and my loved ones while I was ill. My physician son counseled me from a medical perspective. My homeopath provided warm support and intelligent prescriptions. And as my strength came back, I could once again keep up with my boyfriend, kids and grandkids. Do whatever you need to do to be sure you can have access to a phone or a computer and if you get spotty Internet service, now is the time to investigate ways to improve things so they are more reliable.

If nothing else, the pandemic has shown us how interconnected we all are. We need everyone to pitch in so that we can remain healthy and heal as fully as possible. Because of the increased anxieties and depression that the coronavirus has brought, we need to care for ourselves as best we can as well as pour our love into each other. Now is the time to help each other prepare. Then we will get through this thing with greater strength, increased awareness, and far more humanity.

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