Silica Terra – Remedy of the Week

SILICA TERRA or Pure Flint

In nature we find Silica in sand. Quartz, Rock Crystal, Amethyst, Agate, Flint, Jasper, and Opal are all silicon oxides. Of course sand is also the basis for glass production, clay and other products. Silicon makes up 25.7% of the earth’s crust by weight and is the second most abundant element on earth.

This gives us some understanding of this element and how we may expect to recognize this remedy in people who need it. Silica is a ‘building block’ its structure is crystal-like and Quartz it’s most recognized form.

How do we recognise the Silica ‘type’?

Words that are important in describing the Silica remedy picture are; rigid, sharp, brittle, gritty, backbone and needles.

People needing Silica as a Homeopathic remedy may ‘lack backbone’ and be faint hearted, tend to monitor their energy. They don’t have much confidence in themselves, which leads to procrastination especially for any mental efforts required. They are not great at expressing themselves and may well have poor concentration and memory. We see rigid thinkers with fixed ideas, obstinate and headstrong who don’t tolerate contradiction. Family relations and ‘home’ are very important to them. There is a tendency to melancholy and feeling hopeless, sad and sullen.

On the other hand they are sensitive to all impressions and startle easily from slight noise and may be nervous and anxious with fears of failure, being weak and needles or sharp things.

Silica in acute situations

Silica is a deep and slow acting remedy with huge scope in chronic conditions.

However it is a great remedy in acute conditions also where we would firstly think of Silica when we see slow incomplete inflammatory processes like abscesses, boils, mastitis, discharging injuries and fistula. In these situations Silica may bring things to a head or help the body to reabsorb inflammatory products.

Silica is well known for its ability to drive out foreign bodies (like splinters) or may be helpful in ingrown toenails. However just because of this ability to ‘drive out foreign objects’ it is important to avoid using Silica in people with implants, such as i.e. plates, screws, artificial joints, UID, surgical mash, pacemakers and breast implants.

When to use this remedy?

Silica has a place in supporting i.e.; Issues with nutrition, growing and assimilation, bones, skin, glands, the ill effects of vaccination, COUGH and sore throats, EARS – Earaches, Meniere’s disease, EYES – Eyestrain, Inflammation, GLANDS- Swelling, enlarged, Mastitis, HEAD- chronic headaches, migraines, RESPIRATORY- Asthma, Hay Fever Chronic colds that settle in chest, PERSPIRATION – Debilitating, Profuse, Foul,  STOMACH – Indigestion after eating, heartburn, nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, TEETH – Abscess at root of teeth. Difficult dentition, teething delayed, THROAT – Sore throat. Tonsillitis. Enlarged thyroid gland, Hoarseness, and more. SKIN – It is said to be able to stimulate the organism to reabsorb fibrotic conditions and scar-tissue . The list is endless.

Does this remedy fit?

Yet when we take the case as always we need to look for characteristic symptoms that correspond with those of Silica as a remedy.

When someone comes with ‘a sore throat’ we have a choice of hundreds of remedies to apply in Sore Throats.

But as soon as someone says i.e. ” I have a sore throat, my gland is swollen and It feels as though there is a splinter stuck in my throat”  this may point us to consider Silica for its characteristic sensation of the splinter in pain. Should we ask further questions we may find i.e. this person is chilly and has a great fear of needles…..this may confirm Silica as a choice for us.

Some modalities and generals for Silica

(Modalities means those circumstances that make the particular problem worse or easier to cope with)

These people are generally cold, chilly and may hug the fire, they hate drafts, their hands and feet are cold, worse in winter. They may have excessive thirst, loss of appetite or taste, dislike of cooked food and meat and may be intolerant of Alcohol.

Pains felt are violent and sticking. Silica produces a sensation of a “splinter in the finger,” of “a pin in the throat.”

They feel better for; warmth, warm room, warm wraps, especially around head.  They improve in summer or with wet or humid weather. Profuse urination also makes them feel better. At the other end of the scale they are worse from; change of weather and with cold, air, drafts, damp, lying down on left side, uncovering and bathing, jarring of spine, touch, pressure,  combing hair, mental exertion, talking, nervous excitement, light, noise, alcohol, suppressed perspiration, especially of feet, night, in morning and worse from vaccinations.

It is a great remedy to have at hand in your homeopathic first aid kit.

It is fun learning about remedies like this and use them with your family or for your own complaints. However if you struggle to achieve improvement with the remedy choice you made, feel free to book a consult with me. I am very happy to help you out.