There are two broad categories of abortion: 1. Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), in which the body naturally ends a pregnancy before fetal viability (usually before 20–24 weeks). 2. Induced abortion, the deliberate termination of a pregnancy by medical or surgical means. Induced abortions break doRead more
There are two broad categories of abortion:
1. Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), in which the body naturally ends a pregnancy before fetal viability (usually before 20–24 weeks).
2. Induced abortion, the deliberate termination of a pregnancy by medical or surgical means.
Induced abortions break down into two main types:
• Medical abortion uses prescription pills—most often mifepristone followed by misoprostol—to halt pregnancy development and expel uterine contents. It’s approved up to about 10 weeks’ gestation, and can be clinician-supported in-person or via telehealth, or self-managed at home. Medical abortion accounts for over half of U.S. terminations and carries a low (< 2%) complication rate.
• Surgical abortion employs instruments to remove pregnancy tissue. The most common first-trimester procedure is vacuum aspiration (manual or electric), generally done up to 14 weeks. In the second trimester (roughly 12–24 weeks), providers typically use dilation and evacuation (D&E), which combines cervical dilation with suction and surgical instruments to clear uterine contents.
In rare late-term situations (after about 20–21 weeks), a labor-induction abortion may be performed: medications induce contractions to deliver the fetus and placenta. Fewer than 1% of U.S. abortions occur this late, usually for severe fetal anomalies or maternal health risks.
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In homeopathy we classify symptoms several ways—by their diagnostic value, by their “scope” in the patient’s picture, and by their form or origin. A good working scheme is: 1. By value in remedy selection • Characteristic (Peculiar) Symptoms – rare, strange or very individualizing traits (e.g. “mustRead more
In homeopathy we classify symptoms several ways—by their diagnostic value, by their “scope” in the patient’s picture, and by their form or origin. A good working scheme is:
1. By value in remedy selection
• Characteristic (Peculiar) Symptoms – rare, strange or very individualizing traits (e.g. “must eat chalk to calm nausea”).
• Common (General) Symptoms – non-specific signs shared by many diseases and remedies (e.g. headache, fever).
• Concomitants – symptoms that reliably accompany a chief complaint without being part of it (e.g. headache with back pain).
2. By sphere or scope
• Mental Symptoms – fears, anxieties, obsessions, mood states and thought-patterns.
• General/Physical-General Symptoms – overall modalities (heat/chill), thirst, sweat, sleep, appetite, energy levels.
• Local (Particular) Symptoms – complaints tied to one organ or region (e.g. sharp right-sided chest pain).
3. By source or objectivity
• Subjective Symptoms – sensations known only to the patient (“burning,” “stinging,” internal discomfort).
• Objective Signs – observable or measurable findings (redness, swelling, lab values).
4. By analytical “element” (the fourfold analysis)
• Location (Where?): exact spot and any radiation.
• Sensation (What?): quality—burning, tearing, aching.
• Modalities (When/What Makes Better or Worse?): time of day, movements, temperature, pressure.
• Concomitants (With What?): associated symptoms or feelings.
5. By chronology and dynamics
• Aetiological (Causal) Symptoms – triggers or initial causes (trauma, grief, diet).
• Periodic/Paroxysmal – rhythms and periodicities (every full moon, every spring).
• Pathological/Structural – lab, imaging or biopsy findings that reveal structural change.
Bringing these classifications together lets you sift an “ocean of symptoms” into the few keynote traits that form the true Totality—and so select the one remedy that most precisely matches your patient.
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