As opposed to constitutional homeopathy , symptomatic homeopathy focuses on the immediate condition of the individual rather than examining the complex, underlying, detailed historical information.
For example, suppose you have come down with symptoms of the flu. Rather than undergoing the detailed questioning involved in a homeopathic consultation, you can simply go to a store and pick up a bottle of homeopathic tablets marked for treating flu symptoms. The most popular product of this type is made from ducks, known carriers of flu.
While this approach is simpler and less expensive than traditional homeopathic methods, it runs counter to the underlying holistic intentions of the technique.