Homeopathy treats patients with both acute and chronic problems, many of which have failed to respond to conventional medicines. Homeopathy is aimed at treating the underlying cause of illness rather than the just the disease diagnosis. Conventional medicines can generally suppress symptoms rather than treat the underlying cause. Homeopathy views the patient as a whole, by differentiating those symptoms which are unique to the individual, instead of diagnosing and prescribing on the basis of the common physical symptoms.