Herbal Household Remedies

Well, I guess “not drinking beer” is the first “natural cure for summer ailments” and many other ailments too, but other than that flaw, I think this article is interesting and informative. Enjoy.

Via: The Daily Times

ADVICE FROM THE DOCTOR By Dr. Victor Gong • August 13, 2008 Thinking of summer joys: Sun tans, sand castles, beer and crabs on the boardwalk. You may also recall the health calamities of sunburn, mosquito bites and ear infections. Fortunately, you can minimize the season’s downside with natural treatments. You probably have most of them in your kitchen or medicine cabinet; the others are easy to find in health-food stores.

Bee stings. Slice an onion in half (it doesn’t matter what kind), and rub it over the bite. Onions contain an enzyme that breaks down prostaglandins, compounds that cause pain and inflammation.

Insect bites. Don’t scratch, try baking soda. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with enough water to make a paste and apply it to the bites. Keep mosquitoes and other hungry pests away by dabbing lemon-scented citronella oil on your skin and clothing.

Motion sickness. Ginger, taken as tea or in capsules, relieves nausea in kids and adults. Unlike over-the-counter drugs for motion sickness, it doesn’t cause drowsiness. To make the tea, slice a two-inch piece of fresh ginger root. In a large covered pot, bring a quart of water to a boil. Add the ginger; simmer for l5 minutes. Sweeten the tea with sugar or honey, if desired. Drink one cup about a half-hour before you set off on your trip. Take the rest with you in a water bottle in case you need it. Prefer pills? Take two, 250-milligram ginger capsules before you leave, then two capsules every four hours if queasiness persists.

Athlete’s foot. The fungus that causes this condition thrives when feet are warm and sweaty. Kill the culprit and soothe the itch with tea-tree oil, derived from the leaves of a tree that grows only in Australia. Some people are allergic to this, so test your sensitivity. Put a drop of the oil on your forearm; if there’s no redness or inflammation after a few minutes, it’s safe to apply a small amount of the oil to the affected areas twice a day. Don’t use it if your skin is severely broken.

Poison ivy. Relax in an oatmeal bath. You can buy Aveeno, a special colloidal oatmeal, at the drugstore, but the rolled oats you have in your kitchen work just as well. One cup of uncooked oats in a pair of panty hose; knot the top. Add this to a bathtub filled with warm water; soak in the tub for 20 minutes.

Sunburn. Help skin heal with aloe vera. The best products contain l00 percent aloe; buy a gel or a cream with it at the top of the ingredient list. Mix it with the oil from a vitamin-E capsule, which eases inflammation and promotes healing. Don’t use anything on a blistering sunburn; it might make things worse.

Indigestion. If that hot dog you ate at the baseball game didn’t agree with you, drink one cup of chamomile or fennel tea to calm your stomach. Chamomile tea bags are widely available. To make fennel tea, steep one-half teaspoon of crushed funnel seed in one cup of boiled water for l0 minutes.

Swimmer’s ear. Prevent this painful bacterial infection by wearing earplugs when swimming. But if your ears do get wet, don’t fret. Place a few drops of diluted vinegar (one-part vinegar to one-part rubbing alcohol) in each ear. Keep your head tilted for a few seconds so the solution stays in the ear canal.

Via:  Tampabays10.com

Tampa, Florida - Summertime means heading outdoors, but outdoor activities come with more accidents and injuries. As many people move toward a green lifestyle, over-the-counter remedies may not be the answer for them.

Anne Champion, the health and beauty manager at the Village Health Market in South Tampa, can answer often asked questions for every day ailments.

“I personally use natural products and my children were raised on it. They do work. I feel better, I feel my system is healthier. I think that’s what people are looking for, that healthy alternative,” says Champion.

While many products are problem-specific, some are multi-purpose. Champion’s list of must haves for a natural first aid kit include: Calendula for burns, scrapes and skin irritations.

For muscle soreness, strains or bruising, Ann recommends Arnica. Champion says it is one of their most popular homeopathic remedies in the store.

Tiger Balm patches on sore areas help aching muscles.

For skin irritations, Champion says to use good old Calamine. “It’s zinc-based [and] helps any bacteria on the skin. [It] also helps with relief of any itching.”

A bottle of Aloe Gel is another first aid essential but Champion suggests keeping it as pure as possible. “Sun burns, gums, any type of surgery need for healing, insect bites, you name it can be used for it.”

Ann swears by Tea Tree Oil. She even takes it on vacations. Champion says it is an antiseptic, a natural antiseptic, it’s antibacterial and an antifungal.

Anne says to be patient; some natural products can take longer to work. “It’s not just putting on the band-aid or quick fix but on a deeper level. I think people are looking for that. It’s more healing that way and you get better results that way.”

Isabel Mascareñas, Tampa Bay’s 10 News