Sometimes home remedies really are the best.

[groomporter]

At the risk of offending, take things with a grain of salt. Recently in the news:

Ten years ago the government set out to test herbal and other alternative health remedies to find the ones that work. After spending $2.5 billion, the disappointing answer seems to be that almost none of them do.
Echinacea for colds. Ginkgo biloba for memory. Glucosamine and chondroitin for arthritis. Black cohosh for menopausal hot flashes. Saw palmetto for prostate problems. Shark cartilage for cancer. All proved no better than dummy pills in big studies funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31190909/

Go to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website and you can look up their findings on lots of alternative treatments like various herbs http://nccam.nih.gov/

[Blue66669]

Well, I figure that there's some reason that my baby had thrush one day (which is sometimes VERY hard to get rid of), and after an application of white distilled vinegar, didn't have it the next. I'll take my chances with the stuff that puts me back 5 or 10, instead of something that will make me hemhorrage cash!

[Anna Iram]

I doubt anyone would be offended by your thoughts Groomsporter, but this could easily turn into a hot debate of those that agree/disagree wih the findings of our government. The politics of the health industry are intense and frought with political agendas. Let's please leave this thread to those that have tried healthy alternatives and found them to be beneficial.

[Anna Iram]

On the topic of vinegar, I do know Apple Cider Vinegar has long been used to cure your ph level to one of alkalinity. Having an overly acidic ph is the reason for illness, so the vinegar cure makes perfect sense!

[Elennare]

Another remedy for nausea is Cola Syrup.  You can buy it in the drug store.  You take it over crushed ice, like a snow cone.  Tasty, and it works!

I would also just like to point out that having white at the back of your throat does not always mean strep.  Last year I came down with "something."  It quickly turned into a HORRIBLE sore throat-it was all swollen, had huge white patches, and I could barely eat it hurt so much.

Went to the doctor, convinced I had strep.  Nope.  All I had was a cold, that had decided to take up residence in my tonsils instead of my sinuses.  A few days later it cleared up, no medicine necessary.

When I asked about it, the doc told me that having the white patches doesn't always mean strep, and sometimes you can get strep w/o having the white patches.

[groomporter]

Just wanted to suggest people think critically and give people source to do a little research.  

The Skeptoid podcast is a good source for a critical look at several alternative treatments as well, The episode guide is at http://skeptoid.com/episode_guide.php

[Anna Iram]

Agreed, people should think critically. Herbs and other homeopathic certainly have scientific reasons for their success, but as with any product on the market there are shoddy manufacturers ( in this case some inexpensive herbs might use stems of the plant rather than the more beneficial leaf .) Do some research so you know what to look for when you buy. If you are already on medications ,discuss with your doctor, preferably not one who is sleeping with the pharmaceutical companies, the addition of herbs or vitamins. Use your common sense.

I have a friend who had a brain tumor. Through a combination of  surgery and then the use of shark carteledge ( as given by her medical professional) she has healed herself. I think sometimes when the disease has gone too far you do need traditional medical treatment, but the shark carteledge did have a large part in her now good health. I think that would be the best wave of the future, a marriage of the two protocols so they work in conjunction rather than in opposition.

I do think though that Neysa was more interested in home remedies so..back to topic. 

[groomporter]

Agreed, people should think critically. Herbs and other homeopathic certainly have scientific reasons for their success

Sorry to blather on, but just a clarification... Herbs and homeopathy can be two different things. Certain herbs certainly could have potential beneficial effects. -Especially if you're dealing with a reputable supplier, you know you are actually getting what you are paying for. But be wary of anything calling itself "homeopathic"

In the true practice of "Homeopathy" you are often only getting water or sugar pills. It's based on a nonsensical 18th century idea that water has some kind of "memory" of what has been dissolved in it, and can be effective no matter how much it has been diluted.

-"Many homeopathic remedies are so highly diluted that not one molecule of the original natural substance remains." -NCCAM

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/homeo.html
There are probably some herbal remedies that call themselves "homeopathic" that are not truly homeopathic by the original definition, but it's probably worth being skeptical if a product has that on the label.



Here's something that seems to work for us, although it's not necessarily a "home remedy." My wife and I have found that melatonin helps us sleep better and wake up less in the middle of the night, or get back to sleep if we do wake up, and according to the Mayo website, studies have shown it helps people with odd schedules or jet lag to sleep better.

[Yrose]

After being on your feet all day and they are killing you. Cup you hand and put just a little almond oil and about 6 drops of rosemary essential oil and message into your feet, 10 minutes later they will feel brand new.

[Anna Iram]

Groomsporter, yes. I have to agree with your thoughts on homeopathy. I actually didn't mean to include that term in my thoughts. I was looking for a different term and that poped out. I've not had any experience with this myself, perhaps others have. I do know it's very very dilute and the idea is you get a dose of what ails you, kind of like a vaccine...like I said I don't know much about this. Doesn't seem like it's for me.

* Naturopathy is the term I was searching for! Knew it was lodged in there somewhere's...*


Yrose, youve reminded me of something my dad taught me. Oil of oregano for sinus and chest colds. He would buy the oil and empty capsules from the health store and put about three droppers in and take two a day.

Here's a site that will tell you what to look for in a good oregano oil. Be careful putting this on your skin or near your eyes as it's potent.

http://www.homeremediesweb.com/oil_of_oregano_health_benefits.php

Ginger root tea is good and soothing for a chest cold as well. Buy whole ginger root and slice it up and boil with water until the color of tea. Drink as strong as you can with a bit of honey. Good stuff.

[Celtic_Fae]

On the off chance that there are other rat lovers on the board somewhere, Echinacea has helped combat the sneezes and wheezes if you catch them early enough. For anyone who has dealt with the tragedy of watching a poor little furry friend gasp for his breath due to a Mycoplasmosis flare up (which usually turns into nasty pneumonia), catching and treating the secondary infections earlier rather than later are of the utmost importance.

[Celtic_Fae]

Ginger works well for nausea.
Also, the nausea pressure point is located three fingers from the line of your wrist, on the thumb side of the metacarpal tendons. With your right palm facing you, place three fingers on your wrist, the ring finger on the line of the wrist. This places your index finger right on the pressure point. Press good and hard, you need to send the signal to the brain to block the nausea signal.

[captmarga]

Ginger works well for nausea.
Also, the nausea pressure point is located three fingers from the line of your wrist, on the thumb side of the metacarpal tendons. With your right palm facing you, place three fingers on your wrist, the ring finger on the line of the wrist. This places your index finger right on the pressure point. Press good and hard, you need to send the signal to the brain to block the nausea signal.

Just a note to be cautious using the nausea pressure points in pregnant/might be pregnant women.

Capt Marga

[Marietta Graziella]

COLD SORES    Yuck!  I used to get them all the time.  My poor lips would swell and be horrible for days and days.  Now, when I feel that little *tingle* starting I have a string of "cures" to use, depending on what's at hand.
Spoon.  Put several spoons into the freezer to get them nice and cold-press one onto your lip and rotate them to keep them cold
Vitamin E oil.  It comes in gel tablet form.  Just pierce one, carefully, and rub the oil onto your lip (leave the remainder on the bathroom sink for continued use)
Lemon zest.  Scrape the color off the lemon and rub the oil onto your lip
Toothpaste.  Put a dab of white toothpaste on the sore to dry it up.  (gel paste doesn't work-it needs to be the white kind)

[Celtic_Fae]

COLD SORES    Yuck!  I used to get them all the time.  My poor lips would swell and be horrible for days and days.  Now, when I feel that little *tingle* starting I have a string of "cures" to use, depending on what's at hand.
Spoon.  Put several spoons into the freezer to get them nice and cold-press one onto your lip and rotate them to keep them cold
Vitamin E oil.  It comes in gel tablet form.  Just pierce one, carefully, and rub the oil onto your lip (leave the remainder on the bathroom sink for continued use)
Lemon zest.  Scrape the color off the lemon and rub the oil onto your lip
Toothpaste.  Put a dab of white toothpaste on the sore to dry it up.  (gel paste doesn't work-it needs to be the white kind)

Neem Leaf Oil Extract (make sure it's the extract unless you like the icky smell of the full stuff) and tea tree oil also work wonders from cold sores to tooth infections to minor cuts to a tickle in the throat.