Natural Home Remedies For Common Ailments

Some things you should definitely take to the doctor to be checked out. Strange lumps and bumps with no obvious explanation, odd rashes, extreme weight loss, constant raging thirst or lethargy that just doesn't go away – these should all be taken to a doctor.

 

However, you can treat some things yourself. In fact, the writer that this doctor consults is quite happy for patients to treat themselves for minor ailments. To put it in a more practical way, being able to treat yourself for some things will save you the doctor's bill. In the past, home remedies were used quite widely and reasonably effectively. Modern pharmaceuticals and lab-made medicines are excellent, but natural ones as well as natural cleaners can be just as good sometimes.

For all the remedies in this article, the old advice applies: if symptoms persist, please see your doctor.

Sore throats: keeping your fluid levels up and sipping warm drinks is as good as any patent medicine. Any warm drink will do, but for an extra boost to your immune system, fresh lemon juice and honey stirred into hot water tastes nice. If you have a particularly miserable and painful cold that isn't just painful in the throat but in the nose and sinuses, too, the time-honoured method of soothing the pain is strong alcohol mixed with the hot water, lemon and honey. However, one that also works quite well but is better for your overall health than strong spirits is cayenne pepper or dried chillis. This is not for everyone, but the capiscain in the chilli or cayenne releases endorphins – natural pain killers – around the mouth and throat area. It's like detonating a bomb in your mouth, but it seems to blast away the pain – besides, if you're feeling miserable enough with a cold, you'll try it even if you don't like spicy foods. Another sore throat remedy is to make a syrup by mixing raw onions with honey, leaving it for an hour or so and straining the liquid off.

Acne & athletes' foot: Tea tree oil dabbed onto the site neat with a cotton bud works as a powerful antiseptic to clear up little spots.

Stings: First of all, if you have been stung by a bee, remove the sting. Do not grip it with tweezers or fingernails, as this will squeeze more venom into the system. Scrape it out instead. For beestings, dab on a paste of baking soda and water. For wasp stings, vinegar is widely recommended, as the acid in the vinegar neutralizes the alkaline venom. Watch out for allergies – if someone is allergic to stings, see a doctor as soon as possible.

Yeast infections (thrush or candida): This is caused by an imbalance of bacteria, and often flares up after a course of antibiotics, or by overuse of douching. The best treatment is to replace the good bacteria by topical application of live yoghurt to the site, although eating live yoghurt helps, too. If itching is extreme, an ice cube can help numb the area and relieve this.

Urinary tract infections/bladder infections: Keep your fluids up to flush out the bacteria and don't "hang on" when you need to urinate but get to the toilet as soon as possible. Cranberry juice is the best remedy, as it contains a principle that kills the bacteria causing the infection. However, if the infection starts to track its way up the renal tubes to your kidneys – you will feel this as persistent lower back pain – then see your doctor.

Persistent dry coughs: Most of the patent medicines for this used to contain strong alcohol – I'm certain that the cough medicine my mother gave me was cherry liqueur. Don't take more than a spoonful, and this will cause drowsiness.

About the Author

Nick Vassilev is the founder of successful carpet cleaning London and domestic cleaning London businesses delivering quality cleaning services to thousands of clients.