Herbal remedies and alternative medicine, in general, have been around for centuries in several different cultures. Even today, herbs are still used for their wide-ranging restorative effects on several different conditions. But like any other medicinal agents, there are still risks involved when using alternative cures. Fortunately, there are several ways to help you use herbal treatments safely and effectively.
Obtain professional opinion when using in herbal treatment in combination with other drugs
There are several that can produce serious health risks when used with specific kinds of pharmaceutical drugs. But to make sure that you’re not going to expose yourself to harm, always seek medical opinion when you’re about to use herbal cures in tandem with pharmaceutical drugs.
Other important cases to note are pregnancy and pre-surgery. Pregnancy is a stage when a woman is deeply susceptible to risks and indeed must avoid these risks in order to ensure the baby’s health. Although there are several herbal remedies that can be safely used during pregnancy, it may be better to consult an alternative medicine professional to gain helpful information regarding the safe usage of natural herbal cures.
Always remember to take caution and do your homework
Research, as with other endeavors, is also crucial when considering taking alternative medicine. Before you order herbal treatment, gather some scientific evidence that validates the therapeutic claims of your choice natural remedy. Also, consider finding such evidence not from the manufacturer but from established scientific research centers online.
Remember to read the label
When you’re purchasing alternative medicine, take time to read the label to confirm which part of the plan is used for the production. Don’t forget that each part of the plant may carry out specific effects that can be either adverse or therapeutic. It pays to research everything you can about the specific medicine you’re planning to in order to distinguish the part of the plant that should be used.
You must also be wary of extra ingredients that might be stated in the product label. While there are some additives that can promote the efficacy of the natural remedy, there might also be others that can produce harmful effects.
Side effects should be noted
Even after all the research and risk-averse measures, there is still a chance for side effects to occur. Herbal remedies that continue to produce side effects should be discontinued. This will lessen your exposure from further risk and allows you to choose another remedy that might be more effective and doesn’t produce any harmful effects.
Depression is very dangerous illness; you should try to deal it as soon as possible. In depression, patients feel that no one could possibly understand or help them. Weight loss or gain, hopelessness, sadness, insomnia, over sleeping, thoughts of death or suicidal intentions, and less concentration are the symptoms of depression. Depression is more common in women because of many hormonal factors such as menstrual cycle, pregnancy, miscarriage, premenstrual syndrome and menopause.
Most people do not take medical help in depression, even though the majority will respond to treatment. Treating depression is very important because it affects you as well your family and your career. Depression is a curable illness. It can cure through home remedies, natural remedies, drugs, doctor consultation, etc.
Depression treatment includes a combination of counseling from doctor, drug therapy, family support, love, appreciation, normal communication and home remedies. There are home remedies for depression that you can use. A lot of people prefer home remedies over conventional treatments because it is safe and no side effects.
St. John’s Wort is a natural herb. It is very effective home remedies for depression. You can find this herb at any pharmacy or nutritional store. It has been used for centuries as a mood stabilizer and is used by many people on a regular basis to fight against depression or bouts of anxiety.
Take candida diet to get rid of depression. Depression is caused by the candida. This diet will help you to cure the depression illness. Candida diet includes high fiber and low starch vegetables such as broccoli, radish, celery, and asparagus.
Take sun bath. Sun light has a necessary ingredient for stabilizing our moods. Interact with your friends, family members, play games and do things you like to do.
One of the best home remedies to treat depression is exercise and yoga. Exercise and yoga helps in physical movement, especially repetitive movement. Physical movement has been associated with stimulation of the production and release of mood improving chemicals including the neurotransmitter serotonin that has been shown to have beneficial effects in depression. Exercise and yoga also helps to elevate serotonin levels naturally.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Asthma symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, tight chest, difficulties in breathing, restless and exhausted etc. An asthma attack can cause sweating, extreme gasping for breath and rapid heartburn. It is important to breathe properly so that the diaphragm rises and falls and fill and empty the lungs well.
Asthma and its trigger factors are still not fully understood. Magnesium deficiencies are found in all asthmatics. Home remedies are the most effective remedy to stop asthma attack.
Home Remedies for Asthma
Apple Cidar Vinegar: It is a very popular home remedies for asthma that has shown to be extremely beneficial in the majority of people. This home remedy works very fast and relief can be seen within a day. Take one tablespoon of apple cidar vinegar diluted with water before you go to bed. It must have a very strong taste and smell. Apple cidar vinegar has also been effective in treating acne, acid reflux, and allergies and other conditions.
Diet and Nutrition: Diet plays and important role in treating asthma. Take naturally and organically-grown foods and avoid additives, which can trigger allergic reactions. Reduce or avoid the consumption of dairy products. Take plenty of fruit and green vegetables: garlic and onion are said to discourage mucus production.
Bitter Gourd Roots: This has been used in folk medicine since ancient times to treat asthma. The bitter gourd root paste is a great home remedy for asthma. Take a teaspoon of bitter gourd root paste mixed with honey. Take this paste every night for about a month for better results. Avoid active or passive smoking. Cigarette smoke is one of the most common irritants that cause asthma attacks.
Garlic: Another home remedies for asthma is garlic which everyone should have in home. Take five to ten cloves of garlic and boil with about a 1/4 cup of milk and consume this once daily. This is an excellent home remedies for the early stages of asthma symptoms. Take two garlic cloves in ginger tea and drink twice daily. This will also give relief from asthma.
Do and Don’ts
* The smoke from the fire can irritate the asthmatic patients. * Air fresheners, perfumes and cleaning products can get into the lungs and trigger asthma attacks. * Keep your place as dust-free as possible. * Use polyester filled bed sheets and pillows. * Wash your bedding in hot water weekly. * Use an exhaust fan or improve the ventilation in bathrooms to decrease moisture.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Stretch marks are developed during pregnancy or puberty. It is also developed in obesity condition. It is usually developed and seen in abdomen, thighs, breasts, buttocks and shoulders areas. Once these marks appear, it is difficult to remove these marks. To treat the stretch marks there are number of products available in the market. But most of those products are not proved effective scientifically and may damage your skin. Few of them are good and give results in many cases. Stretch marks treatment methods like plastic surgery and laser surgery have been proved effective, but it is costly and painful. The best way to deal with stretch marks is home remedies. It is safe and effective to get rid of stretch marks. It is easy to use.
Home Remedies for Stretch Marks
Precaution is the best method to prevent stretch marks. We should take more precautions when stretch marks are about to appear on our skin. We need to treat stretch marks as soon as we feel that they are making their first effort to appear on our skin. When they are just starting to be visible, we can realize that the skin is failing on the elasticity front.
Vitamin E, cocoa butter and almond oil are very effective home remedies for treating stretch marks as they contain moisturizing agents. Regular use of this solution on affected areas gives better results. Lavender oil and vitamin K is also effective and safe home remedies for stretch marks. These home remedies have shown tremendous results in many cases.
Uncontrolled weight gain can be the reason for stretch marks. We should control our weight by following a strict diet plan with regular exercise and yoga. Walking and stretching is very beneficial and highly recommended to prevent or cure stretch marks.
Weight gain during pregnancy may cause this problem. We should control our weight during pregnancy by adopting simple exercises and diet plan. During pregnancy our skin is the most stressed part of our body after our mind. Drinking water in moderate quantity will help us to keep skin moist and supple. Daily oil massage with vitamin E and C for the expectant mothers is very effective home remedies to prevent or treat stretch marks.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Excruciating, painful, even up to a point that you would think it is sheer torture. That’s how it was to be on the operating table during the Middle Ages.
Back in the days when painkillers and anesthetics were non-existent, how do ‘doctors’ remove an appendix or remove an aching tooth? And what is it that exactly occurred during this period in human history?
Basically, the Middle Ages in European history lasted for about one thousand years, starting from the fall of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century – up to the start of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century.
Those were the days when menstruation in women was a grave concern, conception and birth could cost new mothers their lives, and what is today a simple medical procedure became a matter of life and death situations.
The Top 5 Most Grave Medical Concerns Back in the Middle Ages
So what exactly occurred in the field of medicine during the Middle Ages? Let’s take the 1600’s as an example. During these times, medical treatments, illnesses, unusual conditions and anything that has to do with human health was addressed using a combination of several factors.
First, there were procedures like bloodletting and cauterization. Second, there was the use of holy relics, prayers, magic, religious rituals and offerings.
The third factor involved in the treatment were the use of items like herbs, spices, stones, enemas, bandages, ointments and a multitude of other things that, when used in today’s modern medicine, would be considered just plain weird, unusual and ineffective.
So what are the top 5 gravest medical concerns back in the Middle Ages? Take a look at the following list:
1. Menstruation
Can you believe that even something as simple and factual as a woman’s menstruation was a major medical concern back in the Middle Ages? This is especially true in the case of Renaissance, classical and medieval physicians and medical writers. Back then, several theories regarding menstruation existed.
One of the most interesting theories was called the ‘Theory of Humors’. For this, it is said that the buildup of bodily wastes and a woman’s excess humors are the reasons behind her monthly menstruation.
Perhaps a theory which can be traced back in the Middle Ages that persists up to now is that if you do not have regular menstruation, illnesses will occur because of waste buildup in the body.
Also, it is said that if an older woman is at her , the fact that she’s not able to eliminate her bodily wastes through menstruation makes her a threat for men and children who she will be in contact with.
2. Childbirth
Being a mother was a scary proposition back in the Middle Ages, because they were told to prepare for their death. According to the Roman Catholic law, midwives who were licensed by a bishop are supposed to swear an oath that they would not use magic when assisting a woman who is in labor.
Some critical aspects of childbirth were if the position of the baby is abnormal, the midwife will be shaking the bed to reposition the fetus. If the fetus is dead inside the womb, it will be dismembered and removed with a squeezer. Finally, a placenta which is retained will be pulled out by force.
3. Treatment of Many Illnesses through Bloodletting
Also called phlebotomy, bloodletting is probably one of the most painful that you can possibly think of. At least, it was during the Middle Ages.
The principle behind this medical treatment was that if the human body is relieved of ‘juices’ and humour or the excess fluid in the body, any illness can be healed.
Obviously, there were no needles back then, so leeches and venesection were used to let the blood out. Venesection is a procedure wherein a narrow blade is used to penetrate a vein, leaving a small wound and letting the blood run through a bowl. Aside from , monks in monasteries used this medical procedure regularly to maintain good health.
Fortunately, we are not in the Middle Ages anymore and the medical industry has vastly improved. Instead of undergoing these excruciatingly painful procedures, you can rest assured that the doctors will lull you into a good, long sleep during the operation in case you need to undergo surgery.
4. Headaches, Cramps and Other ‘Unusual’ Pains
It’s really quite amazing the lengths that man has gone through in order to make a particular pain or ailment go away.
During the Middle Ages, running electric current through your body is used to heal a number of ailments – from the common headaches, stomachaches and menstrual cramps – to the more complicated cases of mental disorders. Electric eels and fish were usually used to apply shock and treat headaches and seizures.
5. Raising of Children Up to the Age of 5
Did you know that back in the Middle Ages, mothers had a difficult time raising healthy kids because some of them cannot even reach the age of 5?
What make young children particularly vulnerable during those times were infections, injuries and birth defects which may not have even been named during those times.
Since there were no pediatrics back in the Middle Ages, it has become a grave medical concern to raise children up to the age of 5, simply because there were no means of taking better care of such young kids.
The Role of Women in Medicine during the Middle Ages
Basically, women were confined to home chores back in the Middle Ages. As such, included among their household duties was the medical-related task of offering help and administering treatment when an individual or family member has a health problem.
A woman who is considered to be the female lead in a household usually has to play doctor for her family members, her servants, dependents, neighbors, tenants and almost everybody else who is of a lower status.
Since women were not permitted to enroll in schools and universities, there were only a very small number of women physicians. The one other role that women in society played back in the Middle Ages is being an ‘empiric’.
This refers to someone who is into healing without having undergone any special medical training. The skills that women empirics learned are all from practical training.
Finally, the midwives back in the Middle Ages consisted mostly of women. The same thing holds true for nurses who worked in charitable hospitals back in the Middle Ages.
As you can see, women played a quite varied role in the field of medicine during the Middle Ages, so you cannot discount the contribution that they played in caring for people’s health from back then up to now.
Neelima Reddy, author of this article writes for AltMedicineZone.com. The Alternative Medicine blog publishes information on various Alternative Treatments like Yoga therapy, Medication, Aromatherapy, Chiropractic techniques, Reiki Healing, Tai Chi, Massage therapy, Acupuncture, Hypnosis, Ayurveda, etc. For more information Visit
Our body is capable of removing cellulite without the need of lotions or creams, as well as invasive surgical techniques that can be very painful if it goes wrong. Mother Nature has provided us with the necessary remedies to remove subcutaneous fat and all we need to do is to try them out.
Water Therapy
One of the most common natural remedies for cellulite is water. It helps get rid of radical substances in our digestive system that is said to be one of the cause of fat build-up in various parts of the body. Regularly drinking above the suggested 8 glass of water daily can help hydrate the body to promote circulation and keeping our skin young and healthy.
Balanced Diet
It is a misconception that overweight and obesity result to this problem. In truth, even those of average weight can have a build-up of subcutaneous fats without them knowing about it. This is mainly due to the food we eat.
One way to get rid of this condition is to come up with a balanced diet plan that integrates the healthy foods offered by Mother Nature — fruits and vegetables being on top of the list. It is also a good idea to minimize or avoid eating food that are high in preservatives, cholesterol, and fat — which is quite common in today’s fast-paced lifestyle.
Physical Exercise
Sweating is a natural way to get rid of fat build-up under your skin, and the best way to go at it is to undergo a physical exercise program daily. You need not spend the whole day in the gym doing sets to help sweat out the problem. Allocate at least 30 minutes of your time in the morning after you wake up to some serious exercise.
Jogging or walking for 15-20 minutes can help reduce fat build-up in your thighs and buttocks. Abdominal crunches or sit-up for 5 minutes or so everyday targets fats in our abdomen. You can also indulge in sports, like swimming, badminton, tennis, or other exercises that requires upper body movement to target those fats in your arms.
A Healthy Massage
Indulge yourself in a healthy session of professional massage therapy to get rid of fats underneath your skin while helping you get rid of everyday stress. Keep in mind that subcutaneous fats are found a few millimeters under your skin — that moves if you apply a little but of pressure to it. Massage can help improve circulation on these areas and break down fat build-up.
Causes of stretch marks are the depletion of collagen. It can reduce skin integrity and end result can be stretch marks. The rupturing of minute blood vessels is involved in causing the initial pink discolorations of such blemishes. Some medical studies say that abnormal hormonal activity can also lead to stretch marks. Puberty, pregnancy, unexpected weight loss or gain, and major depression can cause the problem. The use of steroids can cause and exacerbate stretch marks. Poor diet can also cause of stretch marks. Insufficient proteins, carbohydrates and fats may increase the risk of stretch marks.
Treatments of Stretch Marks
Proper balanced diet is the best way to treat or prevent stretch marks. Diet should contain sufficient proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamin A, E and C. Diet should contain enough zinc, since this produces collagen. Collagen prevents depletion of skin tissues. But excess zinc may cause acne in certain skin types. Zinc supplement should be taken under professional guidance. Eat the food that is skin friendly. Healthy diet promotes proper tissue regeneration and prevents stretch marks.
Prevention is always better than treatment. The best time to prevent stretch marks is beginning time. When stretch marks are just beginning to be visible on your skin, start daily massage on affected areas. The use of vitamin K, almond oil and lavender oil has been reported as beneficial in treating and controlling stretch marks.
Drinking 6-8 full glass of water daily will promote proper hydration of skin tissue. Smoking is very harmful in this condition; smokers should quit or avoid it. The contents of cigarette smoke may cause skin tissue to lose its natural elasticity.
Moisturizing stretched skin areas with vitamin E-rich compounds is extremely recommended by skin care experts. This should be supplemented be daily oil massage to the affected areas. Massage from the extracts of avocado, aloe vera, jojoba, olive oil and almond oil is very effective home remedies for preventing and treating stretch marks.
The next important prophylactic measure is a regular exercise and yoga. Keeping the muscles toned will ensure a fit and healthy skin and will prevent the stretch marks.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.