So! What started this whole thread idea was out of the blue, my breasts are sore, like unbearable, touchy tender sore. While running around for days wearing compression tanks, wrapping my chest, and soaking in hot baths it occurred to me. What tips and tricks do you have for healing and soothing without medications? I`ve never been big on drs, can`t remember the last time one of us had an antibiotic. What go to salves, balms, soups, pastes, vapors, and other remedies do you have for anything that might ail a body? I`ve heard that back when, if you got a cut or scratch the idea was to have an ant bite you on the wound and to pinch its head off, as if to keep it closed. Isn`t that wild!? So, how do you patch your crew?
I love these kinds of threads! We hardly ever go to the doctor, I tend to avoid medications as much as possible. Looking forward to learning some helpful tips from all the knowledgeable ladies on here! For now, here are my meager offerings A good hearty homemade chicken vegetable soup for any coughs and colds is my number one remedy. Sore throat: Honey mixed with a little lemon, take as often as you want. Another golden remedy:gargling with warm salt water. Mouth sores/cankers: rinse mouth with warm salt water, about 3 times a day. Minor Toothache: bite down on a clove. It numbs the tooth somewhat (And make a dental appointment in the morning!). Upset stomach/diarrhea: I make a tea with cardamom and fennel seeds. About 1 1/2 cup of water with 1 tsp fennel and 2-3 cardammom...let it cook until there is about 3/4 cup left. You can add some honey or sugar, to taste. Drink this often. Stuffy/runny nose: Put your head over a bowl of steaming hot water and cover with a towel. Breathe in, breathe out. Also, saline drops in your nose helps loosen the mucus. Sleep on an elevated pillow, helps drainage. Fever/cold: My mother used to rub my upper chest, back and neck area with vicks, and cover it with a loose cloth, then put me to bed. Somehow I always felt better in the morning. Not sure how this works, it might just have been my mother's loving massage Dry feet: Slather liberally with vaseline, and wear those spa sock thingies at night. Do this for a few nights, and your feet start to become very soft. And the best one I have: Kind of gross, and not really applicable in today's world, but I learned this once, and the simple ingenuity of it always amazes me. If you have an ingrown toenail, all swollen with pus, you shoud get it treated. But this is what I saw poor people in Suriname do, when I lived there. Take a piece of old stale bread, with fungus growing on it. Moisten it, and tie it to your toe, with an old clean rag. Swelling and inflamation and infection will go down! Voila!
i thought it would be perfect for our upcoming cold and flu season to have a thread on home remedies. would love aa good recipe for chicken soup if youre willing to share for sore throats and congestion i use honey and lemon in warm tea. for colds i recommend chicken soup (mine is boiled seasoned chicken breasts with egg noodles) and rubbing vicks on the bottom of the feet with warm socks before bed. i dont know why but it works. for toothaches, we have a certain tree in our yard that my husband pulls leafs off of, either biting or sucking one actually helps! wish i could remember what he called it. for minor cuts we use honey, im always looking for something to soothe nausea and upset stomach i will definately try the cardemom and fennel!
Coughing and sore Throat: Heating Honey and Lemon until the lemon dissolves, and drain. Works WONDERS! I rinse and gargle with salt water twice a week. I've been pregnant 3 times and I've brushed my teeth religiously my whole life, but my pregnancies have destroyed my teeth. Garlgling with salt water keeps bacteria down, and keeps your mouth clean. I drink a cup of green tea daily, Beau drinks it every other day, and Marion drinks it every other day too. Pat wont drink it at all (and he's the sickest around here, and would really benefit, but...alas...). I have migraines. and I make tinctures ot get rid of them. The most effective one I have has Lemon balm, feverfew, and 100 proof vodka. Unfortunately, Beau has migraines too, and I have a separate tincture for him that uses Vegitable Glycerin instead of vodka. It's alot sweeter. Saves a ton of money too, since this lasts for 2-3 years plus, and we were buying a bottle of tylenol and ibuprofen every other month. I'm also a believer that the more "organic" or "homemade" options for cleaning cupplies, etc you have the less sick you are. That's just my opinion though of our experiences. I also have back and neck issues and get muscle cramps easily. If your neck hurts, here is a great idea: look to your left shoulder, see that little indention just behind it (you might have to rotate you shoulder aroun d to see it, but everyone has one). See it? Push on it. It's a pressure point. Have you or your spouse rub your neck where it hurts, and then rub that pressure pojnt I talked about. WARNING: It will hurt so bad!!! The more it's rubbed, the better you will feel. After you get done with that, put moist heat on it for awhile. It should feel alot better.
I'm not big on doctors either. Other than hubby (who is type 1 diabetic so he does have to go regularly and get his insulin) me and the kids haven't been to the doctor in 2-3 years. Some things we use... http://www.eardoc.info/ for ear problems. http://www.lilyofthedesert.com/our_products/item/herbal-stomach-formula/16 for tummy problems We make our own oatmeal baths for eczema. Epsom salt baths are good for sore muscles or and boo-boos (salt is an antibiotic) we also do the salt gargle/swish for mouth sores and sore throats. Tea tree oil is a good antibiotic as well. We eat prunes when constipated. For persistent diarrhea we either rest the stomach with no intake or use the BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) diet. Also for sore bottoms (from diarrhea etc) a soak in a warm bath is very helpful. Ginger for tummy issues. Yogurt is used to help sick tummies as well. (also for yeast infections) Insomnia gets hot chamomile tea-adults can sometimes get some melatonin. Neti-pot is what hubby uses for his sinuses. Local honey helps with pollen allergies. Common colds- hot tea and chicken soup and lots of rest and love really is the best treatment. We eat spicy foods for congestion. I use St. John's Wort for depression. Massage works wonders sometimes too! When my youngest had reflux I massaged his belly several times each day and it helped. My kids still love for me to give them a massage when they are sick or just after a bath sometimes. For UTIs I drink TONS of cranberry juice, water and take a triple dose of vitamin C for a few days and it clears right up. For fevers we always take tepid baths. We don't treat low grade fevers-low grade fevers are beneficial. When we had pink eye and I was breastfeeding we'd put drops of breast milk in our eyes-worked wonderfully! That's all I can think of off the top of my head... I've never used natural remedies for cough though-we only treat a cough if it's keeping us awake-a productive cough during the day is a good thing-gets the mucus out! So we do use store bought cough syrup before bed. Something else I've never tried that I've heard some people swear by is ACV-I did use it as a "conditioner" when I did the no 'poo method for a couple of months though...
I try to stay away from the doctor's office unless home remedies fail. What people forget, is that once upon a time people HAD to treat themselves naturally. Prescriptions have strong side effects. With that said, recently we were at the ER, so I am not completely against doctors. These are a fews things that I use. I wanted to add that people need to be cautious when using natural remedies because even natural remedies can have side effects or cause reactions, even though they are generally safe. Always cut essential oils with a carrier oil. Some can burn the skin if used in pure form. Some natural remedies DO NOT mix well with prescription drugs. When using natural remedies in place of meds or with meds, DO YOUR RESEARCH. For eczema, tea tree oil cut with olive, almond, or safflower oil has become one of our best friends. My psoriasis is all but gone. I barely notice it anymore. Em's has been relieved drastically. I make my own "shampoo" and add tea tree oil to it. Ems eczema is worse than mine. She rubs olive oil and tea tree oil into her hands at night and wears socks. For burns, once they cool, I rub castor oil on them. It heals in less than half the time. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and has multiple uses. I use it as well as ginger internally and externally. It makes great paste compresses for inflamed eczema. This is one where caution is really needed. Like ginger, in high doses, it doesn't always mix with meds and raises the heart rate. It also has other side effects. I drink vinegar four times a day when I have a cold or flu. It seems to go away a lot faster. Vinegar is fantastic as a gargle for sore throats. It burns at first, but kills the bacteria that sits in the throat. It also is numbing. I gargle a few times a day, depending on how sore my throat is. I have a friend who swears it also clears strep throat if used at least twice an hour for a day or two, depending on the severity. Vitamin D, C, zinc, lysin, and calcium are great when I have a head cold or runny nose. Depending on how severe it is, it also helps to heal faster and lightens symptoms. Strong mint tea from fresh leaves make great tea that help reduce gas, sour stomach, and nausea. Chamomile tea aids in relaxing the body. It makes a great bedtime tea. My ginseng tree died a few years back, but it also made a great tea for relaxing the body. Honey, ginger root, and garlic tea is great for a cough. Garlic is a strong, natural healer. This is why it is better than honey alone. Ginger root in small doses raises the metabolism and warms the body so don't use a lot. Ginger is also a natural anti-inflammatory. For bladder infections, I LOVE pure D-Mannose powder. It is incredible, but expensive. I do not get bladder infections often, but if I do not have D-Mannose, I will not take antibiotics unless I have to. I eat four cloves of fresh, crushed garlic a day, and very high doses of vitamin C, E, calicum, acidophilus, and vinegar. You will smell like garlic for a few days.:? I have become a fan of oregano pills or leaves for a plugged nose. Eucalyptus oil is FANTASTIC in a hot bath for a head cold as well as sore muscles. I can't use it when my husband is home because it triggers his asthma. Gotta love chicken soap! :love: My husband probably wouldn't want me sharing this. :lol: BUT... witch hazel, castor oil, lavender oil, and chamomile water applied with a cotton ball help to relieve hemorrhoids. If he catches it early, witch hazel or castor oil alone with take them away fast. Aloe Vera mixed with witch hazel are great on insect bits, as well as lavender oil. I take high doses of ginger when I think I am fighting infections. An acidophilus pill in place of yeast infection creams or pills works far better because it is a natural good bacteria that kills bad bacteria. Creams tend to kill everything. I insert it before bed. I drink an anti-inflammatory tea and raise my garlic intake. I have become a big fan of aroma therapy. There are other things that I use but these are what comes to mind.
Josie: I've copy/Pasted this onto a Word document to use! You've got so many helpful tips here! I have a question though: for high fevers do you use Tylenol and Ibuprofen or something else? I can't seem to use anything else, I'm so nervous about it (When Beau was around 2 he had a seizure due to high fever, so fevers make me super nervous). I jsut wondered if you fell back on it or used something else.
OH, Patty reminded me: We gave Patryk Acidophilus everyday for a bottom rash (he ALWAYS had one when he wore diapers).
Febrile seizures are common in children. Less likely as they age. Babies having seizures though are super scary! I respond to an adult having a seizure like nothing out of the ordinary-but my cousin with CP had a seizure once as a baby when I was holding him and I FREAKED OUT! Even though I knew what to do-I had never seen a baby/child have a seizure-I don't blame you for being nervous! I never treat a fever under 100 degrees. Low grade fevers are what fights infection. A fever that low should be allowed to work it's magic on the germs! For a high fever I'll try a tepid bath and see if I can get down, and only give ibuprofen or acetaminophen if the child is in other discomfort or the baths are not dropping his temp to a comfortable range. My goal with treating high to super high fevers isn't to get in the normal range, but to keep it out of the uncomfortable to dangerous range. Once we get it below 101 degrees we quit treating it unless it goes back up. I do rotate ibuprofen and acetaminophen every 3 hours for a super-high fever. (my kids don't get sick often-so it's not something I do a lot or recommend if your doctor hasn't suggested it...) I've been known to put my son in the tub 10 times a day to keep fever down-but if they need ibuprofen and acetaminophen I give it to them. If it's bed time-they need rest-baths aren't your best option. If the baths aren't working or they are too weak for a bath-use the meds, by all means. Meds just aren't my first go-to thing for fevers....
Thanks, Josie! I just hate giving T and I ALL darn day for a fever! Thanks for the information! Next time one of them gets sick, I'll try it.
Freddy uses ginger for his stomach and it helps his acid reflux. He has ginger gum, ginger pills and ginger slices that have been dried. He also takes cinnamon for his high blood pressure. Not sure yet how that is working. It is something new he is trying. We grew up with Vicks on our chests and feet too for a cold. We use meat tenderizer for bee stings. Just pour some in your hand and add a few drops of water to make a paste and put it on the sting. I know this one is going to sound odd but for a bad headache that hasn't reached the throwing up stage I eat a hot baked potato. If I can catch the headache before it gets too bad this will stop it. I have not had to use this for a long time but before my surgery and weight loss I had bad headaches all the time and this didn't always work but sure was worth a try instead of going for shots.
I agree with JosieB. Fevers are your body's way of dealing with an infection. I wonder why so many people forget that. A doctor once told me something I hang onto. She said don't only pay attention to the temperature. The behaviour of the child is equally important. If you have a low-grade 99 fever, but the child is lethargic and not eating,talking, playing etc, that might be more dangerous than a 101 with a child who is sick, but still watching tv and taking interest in things... The way she said it sounded much better, but that's the gist of it anyway. Obviously, dangerously high fevers should always be addressed. Here in USA baths are recommended, and I have seen they work well. But when I was growing up, I remember the treatment for a fever being to bundle up, after drinking some hot soup, or some special tea. My mother would fill a bowl with ice water and apply cold bandages omy my forehead, neck, etc until I fell asleep. If it was very high then some fever-reducing med would be administered. You stayed like that until you were covered with sweat. When that happened, as I remember it, you would feel much better, and the fever "had broken". I don't do that with my children, for fear of overheating them or something, but it is what my parents used to do with us.
ACV Been using that for a while now, and while my hair is definitely softer, how do you get rid of the smell? It doesnt bother me, but the other day was driving with Dh, and he kept complaining about a "horrible smell". Finally figured out it was my wet hair It goes away when my hair dries, but how to deal with it? Is there maybe a brand that is less noticeable? I just use walmart or target store brands..
I read that cinnamon is also good for controlling blood sugar levels. The health store sells it in the diabetic section in pill form. Walmart sells it in the vitamin section. I told Handsome to give it a try because he might be diabetic, but he is still putting it off.
I was always taught that a fever is an aweful thing to have, and if you had a fever then you needed medication. Mind you, my mom is an RN and DID NOT teach me this, I just learned this in Health Class. Fevers have always freaked me out. I WILL try to use the water bath technique next time!
Sheila, mix them all. I do not make a lot at a time because the shelf life isn't long once water is added. So any leftovers is little, but enough for a few uses or more. Also, keep it in the 'fridge so it lasts a bit longer. Just dip the bottle in a cup of hot water to warm. Since I am using essential oils, I use a dark bottle. Light kills the benefits of essential oils. I grow chamomile and dry it for off seasons. So if you are going to use it fast, I would think that it should last an average of a few weeks or more. I honestly think the weather and how santized the container is has a lot to do with the shelf life. I use rosemary water to rinse my hair with and it lasts anywhere from two weeks to a good couple months in the 'fridge.
