Potential Natural Remedies For Asthma

April 13, 2010 By Natural Health Reporter Leave a Comment

Asthma is a very serious medical condition. Difficulty breathing is not something that should be taken lightly. In fact, severe asthma attacks can lead to death. That’s why it’s so important to follow the doctor’s advice and use your designated medication if you have an attack. However, there are many natural remedies for asthma that can prevent attacks from occurring.

Of course, not all natural asthma treatment options work for all people. Finding a prevention technique that works for you could take time. Here are some possibilities to try, though.

Easy Breathing

There are actually some breathing techniques that seem to help with asthma prevention. One is the Buteyko Breathing Method. It involves shallow breathing, which improves oxygen exchange.

A study of sixty people with asthma showed that most cut down inhaler puffs by two puffs every day. However, this shallow breathing technique is not a substitute for carrying an inhaler with you at all times.

Diet Adjustments

Changes in diet can help to reduce stress on the body. Specifically, changing your diet can reduce inflammation. Since inflammation is viewed as one of the possible asthma causes, limiting it is definitely good.

One place to start is to consume less arachidonic acid in your diet. Meats, egg yolks and shellfish are especially high in it. You can also start eating more omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in oily fish. Although, it’s often easier to just take it in a supplement pill form.

Fruits and vegetables can also be very helpful. Carrots, tomatoes, apples and leafy vegetables are great. Also, bromelain, which is an extract from pineapples, can reduce inflammation associated with causing asthma attacks.

Butterbur

Butterbur is another possible asthma prevention option. It’s an extract from a plant and it’s good at reducing inflammation, too. The trouble is, it can have some side effects. Some of those include headaches and nausea.

There are also other cautions, when it comes to butterbur. For example, people with liver or kidney problems shouldn’t use it. Also, pregnant or nursing women shouldn’t use it either.

Aside from that, there’s more. All parts of the plant that butterbur comes from can’t be taken. In fact, many parts of it are toxic. So, you have to be sure to get the extract from a reliable source where only the inflammation-reducing components have been used.

Again, it’s important to remember that natural remedies for asthma are to be used for prevention only. It’s also better to talk to your doctor before trying any. If you have an actual asthma attack, there’s no substitute for your medication.

Filed Under Natural Remedies Tagged With asthma attack prevention, asthma remedies, natural remedies for asthma

Ringing Ears – Remedies For Tinnitis Do Exist!

April 12, 2010 By Natural Health Reporter Leave a Comment

Ringing in the ears is also known as tinnitis.  There are many remedies for tinnitis, so it’s not the end of the world.  Although, it can be extremely annoying!

The first thing you should know is that tinnitis doesn’t necessarily mean you’re losing your hearing.  It also doesn’t necessarily stick around for a long time. Generally, it’s a temporary condition.

Manifestation:

Tinnitis can manifest itself as a ringing sound in one ear or both ears.  It can also be more of a buzzing, hissing or otherwise fuzzy sound.  Sometimes the ear, or both ears, might be painful, but not always.  Also, the sound might occur all day or only for a few minutes here and there.

Causes:

Tinnitis can be caused by a lot of things.  Ear infection is one of the most common causes.  Another is high or low blood pressure, especially a rapid change in the blood pressure one way or the other.  Ear wax, thyroid problems or allergies are also common causes.

An inner ear problem, known as Menieres disease, a head injury or a deficiency of some sort can also cause tinnitis.  Some such issues are easier to treat than others.  For example, if you can figure out what you are deficient in, you can usually take a supplement pill to counteract the tinnitis.

Natural Tinnitis Remedies:

One of the many natural tinnitis remedies that you could try is massage.  Head and neck massage, or even massaging the ear itself, can sometimes relieve the problem. Acupuncture might also be helpful to you.

As mentioned earlier, vitamins and supplements may also help.  However, be warned that over dosing on some vitamins and minerals can cause more problems for you.  So, it’s important to figure out what you’re deficient in, if anything, before taking supplements.

Herbs, such as Gingko Biloba, can also be used to treat tinnitis.  Gingko can also help with issues associated with tinnitis, such as concentration trouble, dizziness and headaches.  So, it’s definitely worth looking into.

Talk To The Doc:

It’s important to note that some forms of tinnitis are more serious than others. So, you should identify the cause of your tinnitis early, by talking to your doctor.  He or she can let you know if natural remedies are a good idea for your specific case or not.

Retrain Your Brain:

Finally, although they aren’t remedies for tinnitis itself, some find that hypnosis or therapy can improve their situation.  The idea is to retrain your brain to not notice the buzzing or ringing as much.  That way, you can concentrate better.  The problem with such therapy is that it doesn’t actually fix the problem.  So, be sure that your tinnitis is not being caused by a serious medical issue before going that route.

Filed Under Natural Remedies Tagged With home remedies, natural tinnitis remedies, remedies for tinnitis, ringing ears, tinnitis, tinnitis remedies

A Few Examples Of Home Remedies For Boils

April 7, 2010 By Natural Health Reporter Leave a Comment

Boils are also known as furuncles or skin abscesses and they can be very painful and annoying, even though they aren’t usually dangerous. There are many home remedies for boils, but a lot depends on the type of boils you have.

Boils And Staph:

Staph, or Staphylococcus Aureus, can be a very serious illness. It can also be easily spread from one body part to another and, worse yet, from one person to another. Staph infections can sometimes cause boils and often come with fevers. If you suspect Staph, you should see your doctor right way.

Average Boils:

Of course, most average boils aren’t nearly as dangerous as Staph. They’re usually more like particularly painful and pus-filled pimples. Doctors traditionally treat boils with a process called lancing, but that’s not a good home treatment.

Here are a few things to try at home, instead:

Heat

Heat is one of the best ways to relieve the infected boil situation. If you put a sterile hot compress on the boil every 15 minutes, it will soon get the pus to the surface. Between treatments, be sure to use anti-bacterial soap to wash both the boil area and your hands. Keeping things clean is very important.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice found commonly in Indian curry. It has many anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. So, it can be good at curing a boil, if you catch the problem and start taking turmeric early enough.

There are many ways to take turmeric. You could try it in a tea, curry or soup, for instance. It doesn’t necessarily matter how you take it. All that matters is that you get in a teaspoon worth of turmeric at a time and take it three times each day.

A Warning About Hydration:

Staying well hydrated is always a good thing. Dehydration can cause many illnesses, after all. It can also make you generally feel tired all the time.

If you take turmeric, though, drinking water is even more important. That’s because turmeric can make you sweat. Sweating dehydrates your body. Since you lose so much water, as you sweat, that water must be replaced. If it isn’t, you could suffer from dehydration symptoms.

Cystic Acne:

Remember, not all conditions that look like standard boils are. Cystic acne, for example, is not the same as a boil. Sometimes cystic acne spots will go away with no treatment. Other times, though, it may require antibiotic treatment.

Although home remedies for boils can be great, don’t assume that they’ll fix every problem. It all depends on what sort of condition you have. So, be sure to get a diagnosis from your doctor and discuss remedy options with them. That way, you’ll get the best, fastest results.

Filed Under Natural Remedies Tagged With boils treatment, cystic acne, furuncles, home remedies for boils

Are Organic Foods Better For You?

April 5, 2010 By Natural Health Reporter Leave a Comment

If you’re reading this article, chances are that you have some interest in organic foods. That’s probably because you’ve heard all of the hype since the 1990’s or so about how chemically treated foods are bad and organics are good. How do they really stack up against each other, though?

Organics

Well, studies have indicated, for one thing, that there are many helpful components that are found in higher quantities in organic foods. For example, organics often contain more antioxidants, which fight disease-causing free radicals in the body. Organic foods also often contain more calcium, vitamin C and Magnesium, all of which help the body and build up the immune system.

As more research is done, more is being discovered about the beneficial properties of organic foods. The list keeps getting longer and longer. So, it’s clear that organics have their benefits.

Traditionally Grown Foods

On the traditionally grown foods side, what you need to understand is that there haven’t always been the strictest of rules. In fact, many chemicals started out being used in farming before anyone fully understood the effects of those chemicals on the human body, animal life or the environment, in general. These days, though, studies clearly show that many non-organics contain cancer-causing agents and chemicals that have been linked to higher risks of such things as heart disease, strokes, migraine headaches and Alzheimer’s Disease, to name a few.

Like the list for organics, the list for traditional chemically-treated foods also keeps growing. That’s because modern technology and studies keep improving. The harmful additives list is getting alarmingly long and so is the list of potential medical problems caused by those additives.

Chemical Bans

Chemical bans for food products do occur. In fact, they occur quite frequently. However, that doesn’t really help, at least not in the short-term. That’s because some chemicals can stay in the soil for several decades. So, a person who starts a farm on a certain property may not even realize that the soil on that property is contaminated.

The Problems With Organics

It may sound like organics are perfect foods, but they aren’t. One big problem is that they are a lot more expensive. Another is that they aren’t always a hundred percent organic. Labels can be very deceiving, so you really need to pay attention to what you’re buying. Also, there are still some risks of diseases, such as e coli, when you buy organic foods.

Even with all of those issues, though, it’s clear which food comes out on top. Organic farmers do their very best to put safe food on our plates. They also do their best to protect the environment and take care of natural resources so that organic, healthy living can continue for many generations to come.

Filed Under Nutrition Tagged With organic food, organic foods, organics

The Basics Of Eating Organic Foods

March 26, 2010 By Natural Health Reporter Leave a Comment

If you’re considering switching to organic foods, you aren’t the only one. Many people are doing so each day. There are some things that you should know first, though. Hopefully getting to know the basics of eating organic foods will help you to decide if they’re the right choice for you or not.

The Pesticide Debate

Of course, the big reason that people switch to organics is because they want to avoid eating unhealthy pesticides and other chemicals. That’s definitely a valid concern, since many traditional products are loaded with such chemicals. So, eating organic is better, or is it?

Well, the answer is yes and no. You see, not all products that say organic are totally organic. So, you need to make sure that any organic foods that you buy are certified as one hundred percent organic. If you do that then yes, it is much better than buying traditional chemical-filled foods.

Meat And Dairy Products

At this point, you might be thinking, like many others, that you should buy more organic produce. Don’t neglect organic meat and dairy products, though. If you do, you won’t actually be much better off than if you weren’t eating organic at all.

You see, many animals are given growth hormones, these days. Those chemicals and additives can actually be quite dangerous for us to ingest. They can raise our risks of getting certain cancers, among other things. So, you should make sure that, if you’re going to switch, you do so for all types of foods, not just produce.

Health And Efficiency

One of the benefits of eating organic foods is that your body’s efficiency should increase. You’ll have more energy and be tired less often. You may even find that your strength or endurance during sports or exercise routines is increased. Why? Well, it’s because organic foods are rich in nutrients and vitamins that your body needs, while other foods are mainly rich in one thing, harsh chemicals.

Organic foods can also help your kids a lot, as they grow. Kids tend to eat more per pound of body weight than adults do, since they’re active and growing. That means that your kids can eat much higher levels of harsh chemicals than you might during an average day or week. So, if you have a family to consider, it’s even more important to eat organics.

If all of that isn’t enough to convince you, this next thing should be. Organic farms protect the environment. So, not only will you improve your family’s health and lower risks of disease, but you’ll help to make sure that your kids and their kids will have a planet to enjoy. That’s definitely a great reason to eat organic foods.

Filed Under Nutrition Tagged With organic food, organic foods, organics

Stop Itching With These Great Home Remedies For Hives

March 4, 2010 By Natural Health Reporter Leave a Comment

Around 20% of all people will have hives for some reason at some point in their lives. So, it’s no surprise that so many of those people are in search of great home remedies for hives. After all, they can be itchy, uncomfortable and annoying.

Causes Of Hives

The first thing that you need to understand, before you can treat hives, is what causes them. Most of the time, hives are created by an allergy to some sort of substance. Foods are a big source. In fact, many foods, such as eggs and shellfish, routinely cause a hives outbreak for people.

Hive Length

Hives are collections of fluid from leaky capillaries. Those hives can go way on their own after anywhere from a day to several weeks. While they’re present, though, they can be itchy and painful. Also, for some people, hives appear chronically and hardly ever go away.

Treatment Options

The main thing about treating hives is to reduce itchiness. Not only can uncontrolled itchiness drive you crazy, but it can cause scratching. That scratching can create infections and cause hives to spread to other areas of the body.

There are several natural ways to reduce itching. Ice is one way. Even a frozen bag of vegetables can relieve the itch associated with hives temporarily. Another option is to use aloe vera gel or vitamin E oil. Both are natural compounds that stop itchiness.

Oatmeal paste can also be useful as a treatment for hives. A cup of oatmeal, a tablespoon of corn starch and some water can create the perfect paste. Then, you just need to put the mixture on your hives.

Avoidance

Obviously, one way to reduce your hives is to avoid the cause. For example, if you get hives from eating strawberries, don’t eat strawberries. The problem with that theory, though, is that it requires more vigilance than you might think.

You see, many products contain ingredients that you may not expect. So, you have to be careful to read labels to ensure that you aren’t eating the thing that you are allergic to in disguise.

Also, many products are made in the same facilities with other products. For example, people with severe allergies to peanuts may not be able to eat anything that was made in a facility that has peanuts, even if peanuts aren’t in that specific food.

Chronic Hives

Finally, remember that great home remedies for hives still aren’t a cure all. If you have a chronic problem with hives, consult your doctor. He or she can help you to identify the source and treat the problem efficiently. They might agree that home remedies are the best way to do that. However, they might recommend traditional medications. Either way, you’ll be on your way to clearer, more comfortable skin.

Filed Under Natural Remedies Tagged With chronic hives, hives remedy, hives treatment, home remedies, home remedies for hives, remedies for hives

Sore Throat Remedy Ideas For Soothing Relief

February 22, 2010 By Natural Health Reporter Leave a Comment

At one point or another, we’ve all woken up in the morning to find that our throat feels like sandpaper, we’ve lost our voice or we just feel like there’s goo settling in the back of our throat. Well, there are many reasons these things can happen. Let’s examine some common sore throat causes and more importantly, a few sore throat remedy ideas.

Causes

Tonsillitis is one common cause of sore throat. The tonsils may become irritated or they may be so inflamed that they need to be removed. That usually happens during childhood.

Laryngitis is another common cause and it can happen at any age. It usually occurs when the larynx becomes inflamed from overuse. For example, giving a long speech, singing at a concert (or being a screaming fan at one) or just yelling for a prolonged period of time for any reason can cause laryngitis. The result is that you lose your voice temporarily.

Viral or bacterial infections such as strep throat can cause sore throats, too. So can Mononucleosis, or glandular fever. Still another cause is Candida albicans, also known as oral thrush.

Medical Intervention

Some of the above causes need medical intervention. In fact, you should see a doctor about all of them if your own remedies don’t work after a day or so or if you have fevers, swelling or other symptoms. Your doctor can also help if your sore throat is a result of a medical treatment, such as chemotherapy.

Natural Home Remedy For Sore Throat Relief

Barring any of the above situations, there are many remedies you can use to treat your sore throat quickly and easily. The most common treatment is a concoction of honey tea. The honey can be mixed with a number of other ingredients, including ginger, lemon and/or apple cider vinegar.

Gargling is another common cure with many variations. One version involves gargling with salt water. It’s better not to actually swallow the salt water, especially since it doesn’t taste good. However, gargling with it can relieve pain and swelling and kill some bacteria.

Another gargle remedy is gargling with cayenne pepper. You can mix it in either orange juice or water. However, be careful. Cayenne is strong stuff. It can burn if you swallow or inhale it in large amounts. So, you should hold your breath while gargling with it and be sure to spit it all out, rather than swallowing it.

Finally, nothing says sore throat remedy like ice cream. Kids are often given ice cream after having their tonsils removed. That’s because the cold dulls the pain. You can also use Popsicles or ice cubes. In fact, ice cubes are better, since they don’t contain all that sugar.

Filed Under Natural Remedies Tagged With home remedy for sore throat, remedy for sore throat, remedy sore throat, soar throat remedies, sore throat, sore throat home remedy, sore throat remedies, sore throat remedy

ACV Remedy – Using Apple Cider Vinegar Remedies For What Ails You

February 2, 2010 By Natural Health Reporter Leave a Comment

If you’re interested in natural cures for common ailments, you should know a few things about apple cider vinegar (ACV). Apple cider vinegar remedies are actually among the most common and well-loved natural remedies for a lot of ailments.

Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy Options

One of the great things about traditional apple cider vinegar is that it’s all natural. Fermenting apples makes cider. Then, fermenting that cider creates apple cider vinegar. The process involves a natural substance called a vinegar mother.

Unfortunately, modern vinegar processing often includes chemicals and additives that aren’t healthy at all. In fact, modern pasteurization kills all of the live substances that are actually helpful. That’s why getting organic ACV that still has the mother intact is so important. You can find it online or in any good health food store.

As for what to do with apple cider vinegar, there are lots of options. So, no matter what your ailment is, you may want to look into ACV as an option. Here are just a few treatments to consider:

Diabetes

A study on a diabetic and a pre-diabetic at Arizona State University showed that ACV can be very helpful. It was shown that mixing four teaspoons of ACV into a glass of water and consuming it before a high carb meal can reduce problems. It does that by slowing down what would ordinarily create a rapid spike in blood sugar levels.

Acid Reflux

Another big problem that many people face on a regular basis is heartburn or acid reflux. If you have a similar problem, you don’t have to live in discomfort. Try taking some ACV in a glass of water before a meal to try to prevent it. You can also take it after a meal, if you forget and feel symptoms coming on after the fact.

Losing Weight

Although ACV won’t help you lose weight on its own, it can help when you already have a good diet and exercise plan in place. All you have to do is mix it with water, or even honey, and take a couple teaspoons of it before each meal.

There are a few theories on how it actually helps you to lose weight. One is that since it reduces sugar spikes, it improves metabolism. Another is that it simply reduces your appetite. A third is that it cuts back on water retention within your body.

Whatever the reason, it won’t hurt you at all so it’s definitely worth trying. After all, apple cider vinegar remedies are used for everything from weight loss to wart removal and have been used for many years. They clearly have a proven history of success in many situations.

Filed Under Natural Remedies Tagged With acid reflux, ACV, apple cider vinegar, apple cider vinegar remedies, apple cider vinegar remedy, diabetes, losing weight, vinegar remedies

Preventative Measures And Home Remedies For Poison Ivy

January 15, 2010 By Natural Health Reporter Leave a Comment

Everyone needs to know about home remedies for poison ivy as well as prevention of it along with its cousins, poison sumac and poison oak. After all, they are everywhere, especially in woods and other places that kids like to play. It’s important to understand what they are and what they do, particularly poison ivy, since it’s so common.

Poison Ivy Basics

Poison Ivy is a green plant that usually grows in patches and fairly close to the ground in woodsy or weeded areas. It has shiny leaves, which is one way to easily recognize it.

Poison ivy contains a substance called urushiol, which is also found in poison oak and poison sumac. That’s the substance that causes most people to have a hive-like allergic reaction with extreme itchiness.

Preventing Poison Ivy

Poison ivy isn’t always preventable, but there are some ways to lower the risks, especially for your kids. One way is to simply teach kids what poison ivy and its cousins look like. That way, they can recognize the plants and avoid them for the most part. Also, teach your kids to wear appropriate clothes when they’re outside, such as long sleeves and regular shoes, not ones with open toes.

As far as removing poison ivy, you can do it yourself by spraying it with some sort of herbicide. You can also dig it up and throw it out or relocate it out of your way. Of course, you’ll need to wash all of your clothes and shower immediately after, since you risk contracting it.

Another option is that you can hire someone to remove the poison ivy. Whatever you do, though, make sure that they don’t try to burn it away. Not only can outdoor fires easily get out of control, but smoke from burning poison ivy can actually be toxic.

Treatments – Finding A Remedy For Poison Ivy

As mentioned above, you can’t always avoid you or your kids getting poison ivy. So, it’s good to know how to treat it. The first step is to wash the oil off of the person using rubbing alcohol, not soap. Soap will only hold the oil and spread it to others later.

Next, have the person take a long hot shower. First, they’ll need to rinse with only water. Later on, they can wash in the shower using liquid soap. That should help to stop the spread. However, it may not prevent the rash on the area that was in contact with the plant.

Another thing that you need to do to stop the spread is wash all of the clothes, tools, toys and other things that could have touched the poison ivy itself or the person with poison ivy. This may also include door knobs.

As far as home remedies for poison ivy rashes, the first thing you need to know is that the rash itself isn’t contagious. You can easily treat it by applying moisturizer or some sort of cream containing antihistamines. If the problem persists or gets worse, though, you may need to consult a doctor.

Filed Under Natural Remedies Tagged With home remedies for poison ivy, poison ivy remedy, remedy for poison ivy
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