Fibrocystic Disease Of The Breast
Fibrocystic disease of the breast can affect over 50 percent of women and is characterized by tenderness and lumpiness of the breast tissue. These benign cysts can cause discomfort that is worse before the menstrual period. To treat this condition, use herbal Mullein as a tea or a tincture in water as the label directs. Avoid caffeine and take from 800 to 1200 IU's of vitamin E daily in supplemental form. Minor sources of vitamin E include cold-pressed vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, beans, peas, dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, eggs, dairy products, and sweet potatoes. If you include dairy products in your diet, consider buying organic dairy products, because commercial dairy products contain growth hormones that may aggravate this condition.
Fluid Retention
Many herbs have diuretic properties and can be used for occasional fluid retention. Yarrow berries and leaves have traditionally been used for this reason. Use yarrow as a temporary diuretic only, since long-term use can interfere with the absorption of iron and other minerals.
Healthy Joints
In addition to the nutritional product glucosamine, many people have received benefit from the herbs Devil's claw, Meadowsweet, and yucca. These herbs will help to maintain and rebuild healthy joint cartilage.
Heart Palpitations
Motherwort, or Leonurus Cardiaca, was used centuries ago to prevent miscarriage. The more common modern use is in relieving heart palpitations. Motherwort is often used in combination with other herbs, such as skullcap or chamomile, to relieve anxiety.
Herbal Detoxification: General
Teas, powdered herbs in capsules, or liquid extracts are easy-to-use forms of herbal remedies. Along with herbal detoxification, keep to a good diet, drink plenty of pure water and exercise moderately.
Herbal Detoxification: Lungs
Breathing exercises, offered at many yoga classes, can keep the lungs and muscles of respiration in good repair. If you smoke, use any method available to stop. The following herbs can help to cleanse the lungs: comfrey, mullein, and slippery elm.
Herbal Detoxification: Kidneys
Use detoxifying herbs in tincture or capsule form, or use the herbs to make a tea. To cleanse the kidneys, use uva ursi, juniper berries, goldenseal, ginger, and dandelion.
Herbal Detoxification: Colon
Fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally cleansing to the colon, and should be liberally added to the diet. To enhance colon detoxification, use psyllium husks, garlic, chlorophyll, multi-digestive enzymes, and acidophilus. Use herbal senna and cascara segrada if constipated.
Herbal Detoxification: Skin
Perspiration is the skin's natural cleansing mechanism. For a weekly sweat bath, add one half cup of Epsom salts, one half cup of sea salt (or Kosher salt), and a few drops of essential oil to a very warm-to-hot bath. Soak for 15-20 minutes, and then gently scrub the skin with a mild soap and a natural fiber loofa sponge.
Jasmine Instead Of Viagra
Jasmine essential oil is often used to treat mild depression and anxiety. It is also useful as an aphrodisiac. Add a few drops to a small amount of massage oil for a relaxing yet stimulating massage. Add a few drops of Jasmine oil to an aromatherapy oil diffuser to create an intimate mood for your loved one.
Fall Allergy
Hay fever or ragweed allergy affects a large area of the United States from mid-August until the first hard frost in late fall. To boost the immune system, use boneset, blue flag, and hyssop.
Heart Palpitations At Night
Heart palpitations are just one manifestation of anxiety and stress. If you have ruled out any heart disease that requires medical intervention, consider taking Valerian root 30 minutes before bed. One-half teaspoon of the dried herb can be used to make a tea, or follow label recommendations if using tablets or capsules.
Heartburn
Garlic is a natural remedy for heartburn and reflux. It is best taken as fresh garlic, not as tablets or pills. Fresh garlic also supports normal bowel flora, and kills H. pylori, which has been indicated as a cause of stomach ulcers.
Hemorrhoids
Instead of medicated pads to soothe the discomfort of hemorrhoids, use natural essential oil to gently assist the healing process. Use two tablespoons of a nourishing carrier oil such as almond, or sesame if you have it. Add one drop each of any of the following: cypress, lavender, lemon, rosemary, and juniper. Mix small amounts as you need it. Apply with a soft cotton ball as needed.
Hyperactivity
Many parents of hyperactive children are hesitant to give their children potentially harmful medications. An amino acid known as GABA, short for gamma-aminobutyric acid, will calm the body and mind without the side effects or risks of addiction that tranquilizers have. Take 750 milligrams of GABA at bedtime. The dosage may need to be increased to 1200 milligrams depending on age, weight, and individual biochemistry. The herb Valerian root has been used successfully used for this condition at half the recommended dose.
Immune Boosting
Take a good-quality multivitamin-mineral from a health food store or from your natural health care practitioner. Ask your practitioner about their favorite immune booster such as colloidal silver, oil of oregano, or thymus glandular extract.
Infertility
Add one drop each of the aromatherapy oils cypress, clarysage, geranium, Roman chamomile and bergamot to a light massage oil. Gently massage this scented oil once a day over the abdomen, hips and lower back. Start this treatment on the last day of the menstrual period and continue through the ovulation cycle.
Insomnia
Insomnia is all too common and at least one-forth of medical patients are taking sleeping pills on a regular basis. If your inability to sleep is due to restlessness and an overactive mind, take Homeopathic Gelsemium. Follow label directions for a restful and deeper sleep.
Insomnia From Worry
During times of stress and crisis, any technique that restores emotional balance is valuable. Meditation, yoga, massage and many other modalities can reduce our stress levels. If you are having insomnia due to stress or worry, herbal valerian root and skullcap in tablet form can restore a restful night’s sleep.
Itching
Nasturtium flowers look beautiful in a salad and have a wonderfully light taste. But another use for this plant is to relieve itching. Gather a handful of fresh nasturtium leaves and bruise them to release the juice. Rub this juice on bug bites, healing sunburns, or healing wounds to relieve itching.
Kidney Stone
Kidney stones are formed from accumulations of mineral salts. This very painful condition can block the flow of urine. The combination of Gravel root (also called Joe-pye weed or Queen of the meadow) and Hydrangea root is very effective in treating this condition. Gravel root is a good urinary tract tonic. Use only the root of the Hydrangea plant as the leaves contain small amounts of cyanide and can be toxic.
For calcium kidney stones, add Senna or Aloe vera juice to your diet, just short of the dose needed to cause loose stools. The dosage will vary from person to person. Use this, in addition to following your doctor's advice, until you are pain free.
Menopausal Hot Flashes
Two nutritional products are of particular value for menopausal complaints. Foods made from soy beans, such as tofu, soy milk, and tempeh, are useful in treating hot flashes. Herbal Dong Quai can relieve hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and depression associated with menopause.
Moles
A tried and true method involves the use of Castor oil to eliminate warts and moles. Apply a small amount of pure Castor oil (available in most pharmacies) to the wart or mole twice a day, with very gentle massage. It can take several weeks to resolve an old wart or mole, but your persistence will pay off.
Muscular Atrophy
Atrophy or wasting of muscle tissue can occur from a variety of causes including inactivity, the wearing of a cast due to fracture as well as certain disease states. Astragalus herb is a general tonic for muscle tissue and should be taken in standardized capsule or tincture form as the label recommends.
Pharyngitis
Throat pain due to pharyngitis may respond to gargling with warm water with one tablespoon of salt added, twice a day. You can also sip tea made from slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) and marshmallow root (Althea officinalis). The two herbs help to ease inflammation and clear away mucous, promoting healing.
PMS
Bothersome symptoms 7-14 days before the start of menstruation can include mood swings, breast tenderness, and irritability. The following list of herbs can be used together to make a soothing PMS reliever. Mix equal portions of Dong quai, Chaste tree, Wild yam, and St. John's Wort. Use 1 teaspoon of the blend and steep for 10 minutes to make one cup of tea. Use this recipe two to four times a day to relieve symptoms.
Aromatherapy For PMS
Melissa aromatherapy oil is useful in regulating the menstrual cycle. This aromatic oil is also uplifting and so is helpful for mild depression that can accompany the period. Use Melissa in bath water, or add a few drops to a light massage oil for use over the abdomen, hips, and lower back.
Psoriasis
The combination of Yellow dock and Sarsaparilla are particularly useful in treating the skin condition psoriasis. Make a poultice with these two herbs and apply to the area for a few hours or overnight.
Radiation Protection
The seaweed products kelp and nori offer some protection against the effects of radiation. Consider taking these health food store items as the label directs for two or three days before having any diagnostic x-rays taken.
Scars
This recipe for the treatment of scars contains 2 ounces of camphorated oil, one half teaspoon of dissolved lanolin and one ounce of peanut oil. Check your local health food store or pharmacy for the ingredients. Gently massage this mixture into scarred areas (only after total closure of the skin, if you’re treating a new scar) twice a day to minimize or eliminate scar tissue.
Sore Throat
To soothe and help heal a sore throat, combine one teaspoon dried sage and one teaspoon dried rosemary. Steep in two cups of hot water for 10 minutes. Strain and use as a gargle when cooled. Refrigerate any unused portion.
Splinters
Did you ever get one of those small splinters that you can feel inside the skin but can't remove? If so, you should try slippery elm bark (available in health-food stores). You'll need the bark in powdered form, or you'll have to powder it yourself. Add enough purified water to the bark to make a poultice and place it over the splinter, keeping it in place with a bandage for at least one-half hour. This treatment can help coax the splinter out of your skin, and it promotes healing of the damaged tissue. Continue this treatment until the splinter comes out.
Sprains And Strains
Comfrey extract can be added to creams and oils if you don't find a comfrey lotion in your local health food or herbal store. In addition, thyme oil or a strong tea made from herbal thyme can be used as a compress for sprains and strains. Also, Arnica cream is readily available and acts quickly to assist in healing. Warning: Don't use Arnica on broken skin.
Sunburn
Common sunburns are actually first-degree burns of the skin, producing redness and minor discomfort. A second-degree burn will result in swelling, pain, and blister formation. Look for a sunscreen containing vitamins A, C, and E and the mineral selenium. Aloe vera is particularly helpful in healing burns. To assist skin repair, add more protein and vitamin C-containing fruits and vegetables to your diet. Remember that many drugs can cause hypersensitivity to the sun. Check with your doctor or pharmacist.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, can seem to have no apparent cause. This may appear as an isolated symptom, or be part of a condition known as Meniere’s syndrome. The herbs black cohosh and goldenseal can be helpful when taken as standardized tinctures or as capsules. Follow label directions and avoid goldenseal if you are pregnant or trying to conceive.
A baby's teething pain and an adult's toothache will respond to the same herbal remedy. Plantago tincture or lotion, applied to the gums, will ease the pain of toothache.
Thyroid Support
Seaweed products such as kelp and nori have long been known to enhance thyroid function. These beneficial products can support the gland to the degree that thyroid medication may need to be reduced. Discuss this natural treatment with your health care practitioner.
Ulcers
An ulcer is caused when the mucosal lining of the stomach has deteriorated, allowing digestive acids to eat away at the underlying tissue. They are painful and can be very dangerous if left untreated. If you believe you have an ulcer, the first thing to do is visit your doctor and have that confirmed.
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins can result in swelling, cramps, itching, and a feeling of heaviness in the legs. The tendency may be hereditary, and may be aggravated by prolonged sitting, standing, or by pregnancy. Take vitamin E, 800 IU's daily, and supplemental coenzyme Q10, 100 milligrams daily, to improve circulation and tissue oxygenation. Herbal Burdock root is soothing used as a poultice or added to the bath.
Warts
Most warts return if they are removed by surgery or freezing. These methods do not destroy the underlying virus that causes the wart. There are two natural treatments that will remove a wart without leaving the virus behind. Make a paste from baking soda and castor oil. Apply this paste each evening and cover with a bandage. The other treatment borrows a remedy from homeopathy. Thuja cream, applied twice daily, will remove the wart. Both of these treatments may take up to several weeks to resolve the wart, but you can be assured that it will not return.