Effective Herbal treatments involve products made from plants that are used to boost the immune system or treat diseases or other health issues. These products involve both topical phytomedicines and botanical products that are taken internally.
When you’re sick or suffering from a painful or distressing medical condition, finding the right treatment can be like achieving a SlotoCash Casino win – elusive but priceless. You may have been told that you need to “live with it” or find some way to cope with your problem. Herbal treatments aren’t always the answer any more than are conventional treatments. But peer-reviewed research has confirmed that sometimes, a herbal product can be the answer to a medical problem for which conventional medicine has not yet identified an effective cure or Effective Herbal Treatments.
Herbal Medicines
There are many ways that herbs are processed to treat different conditions. They can be chopped, dried, swallowed in a capsule, powdered or liquefied for swallowing, brewing as a tea, applying as a lotion, cream or gel to the skin or added to bath water.
The use of herbal medicines and supplements dates back thousands of years to almost every civilization known to the ancient world. For many years, modern medical practitioners scorned herbal treatments, saying that they were “witch medicine.” But today, many practitioners acknowledge that at times, many herbal treatments are highly effective and can even be a more successful treatment than what conventional medicine has to offer.
It is advisable to consult with your doctor before you start taking herbal products, especially if you are already taking other medicines. Herbal products can interact negatively with some conventional pharmaceuticals.
Some of the most common medicinal herbs include:
Ginger
Ginger is commonly used to ease nausea, motion sickness and stomach upsets. Some herbologists suggest it to help relieve morning sickness in pregnancy and chemotherapy side effects. It is known for its strong antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Some people drink ginger ale and say that they experience the same benefits as those who use the ginger root in tea or in grated form.
Ginger has been known to cause gas, heartburn, bloating and nausea though those are not common side effects.
Chamomile
The Chamomile flower is made into a tea and recommended to help people relax and reduce anxiety. It can also be made into a compress and be used to reduce swelling or inflammation and heal wounds. Medical personnel warn users to consult with their doctor to make sure that it won’t interfere with any of the medications that they are taking.
Considered by some to be a cure-all, chamomile is commonly used in the U.S. for anxiety and relaxation. It is used in Europe for wound healing and to reduce inflammation or swelling. Few studies have looked at how well it works for any condition. Chamomile is used as a tea or applied as a compress. It is considered safe by the FDA. It may increase drowsiness caused by medicines or other herbs or supplements. Chamomile may interfere with the way the body uses some medicines, causing too high a level of the medicine in some people.
Chamomile for the skin (topical) may be used to treat skin irritation from radiation cancer treatments. Chamomile in capsule form may be used to control vomiting during chemotherapy.
Echinacea
The Echinacea plant is dried and ground and then placed in a bottle or jar with some type of alcohol – vodka is most common – at about 50% alcohol to 50% dried Echinacea. After a month you can use the resulting tincture which is commonly used to prevent or shorten flu, colds and infections.
It’s suggested that you use Echinacea short-term to treat an illness and not long-term as a preventative because long-term use seems to compromise the body’s immune system. Echinacea can also interfere with pharmaceuticals so check with your doctor if you’re already taking a different medicine.
Garlic
Garlic has been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective and anti-microbial properties. Some people believe that garlic lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. The active compound in garlic is allicin which needs to “breath” before being cooked to work most effectively. Therefore, you should chop your garlic and leave it sit for 10 minutes to let the allicin start to activate before cooking it.
Garlic can increase bleeding so you should not use it with blood thinners or take large amounts before surgery or a dental procedure.
Saint John’s Wort
Saint John’s wort is often used as an antidepressant for people with mild depression. It has also been shown to cause dangerous interactions with many commonly used pharmaceuticals so you should speak with your healthcare provider before using it.
Precautions
Just as there are precautions that you should take before taking any type of conventional pharmaceutical medication, there are suggested safety measures to which you should adhere when you prepare to take a herbal treatment. They include:
- Check to make sure that you aren’t taking herbal medicines that are contraindicated by the conventional medicines that you may be taking. Speak to your health practitioner to verify that the herbal medicines don’t interact negatively with other pharmaceutical products that you may be taking, and even, that multiple herbal products don’t interact negatively.
- Follow the instructions printed on the labels. Never exceed the recommended dosage.
- Watch for side effects. If symptoms, such as dizziness, headache, upset stomach or nausea, occur, stop. Be alert for allergic reactions which are not uncommon with herbal products. If you have trouble breathing after taking a herbal product, call emergency services.
