Friday 31 August 2012

Try These Home Remedies To Treat Ear Infections



If you or your child has suffered from an ear infection then you will be aware of how painful they can be.  Children do seem to suffer more from ear infections than adults and the pain can be excruciating.  It is terrible for a parent to see their child in so much pain and not be able to help them.  The good news is that there are some effective home remedies that you can use to relieve the pain of earn infections.  If the pain persists or is very severe then you should take your child to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis and possibly prescribed medication.

There are a number of reasons why ear infections occur with the main one's being bacteria growing in excess moisture in the ear (swimmer's ear) or if a child has a cold and their Eustachian tube is blocked.  Although these home remedies won't cure their cold, it can help relieve the pain of the infection.

You shouldn't rely completely on home remedies though, it is important if the pain is severe or keeps returning that you see your doctor as soon as you can.  Home remedies can be useful to treat a mild earache or to ease the pain until such a time that you can see a doctor.

The good thing about home remedies for ear infections is that they are made from ingredients that you will probably already have in your kitchen.  So they are there ready and waiting when you need them.  Some ingredients you may not have, but will be able to pick up from the store.  If an infection occurs at night when stores are closed, then try another remedy that you do have ingredients for.

One remedy from the kitchen is a combination of garlic and olive oil.  Simply simmer the garlic in some olive oil until the garlic cooks down a bit.  Then strain the mixture so you are left with the liquid.  Let the garlic and oil mixture cool and then apply a few drops into the troublesome ear.  You will want to do this while lying down so the sore ear is facing up.  Let the mixture sit in the ear for five to ten minutes and then gently rinse out.  This mixture is great for pain relief and the garlic also has antibiotic properties.

Another remedy is one that you may need a trip to the store to get the ingredients, which are licorice and ghee. Ghee is a clarified butter that you can find at Indian or Middle Easter markets.  Warm the two ingredients together until the have a paste like consistency.  Apply the paste around the ear (but not into the ear canal) and this should help with the pain.

Radish and mustard oil are more ingredients from the kitchen that can help you with earaches.  Finely chop some radish and heat it up in some mustard oil.  Strain the mixture so you are left with a liquid and store in a glass bottle.  Then you will have the mixture on hand whenever it is required.  Place a few drops into the sore ear for pain relief.

Lastly, this remedy might seem a little odd but many people use it and swear by it.  This one actually involved breast milk - human breast milk.  You mix the breast milk with some well ground bottle gourd until you get the consistency of paste.  Warm the mixture a little, making sure not to get it too hot, and apply to the ear.  This can be a good option for mothers with young children that develop an earache. Read More..

Thursday 23 August 2012

Relieve Sore Muscles After Exercise - But Dont Kill Yourself




There really isn't any way around it, if you want to be healthy then you need to exercise on a regular basis. and, if you exercise like you should, you can be sure there will be times when you overdo it a bit and your muscles are sore after working out. When that happens, you want relief, and want to know how to relieve sore muscles after exercise.

Actually, not all muscle soreness comes from doing the exercise itself. A lot of people strain their muscles when stretching before partaking in physical activity. The old way of doing this was to stretch your muscles as far as you could, with the idea that you would be warming them up and allowing them to do their full range of motion when exercising. But that's no longer thought to be the best way to prevent injury.

When stretching, it's possible to tear the fibers that make up your muscles, and these tears can take quite a while to heal. Needless to say, this can further limit what you'll be able to do, and the intensity with which you can do it. This isn't good because it slows down your efforts to get healthier. If you strain your muscles too much, you may not be able to exercise at all, and that can have a long-lasting negative impact on your motivation.

But what is the best way to warm up before exercising so you won't have to relieve sore muscles after exercise? That's a great question. The current preferred method for pre-workout stretching is to go for a short walk, or use a treadmill for 5 to 10 minutes. This makes sense, because humans are designed to walk. It's a natural activity that helps warm up the muscles, with the least amount of risk of over-exerting them prior to working out.

So, what if you do all these things, but are still sore after exercising? There are a few things you can try. Some people like to use over-the-counter muscle creams. These are applied to the skin and can be quite effective at making minor muscle aches and pains go away. You may also find that taking pain relievers, like acetaminophen, will do the trick. Another thing that works for a lot of people is to apply heat to the muscle. This can be done by using a heating pad, or heat wraps. The other main method people use to relieve sore muscles after exercise is massage. Simply rubbing the effective area can be enough to make you feel better. If you are still experiencing soreness after trying all of these things, then you may want to talk to your doctor as it may be more than a simple muscle strain.

Putting the above tips to use should prevent you from being too sore after a workout, but if it should happen, you also have a few options for making yourself feel better. Read More..

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Natural Relief For Kidney Stones - Tips For Fast Relief




Only those who have ever experienced them can truly understand just how painful kidney stones can be. These stones are the result of a calcium build-up and they cause excruciating pain as they try to make their way through the urinary tract. There are a few things that can cause this build-up, including disease, infection and dehydration.

What makes kidney stones even worse is that you usually have no idea they are being formed until it's too late. If the stones are big enough, they will block the urinary system and this can be very dangerous. While there are certain risk factors associated with kidney stones, the truth is that anybody can get them.

So, what are some signs that you may have kidney stones? Pain in your lower back or groin, vomiting, pain during urination, reddish or orange urine, and pain in your lower stomach. Sometimes people think it's their appendix, but the only way you can know for sure is to see a doctor once the symptoms are present. It's important to get rid of the stone as soon as possible to prevent additional complications to your kidneys.

It sure sounds bad, doesn't it? But don't worry too much, there are some things you can do! The first thing you can start doing right away to reduce your chances of kidney stones is to make sure you drink plenty of water. This will help flush out your kidneys on a regular basis. There are other benefits to drinking plenty of water, so it's a good idea to do it anyway.

There are also natural herbal remedies that may help lower the odds of getting kidney stones. These most likely work due to their diuretic effect. Here are a few such herbs: goldenrod, juniper berry, sassafras, dandelion, corn silk, meadow sweet, horsetail and fennel. If you think you already have kidney stones, these herbs may help to some degree. However, your safest bet is always to see your doctor, so the following herbs are listed for informational purposes only, and not as a treatment or cure of any kind.

1. Catnip can help to unblock the urinary tract, making it easier for the stones to pass naturally. The downside is that catnip can cause gas and cramping in some people.

2. Hydrangea may aid in dissolving kidney stones, or reducing their size, making urination more comfortable. If the stones shrink, some of the pain may go away. Diarrhea is a fairly common side effect, but not everybody experiences it.

3. Cleavers (also known as goose grass) are a good remedy for several kidney and bladder issues. It is best taken as a tea, and drank daily.

Kidney stones are not only painful, they can also be dangerous. Therefore, you should do whatever you can to prevent them from forming. But if they form, you should try to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Read More..