Years ago, it was Grandma who was the first line of defense against any scratch, sickness, or symptom. She didn’t have a choice because medical care, especially if she lived in the country, wasn’t as available (or trusted) as it is today. So she brewed special teas to settle stomachs, put together awful-smelling creams to relieve congestion, and fixed her special chicken soup to cover everything else. And in most cases, it worked.
Home remedies aren’t black magic; they’re actually a fine art. In fact, many longtime herbs and treatments have been found to have a scientific basis. Here are a few that you can try on yourself or your family this summer before taking more conventional measures.
Soothe sunburn. To cool yourself before bed, smear some plain yogurt on the inflamed area, let it set for a while, then take a cool shower and gently pat dry. You should experience enough relief to be able to fall asleep.
Treat turista. For an easy, natural way to stop traveler’s diarrhea, make sure to pack some dried blueberries. Backpackers swear by them. In fact, they supposedly learned the tip by noting how ornery (and constipated) bears become after gorging themselves on the fruit. Usually, a half-dozen of the dried variety will help.
Ease an earache. If your kids (or you) are susceptible to ear woes, make sure to blow-dry them after a long day at the beach or pool. Pull the flap of each ear up and out to straighten the ear canal, then set your hair dryer to a low (warm or cool) setting and direct the air into the passage. Hold the dryer 18 to 20 inches away and do each ear for 30 seconds. This will eliminate the moist conditions in which bacteria thrive.
Blunt a bee sting. If you’re at a picnic and there’s some meat tenderizer handy, use some to break down the proteins in the venom. If there’s some aspirin in your purse, moisten the sting, then rub some on to reduce inflammation. (And don’t take out your venom on the bee that stung you; breaking its venom sack will attract others.)
Ice an ache. Summer is the season for overdoing it. When your muscles are yelping after a long day of hiking or biking (and the nearest Jacuzzi is miles away), grab a drink from the cooler, lay a light T-shirt or towel over your sore spots, and roll the can or bottle back and forth. Doing so will reduce inflammation and massage away lactic acid. After you feel better, pop the top. You’ve earned it.
Comments from Members
These are good remedies, the blueberries I have not heard from. My grandmother used to put 2 drops of white vinegar in our ears when we got out of the pool everyday, it seemed to keep any problems away. I hope more people post more ideas! Debbie Watson, Cincinnati, Ohio
I will definitely try some of these remedies. As a parent I know I am always looking for some new things just in case I dont have a certain product in the house. I love Bactine. I use it for almost all my childrens complaints, a scratch, a bug bite, a burn and it is always good for those nasty paper cuts you get in the office. Spray a little on a band-aid and by the time you get home you will have no problems giving the kids their baths and cleaning up from dinner. I like to put a few drops of peroxide in my daughters ears to keep them open from any wax that may build up.
here is a post I wrote on natural sunburn remedies. they worked great in Florida this year!
http://www.prissygreen.com/2009/05/sunburn-remedies.html sorry forgot to place the link!
if you get a nasty cut that's hard to stop bleeding (and there are no band~aid's big enough to stop it or you're on the way to the doct's cause it's still bleeding), mash up an aspirin or two *depending on size of cut/gash/wound* and sprinkle the powder into the cut. This will co~agulate it enough until some stitches can be administrated.....And good ole Vinegar to take out the sting of sunburn....Lemon Thyme is a great pick~me~up when you're feeling down. And it's pretty to grow, and is a pretty ground cover and lovely yellow color too..Also for a bee bite and you have no anti~bee still medicine on hand, you can use ammonia.. Like Parsons Ammonia cleaner or even Windex window cleaner.. it'll take the sting out of the bite within a few moments.. I didn't believe it, but a neighbor used it and I had a 3 yr. old one day that got a bee stuck in his rubber boot, and no bite medicine, she used my ammonia and the wee~one stopped crying with in 2~3 minutes and off to play again.
wet tea bags work wonders on sunburn. Just wet them and pat on the sunburn (you can even brew them first, and enjoy iced tea). No meat tenderizer or asprins? wet some baking soda and place on the bee sting. *a note about Bactine--I used to swear by it in the liquid squeeze form when I was growing up--but I tried some in the spray bottle on my kids, and they went thru the roof with pain....I dont know if they changed the formula or what, but watch the pump spray version.
For Ears, as many have said, a little alcohol in the ears to dry the ears or white vinegar which restores the ph balance in the ears, so bacteria cannot grow.
while growing up my grandma told us when we gor stung by a bee/wasp, to get mud and a penny. Place it where you got stung, and let it work. I swear to this day that it works. also my sister n law said for pain of a bee sting rub a garlic all over the area
Instead of applying suntan lotion (especially in Florida) I use sunblock and it's great !!!!!!!!!!!!! A gorgeous tan without burning. My skin is very light and when my husband and I were first married he suggested I try the sunblock.......of course I said, no way. He said just try it...and I took his suggestion. And wow, what a tan !!
Excellent article. A few of those I've heard of before. I swear by the alcohol for the water in the ears. I used to be an athletic swimmer and used a product whose main ingredient was isopryl alcohol. So now I just use the generic isopryl alcohol.
the alcohol/white vinegar was always a must after getting out of the pool after swim team practice. it always worked to prevent swimmers ear.
For a bee sting, we always used a potatoe. Cut it to fit the spot and apply, in no time at all the stinger will be gone along with the pain.
for a bee sting, use a paste made of baking soda and water. it cools the sting down quickly.
I noticed no one mention Aloe Vera. I have a huge plant that is bursting with aloe for soothing a sunburn, helps heal a cold sore, relieves a toothache, heals a pimple, takes away constipation and promotes healing of a cut or scratch. If I have a limb that breaks off on it's own, I put it in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator.
I use the vinegar for sunburns. For a tummy ache my grandmother always grew pepermint plants you pick off the leaves and brew them like tea and cures a stomach ache in minutes. I did this when I was pregnant and it works for morning sickness too.
constipation is NOT a cure for diarrhea, not only can you have constipation with diarrhea, trying to cause it could cause an intestinal blockage!!! neither is good for your bowels. drink plenty of (clean) fluids like water or electrolytes and take immodium along for diarrhea instead.
apple cider vinegar with the mother veil in it, on a cotton ball covered with a band aid every night for three weeks took a mole with a fluid filled sack away. turned black then fell off as a scab. suppose to work on skin tags as well.
Use bleach, like Purex, on a bite or sting. It will take away the pain & hurt immediately. Also is you get bitten by a bee, ant, wasp, etc. & you are around someone that is chewing tobacco, have them give you a litte piece of their chew, place it on the site of the entry & the sting will leave immediately.
my husband was stung when working in the yard i made paste with meat tenderizer and water put in on his hand he told me later it really helped.
for a bleeding cut that won't slow down put black pepper on it, it will coagulate the blood and it doesn't sting or burn.
I grew up using vinegar, white or brown, for sunburns. Very cooling. Also, Peppermint chewing gum, if you don't care for tea, is great for nausea. I chewed a lot of it during my first pregnancy.
To prevent ingrown toenails take a small pair of manicure scissors and with the scissors open take the inside blade and scrape the center of the nailbed several times to make the center thinner than the outside of the nail. This takes pressure off of the outside of the nailbed, which will prevent ingrown toenails, especially in big toes! I had surgery 4 times for them until my grandmother taught me this remedy and I began to do this years ago and I have not had another ingrown nail since! Another remedy is to cut a small "v" in the top of the center of the nail. I don't think it is quite as effective or as attractive, but it does work to. I also use vinegar as a disinfectant for medical supplies, such as my nebulizer tubing, inhalers for asthma, and nail files, etc. If you use alcohol on certain types of medical equipment, especially rubber, like c-pap machines, it can deteriorate the tubing. To help sleep at night I use a pillow mist (can purchase at Kohl's, Bath and Body Works, etc.) made with chamomille and lavendar. Spray a bit on your pillow before retiring for the night, enjoy the pleasant scent, as well as get a peaceful night's sleep! Baby oil rubbed on the heels before bed is great for dry, cracked heels! Soft paper towels can be dipped in olive oil and used as facial cloths or baby wipes...works great and all natural!
For pain in your ears, try using Wally's ear oil need to use 2 drops in each ear, it has some herbs and other properties to relieve what is going on in the ears. Deb
great info. got anymore?
Warm or hot honey lemon water will soothe a sore throat and leasen the strength of a cold.Sunburns take a bath with epsom salts and powdered milk.The epsom salts alone in a bath work great for aches.When my skin gets really dry I also use powdered milk and cheesecloth full of oatmeal. It's pretty messy otherwise.Also pure honey can be used if you don't have any neosporin on hand.To keep ants away spray outside items with a vinegar water mix. I use applecider because it smalls better the ants hate the smell. I use it on our door frame to keep them out too.
