The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (27 page)
Authors: Stacey Chillemi,Dr. Michael Chillemi D. C.
Other Treatment
1.
Acupuncture
, which involves putting very thin needles into the skin at certain points on the body to produce energy flow along the body's meridians. This may help relax muscles and reduce headache pain.
2.
Biofeedback
to reduce stress
3.
Feverfew
, which is an herb that may help prevent migraines. More research is still needed to prove its benefits.
4.
Butterbur
, which is an herb that has been shown to help prevent migraines in some people.
5.
Relaxation techniques
, which may help reduce stress in your life.
Herbs that Help Migraine:
Bay Leaf
Feverfew
Kola Nut
* * * *
It has estimated that between 50 to 80% of women experience morning sickness, or nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Despite its name, nausea lasts throughout the whole day for many women. It usually peaks by week 9 and diminishes by week 20.
A Canadian study surveyed pregnant women and found:
Almost two thirds (61.2%) of women used natural remedies to alleviate morning sickness
The three most common types of natural remedies used were ginger tea, acupressure wristbands (called "sea bands"), and vitamin B6
Among the women who used natural remedies, 20.7 % reported mild adverse reactions. Most common were intolerability of the strong flavor of ginger and wrist irritation among respondents who used acupressure wristbands.
Diet-the following dietary suggestions may help relieve morning sickness
Eat frequent smaller meals, so that you are never too hungry or too full at one time
Avoid fatty or fried foods
Keep crackers, bread or toast, cereal, or other bland foods handy.
Try eating something before getting out of bed in the morning.
Identify any triggers and avoid them
Make sure you are drinking enough fluids. Try drinking in between meals rather than with meals, which some women find helpful.
Acupuncture
A randomized trial looked at 88 pregnant women with hyperemesis, a severe form of morning sickness. Women received either an anti-nausea drug called metoclopramide or twice weekly acupuncture sessions for two weeks, plus acupressure. Both treatments were found to reduce nausea and vomiting intensity. Acupuncture was more effective than the drug in improving psychosocial functioning.
Acupressure Wrist Bands
Acupressure wristbands, often marketed as "sea bands", stimulate the pericardium 6 (p6) acupuncture point, which is known in traditional Chinese medicine to relieve nausea. It usually begins to work immediately. It is a wristband with a plastic button that puts pressure on the p6 point inside of the wrist. They usually cost less than $10 for a pair and can be found online or in some health food stores.
Ginger
Ginger (zingiber officinale) is a common remedy for morning sickness. It has been used for centuries in cooking and medicinally. The Food and Drug Administration classifies ginger as “
Generally Recognized as Safe"
.
Many medical doctors, midwives, naturopaths, and other health practitioners recommend ginger for morning sickness. Four double blind, randomized clinical trials support this recommendation. The dose used in the studies was a total of 1 g of ginger per day, taken in divided doses, for 4 days to 3 weeks. This is equivalent to 1/2 teaspoon of ginger taken four times a day. It can be steeped with hot water for at five minutes to make a hot ginger tea.
Some sources say there is not enough information about the safety of ginger in pregnant women to recommend it for morning sickness, suggesting that ginger inhibits an enzyme called thromboxane synthetase and may possibly influence sex steroid differentiation in the fetal brain. Studies have not confirmed this. Another concern is that ginger interferes with platelet aggregation and may prolong bleeding time. A study that followed 187 women who had taken ginger during the first trimester found no statistically significant difference in the number of malformation, spontaneous abortion, and stillbirths.
Peppermint Essential Oil
The aroma of peppermint can help a queasy stomach. Fill a large bowl with hot water. Place 2 drops of peppermint essential oil in the bowl and places it on a table near your bed. Make sure it is in a safe area so there is no risk of it being knocked over. Or use an aromatherapy diffuser, which can be purchased at some health food stores.
Other helpful herbs to cure nausea:
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Fennel Seed
Ginger Root
Lemon Balm
Quassia
Slippery Elm Bark
Turmeric Root
Wild Yam
* * * *
Did you know…?
It is estimated that three out of five Americans will be affected by parasites
What Are Parasites?
Parasites sometimes appear like a digestive problem. Chronic diarrhea is a common sign of parasites. Parasites can cause a wide variety of symptoms, such as abdominal pain, allergy, anemia, bloating, bloody stools, chronic fatigue, constipation, cough, diarrhea, gas, irritable bowel syndrome, itching, joint and muscle aches, nervousness, hives, allergic reactions to foods, mucus in the stools, poor immune response, rashes, sleep disturbances, teeth grinding, fever, unexplained weight loss.
Parasites can deplete the body of nutrients such as vitamins A, B6, and B12, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, overwhelm the immune system, which can lead to severe illness.
Symptoms
Parasites are a hidden disease, because most people who have parasites do not know it.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Crohn’s Disease
Ulcerative Colitis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Diarrhea
AIDS
Arthritis
Sources of Parasites
Many people think parasites are something we only get from traveling in other countries, but this is not true. Contaminated water supplies, international travel, day care centers, pets, consumption of raw fish are just some of the reasons why parasites have become more prevalent.
Food
– Raw or undercooked beef may contain tapeworms or the roundworm Trichinella. Raw fish such as sushi, sashimi, ceviche, and smoked salmon may contain tapeworms and anisakid worms. Poor digestion can be a contributing factor. Someone with a low acid level in the stomach may not be killing germs in the foods they eat.
Water
– Two of the most common parasites are Giardia and Cryptosporidium, which can survive even in chlorinated water for up to 18 months.
Travel
– Parasites that were once associated with tropical diseases are now appearing in North America, due to the rise in international travel and migration.
Pets
– Some of the parasites that may be transmitted from pets to human include roundworm, hookworm, and toxoplasmosis. They are transmitted through contact with fur containing parasite eggs, infected fleas, or contact with animal feces.
Testing for Parasites
Random stool tests are the most common form of testing for parasites. This test detects about 85 to 90 percent of parasites. Some parasites, such as Giardia, live further up in the digestive tract so some labs now give an oral laxative prior to testing for parasites. This is called a stool purge.
Another form of testing is a rectal swab. This is used because some parasites live in the mucous membranes that line the intestines rather than in the stools. A rectal swab allows a sample of mucous to be taken.
Treatments
There are varieties of mainstream drugs to treat parasites. They are effective and many work within one to two weeks. Some may cause severe side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, cramps, and vertigo and be hard on the liver.
If you suspect that you have parasites, it is a good idea to get a diagnosis from a physician and follow his or her treatment recommendations. You can discuss these natural treatments and herbs with your doctor if you would like to try a natural approach and avoid some of the side effects caused by prescription drugs for parasites.
Natural treatments are highly effective but work more slowly, taking about a month. They generally contain herbs such as garlic, wormwood, goldenseal, grapefruit seed extract, and/or black walnut. Friendly bacteria such as acidophilus and bifidus should be replaced after therapy is finished.
Herbs
Garlic
- Garlic (allium sativa) contains the active constituent allicin, which has been shown to be effective against Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lambia. It has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is used for pinworms, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and giardia. Garlic is available in capsule and tablet form. Another way is to juice three cloves of garlic with four ounces of vegetable juice and drink it, repeating every two hours.
Goldenseal
- The herb goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) has been used historically for infections involving the mucous membranes throughout the body. The active constituent of goldenseal is the alkaloid berberine, which has been shown to be effective against bacteria, fungi and parasites, particularly giardia parasites.
Black walnut
- Black walnut is a traditional herbal remedy for ringworm, athlete’s foot, and healing cracks in the hands and the feet. It is the juice of unripe hulls of black walnut that are used for parasites and fungal infections.