Archive for the ‘Home Remedies’ Category

How to Treat Foot Blisters | Prevent Foot Blister

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Blisters on the feet, though not very serious in nature, can cause a lot of discomfort and pain. Since it is the feet that bear the whole body weight when you stand or walk, the condition becomes even worse when these blisters start bursting. Before knowing how to treat foot blisters, you should understand the causes and steps to be taken for prevention. The common causes for foot blisters are as under:

  • The first and the most common cause is the friction between your feet and inner side of your shoes. Consistent friction results in heating of the skin, which ultimately causes blisters on the feet. This usually happens due to tight-fitted shoes.
  • Another common reason for occurrence of foot blisters is moisture. If your socks are wet due to water or sweating, the skin of your feet gets softened and makes it more susceptible to the formation of blisters.
  • Wearing too small or oversized socks may also sometimes lead to foot blisters. Large-sized socks may get bunched up under your feet and result into friction while walking.

For preventing foot blisters, you should take the following steps:

  • Always wear perfectly fitted socks and shoes only and ensure that your footwear is not moist.
  • If your socks get damp due to sweat, change them immediately. In order to prevent sweating, you can apply some talcum powder on your feet before going out for a walk.
  • Do dry your feet before putting on your socks and shoes.

Now you might be keen to know how to treat foot blisters? There are many foot blister remedies that you may use for the treatment of blisters on your feet. Some of the most effective home remedies are as mentioned below:

  • Soak your feet for nearly 15 minutes in comfortably warm water preferably at night before going to bed and dry by gently pressing with a towel. This softens the blisters and helps in quick healing.
  • Take some aloe vera juice and apply it on and around the blisters twice a day. This is a very good home remedy for curing foot blisters. If you are unable to get aloe vera, you can apply olive oil instead.
  • Soaking your feet in cold salt water for 10 minutes will give you considerable relief from the pain caused by food blisters.
  • If your blisters burst, apply some antiseptic gel so as to prevent any bacterial infection.

Home Remedies for Hives | Causes and Symptoms

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Hives is a skin disorder in which patches and rings are left behind on your skin over your entire body. Medically, it is known as urticaria. These patches are reddish pale in color and appear as swellings. Theses patches gradually vanish and again appear on the other parts of your body. You might be keen to know that what causes hives. A chemical known as histamine is responsible for the occurrence of hives. Histamine is released in your body when you come across some allergen. Usually, hives do not pose any serious threat, but in severe cases, hospitalization may be required.

The major causes for hives are as under:

  • Allergies due to pollens, insect bites, or certain foods such as eggs, nuts or berries may trigger the release of histamine.
  • Overexposure to extreme climatic conditions.
  • Sweat or contact with sea water.
  • In some rare cases, family history may also be a reason for occurrence of hives.

Now you know that what causes hives, you may want to know about the symptoms. The most common hives symptoms are as follows:

  • Inflamed reddish ring type patches of various shapes and sizes that appear in groups all over your body.
  • After some time, the patches gradually fade and re-appear on other body parts.
  • Severe itching and irritation in the inflamed patches.
  • Burning and stinging sensation on affected areas of the skin.

The hives symptoms may last from one day to a couple of weeks. depending upon the severity and immunity of the patient. Now the question arises: how to treat hives? In addition to the usual medical treatment, there are a number of home remedies that you can use to cure hives. The most commonly used home remedies for hives are mentioned below:

  • Mix 4 to 5 drops of grapefruit seed oil in one teaspoon of olive oil and apply it on the affected areas three times a day. This will give you immediate relief from itching and burning sensation and will help eliminate the hive patches within a few days.
  • Mix 10 to 15 drops of oregano essential oil in 2 teaspoons of virgin coconut oil. Apply it on your entire body at least twice a day. This is a great home remedy for curing hives.
  • Apply the aloe vera extract on the affected areas twice a day. It will help in fast recovery from hives.

If you find that the problem is severe, do consult your health care provider for treatment.

Premenstrual Syndrome - Symptoms And Treatment

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

The menstrual cycle is a vital reproductive cycle in women. It is made up of four phases—the menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulatory phase (or ovulation), and luteal phase.

The menstrual phase is the first phase of the reproductive cycle. It is characterized by the menstrual bleeding. This phase lasts for 3 to 7 days and leads to the loss of approximately 35 ml of blood.

The menstrual phase serves to shed the layers of tissue formed after ovulation as a preparation for implantation and the sustenance of the baby. However, if fertilization doesn’t happen and there is no zygote formation, the endometrium layers being built in the uterus are shed, which causes blood flow.

There are various symptoms which occur prior to the beginning of menstruation, which are collectively referred to as premenstrual syndrome. The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are as follows:

  • One of the most prominent symptoms of premenstrual syndrome is severe pain in the stomach, generally in the lower part. Cramps in the back and thighs are also not uncommon.
  • Some women also experience stress, depression, and anxiety during the menstrual phase.
  • Other symptoms of premenstrual syndrome include irritability, headache, insomnia, constipation, breast tenderness, and muscle and joint pain.

The menstrual phase is pretty uncomfortable and premenstrual syndrome makes it still more troublesome. Some of the remedies to relieve and alleviate premenstrual syndrome are:

  • In order to relieve premenstrual syndrome, you should consume a balanced and healthy diet. Eat a diet that is rich in minerals like iron and potassium, which help alleviate the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Some of the sources of these minerals are spinach, apple, broccoli, fish, and beans.
  • Red wine can help alleviate the stomach and muscle cramps.
  • You must not consume caffeine during menstruation as caffeine enhances the symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome.
  • Chase tea herb is instrumental in reliving premenstrual syndrome. You can put a few drops of this herb in water and consume it in the morning during the menstrual phase.
  • You can also consume peppermint tea and chamomile tea to relieve premenstrual syndrome.
  • Yarrow tea is also beneficial in relieving the symptoms of the menstrual and premenstrual phases.
  • You must not consume carbonated drinks and canned or packaged foods before and during the menstrual phase.
  • You must not remain hungry during the menstrual phase. You should eat small, but frequent meals.

Regular exercise and workouts also help in easing the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Do consult your gynecologist in case the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome persist and are troublesome.

Natural Remedies For Fibromyalgia Pain Relief

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by acute pain in the muscles and joints on the application of pressure on the body. Other symptoms of the fibromyalgia syndrome include fatigue, stiffness in the joints leading to sleep disturbances, slower bowel movements causing digestive system ailments, difficulty in swallowing, tingling and numbness, and even cognitive dysfunction.

The major causes of fibromyalgia could be stress, improper serotonin metabolism, genetic predisposition, certain physiological factors, and deficiency of growth hormone.

There are various remedies to relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia, one being acupuncture. Acupuncture is a complementary medicinal technique, which involves the insertion of very fine needles on specific points of the body, referred to as acupuncture points or meridians. The needles are inserted for the purpose of relieving pain.

Although acupuncture is not a permanent cure for fibromyalgia, this ancient traditional Chinese therapy is effective in relieving the pain in the muscles and joints, which is a primary symptom of fibromyalgia. However, it doesn’t alleviate the secondary symptoms of fibromyalgia like sleep disturbances and fatigue.

Home Remedies To Relieve Fibromyalgia Pain

As such, it is best to employ acupuncture as a complementary therapy, along with other home remedies. Some of the highly effective home remedies to relieve fibromyalgia are:

  • First of all, you must consume a balanced diet which is rich in fiber or roughage. You must include foods like cabbage, carrot, radish, beet root and onion as salads to relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
  • Coconut water is helpful in alleviating fibromyalgia.
  • As stress is a major cause of this affliction, you are recommended to resort to stress relieving measures like meditation and yoga. This will relieve fibromyalgia pain and sleeplessness as well.
  • Avoid consuming fatty and oily foods, aerated drinks, and packaged or canned foods.
  • You should consume honey and lemon juice to cure fibromyalgia. Take two teaspoons of lemon juice and honey each, mix them in lukewarm water, and drink the mixture.
  • An intake of ripe cherries is also a good remedy to relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia. You can cook ripe cherries in jaggery and butter and consume this mixture al least three times a day.
  • You are also recommended to consume fresh orange juice mixed with cod liver oil to relieve fibromyalgia.
  • Raw papaya seeds also help cure fibromyalgia. You can grind the papaya seeds and consume the paste with water.

Acupuncture is effective in relieving fibromyalgia pain, but not the other symptoms of the disease. As such, you must deploy acupuncture in conjunction with other home remedies, or alternatively, allopathic treatment to permanently cure the affliction.