Ethnomedicine/Home Remedies/G - I

Garlic

Garlic has been used for hundreds of years for culinary and medicinal purposes. Unknown to most, it was through regular consumption of garlic that monks managed to stay healthy during the outbreak of the pneumonic and bubonic plagues. Garlic is good for colds and infections. It has been recommended to use for ear infections. Simply put pure garlic oil (available at most health food stores and co-ops) into the infected ear for a few days, or as long as symptoms persist. Also, if you feel a cold coming on, a good way to fight it (or at least decrease the duration) is to bake an entire bulb on garlic for about 25 minutes or so in the oven (350 degrees), wrap it in tin foil and let it bake until it turns to a paste, and then cut the top off and spread it on toast or crackers. It is a good way to get the vitamins in garlic without the sharp taste, as roasted garlic is much less pungent than fresh (although fresh is always best). Many people take garlic supplements, but most add it to whatever dish they are preparing, in abundance! Another home remedy garlic is used for is jock itch. Jock itch is when the moist area of the body becomes warm and starts to sweat which causes itching. Jock itch mainly occurs around the genitals, inner thighs, groin area and buttocks. Great amounts of garlic may be used in food in order to cure jock itch. This is due to the fact that garlic has antifungal qualities which help the infected area.

For a large majority of the population, backache is an everyday problem. It is a problem that can be very painful and make normal tasks quite difficult. Fortunately there is a remedy to greatly reduce backaches. This remedy is simply a treatment using garlic, which was supposedly used by Native Americans. Garlic is an onion-like plant of southern Europe having a bulb that breaks up into separable cloves with a strong distinctive odor and smell. The treatment is very quick and easy to make. All it is, is an oil made from garlic. First, take ten garlic cloves and fry them in 60 ml of oil (sesame, coconut, or mustard oil will work). Slowly fry the cloves until they turn brown. Wait for the oil to cool down, and then rub it generously on the back every morning for three hours. After the three hours are up, take a warm bath. Repeat this treatment for at least fifteen days, and the back pains should be significantly reduced. (no known side effects besides irritation of the skin)

Backache is usually felt in the middle of the back or the lower back area. It may even lead to the waist and hips.

There are many causes of backache some of them being: muscular tension, straining of joints, poor posture, and incorrect nutrition resulting from an inefficient diet and lack of exercise. There are other causes such as sitting for a long period of time, lifting weights improperly, stress or emotional problems that can lead to pain and causes muscle tension, and from wearing high heals.

The most important remedy for backache is garlic. I know it sounds weird, but garlic is a very efficient healing tool in this particular case. You must take two to three cloves every morning. As mentioned above, you must also make an oil to be rubbed on your back (in the area where the pain is) for relief when soar. This oil is made by frying ten cloves of garlic in 60 milligrams of oil in a frying pan. You can use an oil from mustard oil, sesame oil to coconut oil depending on your choice. This mixture should be boiled on the stove until brown. After it is cooled, rub on back and let it stay there for three hours. After the three hours you need to jump in a warm-water shower. The backache should go away within fifteen days with this treatment.

Garlic can also be used on may skin disorders, including pimples. Pimples can disappear without scarring when rubbed with cloves of garlic several times a day. Taking garlic orally (garlic capsules) helps also. Garlic purifies the bloodstream which can lead to the long term clearance of skin.

Garlic can help alleviate pain but what about the smell it leaves on your behind? We all know garlic and onions and other foods of the same sort can leave behind a REALLY strong smell. A way to get rid of that smell after you have used them to cure any pains is to rub your hands or the "smelly" area on stainless steel. The metal in stainless steel pulls all the oils off of your fingers!

Gatorade

Drinking Gatorade aids in treating symptoms of the flu. The flu is a disease that might lead to dehydration and many symptoms problems with the stomach. Gatorade is perfect for treating some of these symptoms because of its original intended use. Gatorade was made to help the Florida Gator's football team replenish the electrolytes lost by sweating in the severe humidity found in the state. One of the main ingredients is saline which also happens to be used to prevent and treat the flu. By rehydrating the body the immune system is more able to have a successful immune response to the flu virus. It also aids in the treatment of stomach aches. It's most useful to drink 2-3 bottles a day for as long as symptoms persist. Depending on the individuals taste preferences it may be best to drink one of the less sweet flavors like lemon-lime as opposed to fruit punch. Too much of such a sweet drink can make it very unappealing after a while, or even cause the symptoms to worsen. Gatorade is associated with Western society, and although it wasn't intended for this use, it's role as a sports drink makes it perfect for treating the symptoms of influenza.

Ginger

The Chinese use ginger to help digestive processes, and treat upset stomachs, as well as a plethora of other stomach related problems, as well as some heart conditions. Ginger is also known to help with some motion sickness (thus the reason airlines always carry ginger ale, if you haven’t noticed). The intake of ginger varies, but the common forms are ginger root (in teat), ginger ale, and ginger snaps (small cookies). This is a relatively casual remedy and is most often used in cases of mild nausea or some form of indigestion. If you are having stomach problems, simply drink an ale, a tea, or have some cookies, if you have a history of stomach problems, have a ginger drink with or before your meal.

Ginger Ale

Ginger has been known to help ease stomach aches and pains. However, I don't know many people who have access to ginger. I know I can't just go outside and rip some ginger out of the ground. But don't fret for there is a simple, inexpensive alternative! Head on down to your local grocery store (if your stomach ache doesn't have you doubled over or passed out from the pain) and buy some Ginger Ale! It helps soothe the stomachs of those who don't have ginger roots laying around their house. But be careful, there are some Ginger Ales made that don't actually have ginger in them and it doesn't work without the ginger! Which is why some think of most Ginger Ale as simply having a "placebo effect" on a stomach ache, as opposed to actually curing it. Since the products that do in fact contain ginger, are heavy on the artificial syrup and lacking on the real ginger.

Ginger Tea

Zan Jafeel (in Farsi means Ginger for Ginger Tea) Ginger tea kills the common cold or flu by heating up the body. It is known for the ginger root to have many medicinal uses. Ginger is a root that is a natural warm, spicy food. For this reason, it also boosts the immune system. The best time to consume ginger tea is the first day the signs of a cold are noticed. It is also best to drink twice that day, once in the morning and once in the evening. A peeled ginger root, about two finger lengths, should be added to boiling water in a pot. After brewing, the water should be strained and poured into a teacup. There are no risks connected with drinking ginger tea. The only side effect it may have is on those who are not used to eating ginger, as it could result in diarrhea, like most Hot food. It is associated with both Middle Eastern and Indian cultures.

Ginger Root

Ginger root is very effective for treating a sprain. All that one has to do is heat the ginger root, cut it up, and apply it, with pressure, to the affected area (using a fabric to wrap it all together) until the pain subsides. Repeat the heating and wrapping of the affected area until it is healed. Do not use this method if the affected person has any allergies to Ginger. This method originates in the Philippines.

Ginger root also aids in the relief of motion sickness. If put into powder form and taken orally, the powdered ginger has been proven to alleviate vomiting and cold sweating associated with motion sickness. Although ginger works to lessen effects of motion sickness, it does not provide significantly better results than the commonly prescribed medicines available for motion sickness. But it allows an alternative practice for motion sickness given the safety of ginger.

Goldenseal

Goldenseal is a native American medicinal plant introduced to early settlers by Cherokee Indians who used it as a wash for skin diseases, wounds, and for sore, inflamed eyes. Its roots are bright yellow, thus the name. Goldenseal root has acquired a considerable reputation as a natural antibiotic and as a remedy for various gastric and genitourinary disorders. Today it is used to treat symptoms of the cold and flu and as an astringent, antibacterial remedy for the mucous membranes of the body. When you have a cold or the flu it is best to by goldenseal drops, you put 4 drops into a glass of juice or water and drink. If this is done 3-4 times a day your cold symptoms should improve drastically.

Goldenseal with Mistletoe for Menstruation

This remedy is practiced to reduce the flow of a woman’s period. The treatment is given the second day of the period and continued until the bleeding stops. Powdered Goldenseal root should be the main ingredient in the treatment (a general dose is about 250 mg per day). A third of the daily dose should be boiled in water along with a bit of Mistletoe until it has seeped into the water. The strong, bitter tea should be drunk at least two or three times a day during menses in order to lessen bleeding. Goldenseal as ah herb can be harmful to people with high blood pressure or heart conditions, and may have side effects including irritation of the mouth and throat, nausea, and digestive problems, however, these side effects tend to be very rare. This remedy was first used by Native Americans to treat mostly topical skin conditions, eye infections, diarrhea, and liver problems. The herb gained popularity in the early nineteenth century, and has had an ebb and flow of popularity since then. This particular incarnation of it isn’t necessarily popular among a certain group of people, but is lesser-known to most.

Grapes

Grapes are a vitamin rich fruit the grow on vines and are a member of the berry group. One cup of grapes is about 100 calories, making it a healthy diet food to try on for size. One cup also contains 2 grams of fiber, which is useful in maintaining ordinary bowel movements. Polyphenols, a form of antioxidant that occurs in grapes can prevent damage to the artery walls by cholesterol. Grapes are even useful in curing alcoholism. Aside from the obvious necessity of no longer consuming alcoholic beverages, a diet of grapes, eaten three times daily every five hours will help reduce the need for alcohol. Grapes contain the purest form of alcohol making them a great alternative to booze. The patient must be willing to practice self-control as well or the diet will be a waste of time.

Grape Juice

Millions of people around the world suffer from migraines. Hundreds of medicines have been created to cure migraines, but one of the simplest and cheapest ways to get rid of a migraine is to drink the juice of ripe grapes.

This remedy is said to have originated with the legendary King Jamshed of Persia. King Jamshed was so fond of grapes, that he hid his jugs of grape juice and publicly declared them to be full of strong poison so that nobody would be tempted to steal them. His wife, however, was a migraine sufferer and one day had such a bad migraine that she decided to kill herself with her husbands ‘poison’. She took the grape juice several times, but to her surprise, she did not die and her headache was cured.

Today many people drink ripe grape juice to relieve their migraines.

Grape Root

In the treatment of Psoriasis, Oregon grape root has been found to have helped reduce patches of affected skin. The root can be found in health food stores and seems to also help reduce bacteria and infections stemming from psoriasis.

Herbal Gray Tea and Honey

This is a remedy for a sore throat or if you have a cough of some kind. This treatment is to be used when you already have a cough or sore throat; this remedy is not designed as a preventative measure. The dosage one should use could be somewhere around 1 and a half to 2 cups of hot water with one packet of gray tea, then add 1-2 table spoons of honey. There is no recommended limit of how many times per day one should use this remedy. Usually this drink is used more during the winter months when people are more susceptible to colds and flues.

Green Tea

Green tea is rich in antioxidants which help maintain general good health.

Holy Basil(Tulsi)

Holy Basil(a.k.a. Tulsi) is an Ayurvedic medicine, and is highly venerated within the Hindu religion. it is used to treat common cold, headaches, stomach disorder, heart disease, different types of poisoning, and malaria. one of its most effective uses is for fever. to treat a fever with Holy Basil, first make a decoction of twelve leaves by boiling them in a half a liter of water. then administer said concoction twice a day with half a cup of milk, a teaspoon of sugar (for taste) and a quarter teaspoon of cardamom, which will bring down the temperature.

Honey

Honey can be very useful in solving problems that deal with lack of good sleep. This can also be called insomnia. Like warm milk honey has a natural chemical in it that calms the body and makes it much easier to rest through the night peacefully. Take one large glass of water and add to it two tablespoons of honey and mix. If the water is slightly warm or even hot the honey will mix easier and not settle at the bottom of the cup. Take this mixture before going to bed each night.

Honey has also been found useful in dressing burns. In many studies, wounds treated with honey have been found to speed up the healing process of burns, and also reduce scaring. Honey has a low pH, which makes it act as a very potent antibacterial agent, similar to hydrogen peroxide. It is important to note that these experiments where carried out with pure, unprocessed honey.

Honey and Lemon

In the Western Culture, when someone is sick and has a really bad cough associated with the common cold, oftentimes it might be difficult to sleep at night. A home remedy that people might use is the honey and lemon together. The honey and the lemon mixed together will minimize the amount of coughs in the night and will relax the person. The honey and lemon will coat the throat with the honey to prevent coughing. In a small glass dish add about two tablespoons of honey. To the honey, add about 3 drops of lemon juice. Heat the glass in the microwave for about fifteen seconds. Take three spoonfuls each night before you go to bed and continue each night as needed. Although this remedy has been passed down from different family generations, this method seems to work very well.

Honey and Salt

In traditional Korean culture, a mixture of Honey and Salt is believed to be effective when the Constipation continues for long period of time. Mix 40g of honey and 8g of salt in 100ml of water and drink it daily. It is better to drink it in the morning with empty stomach. Drink it for 2~5 days should show significant improve. Long-term constipation often damages skin conditions. Honey helps to protect stomach, improve digestion and improve skin condition. Thus it is a perfect remedy for constipation. There is no significant side-effects, and it is safe to drink more than the subscription indicates. Constipation is caused by various different factors. It is important to drink enough water in daily basis and have balanced meals to prevent constipation in first hand.

Honey Breathing

A home remedy that is used to help asthma attacks is the use of honey breathing. When one is experiencing an attack he or she should hold a jar of honey under their nose and breathe slowly and deeply for several minutes. The person experiencing the attack should continue to breathe in the sweet honey smell until their attack weakens and it become easier to breathe. The amount of honey needed for this remedy is one jar or a bottle of honey that has a large opening. This method has been used by many people around the world way before inhalers were prescribed to people for their asthma problems.

Honey Dollop

A way to sooth the vocal chords and lubricate them to produce a nice even singing voice is to ingest a dollop of honey 5–10 minutes before one is to sing. This significantly eliminates the scratchy unwanted flaws of the singing voice and helps to produce a clear sound. The dollop should be about the size of a tablespoon or less. This remedy is used in Western Societies, but may be attributed to other cultures as well.

Honey-Lemon Juice

Many people suffer from at least one sore throat a year, but a mixture of heated honey and lemon juice can make even the worst sore throat feel better. Combine two tablespoons of honey with one teaspoon of lemon juice and heat in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds (or until heated to desired temperature). This remedy should be taken 2 to 3 times a day for two days or until the throat feels better. Prolonged or excess use of this treatment could cause tooth decay and possibly upset stomach. This concoction was modified from that of Swedish families who migrated to the U.S.

There are different versions of the lemon and honey drink. Another version is lemon and honey tea. In order to make this, you will have to take two lemons and cut them in half. Next, squeeze as much lemon juice as possible out of the lemons into a medium-sized jar. For added lemon flavor, you may also scrape the rind of the lemon into the jar for lemon zest or even add in the whole lemon rind, after washing thoroughly. Next, add enough honey to submerge the mixture. The mixture may be refrigerated and it will be ready for the next time that you have a cold or a sore throat. In order to make the tea in the future, you merely have to boil water, pour some into a teacup and then add two to three tablespoons of the honey and lemon mixture to the hot water and stir.

Another version is the old English folklore remedy for a cold, mixing the juice of a whole orange, half of a lemon, and a tablespoon of honey into hot water. This must be taken hot three times a day for three days at the onset of a cold. It is used to boost your immune system at the beginning of a cold and fight it off before it can bring you down.

Honey Tea

Honey tea can be used to treat a sore throat or coughing. Honey tea can be bought in individual packets or easily made at home. It can be simply made from placing about 1 or 2 tablespoons of honey in hot water. Stir until the honey melts or the water turns into a dark yellow color. Drinking honey tea should not cause any risks or symptoms although consuming too much may cause stomachaches. A slice of lemon should also be added to this remedy. The lemon helps to coat your throat. The lemon also helps fight off the cold because it is filled with vitamin C which is an essential vitamin for cold prevention. This remedy can be found worldwide and is quite effective.

Honey Wrap

If you ever have the misfortune of contracting poison oak, poison ivy or any other rash obtained upon contact with a plant, sooth it with honey. Apply honey directly to the plant induced rash. You can apply the honey any way that suits you. One suggested way is to use a syringe. If you use a syringe make sure to wash it well after use with hot water to dissolve and wash away any remaining honey. After applying the honey to the affected area wrap it gently with gauze to prevent a mess. Allow the wrapped area to breath. Change the bandages two to three times a day. The rash should clear up in a few days. There are no risks associated with applying honey to a plant induced rash as long as the honey is sanitary. Doctors in Uganda use this remedy to cure native plant related rashes. This remedy works because the honey draws the poison out of your skin and then is absorbed into the bandage. This remedy also helps prevent the rash from spreading. Keeping the rash covered limits contact with the rash thus reducing the risk of spreading it.

Hot Food

The consumption of spicy hot food is a remedy used to cure symptoms of the common cold. Eating a spicy meal when relief from symptoms is desired has many beneficial effects, including clearing of the sinuses, increased circulation, and induction of heavy sweating- a process that is effective in removing toxins from the body. Consumption of spicy food can even increase fluid consumption and introduce important nutrients into a cold victims body, increasing the immune systems ability to fight disease. This is a widely used remedy with its origins lost in the sands of time.

Hot/Cold Towel

Have a minor headache? Bloodshot or tired eyes? Stressed? Putting a hot or cold wet towel on your eyes and forehead can reduce these inconveniences. For a minor headache placing a cold or warm wet towel on the forehead and applying a little pressure can reduce the pain. Do this for as long as it takes to feel minor relief from pain. For itchy bloodshot eyes due to allergies using a cold wet towel will reduce the pain and shrink the blood vassals in the eyes that make it bloodshot. Keep the cold wet towel on your eyes for however long the itchiness remains. For tired bloodshot eyes applying a warm wet towel for 10 to 20 minutes throughout the day relieves the appearance of bloodshot eyes. Lying down on a couch or chair with a warm towel over your face can also can reduce stress. The warmth of the towel mellows your out so you can relax and focus on what needs to be done. This form of relaxation is best done in a quiet environment such as a secluded part of the home or office.

Hot Compresses

A doctor-recommended remedy for a stye is a hot compress on the infected eye. Place a clean washcloth in very hot water, wring it out and apply to the eye, with slight pressure, for fifteen minutes, six to eight times a day. This helps the stye to drain and it relieves pressure, causing the eye to

Hot rice pack for muscle cramping]

Cramping is the seizing or spasms of the muscles caused by strain in the particular area. They may be spontaneous or gradual. The main symptoms of the condition are steady pain and/or firmness in the affected area due to hardened tissue. Oftentimes the application of heat helps to relieve pain by increasing blood flow to the muscle and therefore allowing the muscle to relax and relieve tension. Poor hydration or repeated use of the muscle may also be responsible for discomfort. To help relieve pain, a towel filled with raw rice may be heated in a microwave for approx. two minutes and then applied to the affected area. Leave the packet on until with the pain is relieved or the rice has cooled, in which case it may be reheated. The method may be preferable over hot water or heating pads because it is less likely to cause accidental burns on the skin.

Hot Toddy

This mixed drink can be used to soothe sore throats or otherwise relieve the common cold. Take one and a half ounces of whiskey, one ounce of honey, a third ounce of lemon juice, and three ouncaes of hot water. Warm the honey and the lemon juice for roughly half a minute in a microwave, before adding the water and the whiskey. If you wish, you can substitute the hot water for tea and the whiskey with brandy. This should help loosen mucus congestions; sip slowly to allow the effect of the warmth to take place. Keep in mind that too much alcohol is actually bad for the membranes, so limit yourself to one per day.

Hot Water / Lysol

In very far out places and especially in the early parts of the 20th century, people were not nearly as close to hospitals as we are today. Neither did they have the appropriate transportation at times. When a person did something such as step on a rusty nail and get blood poisoning, using extremely hot water with some lysol in it, the poison is extracted from the blood stream with not only the heat, but also the disinfectant. The amount of time required to keep your foot in the hot water varies upon how big the streak of poison looks in your leg or arm (and how long it takes to remove the poison). Usually around 15 minutes of soaking will be sufficient. The only risk associated with this practice is the pain factor involved. By keeping your foot in very hot water, you will extract the poison, but obviously suffer some pain. This is commonly used in the Western society as a prevention of blood poisoning.

Humidifier

When getting the common cold one home remedy is to use a humidifier. I have found that using a humidifier can help relieve the symptoms of the common cold significantly. During the long winter months when we are inside so much, we are breathing very dry and stale air. With a humidifier it brings in moisture to help with the long dry months. There are also furnace humidifiers that humidify the whole house at a moderate temperature level. Not only does it help with the common cold but I can also help in the prevention of other infections such as the flu. Although a humidifier can be used year round its best to use when the temperature is very cold, that is when the air is the most dry. Also you can run the humidifier all day and night, or until your room or house is a humid as you desire. Some other things that is helps with is if you have cracking wood furniture a humidifier can be very good. So it not only benefits people but their homes as well.

Some special considerations to take in are that there are different types of humidifiers. Besides just room humidifiers and whole house humidifiers there are a variety of room humidifiers. Some of the humidifiers blow warm/hot steam, whereas some blow cool mist air. There is not a huge difference it just your preference. The only down fall is with hot steam the temperature can become too warm and then uncomfortable. And with the cool air the room can be too cold. I am not exactly sure who invented the humidifier, but it is used all over the world, or where it can be used, but mostly in Western societies.

Humidifiers have been shown to significantly decrease snoring in those who regularly use them at night. The more the esophagus is lubricated, the less it will rattle when you breathe at night, thus decreasing the snoring. Also, those with asthma have been shown to be severely effected by the steam, allowing them much easier breathing at night, also from the amount of lubrication they receive with humidified air. All in all, respiratory ailments can be helped immensely with frequent use of a humidifier or steam producing machine.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide is used to cure bad breath within many Western society. You are supposed to mix hydrogen peroxide with water into equal parts, rinse your mouth with the solution and let it stand for 2–3 minutes. If you look into your mouth you will be able to see the peroxide solution working in between your teeth and under your gum line. Rinse your mouth well and brush your teeth as usual.

Hydrogen Peroxide can also be used to clean infected cuts. If a cut becomes infected, fill the cap of the Hydrogen Peroxide bottle (to ensure the proper amount is used) with Hydrogen Peroxide and apply it to the cut. It will sting and foam for a while, so wipe off excess liquid only after it ceases to foam, which will mean the bacteria has been killed as much as possible for the time being. Perform this treatment at least twice daily for best results.

With our society’s increasing demands on looking perfect many people have turned to bleach methods and expensive pastes as a way of whitening teeth. Hydrogen Peroxide serves as a very cheap, yet effective way to do the same thing. At only $1 a bottle, Hydrogen Peroxide has agents in it that will eat away at old stains while at the same time ridding your mouth of any bacteria present.

The process in all only takes 30 seconds to a minute and is just a swirl around your mouth before brushing your teeth. Do this once every other day, and you should see results within a couple weeks. Take precaution when using Hydrogen Peroxide and be sure not to swallow large doses as this is a chemical and could cause vomiting. It should also be noted that over usage of Hydrogen Peroxide on the teeth can peel away enamel resulting in cavities, so it is important to stick to every other day rather than daily.

In Western Society, methods such as using Hydrogen Peroxide as a bleaching agent are very popular due to high image standards. Many other cultures don’t put as much emphasis on physical appearance, leaving the usage of chemicals for beauty enhancement for Western culture.

Its chemical symbol is H2O2 and it must be stored in a dark bottle. The exposure to light should be limited because light will cause H2O2 to break down and it will no longer work properly. Large amounts can be harmful if ingested. It is used as a disinfectant or even a teeth whitener.

Many people believe Hydrogen Peroxide is an effective cure for the common cold and flu. This belief began when it was thought that influenza or the common cold entered the body through the ear canal. Once there the virus would infect the earwax and slowly move it's way into the rest of the body. To prevent this from happening, a few drops of 3% solution of Hydrogen Peroxide was put into each ear within 12 hours of the first symptoms. An odd bubbling sound would be heard as the Peroxide dissolved the earwax. This would be repeated several times a day for 48 hours. Even though the theory of how the body gets infected has long since been refuted, this remedy is still a common practice in many western households.

Ibuprofen

Athletes on a daily basis obtain strained muscles and tweak joints in certain ways that cause pain for some prolonged period of time. People in general don't like to be in pain especially if the pain prevents you from doing an activity that you consider necessary or just enjoy doing. Ibuprofen not only will take away pain as long as you believe it is going to, but is also supposed to suppress inflammation. For an athlete these to properties of ibuprofen are very important, because they both allow the athlete or just any person in general to continue with their activity. Ibuprofen is generally taken with water or some other beverage and if extreme amounts are to be taken then it is highly recommended that food it in the stomach of the taker or sever stomach pain can result. Also if too much ibuprofen is taken with certain other drugs or substances it can be very synergistic and can create a high along with a total reduction of any bodily pain.

Ibuprofen is a quickly acting pain reliever, and is effective in dulling or temporarily relieving body aches and headaches, as well as inflammation of joints and muscles. Ibuprofen is also treats the symptoms of fevers, and can reduce the recovery time of fevers. Ibuprofen can be taken at any time, but in small doses. Doses of ibuprofen should be taken every four to six hours. One should not exceed 1200 mg of ibuprofen in a twenty-four hour period, as ibuprofen thins the lining of the stomach and can cause internal bleeding. Anyone that has had an allergic reaction to any other type of pain killer should not ingest ibuprofen.

Ice

It is common knowledge almost everywhere in the world that ice is a great way to heal many different forms of injuries. Most people believe that the reason ice heals the wound is because it numbs the skin around the injury, but in reality it is more complex than that. When your body is injured it sends a larger amount of blood than normal to the area that is injured. The reason for this is that blood holds many nutrients, thus, it is the body’s way of attempting to aid the injury. Sending so much blood to the affected area is in effort to quickly heal the injury. The larger amount of blood causes the injured area to become inflamed and swollen. By putting ice on the inflamed skin it causes the blood to disperse and the inflammation to go down.

A home remedy that is very commonly used among athletes is taking ice baths. Ice baths help rejuvenate the body after the body has been put under much stress, due to constant heavy work outs or sport practices. What you must do is fill a tub with cold water about a quarter of the way. Then you put one bag of ice in the water. Lay in the water no more than 10 minutes. Ice water helps alleviate the pain of sore, tight muscles or bones and is guaranteed to make your body feel fresh and ready for another work out.

Many athletes, especially runners or jumpers, suffer from shin splints. Shin splints is the term given to the pain a person feels on their shins caused by physical activity. One home remedy that is very useful to reduce shin splints is icing the shins. There are many ways that this can be done, but one specific method seems to be the most effective. All you need is a small paper or styrofoam, water and a freezer. Fill the cup with water and wait for it to freeze. Once the water has become solid ice you remove the ice from the cup in one piece. Next, you begin to rub the ice face down along your shins. Soon, the ice will be formed to your shins and you can firmly rub for about 10 minutes at a time. This can be done as often as needed.

Ice Cream or Sherbet

A home remedy that I personally use and is very common amongst people in American Society is the use of ice cream. It can help to sooth a sore throat. It also can be used kind of as a placebo, because of its reputation as something that makes people feel good, it could trick the body into feeling better during a common cold. Also, ice cream is used by many people to help cure or deal with depression, and this seems to be fairly effective in that manner. Ice cream should not be used in excess, usually just a pint or a bowl should be enough, as more ice cream could actually make a person more sick. It should be taken while sick or depressed and should last for half and hour to an hour, or before it melts. Ice cream is common around the world, but especially popular in western society. The origins of ice cream came from the farming of cows and has been used for these purposes in western society for quite some time. Although ice cream may not be as scientifically endorsed as other western remedies, it still can help sooth an aching body or an aching soul.

Ice Then Heat

Ice then heat can be used for many things. It is a unique dual action formula which can relieve pain in the area of soreness. The cool part (being the ice) dulls the pain away and then that is followed up by the heat (which comes in many forms) relaxes the pain. It is ideal for fast pain relief but it is also long lasting for sore muscles, backache, muscle cramps and even arthritis. Use this in moderation, avoid areas that are sensitive such as underarms, or anywhere on your head.You can repeat this consecutively for the best results.Going ice for 15 minutes then heat for 15 minutes then repeat once more.

Icy-hot

Icy-hot can be used for many things. It is a unique dual action formula which comes in different forms there is a gel, a cream a stick and even a patch that you place on the area of soreness. The cool part of it dulls the pain away and then that is followed up by the heat which then relaxes the pain. It is ideal for fast pain relief but it is also long lasting for sore muscles, backache, muscle cramps and even arthritis. It is the most common typically over-the-counter pain reliever out.