Whether you’re the type to pull herbs out of your kitchen cupboard or cabbage out of the fridge, you’re undoubtedly the type of person to give a good old fashioned home remedy a try when you’re feeling a bit ill. While some remedies offer nothing more than a placebo effect, others actually work. You don’t have to be pursuing your masters in nursing to learn about these fabulous remedies; we’ve compiled the list for you.
Pedialyte
This suggestion from a nurse in the field has been tried and tested; and it works! Part of the reason that we get a hangover after a night of living it up is that our bodies become dehydrated. Drinking a bottle of Pedialyte can help to replenish electrolytes and prevent that morning hangover. The trick to this remedy is drinking the Pedialyte after you’ve stopped drinking but before you go to bed.
Chicken Soup
Chicken soup really does work according to the Mayo Clinic. Chicken soup helps to reduce inflammation and helps mucus move through your nose. If you’ve ever had a cold and suffered with congestion that seemed like it would stay in your head for days, you know how important mucus movement can be.
Milk
Milk does a body good in more ways than one. If you receive a mild burn, the kind that turns your skin pink but doesn’t make you blister, soaking it in cold milk can bring almost instant relief. If the burn is on an area of your body that can’t easily be soaked, saturate a towel with cold milk, fold the towel and hold it on the burn for 15 minutes. Additionally, milk is a fantastic remedy for those times in the kitchen when you forget that you’ve been handling hot peppers and inadvertently touch your eyes. If you get pepper juice in your eyes, have someone slowly pour a glass of milk into your eyes; just take out your contacts first.
Mint Tea
It doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for enough people to make it worth mentioning. Peppermint tea can help settle your stomach when you’re feeling especially nauseated. Mint tea can also bring relief to itchy skin. Simply boil two cups of water and steep an ounce of dried peppermint or spearmint leaves. Let your tea cool, soak a clean towel in the tea and hold it on the area of your skin that’s causing your discomfort. The menthol in the tea will act as a natural itch reliever.
Salt Water
Most of us know that gargling with salt water can help relieve a dry, itchy throat, but did you know that it can also act as a decongestant? Mix three teaspoons of salt, one teaspoon of baking soda and one quart of water. Mix your ingredients until everything is dissolved and then, using a bulb syringe, gently squirt the salt-water mixture into one nostril. Make sure that you are leaning over the sink with your head tilted to the side. The water will run up one nostril and down and out of the other. As the water comes out, germs and mucus will be flushed out with it.
While it’s important to see a doctor for more serious illnesses or injuries, there are many things that you can take care of at home with items you can easily find in your kitchen. The next time you’re struck with a cold or burn yourself on the oven, try one of the home remedies above. You may just be surprised at how well they work for you.
Carrie Johnson is an avid blogger who writes often for health sites. You can follow her on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Johnson121_
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