This Article Lists the Most Common Home Remedies Used to Treat a Cold, Bruises, Lice & Burns

Common Everyday Problems

Common everyday problems do not generally necessitate a visit to the doctor. Below are home remedies used to treat the following conditions: lice, bumps and bruises, the common cold, and burns (including sunburns). If symptoms become more serious or complicated when treating, a doctor should be consulted.

List of Common Home Remedies

Tea Tree Oil and Lice

Lice can easily be treated with a homemade tea tree solution. For those looking for a nontoxic treatment for lice then the following mixture will be very helpful:

1. One and a half teaspoons of tea tree oil and lavendar oil mixed with four ounces of olive oil and children’s shampoo makes a mixture that can be massaged into the hair and scalp in the evening.
2. The mixture must be left on the hair and covered until the following morning.
3. Add five drops of tea tree oil to a fine-toothed nit comb and comb through the hair to get the eggs out.
4. Once the hair has been rinsed, blow dry it because this also helps destroy eggs.
5. The same procedure must be repeated for seven days.

Arnica for Bumps and Bruises

Arnica montana is the most widely known homeopathic remedy and should be included in every first-aid kit at home. It is also known as Nature’s answer to trauma and is helpful when recovering from falls, blows to the body, sprains and even surgery or giving birth.

There are very few side effects to arnica but it is best used sparingly as response to the remedy can diminish if it is used too often. It is important to point out that the herbal form of arnica is not the same as the homeopathic form. The herbal form is available in creams and tinctures and is used topically to unbroken skin. It must not, in any case, be taken internally like the homeopathic arnica.

Echinacea and the Common Cold

Over-the-counter medicines may help to reduce some of the symptoms of the common cold but they do nothing to build up the immune system or fight against infection. Echinacea not only helps prevent a cold but also reduces the symptoms and shortens the duration of the infection. Some people experience amazing relief from symptoms when using echinacea while it doesn’t work at all on others. The only way to know is to try it out.

Twenty drops of echinacea tincture every two hours during the first day of symptoms followed by twenty drops three times a day thereafter should do the trick. There is no reported toxicity with echinacea but some people may have allergic reactions to the herb.

Aloe for Burns

Minor kitchen burns and sunburn can be treated with aloe vera, a popular herb that soothes the skin as well as reduce healing time. Aloe vera gel is the most common form of treatment to be found in pharmacies or health food stores. Aloe gel with a concentration of at least 80 percent or higher is the most effective.

It’s a good idea to keep some aloe gel in the kitchen in case of minor burns or in a beach bag when going to the beach. It makes a dramatic difference in tissue healing. Aloe gel can provoke minor skin allergic reactions which can be resolved by stopping treatment.

References

The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies by Mark Stengler, N.D. published by Bottom Line Books, Edition 2004

Prescription for Natural Cures by James F Blach, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D. published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2004

Disclaimer

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