Home Remedies

Home remedies and natural cures can be made in your home from natural ingredients. Juices can be made from fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Home remedies are simple; there is no list of side effects to worry about and no chemicals, and by using and making the home remedies, you have the pleasure of knowing you can reduce the symptoms and heal yourself.

The idea behind home remedies is to use the natural chemicals found in herbs, spices, fruits, and juices to fight pain, infection, and other ailments without using the strong chemicals in prescription medications.

Healthy food (such as eating berries), avoiding pollutants and toxins, and practicing healthy living habits is the first line of defense in having a long and healthy life.

Using Home Remedies

People from all different age groups realize they need to take their health care issues into their own hands to find relief from everyday health problems, and turning to home remedies provides a natural approach.

Here are a couple of examples of popular home remedies:

Home Remedies for Muscle Pain

Mother nature has many great ways to treat muscle pain, usually caused by simple inflammation. Namely, they are cold and heat.

When pain first occurs, use a cold compress to treat the area and reduce pain and inflammation. You should wrap the cold compress with a towel before placing it on your skin and cool it for 20 minutes off/on for up to 3 days.

If pain remains after three days, a warm compress or heating pad may bring soothing relief and decreased stiffness to the area. A warm bath or gentle massage may also help to reduce pain further.

Over-the-counter muscle preparations such as Bengay or Tigerbalm with eucalyptus and other soothing ingredients can be used on intact, uninjured skin, which penetrates the skin and helps reduce feelings of stiffness and pain. 

Home Remedies for Insomnia

Unfortunately, most people have experienced the inability to go to sleep, myself included.

Some popular and also effective methods to help people sleep are:

  • Reducing room temperature
  • Reducing room light
  • Reduce exposure to electronics and blue light 2 hours before bedtime.
  • Avoid stimulants such as beverages containing caffeine several hours before bedtime.
  • Use a melatonin supplement a few hours before bedtime.
  • Supplemental GABA is said to help calm the mind.
  • Lavender essential oil is said to help reduce stress and send you off to sleep.
  • White noise is helpful for some people to stop a racing mind.

As someone who has struggled with insomnia my whole life, I've not found a consistent remedy. Instead, rotating my solutions and trying the treatments that have been successful in the past usually help me eventually drift off to sleep.

Home Remedies for Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a common condition caused by overeating, parasitic or viral infection, anxiety, food poisoning, and more. Diarrhea can deplete the body of potassium and magnesium, and the sufferer can become tired and dehydrated.

If you are having bouts of diarrhea and don't know what to do, here are some excellent home remedies:

Drink Plenty of Fluids

This is especially important for infants and children to replace the proper amount of electrolytes within the body. For adults, drinking warm milk has been known to help with diarrhea.

Onion and Raspberry Tea

Grate an onion and squeeze it through a cheesecloth to obtain the juice. A teaspoon of this and a warm cup of raspberry tea every hour will help eliminate diarrhea.

Thyme Essential Oil

This works great to cleanse areas of bacteria. This will help to ease spasms associated with diarrhea.

There is additional information on these home remedies and more on the pages throughout Home Remedy Central.

Benefits of Using Home Remedies

Home remedies can cure and relieve many minor ailments without waiting in the doctor's office. You can perk yourself up and increase your resistance to infections and disease with easy, low-cost home remedies. Check with a health professional if your symptoms persist or if you have any questions.

Browse Home Remedy Central to find natural cures for colds, scrapes and bruises, flu, and other ailments, and make a home remedy together.