Posted on 09/30/2010 11:58:50 PM PDT by neverdem
Edited on 10/01/2010 5:52:45 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
“This is news??? Heck, when I was a kid, if I came home snake bit, with a broken leg and an arrow sticking out of my back, my Mom would have handed me a glass of salt water to gargle before she did anything else.”
LOL - me too.
You mean, before you went out, she didn’t tell you, “If you fall out of a tree and break both legs, don’t come running to me.”?
The best bet is to be pragmatic. Only today we are finding out why some traditional remedies worked. (And don’t ever forget that the vast majority of traditional remedies, and many modern medicines, *don’t* work.)
For example, the reasons a warm, salt water gargle works is first, because it cuts mucous, and thus removes the growth medium for pathogens. Second, the mucous also contains a lot of irritants that stimulate the tissues to secrete more mucous. Third, salt water draws the moisture out of pathogens via osmosis, which kills them, and the extra moisture in inflamed tissue, improving blood flow and returning them to normal. Finally, a warm saltwater gargle does not harm the healthy tissue.
I’ll add the follow up that swallowing a lot of mucous isn’t good for you, so if you have a lot, you should drink apple juice, as it cuts the mucous in your gut.
There is one home remedy that is almost as bad as the problem it cures, but should be kept in hand for if you are utterly desperate and in extreme discomfort. It is for an agonizing sore throat, that hurts so much that it is excruciating to swallow, or even breathe.
It is just a few grains of horehound herb. Chewed up, it coats and soothes a severe sore throat unlike anything else. But at a price.
It is one of the nastiest, foulest, and most persistent tastes you will ever experience. And just a few grains last for hours. But it is better for an extreme sore throat than anything else out there.
I recommend a “Neti Pot”. We moved to Arizona and the dryness was terrible to deal with. I bought a neti pot after reading and discussing it’s use. Now I use it every single morning. I still have to deal with allergies, but I’ve reduced my major sinus issues significanly. I think it’s a very healthy practive and preventative measure.
Instead of the Walgreen’s Sinus Wash Kit, have a look at something called nasopure. Very easy to use.
Are you kidding? Oysterettes are still out there...they’re in the cracker aisle at the grocery store, usually on the bottom shelf.
For a great snack, get yourself an envelope of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (NOT the dressing itself...the little packet of powder; it’s in the salad dressing aisle).
Mix the oysterettes with some olive oil to coat, then add the envelope of dressing mix, toss it to coat again, and pop it in the oven for a few minutes (10 maybe), stirring occasionally.
Eat them warm or cold...but NOT HOT!
Yummy.
Regards,
Bump
CC
Or, as I am almost certain a member of the opposite gender.
CC
Finally, vaccine compliance as early as possible should be promoted as a selfless act that reduces viral transmission that could cause morbidity and mortality in the most immune vulnerable individuals, and simply promotes herd immunity, rather than a self-centered act whose individual result and response (n = 1) currently and unfortunately seems to mirror the perceived personal effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of the vaccine.
I understand that vaccines help but really.... trying to impose that kind of guilt trip with that kind of rhetoric....
There are people who legitimately can't do vaccines and they don't need to be told they're self-centered, selfish people.
I have been gargling with salt water for years....lots of years. Also make my own solution of salt water for my sinus problems [especially during allergy season]. Use a weaker solution to sniff up your nose with cupped hands. Salt is cheap....my hands are free [no need for a neti pot]....just takes a little to get used to sniffing the salt water up your nose thing. But it works great to clear you up! Oh and if I feel really bad, I add a shot of brandy to the mix. lol
Airborne and Mucinex are the best.
For mucous congestion, there’s a herbal supplement called Fenugreek that works like Mucinex, is way cheaper and pretty safe. It smalls like maple syrup and is used as a food flavoring agent.
We’ve been using it for years and as far as I know, there’s no side effects from it, like the OTC decongestants that leave you feeling spacey. The only potential side effect that is warned about is the possibility that it may thin the blood. Otherwise, all the anti-natural health people can’t find anything else bad to say about it.
It’s safe for nursing mothers.
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html
Mr. mm likes Airborne. At least the hot drink is soothing.
But so is hot honey and lemon.
My grandmother’s recipe for curing stuff was a nasty concoction made from horseradish root soaked in whiskey. When the kids got sick, she’d take a teaspoon of that and mix it with honey and give them a dose. My mother said it did two things. One is that you never complained about not feeling well, and the other is that the next day, you felt great.
How much salt in how much water?
Well, I don't know about the horehound, but I find that Drambuie (yes, the liquer) works wonders. A teaspoon-full allowed to slowly trickle down the throat relieves all symptoms for a couple of hours. I suspect its a LOT more pleasant than the horehound, from your description.
Nice to see someone who knows the power of iodine. Seaweed iodines are good, but nascent iodine is best orally. If you have no iodine handy, then put a cap full of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution in the salt water gargle. It IS a antiseptic and can work miracles. Don't swallow the store bought brown bottle stuff, though. Only swallow the food grade stuff.
I've found (on numerous recent occasions) when you feel the first tickle in your throat or sniffle, a mega dose of Vitamin C can arrest whatever pathogen issue you may have coming. By mega dose I mean upwards of 10 GRAMS for a couple of days. Couple that with some magnesium chloride (oil) and you should be good to go.
It makes sense. I would imagine it could PREVENT a cold, if you started it at the first sign of sneezing. For people without major allergies, sneezing is not very common. It is mostly caused by stuff in your nose that shouldn't be there. Dust, viruses, etc.
Many of my colds in the past followed a day after sneezing that had no apparent cause. My system was trying to blow out the viruses that had recently been inhaled.
I remember a few years back, someone, possibly in Israel, came up with a system where you inhaled chlorine gas in small quantities every day to prevent colds. Sounds a bit drastic. I imagine it would mess up your cells after a while.
The eyes and nose are two good paths for cold viruses to get in.
When I wash my face in the morning and evening (or during the day), I always make sure to gently and slowly inhale some water into my nose, just on the verge of getting into the drowning sensation. I hold it a bit then I let it out.
It loosens up stuff in the nose so when you blow your nose, more goodies come out. It feels a lot more open. Along with those goodies, I would imagine there are some viruses you don’t want in there. This, I would think, would stop some colds before they started.
I’ve mentioned this to people and found that some people always do this and others never do it.
At Walgreens?
Thx.
Joya ping and for ref.
Thanks. LOL.
Thanks tons.
Much appreciated.
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