My family has watched our health insurance deductible go from $100 per person two years ago to $1500 per person this year. We pay more out-of -pocket each month and get less coverage than we used to. I know we’re not alone. Forty-six million Americans have no health insurance at all, and at least 25 million more are reportedly underinsured.
The reality is that for many of us in the U.S., going to the doctor is something we can increasingly do only when absolutely necessary. That makes having a knowledge of common illnesses and effective home remedies a necessity.
Of course, serious ailments are best left to the professionals – heart attacks, bone breaks, and strokes to name a few. But the good news is – for most minor ailments, home care is usually gentler, less toxic, and as effective as the treatments a doctor would prescribe. I’m continuously amazed at the body’s ability to stay healthy with the basics – clean water, healthy food, adequate rest, time outdoors, etc. – and to heal itself with the help of simple, inexpensive treatments.
I have stacks of books about diagnosing and treating common conditions and using medicinal herbs, which I flip through often. (Recently I’ve been using Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand quite a bit.) But I have a secret resource that’s better than all of my books combined – my mom. She’s an almanac of everyday ailments and simple treatments, and I’ve learned so much from her, especially about being curious and resourceful.
Recently I had the opportunity to discover (or rediscover) these simple, effective remedies:
- Pink eye (infection of the membrane lining the eyelids) – Hold hot compress on eye for 15-20 minutes several times a day. Wipe contact lens solution on affected eyelid.
- Wasp stings – Apply a paste of baking soda and water.
- Joint pain or arthritis – Take Yucca root extract and/or fish oil.
- Wounds – Soak in salt water.
- Bruises – Treat with a witch hazel or caster oil compress
- Burns – Soak in ice cold water, then in soy sauce.
- Veterinary care – Animal Apawthecary tinctures. (I’ve given these to our cats for various ailments over the years and found them to be amazingly effective and safe. In many cases, they worked better than the drugs our vet prescribed, with none of the side effects.)
I hope health care becomes more accessible and affordable for all Americans soon. But even if it does, I’ll use home remedies – because they work.
Looking for more on do-it-yourself health care? Check out these posts:
- Simplify Your Medicine Cabinet
- Simplify Your Personal Care
- Stay Well: 5 Winter Immunity Boosters
- Winter Wellness Recipies
- Herbs Made Easy
- Simple Herbal Tonics
Have you discovered home remedies that are safe and effective? I’d love to hear about them.
How do you decide when to stop home treatments and see a doctor?
Hi Lydia, Good question. I think this is something more us are having to think about because of sky-rocketing health care costs. If a condition seems serious, doesn’t respond to home care, or continues to get worse – I consider going to the doctor. (Fortunately this happens very, very rarely, at least so far.) If it’s my son who’s sick, my husband and I usually call his doctor to see if it’s something we should go in for. Oddly, it almost seems more difficult to decide when one of the cats is sick – maybe because they can’t talk? And veterinary care is so expensive! It’s always a hard call.
How about you? How do you decide?
I grew up in the US, Abby, and I completely understand where you’re coming from. Things are a little different up here in Canada. When you need to see a doctor, you’ll only have to pay for any prescription medicines that s/he may prescribe. Virtually everything else is free (although you do have to pay a little bit for a private room if you end up in the hospital).
There’s a real push here to keep everyone healthy without wasting medical resources. I can’t remember the name of it at the moment, but to give one example we have a toll-free number that anyone living here can call. Nurses are at the other end of the line all day every day and they are a great help in deciding whether certain symptoms should be treated at home or seen by a family doctor.
They tend to be a little conservative in pushing for doctor visits in my opinion, but I’m sure it can’t be easy to diagnose people over the phone.
To give another example: free flu shots are given out at the mall in November and December. People with underlying health issues have access first, of course, but other than last year there have always been extra doses available before Christmas for everyone else.
I don’t see my family doctor often, though. I have a (free) yearly physical, and once every year or two I might need to go in for other reasons. Like you I believe in preventative medicine (e.g. I don’t smoke or drink, eat well, try to exercise regularly and almost always get enough sleep) and letting one’s body heal itself if at all possible.
Thanks for explaining the system there, Lydia. It sounds like a more sensible approach in many ways.
Hey nice new look (except I don’t like the random ads at the bottom of the post, kind of off putting). I like these herbal/self care health posts of yours.
Thanks, Renee. I can’t see these random ads! WordPress warns that they can put ads on any blog, but I’ve never seen any on mine. )=
In Russia we have a great saying about treating a cold: If you treat it (with medicine), it will go away in seven days. If you don’t, it’ll be gone in a week.
The point is, it’s important to know whether you’re “treating” an illness or just covering up the symptoms. Personally, I always prefer to know what my body is undergoing instead of covering it up with painkillers. The upside to that is that if your body is fighting a virus, for instance, it gets weak – you know and feel and cannot help but get rest. If you take a tylenol or ten, you don’t feel the pain, and may think you’re healed when actually the virus is still there. You’ll go out, over-exert yourself, and may get even more sick.
I guess that’s not a home remedy per se….just an approach to using “traditional” medicine…
I worked with a doctor who related a similar sentiment to your Russian saying. She said she loved it when a patient came in halfway through an illness, because it meant he’d most likely get better soon – no matter what the doctor did or prescribed.
Your approach sounds excellent to me. You’re so right about the downside of masking symptoms with painkillers, etc..
Love the post – I make a lot of bitters to flavor cocktails which has opened my eyes to herbal remedies and tinctures and through that I have found many an herbal remedy that have helped with upset stomach, insomnia, and allergies. Really, there need be a class when one is in high school teaching us about the most common herbal remedies – as it is pitiful that we as individuals don’t know more about taking care of ourselves. Furthermore, many of these remedies have been handed down through hundreds of years and many generations – rather than some of these fly-by-night pharmaceutical remedies that are put on the market more to make profit than to actually be healing. Unfortunately, what many don’t realize is that these are not “side effects” but rather effects of that medicine, a clever marketing tool. I encourage everyone to read about herbs and tinctures, as you cannot help but be surprised by what you can do for your own health once you know a little bit more.