Home remedies are ideal for headache and panaceas to simple solutions for stiff backs, indigestion, charley horses, hives and more.  

Hives

Apply aloe vera gel or vitamin E oil to the affected area twice a day.

Take cayenne pepper in capsule form to aid the healing process.

Oatmeal can be really useful for hives. Pour one cup of boiling water over one tablespoon oatmeal. Let it steep for thirty minutes. Strain it, and then apply the liquid on your hives with a cotton ball. This also works to relive bug bites. Refrigerate the solution and use it in a few days. You can also make this in larger amounts and put it in your bathwater (about four cups of water and four tablespoons of oatmeal).

Take vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc to help heal.

Drink tea made with a couple teaspoons of powdered stinging nettles (add honey and/or lemon for flavour).

Infuse a bag of chamomile tea in 4 to 6 ounces hot water, cool in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, and then apply as a compress on eyes for 10 minutes, until the bag comes to room temperature. Chamomile has a mild anti-inflammatory effect.

Nasal Congestion

Putting a few drops of eucalyptus oil on the floor of a hot, running shower and inhaling the steam that accumulates, can help relieve nasal congestion. (Note: The room may be too hot for children).

Mild Heartburn

Combine 1 teaspoon powdered glutamine, an amino acid, to fuel gastrointestinal tract cells and cool inflammation; 1 capsule L. Acidophilus to introduce good bacteria to the gut; and 1 teaspoon herbal marshmallow or slippery elm powder to coat and soothe the digestive system. (The ingredients are available at health food stores).

Mix with 6 to 8 ounces yoghurt or applesauce (to get everything down) and take one or two times a day for 8 to 10 weeks.

Mosquito Bites

Rub liquid laundry detergent on the spot and let dry.

The liquid soothes the skin, dries the bite to reduce irritation, and seals the area from outside irritants.

Corns

Soak the area for 10 to 15 minutes and then apply an exfoliating scrub of water and either salt or brown sugar (3 parts sugar/salt to 1 part water). This will remove dead skin. 

Charley Horse

Use your thumb to apply pressure to the middle of the calf for 30 seconds. When you release, the cramp should have subsided.

Headaches

1. Try do-it-yourself acupressure. Feel along your trapezius, the large muscle that runs from the high point of both shoulders and joins your neck. Use your thumbs and index and middle fingers to squeeze the muscle just below where it attaches to both sides of your neck. You’ll be releasing “trigger points,” tiny muscle spasms that can cause neck tension and are a common cause of headaches. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute — or have a friend do it for you.

2. Massaging one or two drops of peppermint (Mentha piperita) oil into the same trigger points and the lower neck. Peppermint oil relaxes muscles in spasm.

Sore Throat

Mix together a clove bud, which is antiseptic and fights infection, with ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger (or 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger) and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon — the latter two because of their anti-inflammatory properties.

Infuse the tea in 2 cups boiling water, and for every cup, stir in 2 teaspoons soothing and sweet raw honey. Sip throughout the day until your throat settles down.

Dandruff

Douse it with a cup of antioxidant-packed green tea, which will naturally exfoliate dry flakes without dehydrating skin. Steep two bags of green tea in 1 cup hot water for 20 minutes to overnight. Once it has cooled, massage the strong tea into your scalp.

Treat them with tea tree oil and witch hazel, both of which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. As soon as you feel a pimple forming, dot either tonic on the area twice a day for 2 or 3 days.

Never use rubbing alcohol because that only dries out and irritates skin without having any effect on the bacteria that cause acne.

Sunburn

Take a lukewarm bath with 1 cup added ground oatmeal (grind it with a mortar and pestle; instant oatmeal works fine), 1 cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons honey, and 2 tablespoons aloe vera gel. Oatmeal is anti-inflammatory, honey is antiseptic, milk’s proteins and fats soothe skin, and aloe numbs pain.

Afterward, moisturize with a cream containing hydrating shea butter and aloe.

Diarrhea

Drink a cup of chamomile tea. The herb has an antispasmodic effect that stops contractions in the lower intestine.

Flatulence

Sip 1 cup hot water steeped with 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, which stifle the enzymatic action that causes gas.

Warts

Clean the area. Then cut a piece of duct tape to a size slightly bigger than the wart. Apply the duct tape to the site and rub into place. Every 3 days, remove the tape and file down dead skin with a pumice stone or nail file. Repeat until the wart disappears.

Chemicals in the tape suffocate and kill the wart. Studies show this method works as well as other treatments.

Get Energized

Ginseng: Whether American, Siberian, or Asian, all varieties of ginseng are thought to stimulate the release of an adrenal hormone called ACTH, which increases alertness and physical performance. Look for products that contain 4 to 5% ginsenosides, the root’s active ingredient.

Caveat: Do not use ginseng if you’re taking antibiotics or the blood thinner warfarin. Because guarana contains caffeine, do not use if you have high blood pressure or a heart condition.

Beat Pain and Inflammation

Omega-3 fatty acids: Found in fish oils and flaxseed, omega-3s effectively tamp down inflammation and pain.

Caveat: Because omega-3s thin the blood, do not use if you’re already taking a daily aspirin or warfarin.

Capasiacin: A compound found in hot peppers, capsaicin soothes sore muscles by first stimulating, and then decreasing, pain signals.

Improve Digestion and Regularity

Psyllium husks: Taken with at least 8 ounces of water or juice as a fiber powder, psyllium aids in the absorption of food and prevents constipation by absorbing liquid in the intestines, making a softer stool that’s easier to pass.

Caveat: Use as part of a daily wellness regimen; do not use if you have stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting.

Ginger: The active ingredients in gingerroot can calm queasiness and relieve indigestion and excessive gas.

Boost Immunity

Probiotics: A Swedish study found that employees given “healthy” bacteria supplements every day missed less work because of illness than those given none.