How many times have you sat at home in pain, not wanting to go to the doctor’s office because you didn’t want to rack up doctor visit bills? I think we all have. We have the mindset that if we just deal with the pain for a little while longer, it will eventually go away.
Well, that pain will sometimes go away within a few hours on its own depending on what type of pain you have. The worst part about dealing with pain or some kind of ailment on your own is not having any type of medication (or the right type of medication) to remedy the pain or sickness you have, at that moment.
Also with pain and sickness, there are people who are completely against any types of medication, so home remedies are their main source of treating the common ailments they may face. What a lot of people don’t realize is that we have the natural resources needed to treat common ailments right in our own home. It’s in your cabinets, pantry, and on your countertops!
So there will be no more sitting in pain when you have all the ingredients to feel better sitting right at home. Check out these home remedies that will have you feeling better in the comfort of your own home!
1. Heartburn/Acid Reflux
Heartburn, also known as acid reflux, is something experienced by adults of various ages. Acid reflux is essentially the acid produced by your stomach going back into your esophagus. For the most part, what we eat is to blame for the intensity of the heartburn we experience.
If you’re like everybody else that enjoys the occasional “bad foods,” then you probably enjoy sodas, caffeine, alcohol, tomato-based foods, and spicy foods. Those are all foods that stimulate heartburn, as well as increase the production of stomach acid. To easily treat your heartburn symptoms take a look at two of my favorite remedies that I live by.
Remedy 1: Mustard
Photo Credit: organicfacts.com
As we know, acid is caused by unequal levels of acid in the stomach. Well, something as little as a teaspoon of mustard can equalize those acid levels in your stomach. It might not be the most pleasant remedy for those who are not too fond of mustard, but it’s something you more than likely already have in your refrigerator, plus it beats running to the drug store in the middle of the night when your heartburn hits to grab some antacids!
Remedy 2: Laying on Your Left Side
If you have suffered through heartburn, when does it hit you? For the most part, heartburn always does its best work at night, when you’ve been laying down for extended periods of time, but the way you sleep has a lot to do with it too.
Sleeping on your left side tends to calm your acid reflux while sleeping on your right side tends to aggravate it. The same is said for sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your back interrupts the acid flow from the esophagus while sleeping on the right side makes it take longer for the acid to exit your esophagus. So if you wake up in the middle of the night with heartburn, be sure to lay on your left side. In fact, go eat a teaspoon of mustard, and then go lay on your left side!
2. Congestion
One of the worst feelings in the world is to be congested. The stuffy nose and feeling like you can’t breathe, is just maddening at times, but luckily, it’s just a temporary problem. Congestion is usually a symptom associated with a viral infection, commonly known as the “common cold.”
The common cold usually comes with other symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, and the dreaded sore throat, but congestion can be the most frustrating of them all. To remedy congestion, you can easily do a couple of things at home.
Remedy 1: Take a Hot Shower
This might sound a little strange to you but whenever you are congested and hop in the shower, don’t you feel like you can breathe again? You should! The steam and heat from the shower will help to break down the mucous allowing it to drain from your nose which will help you breathe better, even if it’s only for a short while.
Remedy 2: Eucalyptus Oil
Photo Credit: nutrientsecrect.com
Boil some water and put a few drops of eucalyptus oils in the water and just inhale the steam from the water. In case you didn’t know, Vicks Vapor Rub smells just like eucalyptus oil, so adding that to boiling water will definitely break down mucus.
In knowing all these helpful home remedies, now you have the opportunity to share your wealth of home remedies with others by creating your own lifestyle blog! You can share all your home remedies and talk about other things like recipes or simply hobbies you have, but to start, you have to blog about it… so get to it!
3. Tension Headaches
There’s not one person in the world who has never had a headache. When you have headaches, what is your go-to remedy? Most people are quick to pull out aspirin or ibuprofen,
but taking these particular medications might get rid of your headache, but it can also cause heartburn, so you have to be careful with these OTC (over the counter) medications.
Headaches can be caused by all kinds of stimuli. Stress, crying, allergies, and hunger can all cause headaches. Some headaches are manageable where you can work through it until it goes away, but then there are other headaches that are way more intense, and almost debilitating for some.
Remedy 1: Peppermint
I bet you didn’t know that there are some home remedies that can alleviate headache pains that are just as handy, as they are tasty! You know how at Christmas time, you somehow seem to rack up thousands of candy canes? Well, don’t throw them away! Hang on to them in case you have a headache!
The mint plant has been a medicinal herb for centuries and even still is to this day. With all the healing properties of the mint plant, it wouldn’t hurt you to give it a try the next time you have a headache, and peppermints are something that people have on them year-round, not just at Christmas time!
Remedy 2: Peppermint Oil
Photo Credit: livestrong.com
A lot of times, you can find peppermint oil in your kitchen pantry. People cook with it all the time. Whether you’re making chocolate peppermint bark or making minty shamrock shakes for St. Patrick’s Day, peppermint oil should be a staple in your household. All you need to do is take a little bit of peppermint oil and rub it on your temples to ease your headache pains.
Dr. Kyra Russel Jr.
A qualified doctor, Dr. Kyra Russel Jr. is someone who wears many hats, working also as a health writer, author, researcher, and media medic. She is a master communicator who is passionate about putting convoluted health information into words that make the information widely accessible. Her primary interests are child and adolescent health, women’s well-being, beauty, and nutrition.
