Natural Remedies for Your Everyday Aches and Pains

If you are looking up an article for natural remedies, you are likely the kind of person that would prefer to avoid taking medications for your everyday ailments if at all possible. I know that while most people would be comfortable with taking Tylenol for a headache, or heading to the doctor for antibiotics or other prescriptions for the flu, constipation, dandruff, and others, I would prefer to use something a little friendlier for my body.

Antibiotics cause all sorts of other issues within your body when you use it for something simple like a mild ear infection or a virus. Antibiotics kill many different bacteria, even the good ones that help keep the body healthy. They essentially kill your immune system’s ability to protect you, making you more susceptible to many other issues. Plus, whenever kids take antibiotics they run the risk of side-effects, such as stomach upset and diarrhea or even an allergic reaction, due to a lack of good bacteria that help digest food properly.

Most individuals have become so reliant on prescriptions and over the counter medications that they no longer know how to heal themselves, or what a serious issue is truly and what is not. The next time you have a minor problem, check out this list, or search “natural remedies for ….” on the internet. Your key to looking and feeling better may be much closer and easier than you’d expect.

Acne – Try apple cider vinegar or witch hazel. Just dab a little on the spot and you’ll notice improvement overnight.

Anxiety – Massage, peaceful music, meditation, a long walk, and talking to someone can all help.

Asthma - Some suffers have found that upping their intake of fish oil and Vitamin C helped relieve symptoms.

Bad breath – Try oil pulling with coconut oil. Simply swish around a table spoon of coconut oil in your mouth for 20 minutes each day before cleaning your teeth.

Bee stings - If you or a child is stung by a bee, make a paste with baking soda and water, and rub it on the sting. The pain will stop instantly!

Body odor – Try drinking liquid chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the dark green pigment found in plants, and has a molecular structure to hemoglobin (the substance that’s responsible for transporting oxygen around the body.) Add a tablespoon to your bottle of water to boost red blood cells, improve oxygen, increase energy, help body odor, protect from cancer, help regulate bowel movements, and increase your intake of magnesium, vitamins, folic acid, iron, calcium and protein.

Bug bites - A bit of crushed basil on a mosquito bite will help relive the itchiness. Plus, it smells much better than anything from a bottle.

Cold and flu – Try eating dark, leafy greens like spinach and kale and taking a vitamin C supplement. With their immune boosting properties, a daily dose of these may even prevent them from ever showing up.

Constipation - Prunes are an age-old home remedy when it comes to constipation, thanks to the high fiber count that invigorates the intestines and colon into action.

Cough - A spoonful of raw honey will instantly help ease a cough. Mix a tablespoon of honey with a squeeze of lemon in a warm cup of water for a soothing drink.

Dandruff - Swap your shampoo for baking soda. Simply wet your hair and then rub baking soda into your scalp, and rinse. This can reduce the overactive fungi that can cause dandruff.

Diarrhea - Add some chopped, fresh ginger with lemon into hot water for a delicious way to beat it.

Dry skin – Coconut oil softens and moisturizes dry skin, and can be applied directly to problem areas. Just rub it straight into your skin.

Eczema - Coconut oil softens and moisturizes dry skin, and can be applied directly to problem areas. Just rub it straight into your skin. An Epsom salt bath may also help.

Excess sweating - rub raw, sliced potato under your arms to prevent excess sweating.

Fever – A lukewarm bath, wet hair, a wet washcloth on the back of your neck, drinking lots of water, and even a fan on in the bedroom while you sleep can all help with bringing down a fever naturally.

Gas – Peppermint and peppermint tea are essential for relieving stomach issues. Taking activated charcoal (via liquid or pill) may also help. Activated charcoal is said to be detoxifying and help reduce gas.

Gout – Cherries, whether sour, sweet, red, black, in extract form, as a juice, or raw, are a very popular and successful home remedy for many.

Hangover - Coconut water is a powerful hydrator–which is key after a big night out drinking–and has five electrolytes our bodies need: Potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorous, and calcium. The body also loses potassium when you drink alcohol, and bananas will help you to replenish.

Headache - In either tea or as an essential oil, peppermint is a great way to relive a tension headache. The cooling effect can be very effective at giving you a bit of stress relief, too.

Heartburn - A touch of baking soda in a glass of water will clear late-night heartburn up in no time.

Hemorrhoids - The astringent properties of witch hazel can help with hemorrhoids. The alcohol causes the blood vessels to contract, reducing swelling and tenderness.

IBS - Make a peppermint tea or suck on a peppermint to temporarily relieve pain.

Indigestion – Peppermint and peppermint tea are essential for relieving stomach issues.

Insomnia - Chamomile is great for promoting relaxation and preparing you for sleep. A cup of chamomile tea is a great way to get ready for bed.

Nausea – Ginger has been used for thousands of years to help with nausea and diarrhea. Add some chopped, fresh ginger with lemon into hot water for a delicious way to beat nausea. Peppermint or peppermint tea may also help.

Oily hair - Apple cider vinegar has the ability to kill fungus and bacteria, it makes a great home remedy for oily hair. One of the most popular natural remedies out there, you don’t need much ACV, as too much can be harsh on the scalp and hair. Simply dilute two to three tablespoons in a cup of water, and then put it on your hair.

Period cramping – Try taking a hot Epsom salt bath for a boost in your magnesium levels. Magnesium will help calm and relax the body, which helps with cramps. Peppermint and peppermint tea may also help.

PMS – Try eating foods like almonds, sunflower seeds, and greens like spinach and broccoli, for a natural dose of magnesium, or take an Epsom salt bath.

Restless leg syndrome - Rub a few drops of lavender essential oil on the areas of your legs that hurt. Lavender is also known to help relieve anxiety, so it’s a great way to get your mind ready for a calm, restful sleep.

Smelly feet - Soak your feet in a mixture of water, baking soda, and lemon to control odor, kill bacteria and fungus, and soften your skin.

Snoring - While thyme has many antibacterial health benefits, a drop mixed with a few drops of coconut oil can be a quick remedy for someone who snores. Lightly rub some of the mixed oil to the bottom of your big toe before you go to bed. Or you can diffuse thyme in your bedroom a half-hour before you go to sleep.

Sore muscles - While a warm bath will give sore, over-worked muscles immediate relief, icing with crushed ice wrapped in a damp towel actually prevents further muscle damage and can speed up the muscle’s recovery process.

Sore throat - A spoonful of raw honey will instantly help ease a sore throat. Mix a tablespoon of honey with a squeeze of lemon in a warm cup of water for a soothing drink.

Stuffy nose – Try a saline spray or make your own. Warm water and salt could be all you need to get rid of that runny nose.

Sunburn - Add one cup of apple cider vinegar to a bath to help balance the pH (acid or alkalinity) of sunburned skin, and promote healing.

Thrush - Swab the baby’s mouth area with pure, virgin coconut oil, and swab the mother’s nipples with yogurt.

Toe fungus - Tea tree oil is thought to be effective against several fungus species.

Toothache - A salt water rinse is an effective first-line treatment. Salt water is a natural disinfectant, and it can help loosen food particles and debris that may be stuck in between your teeth. Treating a toothache with salt water can also help reduce inflammation and heal any oral wounds. To use this approach, mix 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) of salt into a glass of warm water and use it as a mouthwash.

Urinary Tract Infection – Try drinking cranberry juice. According to Web MD, research suggests that the beneficial substances in cranberry juice could reach the urinary tract and prevent bacterial adhesion within eight hours. If your UTIs are recurring, however, get to the doctor.

Vertigo - Basil is a traditional aromatherapy treatment for vertigo: Add leaves to boiling water and breathe in the steam.

Yeast Infection – Eat plenty of yogurt with natural bacteria in it, take a probiotic, and try inserting a fresh garlic clove at night and removing it in the morning.

I’ve gotten so used to many of these remedies over the years that calling the doctor or taking something is no longer my first thought. In fact, my first thought is usually a nice hot bath with one of my soothing bath recipes. My favorite is the Epsom salt and olive oil one. There way too much that a nice bath and some time to myself for a bit can heal. Ironically, stress and an improper diet are huge factors in most of our common maladies. It’s likely that you need to sit down and rest, give yourself a break, drink a glass of water, get some more sleep, or just eat some veggies to feel better.

Check out my article on all of the ways to find relaxation for some great ideas. The physical problems related to chronic stress include the lowering of the immune response, chronic muscle tension, and increased blood pressure. Something as simple as vertigo, toenail fungus, or even IBS could simply be a result of the stress levels in your life. By taking some specific measures to find calm and quiet among the busyness, you could very easily find yourself feeling much better, and no longer having to deal with some of the maladies to which you’ve become accustomed.

Always start with the basics. Get rid of refined sugars, flours, and processed foods in your diet, drink more water, get more sleep, and find time to unwind, even if that’s talking to a good friend. When you take care of your body, and that means keeping unnecessary chemicals and other substances out of it, your body will then take care of you.