We all have a medicine cabinet in our house which is stuffed to the brim with solutions for headaches to nausea. But despite the quick and easy solution these medicines give us, we recommend taking them wisely and not too often because they may be harmful in the long run. Sometimes all we have to do is think out of the box, in this case outside the medicine cabinet, and discover a wide range of unconventional grandma’s remedies, such as the 10 “drugs” below, that’ll surprise you even more once you find out how well they work.
Earaches can be a nuisance that can sometimes even affect our daily routine and prevent us from doing what needs to be done. In order to quickly relieve the pain and to disinfect the ears from the various pollutants that have accumulated inside it, squeeze lemon, dip a cotton round in it and use it to gently clean the ear canal. Lemons work as an excellent natural remedy for bacterial ear infections, due to the presence of citric acid, which is also used in many industrial drugs and inhibits the development of bacterial infections.
Apricots are an excellent fruit to prevent constipation and reduce swelling in the lower abdomen due to their richness in fiber and their other components that help remove harmful bacteria from the digestive system. To enjoy these health benefits, you can eat a handful of apricots once or twice a week, but if you want to take advantage of all the great qualities of this fruit, be sure to eat it in its dried version. This is explained by the fact that the nutrients in dried apricots tend to be more concentrated than those in the normal fruit, and thus our body is able to make the most of this wonderful and sweet food.
Travel sickness is caused by uneven movement and may attack us at the most unexpected moments whether we are in our own car, a bus, cruise or flight, and can cause us to suffer from nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. If you tend to suffer from this ailment often, a great way to prevent it is by eating a few olives before you set out. Olives are rich in tannins, simple compounds that help dry out excess saliva produced by the body when we suffer from nausea that stimulates the vomiting reflex.
A spider bite is a rare phenomenon compared with mosquitoes, but when it occurs, it usually requires a longer recovery process accompanied by acute itching, swelling and extensive irritation in the area. A grandma’s remedy perfect for relieving the nasty itch, which has been scientifically proven, is placing a piece of raw potato on the inflamed area and bandaging it for about half an hour. The potato in its raw form is rich in powerful anti-inflammatory agents that inhibit the symptoms of irritations and make the bite heal faster.
Women may experience a wide range of symptoms during menopause because of the many hormonal changes they experience. To relieve the symptoms, many complementary medicine experts recommend wild yams as an effective supplement because of its richness in phytoestrogen, a component that allows the body to reach hormonal balance naturally. The sweet potato can be consumed as an infusion, extract, and formulas that can be purchased at various natural stores.
Urinary tract infection is one of the most common infections among women, causing pain and other physical problems. Cranberry juice is a well-known remedy for it, but if the sour fruit isn’t available to you or you’re just not a fan, you can replace it with a glass of water mixed with ½ a teaspoon of baking soda. The alkali found in high amounts in baking soda is a water-soluble ionic salt that reduces the acidity of the urine and thus relieves the burning sensation that accompanies urination during the infection. In addition, the decrease in acidity prevents the growth of bacteria in the area and delays the development of the infection.
Arthritis is a common disease in adults that affects the joints of the body and is expressed in severe pain. To relieve the symptoms of the disease, place a handful of raisins in a bowl of gin overnight and eat them the next morning. Raisins are rich in powerful antioxidants that fight infections including vitamin C and resveratrol. In addition, raisins contain various chemicals that act as painkillers such as ferulic and salicylic acid. The gin, on the other hand, is also rich in antioxidants, and the alcohol in it breaks up the various chemicals found in raisins and helps them absorb more easily.
We know nettle from our childhood as a prickly plant that makes our skin burn and itch. However, the nettle leaves are also a great medicinal plant that contains a variety of health properties, including the ability to prevent hair loss. All you have to do is brew six nettle leaves in a cup of boiling water, wait until they cool, put the brew through a sieve and rinse the scalp with the remaining liquid once to twice a week. The benefits of nettle leaves are derived from its vitamins A, C and D content, and part of the vitamin B group that strengthens the hairs and act as anti-inflammatory agents that relieve scalp irritations which weaken their roots.
Chewing gum is a great way to get rid of unpleasant odors in your breath, but if you want to remove the bad smell and enjoy better health, try fresh celery. This is because, in addition to its health benefits, celery is rich in fiber, which helps to remove the accumulated plaque on the teeth which cause bad breath, and sulfur compounds that increase saliva production in the mouth that fights bacteria.
For thousands of years, ancient Chinese medicine has made extensive use of licorice root, as an effective anti-viral drug. A study published in the journal Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, in 2015, gave this use scientific backing after carefully reviewing licorice’s various active components. One of the common uses of licorice root is to remove warts by mixing ½ teaspoon licorice powder along with a little Vaseline. Once mixed, it can be applied to the affected areas. After several hours, the Vaseline will help soften and remove the wart and the root powder will effectively fight the infection that may develop where the wart was.
image source: Aqua Mechanical
