Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Top 5 Unsafe Home Remedies To Avoid

Have you had your ear wax removed or colon cleansing from the comfort of your home? Home remedies are fine but some do-it-yourself health techniques can bring trouble and do more harm than good.


Ear Candling


The ear has its own natural lubricant which is the ear wax. It prevents infections with its acidic pH and it waterproofs the ear. It is one of our body lines of defense. Uncommonly, some people do have a potential of building up wax that causes itching and impaired hearing. This is when people opt to go for do-it-yourself home remedy, removing the ear wax and other impurities through ear candling. Ear candling is done by lighting a fire to a candle-shaped beeswax cone inches from the ear and wait till the wick burns to achieve the results. This can be considered dangerous as it is not easy and may also results to hearing loss. It can also cause burns in the ear canal and on the eardrum due to the fire. As an alternative to ear candling, excess wax can be removed by wrapping tissue around the finger and wiping it out from the outer part of the ear.


Besides ear candling, herbal topical ear drops are also available, which is better and safer. For professional help, seek a doctor who specializes on ear, nose and throat; an ENT specialist. Avoid using a Q-tip in the ear canal since the eardrum can be punctured this way.


Whiskey for a Teething Baby


Babies usually start to cry when they are teething and parents will try all sorts of way to get them to stop the screaming and one of the home solutions known is to look inside the liquor cabinet. However, children shouldn’t be consuming alcohol, not even whiskey. Whiskey has no real numbing effects on the gum and opts for another option. Use a chilled teething toy kept inside a freezer instead. It has a cooling effect that will soothe and numb the gum. Alternatively, you can try OralSoothe, a 100% natural, safe and effective herbal remedy, especially formulated for teething babies. Use a sugarless ice pop with adult supervision if the child is old enough. Teething has been a concern to parents for centuries. Symptoms like salivation, irritability and sleep problem may occur. Seek a doctor if the symptoms are severe.


For adults, avoid the liquor cabinet if having problems with toothache or gum tenderness. See a dentist as the pain may be because of a cavity or a gum infection.


Butter For A Burn


Butter doesn’t always make things better. This rules applies to food but it is one of a known home remedies that shouldn’t be practiced. Although butter have a slight cooling effect, but having them on the body for burns is not suggested. It tends to melt and there is also an infection risk due to sterility. It offer modest value for a burn but for a mild to moderate first-degree burns and second-degree burns to an area no larger than 3 inches in diameter, use wound healing gel instead. Apply the ointment gently to the burned skin and cover it for hygiene.


Use cool tap water in the first minute after the burn. Run the burn under water for at least five minutes if you’re near a faucet. Using toothpaste to treat burn is also a no-no. It only has a slight cooling effect and also has an infection risk. Treating burns with ice offers no help as it may worsens the matter. You can’t tell that it hurts with ice as ice compounds the problem by adding frostbite to the burn. If you have a fever, increasing redness around the wound, moderate severe or no pain at all due to third-degree burn, seek a doctor’s help.


Colloidal Silver


Colloidal silver is believed by some to help treat a range of infections and diseases. By boosting the immune systems, the silver are believed by some people is a remedy for fungal infections, TB, HIV, herpes and even cancer. These beliefs can be costly and one known side effects of colloidal silver is that it turns a person’s skin to a grayish shade of blue.


Besides skin, kidneys, stomach, brain and the nervous system can also be affected by colloidal silver. The silver, once it entered into the cells of these organs, can lead to organ failure, cell damage and also death. The effects are irreversible as it is toxic and cumulative. If you’re having infections and diseases, as usual, use trusted and safer solutions, and always talk to a health care provider.


Home Colon Cleansing


Often, we heard about how the toxin inside the body affects us. The solution? Home remedy. Flush it with home grown herbs, special diets, enemas and also laxatives. Home colon cleansing is the fifth of the home remedy no-nos. Colon is a waste receptacle and we should let the fecal material to be passed out of the body naturally and not through these home remedies. It can disrupt the body’s electrolyte balance and causes dehydration and salt depletion. Frequent colon cleansing may also lead to anemia, malnutrition and also heart failure.


Stop home colon cleansing, use trusted and safer solution and change your diet with an increase to the fiber intake. Eat more fruits and vegetable or add some supplement to the diet. See your primary care doctor or a gastroenterologist if you’re still feeling constipated and uncomfortable.

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