Pink Eye: Natural Remedies for Conjunctivitis

Pink Eye is a common name for several types of conjunctivitis, which is an inflammation of the clear membrane covering part of the eyeball and the inside of the eyelids. The most common form is viral conjunctivitis. Symptoms include feeling as though there is grit in the eyes, swelling, redness, watering and a colorless or cloudy mucus discharge. It usually begins in one eye and spreads. If others in the household have or develop the same condition, you can pretty well bet this is the cause since it is highly contagious.

Though this viral condition will generally resolve itself within two weeks without treatment, there are several things you can and should do to speed recovery and prevent spread of the virus to everyone else in your household.

These treatments are generally advised for bacterial conjunctivitis as well. A bacterial infection's symptoms are basically the same as the viral, but will usually have a yellowish to greenish discharge. It is contagious and often originates with a wound or infection elsewhere on the body, migrating to the eyes via the hands.

1. TOPICAL TREATMENT: Eyebright tea makes an excellent wash for the eyes as well as a warm compress using a clean, lint free cloth. Chamomile is also good for this. Make fresh tea and use a fresh cloth for each application. Be sure to wash, not only the immediate area of the eye, but the forehead and cheeks as well. Cover closed eyes with the wrung-out cloth until it loses most of its heat. Dipping and repeating a couple of times will help with the swelling and feeling of irritation. Mild ginger tea is a good anti-inflammatory. Use this as a warm compress with a clean cloth to lessen the swelling. Washing the hands and around the eyes with a dilute vinegar solution (1 teaspoon to 1 cup water) will help keep the area virus and bacteria free, but take care not to get into the eyes. I have also heard that a dilute honey wash will work wonders, but have never tried this. It stands to reason it might work since it does have antibiotic properties. It should be left on the eye area and no one seems to like the stickiness this creates.

2. INTERNALLY: Boosting the immune system is always a good idea with any infection. Increasing vitamin C intake, adding garlic to the diet and taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, diluted in water, before meals will all help.

3. DISINFECT: The least toxic and most effective way to disinfect is to use Hydrogen Peroxide and vinegar. You will need two spray bottles or separate bowls and rags since they should not be mixed. Wipe down all toys, counters and other surfaces, with first one and then the other, each day until the condition is cleared up. This may seem like a daunting job, but is made easier if you limit the toys available and, if possible, access to surfaces likely to cause spreading. All commonly used handles such as sink, refrigerator, room and closet doors need daily attention, as do remotes and telephones if handled by the victim.

4. WASH: Wash everything. Pillowcase should be changed daily. Change children's clothing each day to prevent re-infection as well. Wash the patient's face and hands with either a disposable wipe or a fresh washcloth several times a day.

5. FINGERS OFF! Use disposable tissues or soft toilet paper to wipe the eyes. Fingers are the primary source of infection and re-infection for anyone with pink eye. If someone in your household has pink eye, be extra conscious of keeping your own fingers away from eyes, nose and mouth without washing your hands first too.

6. MAKEUP: If you come down with pink eye and use eye makeup, you should discard all mascara and eyeliner used during or immediately prior to the outbreak. Never use anyone else's makeup and discard any mascara or eyeliner that is over 6 months old as these can be prime sources of unexplained eye infections.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis caused by allergies are watering, swelling, redness and itchiness. You may also see clear blisters on the whites of the eyeball and lining of the eyelids. It usually affects both eyes and is readily responsive to an antihistamine like Diphenhydramine. Since this is a non-contagious condition, your main concern is to lessen the irritation by limiting exposure to the allergen and relieving the symptoms. Used black or orange pekoe tea bags, chilled in the refrigerator seem to work nicely, as do Chamomile and/or cool Eyebright tea washes, which relieve the itch and help clear up the redness. Cold compresses of almost any sort (cold, damp washrag, chilled cucumber slices, etc.) will give instant relief of swelling for most acute attacks.

If symptoms persist for over two weeks, there is facial pain, vision loss, blurring or double vision, high fever, chills or sever pain in eyes when looking at a bright light, see your physician. This could indicate a more serious condition and should not be self treated.

Stomach Flu Remedies

It hits everyone now and then... that queasy, rolling pain and the mad dash to the bathroom. A stomach virus can be sneaky. Sometimes it strikes like a sledgehammer, at other times you might not even realize that is what you have for a day or so. Things just won't be 'quite right', with occasional pains and gas, sour stomach and mild constipation or diarrhea. Sounds like a Pink Goo moment, right? Not necessarily! Since it, and other OTC remedies like it, treat only the symptoms and leave the 'cause' intact, this might make you less miserable at the moment while prolonging actual recovery... sometimes for several days!

Old time folk treatments shine in cases like this! They not only sooth that icky feeling, but work to treat any underlying causes right from the beginning. Not a flu at all, this condition can be caused by the same virus that causes the common cold! When something as common as an ill co-worker sneezing around you or using your phone can be a source of this type of infection, incorporating herbal and dietary preventatives into the daily routine just makes good sense.

Below is a list of the beneficial herbs and foods I use when we get sick with the stomach flu. I am not going to go into the details of treatment here... Most of us already know to quit eating heavy foods, drink plenty of fluids and get rest. You should realize that dehydration is a dangerous possibility with any purging illness. If it lingers more than a few days or there is unusual pain or symptoms, do not put off seeing your doctor. As with any medicine, use wisely. Alternate herbal teas with diluted fruit juices and plain water. Consume food items in small amounts over the course of the day. The idea is to replace essential nutrients and minerals being flushed from the body while reducing the demands placed on the digestive system. Once vomiting and diarrhea stop, follow a lighter diet of reduced fat and meat for 3 or 4 days to give your stomach and digestive tract a chance to recover.

• Chamomile is one of the medicines I grow and keep around as much for the pleasure of it, as the power. This tasty, wonderfully aromatic little herb makes a delightful hot or iced tea all by itself! German Chamomile (the kind usually found in the grocery store or health food shop) has been found to be an effective anti-inflammatory, a nervine or smooth muscle relaxer, antimicrobial, mildly sedative and carminative (helps with gas and bloating). It might be good to note that some folks might have allergic reactions to chamomile. If you are allergic to ragweed, use caution.
• Mint: There are many types of mint and although most have medicinal value with stomach ailments, I usually have and use catnip because it is native to the Americas and quite easy to grow. As far as I know, all of the more common mints (peppermint, wintergreen, catnip, spearmint and lemon balm) may be used with good results. Mint has shown antimicrobial activity against fungi and gram-positive bacteria as well as being a smooth muscle relaxer. It is considered antispasmodic, mildly sedative, carminative and generally beneficial to digestion when taken in small doses such as a mild tea.
  
• Lemon: Acidic fruits are not normally recommended, but used sparingly, lemon juice can help kill off the pathogens causing diarrhea. Up to a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice (or a squeezed slice) in a large glass of water or added to your herbal tea is beneficial. It is at its very best as a preventative though. One to two tablespoons before meals when a stomach virus is making the rounds can keep you out of the loop. This could be due to the vitamin C in lemons as well as the antimicrobial properties of the volatile oils.
  
• Banana: Studies have proven that green bananas help stop diarrhea. Ripe or green, they are easy to digest and provide both potassium and magnesium. These minerals are two of the electrolytes critical to bodily function. Without them the heart will go into arrhythmia and can fail entirely.
  
• Salt: Sodium is another electrolyte that is rapidly depleted with vomiting and diarrhea. Broths and soups are an excellent and nutritious way to replenish the loss, along with their added benefit of replacing lost fluids. If you can't handle broth because of nausea, add a tiny pinch of salt to your juice or tea. You won't notice the added flavor as you sip it, but your body will thank you!
  
• Rice: One of the best all time aids for lingering diarrhea is rice water. Cook a handful of rice in a pan of water until nearly soft. Strain out the rice, allow water to cool and drink a small cup full every hour or so. Make a tasty drink by adding a bit of honey and cinnamon, which are also good for this condition. Leave off the cinnamon and add a little powdered ginger or mint to sooth nausea and sour stomach. Cooked rice is always recommended in the 'recovery diet' for a few days and usually well tolerated during the illness.
  
• Applesauce: Fresh apples can cause diarrhea in some folks while applesauce seems to have the opposite effect on most people. Apples contain pectin, a water soluble fiber that helps retain water and add bulk to the stool, slowing diarrhea.
• Toast and Crackers: Dry toast or saltine crackers have often been the one thing that could initially get past the nausea to help settle a cranky stomach, paving the way for healing teas and foods.
  
• Turmeric: Though not a spice you would want to use in large amounts for a stomach virus, small pinches added to rice or soup provides a good antibacterial boost.
• Garlic: This is something I usually use as a preventative more than a treatment during a stomach virus. Although it does wonders as an antibacterial and antimicrobial, I find it too strong on the stomach when vomiting has been an issue. If you can tolerate it, whether taken fresh chopped in honey or in tablet form, it can speed recovery almost miraculously. It is said that it will sooth the lining of stomach and bowel, calming the rawness and cramping.
  
• Yogurt: Diarrhea flushes most of the good bacteria and other natural flora that are essential to proper digestion out of your gut. Yogurt helps replace these and balance the inner ecosystem. Combining bananas, yogurt, blueberries, applesauce and honey in a blender as a smoothie is a wonderful tonic for recovery!
• Blueberries: Dried blueberries have been used for centuries as a cure for diarrhea in young children. They are high in fiber and antioxidants as well as being a bacterial inhibitor. They contain anthocyanosides, a substance thought to be lethal to E. Coli (a bacteria often linked to these infections.) Blueberries are also high in fiber, which aids in water retention and adds bulk to the stool.

Please note, as it bears repeating...
If any illness lingers more than a few days or there is unusual pain or symptoms, do not put off seeing your doctor! If you are on Any prescribed medications, it is advisable to consult with your doctor PRIOR to using most traditional or historic home remedies (as well as some common food items!) as there can be interactions with certain prescribed medicines.

Onion and the Rings of Life

Commentary by user d. chedwick bryant, creator of Tangled Up in L'Heure Bleue, reminded me of an old saying, "An onion a day keeps strokes away." He also pointed out the benefits of using it for colds and coughs.

This started me thinking about onions and their history. There is little doubt that onions have been used as food and medicine since our earliest days. The first evidence of onion as a known food source comes from Bronze Age archaeological digs dating back to 5000 B.C. There is evidence to suggest onions were being cultivated as early as 2000 B.C. by Egyptians, who worshiped them. Ancient Egyptians, looking at the circular shape and concentric rings, associated the venerable onion with eternal life. Slices of onion were often placed over the eyes of the dead where it was supposed to bring back their breath once they crossed into the afterlife.

Other historic uses have included rubbing on the body to tone muscles and as a blood tonic for athletes. Doctors in the 16Th century prescribed onion to treat infertility in women as well as cattle and other livestock. It has been used as a staple in many culture's diets due in part to being so easily grown and of such great benefit health wise.

Onions contain thiosulfinates, sulfides, sulfoxides, and other sulfur compounds and have shown effectiveness against many bacteria including Salmonella, and E. coli. They are known to be antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti cholesterol and anticancer due to containing Quercetin, an extremely beneficial flavinoid. Check out the link for a bit of scientific information on this flavinol that is proving to have remarkable anti-tumor properties and is being used in the successful treatment of skin and prostate cancers when used topically and combined with ultra-sound.

If you were to receive a bunch of onions as a gift today it would probably be thought offensive. Historically there is evidence that a gift of onions was considered to be a gift of love. Science is showing us that a gift of onions just might be one of the most beneficial and thoughtful gifts you could wrap up! Imagine that!

Marvelous Medicinal Vinegar!

Vinegar is a vital part of my household. I make a point to keep a gallon or two of white vinegar available for various uses such as cleaning, as well as a quart bottle of organic apple cider vinegar for medicinal uses. My grandmother added a teaspoon of vinegar to a glass of water at each meal and swore by its health benefits. As it turns out, she was probably right on target!

Calcium & Osteoporosis: High in acetic acid, vinegar aids the body in absorbing minerals from the foods we eat. This is especially important for women as they get older to avoid the effects of osteoporosis through loss of calcium. 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a 6 oz. glass of water 3 times a day is thought to be ideal. To increase benefits with a natural source of calcium, wash and crush several egg shells into a pint jar. Fill to the shoulder with your vinegar, cap and allow shells to dissolve. Shake or stir before use. Store in the refrigerator.

Diabetes: Several studies have shown that a small amount of apple cider vinegar taken with a meal can reduce the blood glucose and insulin levels by up to 35% in healthy participants! This may go a long way to prove what folk medicine has said for years... That taking a tablespoon of vinegar in a glass of water with meals is helpful for diabetics.

Sore Throat: Gargling with this same mixture can lessen the pain and scratchiness of a sore throat and some say, heal it almost over night.

Fungus: Vinegar works in the treatment of some fungal infections. Soaking affected fingernails or toenails each day in undiluted vinegar for up to two months has gotten excellent results.
Treat Athlete's Foot by soaking feet for 15 to 30 minutes in full strength vinegar once a day for 5 days. To prevent constant reinfection, saturate all socks with vinegar at onset of treatment. Allow to soak for a couple of hours, then wash and dry as usual.
Although considered fungicidal, vinegar not work for all types of fungus. Some it can actually make worse. If yours seems to get worse, stop the treatment.


'Heart Tonic': I've known quite a few folks that swear by a vinegar 'heart tonic' that consists of a quart of apple juice, a pint of (dark) grape juice and 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar. According to them, drinking a juice glass full of this mixture each day will help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, increase resistance to colds and flu, aid digestion and promote regularity.

Cough Syrup: Mix 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup honey and 1 clove garlic (thin sliced) in pint jar. Stir well and age for a week in the refrigerator. Stir and dose with one tablespoon for hacking coughs that just won't let up.

Sunburns: Daub or spray vinegar mixture (1 cup vinegar to 1/2 cup water) on sunburns to relieve pain and aid in tanning without the blisters and peeling. On a bad sunburn, this will sting like crazy for the first few seconds then works to kill the pain.

Depths of Winter

Winter is in full force and everyone seems to be having coughs and congestion so I am obsessed with garlic. Obviously! lol

I am from the Southwest where garlic, chilies and onion are staples in our diet. Here, most folks eat these 'wonder drugs' in the form of salsas and a delicious fresh topper called Pico de Gallo. Pico is varying amounts (depending on taste) of tomato, onion, garlic, jalapeno, fresh cilantro, lime juice and a bit of sugar and salt. This is all coarse chopped, tossed and left to marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. This lets the flavors blend. It is then used on just about anything from plain chips to the evening entree.

While I'm on an allicin binge, it might be good to note something a venerable, old Chinese healer once told me about onion. He instructed me to make sure every male in the family ate an onion a day. He said a small to medium one, cooked or raw, would ensure that they never had prostate problems. I haven't seen any western scientific studies that verified this. Knowing his abilities and that he has a couple of thousand years of written history in natural medicine behind him, I trust his advice.

So, all you men (and women who love them) out there remember, "An onion a day keeps prostate cancer away!"

Garlic Remedies

Although garlic is well tolerated by most, care should be taken if you have never used it fresh or as a remedy. Some people do have severe allergic reactions to it. Young children will normally either love it or refuse it... trust their instincts. They usually prefer the whole clove to suck on so be sure to give them one small enough to swallow without choking on.

1/2 to 1 clove, up to 3 times a day, is generally a safe bet for most adults. 2 to 4 cloves may be used at a time, but can cause gastric upset and caution is advised.
All of the following old time remedies are geared for adults. "Child Safe" will be noted.

Scientific Evidence: Garlic contains several active constituents including alliinase, alliin, allicin and sulfur compounds. Allicin is the focus of many current studies to determine value in the treatment of various bacterial and viral infections, cardiovascular disease and even certain types of cancer. Antibacterial and antiviral properties are well established, as are blood-thinning capabilities. Medical researchers are still questioning cholesterol control and/or lowering.
Allicin is produced when crushing, cutting or otherwise breaking up the tissue of a clove combines alliin and alliinase. The potency is at its peak when fresh and raw.


Coughs, Colds and Flu

• Press, grate or mince fresh garlic cloves to 1/4 to 1/2 fill a pint canning jar. Stir in honey to fill, making sure all the garlic is well coated. Let age for 2 weeks. Store in refrigerator. This will keep well for several months. Honey will tend to solidify. If this happens, warm teaspoon in hot water before using. Take one teaspoon of the honey as needed for cough. "Child Safe" 1/2 tsp. up to 3 times a day.
• Use 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1/2 cup of water or apple juice, puree in blender. Drink first thing in the morning and at bedtime for flu. "Child Safe" but cut dosage in half or even more to avoid stomach upset.
  
• Place whole clove of fresh garlic between cheek and gum for relief of sore throat, gum infections, cough or abscessed tooth. "Child Safe" if they will do it.
  
• Crush several cloves of garlic and mash/mix well with 1/4-cup olive oil. Rub this on feet at bedtime and cover with socks. May also use the garlic pieces as a poultice around the toes. Bagging feet in plastic then covering with socks is recommended to protect sheets. Oil is "Child Safe", poultice not recommended. This is good for congestion, believe it or not! There are acupressure points in the feet that are for the lungs and sinuses. When you rub the oil on, you will suddenly smell it strongly.
  

Nail fungus

• Soak foot in hot water until skin begins to wrinkle. Scrub well around the nails, rinse and dry. Apply slices of fresh garlic to the affected toenail and bandage in place. Change dressing and garlic twice a day for 3 days. Leave the garlic off and go barefoot as much as possible for a couple of days then repeat the treatment. It will usually take 3 to 4 weeks to see results. If the nail is seriously thickened, file across the top to thin being careful to not take too much off and hit the 'quick' or bed of the nail. I have cured stubborn fungus this way after years of expensive prescription treatment failures!
  
• Food service employees are most commonly victim to irritating fungus of the nails from cutting lemons and other citrus. To prevent this, rub a slice of garlic around and under the nail after each shift.
  

Wounds

• Garlic juice is an excellent emergency first aid for deep, dirty or puncture wounds. If you are in a situation where medical care is several hours away and have garlic with you, it can make the difference in whether or not you get a raging infection. Ideally, crush cloves of garlic in cloth to express the juice and mix with a little clean water. Clean the wound as best you can then swab with diluted garlic juice. A deep or dirty puncture wound may require straight juice dripped into it. This will be excruciatingly painful, so be prepared. In a pinch, garlic powder is better than nothing. A strong tea should be used or make a paste, folded into a clean cloth and used to wash the wound.

Garlic, the new miracle drug? Very possibly true!

As a culinary herb and medicine, garlic has a long and respectable track record. It has been cultivated and used for thousands of years. History's greats such as Pliny the Elder (23 - 79 AD) and Galen (129 - 200 AD) wrote of the medicinal properties of garlic. In 1858, Louis Pasteur, best known for developing the pasteurization process and being the founding father of microbiology, observed the antibacterial properties of garlic. It was also used by the military in both, World War I & World War II, in the treatment of wounds and prevention of gangrene.

Modern medical research, slow to jump on the bandwagon, has finally begun investigating the benefits of garlic. Studies are showing potential in the treatment of elevated blood serum levels of homocysteine, considered to be a marker of potential cardiovascular disease. There is evidence to suggest that it may also help prevent some of the problems associated with diabetes mellitus and is known to be effective in the treatment of wounds. Studies coming out of China have even shown evidence of some value in the treatment of cancer.

Laboratory trials conducted by Dr. Ron Cutler, of the University of East London, have even shown that allicin (the active compound occurring naturally in garlic) is deadly to MRSA. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for an estimated 17,000 deaths annually and has strains which are resistant to the all of the strongest antibiotics available. According to Dr. Cutler, garlic may be our best hope against the new forms of killer "superbugs" like MRSA.