Comfrey

Comfrey use for medicinal purposes have almost magical qualities! These healing properties are why Comfrey has been referred to as boneset, knitbone, and bruisewort since the middle ages and also has been known as the healing agent for fractures.
This is a big plant and can grow up to five feet tall. Its leaves are dark green, long, and oval-shaped, and they grow on the upright, branch at the top of the plant. Its flowers are soft, and bell-shaped can be white, pink, blue, or purple.
You can make a gel from the root, poultices from the leaves, tinctures, and compresses. It is a beautiful addition to the garden.
Comfrey's healing properties includes promoting new bone, muscle, and cartilage growth and protecting the skin comes from a chemical that is found in its leaves, Allantion. This makes Comfrey a valuable aid in healing burns, cuts, and major wounds and relieving inflammation. It's also an astringent, demulcent, and an expectorant.
Allantion is a protein that is found in many over-the-counter products for dry and irritated skin conditions.
The leaves are used for making poultices, compresses, and creams. The flowering tops are used in ointments and infused oils. The root is used for gels and poultices.
Comfrey ointment, gel, tincture, compresses, and poultices are used for treating bruises, sprains, fractures, wounds, ulcers, arthritis, skin irritations such as insect bites, burns, and relieving the pain and inflammation. Different areas of the world use it for different things including anemia and arthritis as well as taking it internally.
Comfrey contains alkaloid chemicals which can cause liver damage if consumed in extremely large amounts. Due to the risk of liver damage Comfrey is no longer considered safe for human consumption in the United States. The alkaloid chemicals are not absorbed through the skin, which makes the external use of Comfrey safe.
Prior to using Comfrey on a cut or wound, make sure the cut or wound is cleansed thoroughly. Comfrey heals the area quickly by sealing over the wound and if any dirt remains in the wound it could cause an infection by being trapped in the wound.
Comfrey is an herb worth growing in your garden and making use of its healing properties

Treating Gout

There are many different types of arthritis, and one common type that affects many people is Gout. Gout can often be very painful, and often affects the toes, knees, and ankles. Walking with gout can be difficult for many people, and stairs are often equally distressing. Learning ways to treat this condition as well as make adaptions in your home can make it much easier to cope with it.
Most medical professionals agree that Gout is caused by a build up of uric acid in the body. This is usually a signal that there may be something disrupting the normal kidney function in the body. While doctors will often acknowledge this, they typically do not have many different treatments available to help one, other than to recommend taking painkillers. However, this can be dangerous, since pain killers can easily become habit forming and cause even larger problems than the arthritic pain.
For this reason, after getting a proper diagnosis from a doctor, many people turn to natural home remedies. There are a number of things that people will try, and it is important before trying any of them that you first consult with a doctor, since natural does not always mean safe.
Often making dietary changes can help relieve some of the pain. Drinking lemon juice each day, eating cherries, and drinking cranberry juice are all ways to help your kidneys function better. Some have had success with various herbal supplements, such as Swedish bitters as well. Epsom salt soaks can often help with relaxing the joints and the pain, as well as detoxify the body.
If you do not have any success with dietary changes or supplements, the next step is to try to make your home more comfortable. If stairs are an issue for example, you may want to install a stair lift or consider finding a home which does not have steps.
Being diagnosed with Gout does not have to mean you have to suffer. Making a few dietary changes and making your home more comfortable are all things you can do to help relieve the pain and get back to enjoying life as you should.

Dealing with Kidney stones naturally

Pain in the flank or in the side is experienced when the pressure of the urine from the kidney pushes down into the ureter and the stone. The pain can range from moderate to severe and usually goes away once the kidney stone is pushed into the bladder. Once it is in the bladder, it would be able to disintegrate or break down into smaller stones that can easily be passed with urine. Some of the other symptoms associated with kidney stones include vomiting, nausea and the presence of blood in the urine.

Doctors would usually just prescribe pain management medications and advise the patient to wait for the kidney stone to make its way to the bladder on its own, especially if the symptoms are not too severe. As a matter of fact, if you do not want to take medications, you can try some home remedies that can help in getting rid of painful kidney stones. Here are some of them.

1. Since the best way to get rid of kidney stones would be to promote urination, you can try drinking herbal teas that act as natural diuretics. A good choice would be teas made from stinging nettle leaf or hydrangea. Nettle leaves can help in flushing out bacteria and in maintaining a good balance of the electrolytes in the urine while hydrangea has been used for many centuries as a remedy for various kidney and bladder problems. Through drinking about two or three cups of stinging nettle leaf or hydrangea tea daily, you would not just be able to treat kidney stones but also prevent them from forming again.

2. Eating cherries has also been studied to offer benefits to people who have been diagnosed with uric acid kidney stones. Cherries have anti-inflammatory properties which help in reducing the levels of uric acid in the body.

3. Another remedy that you can try would be drinking a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. The acidity of lemon juice and the ability of the olive oil to act as a lubricant helps in breaking down the kidney stones and in making them pass through your urinary tract easier and faster.

4. You can also try cleansing your kidneys through eating watermelons. Watermelons have high water content, making them natural diuretics. Eating them would increase the amount and frequency of your urination, which could in turn speed up the passage of the kidney stones through your urinary system. However, note that this home remedy should not be done by diabetics as watermelons have plenty of natural sugars. Some other fruits and vegetables that you can add to your diet to promote the cleansing of the kidneys would be radish, cucumber, cranberries and celery.

5. Lastly, drink plenty of water. Water is probably the best natural remedy that can help in getting rid of painful kidney stones. Instead of drinking just eight to ten cups of water, increase your daily intake to 14 cups or more. This would allow you to pass about two to three quarts of water throughout the day, which can make the passage of stones quicker.


 

Helping an astigmatism

Astigmatism is a condition in which one or both eyes has a misshapen cornea. In a normal eye, the cornea is symmetrically curved. In an astigmatic eye, areas of the cornea are steeper or flatter than normal, causing areas of your vision to be blurred. Although astigmatism often occurs on its own, it can also occur in combination with nearsightedness or farsightedness.
Astigmatism is usually present from birth and tends to remain constant, neither improving nor deteriorating with time.
Signs and Symptoms
Blurred areas in the field of vision of one or both eyes
Distorted vision in one or both eyes, typically when looking at vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines
Conventional Medical Treatment
An ophthalmologist or optometrist can diagnose astigmatism with a thorough examination. Corrective glasses or contact lenses are usually prescribed to counteract the unevenness of one or both corneas. Lenses also can be made to address a combination of astigmatism and nearsighted­ness or farsightedness.
Complementary and Alternative Treatments
Nutrition and Supplementation
Nutritionists encourage adequate intake of nutrients necessary for healthy eye function. Protein (found in meat, eggs, poultry, and fish) and vitamin A (found in yellow fruits and vegetables) are required for proper eye function.
Include the following daily supplements to maintain healthy eye function:
Most Important
vitamin C (5000 IU)
vitamin B complex (100 mg), supplemented with vitamin B2 (50 mg)
vitamin A (10,000 to 15,000 IU; do not exceed 8000 IU daily if you are pregnant)
vitamin E (400 IU)
zinc (20 to 25 mg)
Also Recommended
calcium and magnesium (standard dose)
chromium (300 mcg)
omega 3 and 6 and DHA capsules (as directed on label)
grape seed extract (as directed on label)
(Consult your healthcare provider regarding the duration of treatment.)
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture- Chinese practitioners believe that most vision disorders are due to impaired liver functioning, so an acupuncturist may treat astigmatism by working to strengthen the liver and restore energy imbalances associated with that organ. Commonly used acupoints in the treatment of astigmatism include Bladder 1, Stomach 1, Liver 4, and Triple Warmer 6.
Studies indicate that stress may actually aggravate or promote astigmatism in children, so acupuncture may be used to relieve anxiety and promote relaxation, thereby reducing the severity of the ailment.
Acupressure -To help prevent an astigmatic condition from worsening, an acupressure practitioner may work on points around the eyes, nose temples, and cheeks.
Chinese Herbal Therapy -Consult a qualified Chinese medical practitioner regarding treatment. Frequently, herbs are used to treat liver problems, which are believed to be associated with astigmatism.