Contents 8 Introduction 14 How to use the Book 16 Preparation of Remedies 24 Fever 34 Pain 36 Head-related Problems 42 General Ailments 60 Disorders of the Eyes 68 Disorders of the Nose 73 Mouth Problems 80 Throat Problems 90 Ear Problems 94 Chest Problems 104 Abdominal Disorders 136 Urinary Complaints 144 Disorders of the Musculo-Skeletal System 154 Skin Problems 196 Stress-related Disorders 200 Sexual Debility and Weakness 204 Gynaecological Problems 214 Ailments and Remedies at a Glance 222 Glossary
Contents 8 Introduction 14 How to use the Book 16 Preparation of Remedies 24 Fever 34 Pain 36 Head-related Problems 42 General Ailments 60 Disorders of the Eyes 68 Disorders of the Nose 73 Mouth Problems 80 Throat Problems 90 Ear Problems 94 Chest Problems 104 Abdominal Disorders 136 Urinary Complaints 144 Disorders of the Musculo-Skeletal System 154 Skin Problems 196 Stress-related Disorders 200 Sexual Debility and Weakness 204 Gynaecological Problems 214 Ailments and Remedies at a Glance 222 Glossary
Our
ancestors lived healthy, active lives depending
on nature to sustain them in every way.
Today
with
ailments galore and disease rampant, once again people are turning to the rich reservoir of natural resources that is our heritage.
Introduction
T
he year was 1965, and we were freshers; third year students just being introduced to clinical medicine in the outpatient department of the Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital for Women at New Delhi. Going through the prescribed format of complaints, history-taking, physical examination, laboratory reports and provisional diagnosis, etc., followed by a temporary prescription of say, SOS, a tablet of Paracetamol or Digene, as the case may be; till the senior registrar discussed the findings and told us what to write as the required treatment. When it came to writing a standard prescription, we were invariably asked, ‘Doctor, what should I eat? Can I have cold water? Is tea harmful for me? Is this tablet to be taken with food or without? Can I have a cold water bath or not?’ And I found that very often, unless it was absolutely contraindicated, we said, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter, take the tablet and you will be fine.’ If any complementary home remedy was suggested, we scoffed at the idea as being primitive with no meaning or bearing on the problem. Today, after over thirty years of interacting with people, I realize that there is so much in our herbal heritage, and in
folklore medicine, passed down by word of mouth by women who tend the house and hearth, that tapping this treasure is an absolute necessity. Sadly, our generation of women, and those after us, who have opted for nuclear families, have lost out on this. We did not have our mothers or grandmothers close at hand to administer harmless home remedies when minor health problems arose. One only went to the doctor when a health problem began to interfere with smooth dayto-day work. Failure to notice and recognize the early symptoms when an illness begins is the main reason why it takes root and becomes difficult to treat because of its severity and stubbornness. ‘It didn’t bother me till now’ is the real problem. It is ironic that our herbal heritage, our folk knowledge, used by people for ages, is of negligible value today, and is dismissed by most people if it is not available in fancycoloured coated pills in foil strip-packing. Recent global trade conferences and treaties tend to justify this. The custodians of this herbal wealth are persuaded to supply their herbal forest produce to industry at the cost of environmental degradation, in exchange for money to buy food and consumer goods. 9
Our
ancestors lived healthy, active lives depending
on nature to sustain them in every way.
Today
with
ailments galore and disease rampant, once again people are turning to the rich reservoir of natural resources that is our heritage.
Introduction
T
he year was 1965, and we were freshers; third year students just being introduced to clinical medicine in the outpatient department of the Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital for Women at New Delhi. Going through the prescribed format of complaints, history-taking, physical examination, laboratory reports and provisional diagnosis, etc., followed by a temporary prescription of say, SOS, a tablet of Paracetamol or Digene, as the case may be; till the senior registrar discussed the findings and told us what to write as the required treatment. When it came to writing a standard prescription, we were invariably asked, ‘Doctor, what should I eat? Can I have cold water? Is tea harmful for me? Is this tablet to be taken with food or without? Can I have a cold water bath or not?’ And I found that very often, unless it was absolutely contraindicated, we said, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter, take the tablet and you will be fine.’ If any complementary home remedy was suggested, we scoffed at the idea as being primitive with no meaning or bearing on the problem. Today, after over thirty years of interacting with people, I realize that there is so much in our herbal heritage, and in
folklore medicine, passed down by word of mouth by women who tend the house and hearth, that tapping this treasure is an absolute necessity. Sadly, our generation of women, and those after us, who have opted for nuclear families, have lost out on this. We did not have our mothers or grandmothers close at hand to administer harmless home remedies when minor health problems arose. One only went to the doctor when a health problem began to interfere with smooth dayto-day work. Failure to notice and recognize the early symptoms when an illness begins is the main reason why it takes root and becomes difficult to treat because of its severity and stubbornness. ‘It didn’t bother me till now’ is the real problem. It is ironic that our herbal heritage, our folk knowledge, used by people for ages, is of negligible value today, and is dismissed by most people if it is not available in fancycoloured coated pills in foil strip-packing. Recent global trade conferences and treaties tend to justify this. The custodians of this herbal wealth are persuaded to supply their herbal forest produce to industry at the cost of environmental degradation, in exchange for money to buy food and consumer goods. 9
20
21
20
21
Common
complaints such as general weakness, debility, anaemia,
nausea and vomiting, dizziness, hypertension, diabetes and depression are often neglected because they are not perceived as serious ailments.
However,
they need to be treated urgently because they
are often caused by underlying and undiagnosed diseases.
General Ailments
T
here are many health problems which are often neglected and remain untreated. The following wide range of ailments come under the category of general ailments.
General weakness and debility Feeling weak and low on energy is a common complaint experienced by many people. Causes and Symptoms It could be due to some neuro-muscular disorder, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, deficiency disorders such as anaemia, drug treatment with steroids, or an underlying undiagnosed disease such as cancer, tuberculosis or AIDS. It may also be the aftermath of some acute illness such as pneumonia or a viral fever. Weakness and debility following illness causes nutritional deficiency, which leads to depression. It then becomes a vicious circle of depression, loss of appetite, more weakness, and the cycle continues. A feeling of general weakness also results due to over-indulgence in heavy food, smoking, excessive intake of alcohol, narcotic drugs, or even heavy medication. However, it may not be any of these but a general lack of energy caused by a sedentary and lazy lifestyle. 42
Remedies • Avoid spicy, fried foods, and always eat freshly cooked meals. Modern conveniences such as refrigerators, microwave cookers/ ovens, cut and polythene-wrapped vegetables, pre-cooked processed foods, to which additives have been added to increase shelflife, have given rise to people eating food which lack or are deficient in energy-giving vital substances, such as vitamins and trace elements, as well as minerals. Pharmaceuticals race to produce these vital substances in the laboratory in ‘better and better forms, Anaemia Anaemia is not always a diagnosis but a name, a label, which brings to our notice that there is an underlying disorder which needs to be identified and treated. Causes and Symptoms Anaemia is a symptom when the patient looks pale because of a fall in the number of circulating red blood cells in the blood. Blood is not just a fluid present in our blood 43
Common
complaints such as general weakness, debility, anaemia,
nausea and vomiting, dizziness, hypertension, diabetes and depression are often neglected because they are not perceived as serious ailments.
However,
they need to be treated urgently because they
are often caused by underlying and undiagnosed diseases.
General Ailments
T
here are many health problems which are often neglected and remain untreated. The following wide range of ailments come under the category of general ailments.
General weakness and debility Feeling weak and low on energy is a common complaint experienced by many people. Causes and Symptoms It could be due to some neuro-muscular disorder, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, deficiency disorders such as anaemia, drug treatment with steroids, or an underlying undiagnosed disease such as cancer, tuberculosis or AIDS. It may also be the aftermath of some acute illness such as pneumonia or a viral fever. Weakness and debility following illness causes nutritional deficiency, which leads to depression. It then becomes a vicious circle of depression, loss of appetite, more weakness, and the cycle continues. A feeling of general weakness also results due to over-indulgence in heavy food, smoking, excessive intake of alcohol, narcotic drugs, or even heavy medication. However, it may not be any of these but a general lack of energy caused by a sedentary and lazy lifestyle. 42
Remedies • Avoid spicy, fried foods, and always eat freshly cooked meals. Modern conveniences such as refrigerators, microwave cookers/ ovens, cut and polythene-wrapped vegetables, pre-cooked processed foods, to which additives have been added to increase shelflife, have given rise to people eating food which lack or are deficient in energy-giving vital substances, such as vitamins and trace elements, as well as minerals. Pharmaceuticals race to produce these vital substances in the laboratory in ‘better and better forms, Anaemia Anaemia is not always a diagnosis but a name, a label, which brings to our notice that there is an underlying disorder which needs to be identified and treated. Causes and Symptoms Anaemia is a symptom when the patient looks pale because of a fall in the number of circulating red blood cells in the blood. Blood is not just a fluid present in our blood 43
All
the organs involved in the digestive process are enclosed in
the abdomen.
They
are the foodpipe, the stomach, the small and
large intestines, the liver, the gall-bladder and the pancreas.
All
infections or ailments of any of these organs totally disrupt the entire system, and hence should be treated right at the onset.
Abdominal Disorders
T
he abdomen houses all the organs that are responsible for the digestive processes, from digestion to processing and assimilation. The organs involved are the foodpipe or oesophagus, the stomach, the intestines – small and large – the liver and gallbladder, and the pancreas. The beginning of this gartronomic journey actually starts from the mouth, where the teeth masticate the food with rolling movements of the tongue, and the secretions of the salivary glands in the mouth covert it all into a smooth bolus, which goes into the foodpipe. Most of the complaints related to the abdomen are caused by dietary indiscretions or by infections. Some, of course, are constitutional in nature, with inborn/genetic tendencies. Here we will only deal with palliatives which can provide symptomatic relief. Dietary indiscretions, and the complaints emanating from them, will benefit, but constitutional or metabolic disorders are beyond the scope of this book. However, the remedies will still complement orthodox medical treatment. HYPERACIDITY AND HEARTBURN In today’s fast-paced and stressful world, where people have the wrong kind of food and drink, often ‘on the run’, hyperacidity and heartburn are common problems which are rampant. Causes and Symptoms In hyperacidity or heartburn, a person feels a burning pain in the gullet or chest – a feeling of regurgitation of the acidic contents of the stomach. Sometimes there is associated belching, which seems to relieve the immediate discomfort. The causes of this are many, but the usual culprits are
104
overeating, eating too much spicy, rich and oily food, excessive alcohol consumption, or smoking too much. Sometimes this complaint is caused by stooping or lying down immediately after a meal, and is worse when lying on the right side. The latter condition is due to a reflux of stomach contents into the oesophagus or foodpipe, because the sphincter or valve at the lower end of the foodpipe and entrance to the stomach is weak. It is supposed to be a oneway valve, but weakness of the circular muscles at the lower end of the oesophagus causes it to remain open, so the stomach contents regurgitate upwards into the chest 105
All
the organs involved in the digestive process are enclosed in
the abdomen.
They
are the foodpipe, the stomach, the small and
large intestines, the liver, the gall-bladder and the pancreas.
All
infections or ailments of any of these organs totally disrupt the entire system, and hence should be treated right at the onset.
Abdominal Disorders
T
he abdomen houses all the organs that are responsible for the digestive processes, from digestion to processing and assimilation. The organs involved are the foodpipe or oesophagus, the stomach, the intestines – small and large – the liver and gallbladder, and the pancreas. The beginning of this gartronomic journey actually starts from the mouth, where the teeth masticate the food with rolling movements of the tongue, and the secretions of the salivary glands in the mouth covert it all into a smooth bolus, which goes into the foodpipe. Most of the complaints related to the abdomen are caused by dietary indiscretions or by infections. Some, of course, are constitutional in nature, with inborn/genetic tendencies. Here we will only deal with palliatives which can provide symptomatic relief. Dietary indiscretions, and the complaints emanating from them, will benefit, but constitutional or metabolic disorders are beyond the scope of this book. However, the remedies will still complement orthodox medical treatment. HYPERACIDITY AND HEARTBURN In today’s fast-paced and stressful world, where people have the wrong kind of food and drink, often ‘on the run’, hyperacidity and heartburn are common problems which are rampant. Causes and Symptoms In hyperacidity or heartburn, a person feels a burning pain in the gullet or chest – a feeling of regurgitation of the acidic contents of the stomach. Sometimes there is associated belching, which seems to relieve the immediate discomfort. The causes of this are many, but the usual culprits are
104
overeating, eating too much spicy, rich and oily food, excessive alcohol consumption, or smoking too much. Sometimes this complaint is caused by stooping or lying down immediately after a meal, and is worse when lying on the right side. The latter condition is due to a reflux of stomach contents into the oesophagus or foodpipe, because the sphincter or valve at the lower end of the foodpipe and entrance to the stomach is weak. It is supposed to be a oneway valve, but weakness of the circular muscles at the lower end of the oesophagus causes it to remain open, so the stomach contents regurgitate upwards into the chest 105
Our
bodies are covered entirely by our skin, which not only
protects us from the external elements, but also makes us aware of touch, pain, heat and cold. It is delicate and prone to numerous problems.
Therefore,
preventing or successfully
treating skin disorders is of paramount importance.
Skin Problems
O
ur entire body is encapsulated in a protective covering – the skin. It has the unique capacity to adapt and protect us from hot and cold weather, the sun, the wind, and the numerous organisms in the atmosphere. The skin has two layers – an outer layer, the epidermis, and an inner layer, the dermis. Underneath, and in these layers, are present a network of fine nerve endings and blood vessels. The skin makes us aware of touch, pain and temperature. It has numerous pores, which are openings of sweat glands situated in the dermis. These glands are organs of excretion. They excrete excess salts, help maintain the salt and water balance of the body, and complement other organs of excretion, principally the kidneys and bowels, and to some extent the lungs. The skin, besides being exposed to the elements – air, wind, rain, sun, etc. – is also extremely sensitive to infections and environmental pollutants. To remain healthy, it is important to keep it healthy and clean. Personal cleanliness is very important. It includes daily, regular bathing, and using oils or creams to keep the surface of the skin smooth and soft. Despite all the care taken, some problems still arise, which need a little more consideration than just a regular bath and good hygiene. The concept of starting out with a baby-soft skin at birth is wonderful, but some infants are covered with a white, waxy substance all over their bodies, more so in the crevices – in the armpits, groin, elbows, behind the knees, and also on the scalp. This is called cradle cap or vernix caseosa. Some babies have it only on the scalp. However, it is not a serious problem – it is a natural protective substance which keeps the foetal skin healthy when it remains in a watery environment for nine months. Vernix caseosa comes off gradually on its own by the end of six weeks – which is the normal postnatal period needed for the mother to recuperate. At birth, the attendant normally wipes some of it off gently with a soft, damp, clean cloth. The baby is bathed in some hospitals, but some patients who have had domicillary deliveries, prefer not to bathe the baby till the cord dries completely and falls off – usually in 7-8 days.
154
155
Our
bodies are covered entirely by our skin, which not only
protects us from the external elements, but also makes us aware of touch, pain, heat and cold. It is delicate and prone to numerous problems.
Therefore,
preventing or successfully
treating skin disorders is of paramount importance.
Skin Problems
O
ur entire body is encapsulated in a protective covering – the skin. It has the unique capacity to adapt and protect us from hot and cold weather, the sun, the wind, and the numerous organisms in the atmosphere. The skin has two layers – an outer layer, the epidermis, and an inner layer, the dermis. Underneath, and in these layers, are present a network of fine nerve endings and blood vessels. The skin makes us aware of touch, pain and temperature. It has numerous pores, which are openings of sweat glands situated in the dermis. These glands are organs of excretion. They excrete excess salts, help maintain the salt and water balance of the body, and complement other organs of excretion, principally the kidneys and bowels, and to some extent the lungs. The skin, besides being exposed to the elements – air, wind, rain, sun, etc. – is also extremely sensitive to infections and environmental pollutants. To remain healthy, it is important to keep it healthy and clean. Personal cleanliness is very important. It includes daily, regular bathing, and using oils or creams to keep the surface of the skin smooth and soft. Despite all the care taken, some problems still arise, which need a little more consideration than just a regular bath and good hygiene. The concept of starting out with a baby-soft skin at birth is wonderful, but some infants are covered with a white, waxy substance all over their bodies, more so in the crevices – in the armpits, groin, elbows, behind the knees, and also on the scalp. This is called cradle cap or vernix caseosa. Some babies have it only on the scalp. However, it is not a serious problem – it is a natural protective substance which keeps the foetal skin healthy when it remains in a watery environment for nine months. Vernix caseosa comes off gradually on its own by the end of six weeks – which is the normal postnatal period needed for the mother to recuperate. At birth, the attendant normally wipes some of it off gently with a soft, damp, clean cloth. The baby is bathed in some hospitals, but some patients who have had domicillary deliveries, prefer not to bathe the baby till the cord dries completely and falls off – usually in 7-8 days.
154
155
Author Dr(Mrs) Pushpajeet Sidhu Phadke, a practising allopath – and homeopath by interest – has been actively involved for over three decades in primary health-care services. She has chosen to take a holistic approach towards dispensing affordable and viable solutions for preventive and curative health care. Having travelled and practised in several states across the country, she has written for magazines and journals and worked with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on health care. Author of The Penguin India Guide to Women’s Health and First Aid Guide, Dr P.S. Phadke has diverse experience in research, writing and scripting medical programmes for TV.
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