The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (16 page)

Treatment

• Grated cucumber
  applied over the affected areas for 15-20 minutes has been found to be effective especially for the skin on the face. Regular application prevents dryness of the skin.
  

• Applying the
  juice of fresh mint
  every night on affected areas of the skin can help prevent dryness. It is also a suggested remedy for eczema and dermatitis.
  

• Honey, olive oil and a mixture of turmeric and sandalwood paste
  are very effective in rejuvenating dry, parched skin
  

* * * * *

The prostate is a small gland, usually described as "walnut-sized," that, together with the seminal vesicles, produces the fluid part of semen. It is located just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine passes through the penis.

Problems with the prostate are usually connected to aging: the older you are, the more likely your chances of experiencing prostate problems and symptoms. Young men are rarely affected by these disorders.

After age fifty, however, disorders of the gland are among the most common of men's health complaints. Eighty percent of all prostate cancer diagnoses, for instance, are made after age sixty-five, and by age seventy, ninety percent of all men display at least some symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

Symptoms

• Difficulty or pain while urinating
  
• Burning sensation while urinating
  
• Pelvic pain
  
• Frequent urination
  
• Abdominal pain
  
• "Dribbling" or incontinence
  
• Impotence
  
• A feeling that your bladder never fully empties
  
• A sudden inability to urinate
  
• Urinary tract infection
  
• Hematuria and/or
  anemia
  
• Nocturia
  

Causes


        
Prolonged periods of sitting - prolonged periods of sitting, as in certain occupations, also increase the pressure on the pelvic region, resulting in congestion of the tissues in and around the prostate gland.


        
Exposure to cold, chill and infectious diseases - Acute prostatitis may also result from exposure to cold and chill, and from infectious diseases. Chronic prostatis is an after-effect of the acute condition.


        
Excessive sexual excitement and constipation – Also, It may be caused by continual irritation of the gland due to excessive sexual excitement. Another important cause of prostate disorders is constipation, when the faces become hardened and the rectum or lower bowel is overloaded, causing undue pressure on the prostate gland.

Treatment

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are an effective home remedy for prostate problems and many patients have been helped by their use. These seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which are essential to the health of the prostate. Persons beyond the age of fifty, who have any signs of prostate trouble; or those who suffer from urinary disorders of some kind, namely, burning or difficulty in passing urine freely, should take sixty to ninety grams of pumpkin steeds per day. The seeds may be taken in the form of powder sprinkled over cooked vegetables or mixed with wheat flour to make chapattis. They can also be taken in the form of a paste made with honey, or as a drink mixed with diluted milk and sugar to taste.

Vegetable Juices

The use of vegetable juices has been found beneficial in the treatment of prostate problems, including prostate enlargement. The juice of carrots, taken separately in a 500 ml quantity, or in combination with spinach juice, is especially valuable. In the case of combined juices, 200 ml of spinach juice should be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of combined juices.

Zinc

The use of zinc has been found valuable in cases of prostate disorders. About thirty milligrams of this mineral should be taken daily in the treatment of these diseases.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E has proved to be an important factor for prostate health. The patient should therefore use vitamin E-rich foods liberally or take 600 IU of this vitamin daily. Vitamin E-rich foods are wholegrain products, green leafy vegetables, eggs, milk, and all raw or sprouted seeds.

* * * * *

An arrhythmia (also called dysrhythmia) is an irregular heartbeat. Heart rates can also be irregular. A normal heart rate is 50 to 100 beats per minute. Arrhythmias and abnormal heart rates do not necessarily occur together. Arrhythmias can occur with a normal heart rate, or with heart rates that are slow (called bradyarrhythmias -- less than 60 beats per minute).  Arrhythmias can also occur with rapid heart rates (called tachyarrhythmias -- faster than 100 beats per minute). In the United States, more than 850,000 people are hospitalized for an arrhythmia each year.

Symptoms

An arrhythmia can be silent and not cause any symptoms. A doctor can detect an irregular heartbeat during a physical exam by taking your pulse or through an
electrocardiogram (ECG)
.

When symptoms occur, they may include:

• Palpitations (a feeling of skipped heartbeats, fluttering or "flip-flops," or feeling that your heart is "running away")
  
• Pounding in your chest
  
• Dizziness or feeling light-headedness
  
• Fainting
  
• Shortness of breath
  
• Chest discomfort
  
• Weakness or fatigue (feeling very tired)
  

Causes

• Coronary artery disease
  
• Electrolyte imbalances in your blood (such as sodium or potassium)
  
• Changes in your heart muscle
  
• Injury from a
  heart attack
  
• Healing process after heart surgery
  

Irregular heart rhythms can also occur in "normal, healthy" hearts.

Treatment

Grapes

Grapes are one of the most effective home remedies for heart palpitation. The patient should take the juice of this fruit at frequent intervals. This will relieve the condition.

Guava

The use of guava is another effective home remedy for palpitation of the heart. The patient should eat a ripe guava daily on an empty stomach. It is especially beneficial if this disorder caused by nervousness and anemia.

Snake Gourd Leaves

The leaves of snake gourd have been found beneficial in the treatment of palpitation of the heart. The juice of these leaves should be extracted and given in doses of one to two tablespoons thrice daily.

Honey

Honey has proved valuable in overcoming this condition. Honey is considered an excellent food for the heart being easily digested and assimilated. The patient should take a glass of water, mixed with a tablespoon of honey and the juice of half a lemon, before going to bed.

Indian Spikenard

The herb Indian spikenard is also beneficial in the treatment of palpitation of the heart. It stimulates the action of the heart. It should be taken in doses of two to three grams with the addition of a pinch of camphor and cinnamon. It can also be taken as an infusion in doses of 30 to 60 ml, three times a day.

Aniseed and Dry Coriander

A mixture of powdered aniseed, dry coriander, and jaggery can also be used beneficially in the treatment of this condition. Equal quantities of each of these three substances should be powdered. About six grams of this mixed powder should be taken after each meal by the patient suffering from palpitation of the heart.

* * * * *

Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins near the surface of the skin. They most commonly develop in the legs and ankles.

Symptoms

You may not have symptoms with
varicose veins
. Most people identify varicose veins by the appearance of twisted, swollen, bluish veins just beneath the skin.

If you have symptoms of varicose veins, they tend to be mild and may include:

• A dull ache, burning, or heaviness in the legs. These symptoms may be more noticeable late in the day or after you have been sitting or standing for a long time.
  
• Mild swelling, usually involving the feet and ankles only
  
• Itching skin over the varicose vein
  

More severe symptoms or complications include:

• A buildup of fluid and swelling in the leg
  
• Significant swelling and calf pain after sitting or standing for a long time
  
• Skin color changes (
  stasis pigmentation
  ) around the ankles and lower legs
  
• Dry, stretched, swollen, itching, or scaling skin
  
• Superficial
  thrombophlebitis
  (when a blood clot and inflammation develop in a small vein near the surface of the skin)
  
• Open sores (ulcerations)
  
• Bleeding and/or bruising after a minor injury
  

Symptoms of varicose veins may become more severe a few days before and during a woman's menstrual period.

Causes

Varicose veins develop when you have faulty valves in your veins and weakened vein walls. Normally, the one-way valves in these veins keep the blood flowing efficiently against gravity up toward the heart. When these valves do not function properly, blood pools, pressure builds up, and the veins become weakened, enlarged, and twisted. This is called
venous insufficiency
.

Some people may be more likely than others to develop varicose veins because of inherited characteristics (genetics) and the aging process. Varicose veins may also result from conditions that increase pressure on the leg veins, such as being overweight or pregnant or having an occupation that requires standing for long periods.

Treatment

Marigold

The herb marigold is valuable in varicose veins. A compress of this herb should be applied externally in the treatment of this disease. The flowers of this plant can be applied externally over varicose ulcers with beneficial results, as they are an excellent remedy for inflamed or ulcerated conditions of the skin.

Vegetable Juices

Raw vegetable juices, especially carrot juice in combination with spinach juice, have proved beneficial in the treatment of this disease. The formula proportions considered helpful in this combination are 300 ml of carrot juice and 200 ml of spinach juice.

Nutrients

Certain nutrients, especially vitamins E and C have been found effective in the treatment of this disease. The patient should take vitamin C in therapeutic doses up to 3,000 mg and vitamin E in therapeutic doses from 600 to 1,200 mg daily. This will relieve him of pain and leg cramps associated with varicose veins.

* * * * *

A wart is a harmless, noncancerous skin growth caused by a
human papillomavirus (HPV)
. There are more than 100 known types of HPV. HPV infects the top layer of skin, usually entering the body in an area of broken skin. The virus causes the top layer of skin to grow rapidly, resulting in a wart. Warts generally go away on their own within months or years.

Warts can occur anywhere on the body. They are most common among children and young adults.

There are
six main kinds of warts
. They can differ in location and in appearance.

• Common warts
  appear most often on the hands, but they may appear anywhere on the body. They are rough, gray-brown, dome-shaped growths.
  
• Plantar warts
  occur on the soles of the feet. They look like hard, thick patches of skin with dark specks. Plantar warts may cause pain when you walk, and you may feel like you are stepping on a pebble.
  
• Flat warts
  are usually found on your face, arms, or legs. They are small (usually smaller than the eraser on the end of a pencil), have flat tops, and can be pink, light brown, or light yellow.
  
• Filiform warts
  are usually found around the mouth, nose, or beard area. They are flesh-colored with fingerlike projections.
  
• Periungual warts
  are found under and around the toenails and fingernails. They appear as rough, irregular bumps. They can affect nail growth.
  
• Genital warts
  are found on the genitals, around the
  anus
  , within the rectum or
  vagina
  , or on the
  cervix
  . They range in color from flesh to gray and often grow together to form cauliflower-like masses and in some cases are too small to see. Genital warts may increase a woman's risk of
  cervical cancer
  .