Alternative Therapies and Health News

Primary instincts of life not just include hunger and sleep but also sex. There is no denial about it and there is absolutely nothing in not being upfront about it. While sex gives utmost satisfaction, inability to have a healthy sex life might lead not only to be an indicator of some physical disorder but also to a disturbed mental state.

Sexual activity demands a relaxed state of mind and complete concentration. But when tension takes over often this activity is dampened beyond repair. Sexual dysfunction is a crucial problem found commonly in case of men more than in women and it might take the form of impotence. If taken care at the initial stages sexual impotence can be dealt with healthy lifestyle.

Definition of Sexual Impotence:

“Impotence is the inability to maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the status of ejaculation.”

Causes of Sexual Impotence:

• Diabetes
• Depression
• Alcoholism
• Tiredness
• Therapeutic use of Oestrogens
• Paralysis of parasympathetic nerves by drugs

Experts say, “Other causes of impotence include a devitalized condition of the system in general. The main problem of secondary impotence is the apprehension created by an earlier failure, which generates a good deal of anxiety for the next time. Impotence takes three forms. There is primary impotence when the man’s erectile dysfunction is there from the very beginning of sexual activity and he simply cannot have an erection. Secondary impotence is the commonest and this implies that the man can normally attain an erection but fails on one or more occasions in between normal activity. The third form is associated with advancing age.”

Who doesn’t have Bad Breath problems? But the point is that some manage it better while some don’t. While eating habits can be blamed for bad breath there are some easy home remedies which can help you not have bad breath problems. Before we go into the remedies let us just browse through the basic reasons of Bad Breath. It is mainly caused by odor producing bacteria in the mouth. When we don’t clean or brush our teeth properly after meals, bacteria gets accumulated on the left over food in the mouth and between the teeth. It releases Sulphur compounds that make the breath smell.

Here are some other causes Bad Breath:

• Gum Diseases

• Dental Decay

• Throat Infection

• Constipation and other stomach disorders like gastric

Now let us leave science apart and deal with the actual problem. Home Remedies for Bad Breath are:

• Chewing mint leaves will soon freshen up the breath and act as bad breath remedy.

• Brushing teeth after every meal also prevent bad breath.

• Gargle with baking soda dissolved in warm water. It can be used for cleaning tongue.

• Drinking a hot cup of unsweetened tea will help in curing bad breath.

• After meals chew some sunflower seeds and drink a glass of water as it act as bad breath remedy.

• Eating yogurt for 6-7 weeks completely remove bad breath.

• Chewing one clove after meals daily also helps in dealing with bad breath.

• Squeeze the lemon in a glass of water and gargle frequently for curing bad breath.

• Drinking pineapple juice vanishes the foul smell from the mouth.

• Eating apples daily is good for mouth purification as it removes the bacteria causing bad breath.

• Eat parsley to reduce bad breath.

• Intake of food products that are rich in Zinc prevents bad breath as it keeps the check on the anaerobic bacteria in the mouth.

• Chewing cardamom seeds sweetens the breath.

• Before brushing you can use hydrogen peroxide to rinse the mouth.

Treat the wounds and cuts immediately before it gets infected. Before trying out any of these home remedies, clean the wound thoroughly with soap and water, and remove the dirt and all foreign matters from the wound.

• Wash the wound well, apply ground ginger on it and bandage the wound.
• Apply garlic on the wound or cut. The allicin in garlic speeds up the healing process.
• If your skin has bruised, apply a cold compress for half an hour. After applying a cold compress, the next day, apply heat pads on the affected area to improve blood circulation.
• If the cut is deep or large, raise the injured part above the level of the heart to reduce the bleeding. Use a sterile gauze pad and apply pressure to stop bleeding.
• Apply turmeric powder over the wound and dress it with a bandage. Turmeric powder will stop the bleeding.
• Chamomile flower reduces swelling and prevents infection.
• Yarrow speeds up the clotting of blood in cuts.
• Include high amounts of garlic and onions in your diet.
• Avoid dairy products, sugar and white flour.
• Smoking interferes with blood supply and collagen metabolism thereby delaying the healing process. So avoid smoking.
• Apply apple cider vinegar and cold water on the bruise.
• Applying raw egg on the bruise also helps.

If you are suffering from painful, swollen, red, bleeding gums, then try out some of these simple home remedies to get instant relief.

• Prepare a saline solution by mixing salt in a glass of lukewarm water. Rinse your mouth with this solution in the morning and evening.
• Flossing after every meal also helps.
• Use a soft brush; and brush after every meal.
• Take vitamin C supplements or consume citrus fruits. Deficiency of vitamin C can cause bleeding gums.
• Use mouthwash containing sage oil, peppermint oil, menthol or chamomile.
• Using Listerine mouthwash regularly can also help cure gingivitis.
• Rub some clove oil on your gums.
• Consume food items containing low saturated fats.
• Avoid sugar, fruit juices, white flour and soft drinks.
• Rub a solution of baking soda and water on your gums and then brush your teeth. Baking soda neutralizes the activity of bacteria in your mouth.
• You can also use aloe on your teeth and gum. It has excellent healing properties.
• Gargle 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide with water for three times a week.
• Take extra dose of calcium either as supplements or naturally as food.
• Add a drop of Tea Tree Oil to your toothpaste to prevent gum disease.
• Smoking and alcoholism can also cause gingivitis.

Toenail fungus or onychomycosis is an infection caused by fungi that grow in a moist environment. The fungus eats up the protein on the surface of the toenails, especially the big toe and the little toe. Many of those who wear shoes in warm climates are attacked by this infection. It will destroy your nails, cause discoloration, nails become thick, feel an stinging pain and smell starts emanating from under the toenails.

There are certain popular home remedies that can be very effective in emanating this fungal infection.

1. Use a medicated nail polish containing either amorolfine (Loceryl) or ciclopirox (Loprox).
2. Mix apple cider vinegar in water in equal proportions and soak the infected feet in that solution. Instead of vinegar you can also use Hydrogen Peroxide. You could either soak your feet in the solution or else, apply hydrogen peroxide in the affected area using a cotton ball.
3. Soak the affected toenails in rubbing alcohol (available in any pharmacy) for about 20 minutes twice daily.
4. You could also soak the toenails in Listerine mouthwash (diluted in water) for around 20 minutes daily to stop fungal growth.
5. To prevent fungal nail infection,

• Clean your feet regularly and keep them dry.
• Change your shoes and socks regularly.
• Reduce the intake of sugar and carbohydrates in your diet.
• Use candidate drops to control fungal infection.
• Try to avoid public showers and bathrooms which are popular places from where you can get infected by the fungus.
• Trim your nails regularly. If you are getting your nails clipped from a salon, then see to it that the clipper is disinfected.

If eyes are windows to the soul, then here are some easy ways to keep the windows clean and clear for a good vision.

• Use home made eyewash to clean your eyes. Eyewash recipe:

1. Make eye wash at home using one tablespoon each of comfrey root, fennel seeds and goldenseal powder. Mix comfrey root and fennel seeds in a cup of water and boil for few minutes. Cool it in refrigerator and then use. Add goldenseal powder to make it stronger.
2. Here’s another eyewash recipe: mix one cup of rose petal and four tablespoon of raspberry leaves in four cups of boiling water. After it cools, strain and use as eyewash.

• To avoid sport related injuries, or if you are working in a workshop or mowing the lawn, use protective eyewear like safety glasses or full face shields to prevent debris from entering your eye and causing eye injury. Use glasses made of polycarbonate or another sturdy plastic.
• Consume food items rich in vitamin A for improving and maintaining healthy vision. Eat lots of spinach as it contains carotenoid needed for retina and eye tissue. If vitamin A is taken as a supplement, then take 25,000 IU of vitamin A daily.
• To cure retinopathy in diabetic patients, take ginkgo biloba. It increases the oxygen and nutrient supply to the eye and clears toxins.
• Place thin slices of potatoes on your eyes.
• To cool your eyes and increase blood supply, splash plain cold water over your eyes several times and then rub briskly for a minute with a clean towel.
• Mix half a teaspoon of liquorice powder with an equal quantity of honey and ghee. Mix this preparation in a cup of milk and consume in empty stomach twice daily.
• Face the sun with your eyes closed. Sway sideways several times. Open the eyes and blink for 10 minutes.

Hair loss and baldness can be caused due to several reasons. If it is hereditary, it cannot be prevented. But otherwise, hair loss is usually caused due to lack of proper nutrition, anxiety, depression, side effect of drugs, prolonged illness, unclean conditions, lack of proper blood circulation etc.

• Grind coconut shavings and squeeze them. Apply the coconut milk obtained on your scalp and massage well. Coconut milk nourishes your hair and promotes hair growth.
• Boil mustard oil and then add henna to it. Keep the oil burning till the henna is burnt. Massage your hair with this oil regularly.
• With onion, rub the part of the hair where there is too much hair loss two times a day. Later, rub the same portion with honey.
• Apply refined coconut oil mixed with juice of lemon. Let it remain for an hour and then shampoo your hair.
• Prepare shampoo by mixing equal quantities of fresh gooseberry juice with lemon juice. This prevents hair loss and promotes hair growth.
• Daily in the morning eat a handful of white sesame seeds.
• Having a diet rich in silica, calcium and iron will help prevent hair loss. Since hair is comprised mostly of protein, having protein rich diet is also very essential for healthy hair.
• Rinsing your hair with apple cider vinegar and sage tea helps in hair growth.
• A mixture of alfalfa, lettuce and carrot juice taken daily helps in the growth of hair.
• Boil rosemary leaves in water and use this water while washing your hair daily.
• Rub your scalp vigorously with your fingers after washing your hair with cold water.

Bronchitis is the inflammation of the air tubes bronchi. It is usually a viral infection that affects the nose, sinus and throat. Bronchitis might be acute or chronic. In bronchitis, large quantities of mucus get secreted as phlegm.

Bronchitis is often left to take its own course. But certain easy and natural home remedies can give instant relief and help bronchitis cure faster.

• Drink warm fluid as it helps the mucus loosen and become watery. Breathing in warm moist air also helps vaporize the mucus.
• Stop smoking completely to recover from bronchitis. Excessive smoking slows the resistance of the bronchial tubes.
• Add half teaspoon of turmeric powder in a warm glass of milk and drink twice daily (if possible in empty stomach).
• Prepare tea by adding ginger, pepper and cloves and drink twice daily.
• Drinking cabbage juice everyday is very effective.
• Having raw onion juice in the morning prevents the formation of phlegm.
• Mix powdered almond kernels in a cup of orange or lemon juice. Take the mixture daily at night.
• Gargling with salt water will give great relief to your throat.
• Slice onion in to a bowl and cover it with honey. Let it remain like that overnight. Remove the onion in the morning and drink a teaspoon of honey 4 times a day.

High blood pressure can be controlled with some natural remedies and by taking proper care of diet and life style. Some effective home remedies to lower blood pressure are:

1. Yoga, exercise, meditation and pranayama can be very helpful in combating high blood pressure.
2. Garlic is very effective in lowering blood pressure. Consume few cloves of garlic every day and reduce the pulse rate and high blood pressure.
3. Have a teaspoon of gooseberry juice mixed with honey every morning.
4. Lemon juice and grape fruit is very helpful in reducing blood pressure.
5. Carrot and spinach juices taken separately or in combination are very helpful in lowering blood pressure.
6. Drink tea made with celery leaves every day.
7. Have fresh fruits and vegetables like banana, grape, orange, cabbage, celery, carrot, nut wheat germ and soy, milk and dairy products to raise the level of minerals like calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium.  These minerals are very helpful in lowering blood pressure.
8. Avoid too much of salt in your diet.

High blood pressure patients should also have a balanced diet, good sleep and plenty of exercise. 

Almost 80 percent of the Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their life. To get instant relief from the symptoms of back pain people often opt for drugs that mask the symptoms and gives temporary relief.

• Use ice compress to reduce pain and inflammation in the injured area. Do not use ice for more than 5 minutes. After compression with ice, switch over to heat.
• Applying raw potato is an excellent remedy for back pain. It reduces pain in the lower back.
• Take 2-3 cloves of garlic every morning. For best results, rub oil prepared from garlic on your back. The oil is prepared by adding 10-15 cloves of garlic to boiling mustard oil or coconut oil. Allow the oil to remain for 3-4 hours and then bathe in warm water.
• Lemon juice mixed with salt taken twice daily will give great relief from back pain.
• Prepare tea with ginger, pepper and clove and drink at least twice a day.
• Sleep on your back on a firm mattress.
• In the morning drink glucose or honey in warm water.
• Vitamin C is very helpful in curing severe backaches.
• While sitting or lying down, change your positions as often a possible.
• Massaging the back with turpentine oil is also beneficial.
• Boil cabbage leaves in milk, when a jelly is formed, spread on a cloth and apply hot on the back and leave overnight.

There are certain yogasanas also that are very helpful in the treatment of back pain. 

Follow these tips to remove ear wax safely at home:

1. Take some baby oil, mineral oil or olive oil in a spoon and warm it slightly. Lie on your side and put few drops of oil in your ear canal. Allow the oil to remain for few seconds so that the wax will melt. Then lean your head to one side so that the oil will flow out naturally from your ear.
2. You can also use ear drops available in the pharmacy to melt and remove ear wax.
3. Put 2-3 drops of warm onion juice in each ear.
4. Put few drops of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide in each ear for 10 minutes. 
5. Vitamin C will help reduce the chances of ear infection.
6. One drop of alcohol after bathing can also prevent excessive earwax.
7. Do not remove ear wax using pen or any other stick like object.

Our body produces ear wax to trap the dirt from outside. So it is not advised to remove ear wax unless it becomes too excessive, creates problem in hearing or causes ear infection.
 

Spice for thought? Consuming spicy food is considered to improve your memory and the cognitive functions of your brain.  Certain spices help in boosting up and preserving the functioning of your brain even as you age.

Turmeric, a popular ingredient in curry, is found to be very effective in reducing the effects of certain common neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. it inhibits the formation of  amyloid plaques in people suffering from Alzheimer’s. The functioning of the nerve cells usually decline due to the effects of oxidation. Curcumin, which forms a part of turmeric, is an antioxidant that defends your brain from the harmful effects of oxidation.

Zingerone is the antioxidant present in ginger that functions like curcumin and defends the neurons from oxidation and protects your brain. Cinnamon is yet another spice that has shown brain-protective functions. A mere smell of this spice is enough to boost the brain activity and its cognitive functions.