Health conditions starting with H and herbal remedies used to treat them

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Hayfever Hemorrhoids/Piles Hiatal Hernia Headache Hepatitis Hiccups Heart Herpes Hops Tincture

DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of INFORMATION and ENTERTAINMENT and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for the efficacy of any herb nor for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. Additionally, some of these plants are extremely toxic and should be used only by licensed professionals who have the means to process them properly into appropriate pharmaceuticals. One final note: many plants were used for a wide range of illnesses in the past, but be aware that many of the historical uses have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied.

HAYFEVER Freeze-dried nettles, available through healthfood and vitamin outlets, work well for a good percentage of hayfever sufferers. Other remedies include a tincture of Fireweed (Erechtites hieracifolia) as well as a cup of yarrow tea when an attack is coming on. Caution should be taken with yarrow in regards to possible allergies.

HEADACHE Even more common than a cold and with a myriad of causes. Stress, tension, sinus and poor digestion are some of the more benign reasons for headaches, but those which occur on a nearly daily basis or are of such duration and painful strength that they incapacitate should definitely be brought to the attention of a medical professional to assess for more serious causes.
Some asprin-like herbs are Meadowsweet and White Willow bark and have been traditionally employed for headaches and inflammatory conditions.

OTHER REMEDIES

Scented geranium vinegar: A weak solution of 4 tbsp vinegar is combined in 1 cup of scented geranium water. A cloth is dipped and wrung out and placed over the forehead. This is also done with Lavender Water.
Essential oil of lavender diluted in olive or sweet almond oil and rubbed on the temples.
Placing crushed peppermint leaves on the forehead.
Add a pinch of rosemary to chamomile or peppermint tea.
Inhalation: ½ cup dried peppermint leaves, ½ cup cinnamon pieces; simmer 1 tbsp of each in a saucepan of water and inhale the steam.
Combine equal parts of skullcap, valerian, rosemary, chamomile and peppermint; make a decoction by combining 2 oz of the mixed herbs and 1 quart of water, then simmer til reduced to 1 pint; take ½ cup every hour. Feverfew herb is also effective for many people, especially those suffering from migraine.
Peppermint tea is especially helpful for headaches caused by sinus or poor digestion.
MIGRAINE

1 oz of rosemary leaves
¾ oz peppermint leaves
¾ oz balm leaves
2/3 oz sweet violet
2/3 oz feverfew
1 tbsp violet flowers
Use 1½ tsp per cup of boiling water; steep 7 minutes.
Headache accompanied by stress and hypertension
Combine equal parts of hawthorn, linden, skullcap, cramp bark. Use ¼ oz of herbs to 2 oz of 100 proof vodka to make a tincture and take 1 tsp 3 times daily. Or else use 2 tsp of the herbs steeped for 7 minutes in 1 cup of water and taken 3 times daily.

HEART No one should attempt to treat a heart condition with alternative methods unless under the supervision of a medical professional. To find a naturopathic physician in your area who can treat the condition using both standard and alternative methods, check this website www.naturopathic.com. Some herbs that were used traditionally, such as lily of the valley, to treat cardiac insufficiency, angina and aging heart are so poisonous they are no longer used today. At one time they were all that anyone had to work with, but that's no longer the case. We have far safer pharmaceutical interventions today and if you are on any type of medication for a heart condition, you absolutely must have a physician if you wish to implement any alternative treatment as the two treatments may be dangerous if used together. Historically, one herb used was Night Blooming Cereus which is similar to Lily of the Valley in action and especially useful with arrhythmias. Neither of these is used today due to their toxicity. The currently accepted procedure if you feel a heart attack is occurring is to take 1 or 2 asprin. Some alternative physicians feel that taking garlic daily as a dietary supplement is beneficial.

Some other herbs used today are
HAWTHORN BERRIES
Valuable cardiovascular herb; strengthens force of heart contractions while dilating vessels of coronary circulation; amphoteric (will relax or stimulate heart according to its need); normalizes heart function.

MOTHERWORT A relaxing nervine; promotes menses; will strengthen and normalize the function of the heart. Most noted for conditions of palpitations and especially useful for a nervous heart in conjunction with menopause.

BROOM A primary heart diuretic; strengthens and normalizes the heart beat while ridding the body of excess water buildup due to coronary insufficiency. It is not used in cases of high blood pressure as it can cause HBP in some individuals.

FIGWORT
Increases strength of heart contractions.
BUGLEWEED
Increases strength of heart beat and reduces rate of heart beat.
CARDIO-VASCULAR NERVINES
Balm, hops, lime flowers, motherwort, pasque flowers, skullcap, valerian.
HEART TONIC

½ oz hawthorn
¼ oz linden blossom
¼ oz motherwort
¼ oz don sen
1/8 oz ginger root
Combine in 6 oz of 100 proof vodka and allow to steep (capped) for 2 weeks. Strain and use 1 tsp 3 times daily.

NERVOUS HEART

20 grams tincture of lemon balm, 10 grams valerian tincture, 10 grams peppermint tincture, 10 grams hawthorne tincture; combine and use 20 to 30 drops in a little water.
Mix equal parts valerian, lavender flowers, chamomile and fennel; steep 1½ tsp in ½ cup of boiling hot water for 10 minutes; take 1 cup daily in mouthful doses.
Combine 2 parts motherwort, 1 part mistletoe, 1 part valerian; use 1 tsp per cup of boiling hot water, steeped 10 to 15 minutes; drink 3 times daily or as needed. If there is high blood pressure add 1 part hawthorn berries.
CHRONIC HEART FAILURE
Extract of Hawthorn standarized with 2.2% flavonoids.
CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

3 parts hawthorn
1 part ginkgo
1 part linden blossom
1 part dandelion leaf
1 part motherwort
1 part cramp bark
Combine and steep 2 tsp per cup of boiling hot water for 8 minutes and drink 3 times a day.
ANGINA

3 parts hawthorn
2 parts motherwort
1 part linden
1 part cramp bark
1 part ginkgo
Combine and use 2 tsp per cup of boiling hot water, steeped 8 minutes and drink 3 times daily.
HEART ATTACK RECOVERY

3 parts hawthorn
1 part linden
1 part siberian ginseng
2 parts ginkgo
This can be prepared using the dry herbs and using 2 tsp per cup of boiling hot water to steep for 8 minutes and take 3 times daily. Or, tinctures of these herbs can be purchased and combined according to the recipe. A dose of the combined tincture is 1 tsp which is taken 3 times daily.

HEMORRHOIDS/PILES The difference between a hemorrhoid and a pile is exactly nothing...they're the same thing, which is a varicose vein situated at the anus. They occur in about 1/3 of the general population aged 25 and over. Historically the general means of treatment were washes, ointments, baths and suppositories to control the discomfort and hopefully reduce the size of the swollen vein.

Herbs traditionally used

Alder buckthorn
Aloe
Amaranth
Birch (both)
Black mullein
Burdock Burnet Saxifrage
Common plantain
Dwarf nettle
German chamomile
Goldenseal
Horse chestnut Horseweed
Houseleek
Lemon
Lungwort
Milfoil
Nettle Oak (all)
Pilewort
Pokeweed
Poplar (all)
Smartweed
Solomons seal Turtlebloom
Water smartweed
Wild black cherry
Witch hazel
Yellow Toadflax
.

BATHS

Place 2 handfuls of chamomile in 3 quarts of boiling hot water in a pail; sit over the pail to close the opening and let the vapors work.
Boil 2 lbs chopped horse chestnuts in water and add to bath.
Sitzbath: Boil 1 lb of oak bark in 5 quarts of water for 2 hours; use as a sitzbath.
RECTAL ITCHING
Aloe gel can help, but there are excellent products on the market today to remedy the problem.
OINTMENT
½ oz bistort root
½ oz cranesbill herb cut fine
Combine herbs and simmer gently in top of double boiler with 4 oz of petroleum jelly for 1 hour. Strain and allow to cool. Also good for chapped hands, sore lips, etc.

WASH

1¼ oz red oak bark, 1½ willow bark, ¾ oz sage, ¾ oz pilewort, ¾ erigeron, 1 oz comfrey root; divide into 20 portions and use 1 portion to a pint of boiling water and boil slowly for 2 to 3 minutes. Let stand till cold, then strain an use as a wash or enema before retiring.
Combine 1 oz willow bark, 1 oz red oak bark, ¼ oz sage, ¼ oz pilewort, ¼ oz horseweed; use 1½ tsp of the mixture in 1 pint of water and boil slowly for 15 mintues. Let stand till cold, then strain and use as a wash or enema before retiring.
MISCELLANEOUS
Boil seeds of plantain in milk and drink at bedtime. This will keep the stool soft to avoid straining.

HEPATITIS The safest alternative treatment is tincture of Milk Thistle as part of a regimen, but this is a condition which must be under the care of a medical professional. Some research indicates that Phyllanthus amarus and Phyllanthus urinaria show some promise with Hep. B, but are less successful with hepatitis core antigen (HBcAG).

HERPES People today are being educated constantly about the variety of Herpes viruses that exist in our world. One herb is standing out as being quite helpful in the reduction of the actual sores as exist in the case of cold sores. There is hope that ongoing research will show it to be an equally promising herb in the area of genital herpes. An ointment made with lemon balm leaves is used to treat cold sores. (See Salves for instructions on how to make it.)

HIATAL HERNIA
Some help may be obtained by juicing ginger root and taking 1 tsp daily. Otherwise, serious conditions require surgery.

HICCUPS One of those maddeningly silly maladies that humans are prone to and usually at the worst possible time. I have had great success by simply eating a spoonful of sugar.

Suck on a lump of sugar on which 2 or 3 drops of oil of peppermint have been placed.
Sip peppermint tea.
Drink a decoction of the dried leaves and seeds of dill.
If the sugar trick fails, my personal favorite because it works 95% of the time is to hold your breath as long as you possibly can and then, without taking a breath, drink down a glass of cold water.

HOPS TINCTURE
1 oz dry hops and 16 oz of 100 proof vodka; combine, cover and let stand for 2 weeks, shaking daily. Strain and bottle and store. Be sure to label and date.

©1998 by Ernestina Parziale, CH