Genital Warts Natural and Alternative Treatment Remedies
Genital Warts Natural and Alternative Treatment Remedies
Have you been diagnosed with genital warts caused by the HPV virus? If so, your physician has probably advised you of the more conventional treatments available such as pharmaceutical ointments, cryosurgery (freezing), electrocautery (burning) or laser treatment. While many people undergo these types of treatments, some opt for a less invasive natural solution by visiting a Naturopathic doctor. While there is no cure for the hpv virus, there are specific natural treatments that may help reduce and eliminate the warts over time.TOPICAL TREATMENTSBefore resorting to medically invasive treatments many people are choosing to try alternative treatments that may naturally help reduce or eliminate genital warts. Many holistic treatment resources advise that different remedies will work for different individuals so it may take a little trial and error to find one suited to your needs. Experiment with applying the following directly to the infected wart areas:Goldenseal: considered to have natural antibiotic properties and may destroy many types of viral infections.Tea Tree Oil: strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial aromatherapy essential oil.Aloe Vera: healing and soothing properties.Garlic Oil: or even raw garlic is believed to promote white blood cells ability to fight infection.Sour Apple Juice: it is believed the beneficial effect is from the magnesium in the appleMost of these topical treatments have not been clinically proven as an effective treatment for genital warts, but have shown to have positive benefits is related studies or in fighting other types of viral infections. Other notable mentions for natural topical remedies also include; cabbage juice, banana skin, chickweed, dandelion juice, rubber plant, and pineapple juice.HERBAL IMMUNE BOOSTING SUPPLEMENTSAntiviral herbal remedies taken internally to boost the body's natural ability to fight viral infections include the following supplements:Echinacea: known for its ability to boost the immune system, is important in the treatment of genital warts.Astragalus: used in Chinese herbal medicine for over 2000 years, Astragalus is known to improve the body's ability to fight off viral and bacterial infections, such as the Human Papilloma Virus, by boosting the body's immune system. Astragalus has been taken as a supplement by people undergoing chemotherapy to help restore their tired immune systems.Garlic powder tablets: Once used in 1550 BC by Egyptians as an external treatment for tumors, garlic has long since been recognized for it's medicinal values. Of the many benefits garlic has on the human body, it promotes the ability of white blood cells to fight infection. A natural antibiotic, garlic is effective in countering bacteria, fungus and viral conditions.Vitamins: Supplementation with high doses of vitamin A, B complex, vitamin C, E, zinc, lactobacillus acidophilus and the amino acid L-cysteine have shown to have immune boosting benefits.In addition, other noted antiviral herbal supplements include dandelion, greater celandine (cheilidonium), mullein, thuja, houseleek, goldenseal, calendula, lomatium, pau d'arco and wintergreen.DIET AND LIFESTYLEIt is also suggested that you take a proactive approach in improving your health through lifestyle. By reducing sugars and refined foods, reducing red meat, increasing vegetables and fruit, taking the necessary vitamins and minerals, drinking plenty of water, regular exercise and getting proper rest, you will boost your immune system which will help in fighting off the virus.EMOTIONAL STRESSBecause genital warts are considered a sexually transmitted disease, diagnosis will often have an emotional impact on the sufferer. Many people will experience a whole gamut of feelings including guilt, fear, rage, isolation and helplessness. HPV is one of the most common viruses in the world with an estimated 20 million sufferers, so as you can see you are not alone. It is believed that emotional health has a direct impact on your physical health. Therefore it is important to work through these feelings. Contact your local STD clinic for a list of support groups available in your area, or there are countless support groups and message boards available on the internet. Through seeing other people's experiences, you will see HPV is a very manageable virus.Since most of these natural remedies are considered reasonably safe, they may be worth investigating before turning to invasive and costly medical treatments. Ensure to discuss any alternative treatment strategies with your health care practitioner before starting them. To learn more about conventional treatments for genital warts that have shown to be effective you can visit: http://www.genitalwartsherpes.com/genital-warts-treatment.htmS.A. Smith is a freelance writer, correspondent, and contributing editor of the HPV Genital Warts Herpes resource site and can be reached at http://www.genitalwartsherpes.com
Natural Remedies For Treating a Cold
Natural Remedies For Treating a Cold
Sometimes it can be hard to escape that shivery feeling that happens when you get too cold. A good immediate remedy for this is to wrap yourself up in a douvet and stick a hairdryer up it, (making sure the air flow is not restricted) until you feel warmed up.Colds are the body's escape mechanism. When the whole system is overloaded it crashes. The body stresses out and the immune system drops its threshold. The nose releases toxic wastes in the form of mucous and the body often aches and feels exhausted. Pay attention to what your body is saying because an unchecked cold can become far more serious if you keep it buried.If you are one of those people who can tell when you have a cold coming on, then it can be stopped, or at least minimised, in several ways. Firstly, rest is essential. There is no way your body will self-heal in a stressful situation. If you have to work, take it easy or delegate a bit more. Lemon juice, rose hips, parsley (not if you're pregnant) and fresh orange all contain vitamin C, so take them.Some colds can actually be completely stopped dead by gently sniffing a mixture of lemon juice and warm water up your nose, if you are brave enough. Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds contain zinc which is important in cold prevention so take some of those. Otherwise its time to sweat those built up toxins right out through the skin. Start with a peppermint tea and take some garlic or garlic capsules. Then boil a large onion in milk for an hour, eat it, and drink the milk. Follow on with a steaming cup of lemon juice, honey, cinnamon and grated ginger which will stimulate circulation and sweating. Enjoy it in a mustard footbath which will also warm up the blood - use multiple and layered remedies and take them as an opportunity to treat yourself.For a mustard footbath, take 1 tsp. yellow powder mustard and one of household soda (if you have hard water) and put them in a deep basin with some water as hot as you can stand. Keep your feet and lower legs in for about ten minutes, topping the bath up with fresh hot (not boling) water. Dry off, put on thick socks and climb into a freshly warmed bed, the earlier the better.Nature's First Aid http://www.simonthescribe.co.uk/natkit.html
Plain Soap as a Natural Method of Infection Prevention
Plain Soap as a Natural Method of Infection Prevention
It is estimated that 80 percent of communicable illnesses are spread through touch but only about 30 percent of adults wash their hands after using the toilet and still fewer wash thoroughly. The very people who ought to know better are among the worst offenders. Nosocomial infections, or those occurring as the result of hospital caregivers not washing properly, kill 30,000 people each year and sicken another 70,000. In fact, the CDC estimates that as many as 15% of all hospital patients catch some type of nosocomial infection. The vast majority of these illnesses and deaths could easily be prevented by careful, deliberate handwashing with plain soap and clean water.As early as the 1840s a few doctors were championing handwashing to limit disease transmission. In 1843 American physician Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes created a scandal in his workplace by requiring handwashing as a means to prevent childbed fever. Dr Holmes believed that this disease, which killed up to 25% of women delivering in hospitals, was transmitted to women by their physicians. Dr. Holmes wasn't alone in his crusade. A few years later an Austrian, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, observed delivery room death rates of women assisted by medical students to be up to 3 times higher than the death rates of women assisted by midwives. Dr. Semmelweis correctly guess that the medical students were carrying germs from the autopsy rooms right into the delivery rooms. His program of using chlorinated water to wash his medical students' hands brought the mortality rate down to less than 1%. Unfortunately his colleagues were enraged by his actions and ordered the handwashing to stop.Though handwashing was important in years past, it is equally vital today. Sixty percent of America's children are under six years of age and many of them spend a great deal of time in day care or preschool where they are at increased risk for diarrhea illnesses such as rotavirus. According to the FDA, diarrhea is 30 percent more common in day-care children than preschoolers cared for at home. In America the diarrhea from rotavirus is usually short lived but in other parts of the world it is major cause of death in children under five, killing an estimated 5 million children a year.Diarrhea-borne diseases aren't the only issues that a well designed handwashing campaign could help. According to the CDC 22 million schools days are lost each year just to the common cold. Not surprisingly, children who exercise proper handwashing habits miss less school than those who don't. Elementary school children practicing good handwashing technique miss 2.42 days a year while children the same age practicing inadequate handwashing habits miss 3.02 days per school year.In 2004 the Karachi Health Soap Study studied the effects of handwashing education in 36 Pakistani neighborhoods. Researchers found that children who received plain soap along with handwashing instructions had a 53% lower incidence of diarrhea (and a shorter duration of diarrhea when it occurred) than children in the control group. The study also showed antibacterial soaps to be no more effective at reducing diarrhea episodes than plain soap.The Karachi Health Soap Study confirmed the suspicions of many in the natural health industry. Diligent handwashing programs clearly lower the risk of diarrhea illnesses but antibacterial soaps and bath products are unnecessary for most families. Some in the natural products industry have even feared that the every-day use of germ killing products may eventually lead to the development of resistant strains of bacteria. A study by Tufts University looked at the effect of Triclosan, the chemical that makes products antibacterial, on E. coli bacterium. Researchers discovered that Triclosan kills by acting upon a specific bacterial gene. This discovery seems to prove that the threat of future resistance is very real.Unlike antibacterial soaps, which actually kill germs, traditional soaps work mainly by removing germs. The mechanical action of rubbing your hands together dislodges germs so that running water can flush them away.Concerns about creating resistant strains of bacteria have led some disease experts to recommend plain soap and clean water as a disease transmission preventative. Whether those fears are well founded or not it seems indisputable that deliberate, frequent handwashing with plain soap and water is an effective way to protect against person-to-person transmission of some of the most common communicable diseases.Lisa Barger is a traditionally trained naturopath specializing in illness prevention. For information about Ms. Barger's free seminars for churches, day cares and non-profit organizations please see our web site at http://www.LisaBarger.com.