Healthcare That Works

Today, we have a whole pharmacy full of prescription and over-the-counter medicines at our disposal for the treatment of just about anything that is bothering us. That hasn’t always been the case. In years past, people had to rely on home remedies or folk medicines; sometimes there was nothing else. Some of these remedies were useful and harmless enough, but others are very dangerous and should never be used. Here are three home remedies you definitely want to keep away from.

#1: Using Kerosene to Get Rid of Head Lice

You may have read accounts where parents used a small amount of kerosene to kill the lice in their child’s hair. This was an effective way to get rid of the pests. Unfortunately, it was also very very dangerous. I’m sure you can imagine why this method is clearly one that isn’t recommended anymore, so no matter what you’re told, you should avoid this one at all costs. This remedy is completely unsafe for the following reason.

Kerosene is flammable. If you put it in the hair, and then a child goes near a candle or fireplace, you can have a very bad situation on your hands. It is also extremely toxic, and absorbs readily through the skin. Many children became ill or even died after receiving kerosene as a treatment for head lice.

#2: Using “Azarcon” or “Greta” for Stomach Upset

In many Mexican and Mexican-American communities, the treatment of “empacho,” or general stomach and intestinal distress, was to take a powder. Two commonly used powders were “Azarcon,” and “Greta.” Both of these were almost entirely comprised of powdered lead.

If you take lead internally, even a small amount can be harmful. Many people were hurt or even killed from this remedy. Believe it or not you can still sometimes find these powders for sale. Obviously, do not even purchase or use them.

#3: Putting Butter on a Burn

You may have been told by your mother to smear butter on a burn. This comes from when women would be cooking and burn themselves butter was often handy, and it makes the burn feel better at first. The down side is that the treatment contaminates the burn. If you put butter on a new burn, you are inviting infection because bacteria will grow rapidly in the butter.

We all know we are to respect and listen to our elders. If your elders recommend home remedies, however, you may want to take this with a grain of salt. Often modern medicine knows best.

By: Robert Shorn

About the Author:

www.art-sh.com

One of the most valuable resources a guy has today is online men health forums. Unlike the days before the internet, now if you have a question about your health you don’t need to ask your doctor first. This can be a real ego saver, since a lot of health questions can be embarrassing to ask. Nobody likes to talk face to face about their neither regions to a guy who is almost a complete stranger . Now, with the online health forums, you can ask people without them ever knowing who you are. There’s no embarrassment, no hassle and people are usually very friendly on the forums. They can be a great way to get more information about a particular topic from people who are familiar with it.

One of the drawbacks to using men health forums for information, as opposed to going to your doctor, is that you can never be absolutely sure if the information you’re getting is correct. For example, if you ask about the different treatments for foot fungus, you can get lots of suggestions that won’t help you at all. Even when people who reply to your thread claim to be a physician, you can never be positive that they really are. On the other had, if you go to your doctor you know the advice you’re getting is worth following.

All in all, when it comes to men health forums it’s a mixed bag. There are plenty of benefits, but if you don’t know what you’re getting into you can end up following bad advice. I suggest checking them out if you have a question that isn’t very serious in nature. For instance, you can ask about which exercises can help you build your triceps the fastest but I wouldn’t suggest relying on a forum to tell you how to treat cancer.

By: John R. Davis

About the Author:

www.florencestravelguide.com