Glonoine for hot, sweaty skin with a throbbing headache
Magnesia phosphorica for heat exhaustion where spasms occur in the abdomen, arms, and legs
Prevention of Heatstroke
Nosh on cucumbers and watermelon, both of which contain lots of water, to keep from getting dehydrated.
Keep potassium levels up with a hot-weather diet rich in avocados, bananas, cantaloupe, and potatoes.
If hot weather is new to you, eleuthero in capsules, tincture, or tea may help you acclimate.
Boost your vitamin C intake.
Avoid alcoholic beverages.
Hives
(See also Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac )
Hives are an allergic response. They are frequently the first indication that someone is having a life-threatening reaction to a food, a medication, or an herb.
Seek immediate medical attention if the individual:
Has difficulty breathing
Becomes weak
Experiences nausea
Develops facial swelling
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Think. Ask the victim if he or she has any known allergies. Do your best to figure out what caused the allergic reaction. Prevent further ingestion or contact.
2.If breathing is impaired, reach for ephedra. If the individual is having problems breathing and is exhibiting the symptoms listed above, he or she is having a severe allergic reaction. Give 2 dropperfuls of ephedra tincture, if available, to dilate bronchioles and prevent anaphylactic shock. In emergencies of severe allergies, take in addition a dose of 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda mixed in a glass of water to alleviate symptoms. In the U.S., ephedra is only available through an acupuncturist or online; it is available more widely in Canada. If ephedra is unavailable, administer strong black tea. Caution: Ephedra should not be used by those taking medication for heart conditions or high blood pressure. Ephedra should be used with caution by those suffering from angina, diabetes, glaucoma, heart disease, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate gland, or overactive thyroid gland — do not exceed the recommended dosage!
At-Home First Aid for Hives
As long as you do not need to seek immediate medical attention, the following may help reduce itchiness and swelling:
Household Remedies
Oatmeal. Tie a couple of handfuls of oatmeal into a washcloth, toss it into your bath, and soak in the tub until the water cools. Pat onto your skin any oatmeal mucilage that oozes out.
Cornstarch. Dust your body or the affected area with cornstarch to keep the skin dry and cool.
Baking soda. Add half a box of baking soda to a bath to calm hives.
Herbal Remedies
Tea. Drink calendula, chamomile, dandelion leaf and root, nettles, plantain, or red clover tea.
Aloe. Apply aloe vera juice to the hives after bathing and drying off.
Hypothermia
(See also Frostbite )
Hypothermia, which is brought on by exposure to cold, wind, or rain, lowers the body’s temperature to the point that vital organs can no longer function. The brain is one of the first organs affected.
Seek immediate medical attention if the hypothermia victim:
Develops stiff muscles or loses consciousness
Slurs his speech
Stumbles or acts irrational, confused, or intoxicated
Has sudden bursts of energy followed by fatigue
Develops a headache
Develops blurry vision
Develops abdominal pains
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Get the person out of the weather.
2.Remove any wet clothing and replace with dry.
3.Insulate the person with whatever’s available — sleeping bag, extra clothing. Make sure the head is covered.
4.Apply hot water bottles to the person’s groin and sides of torso (high heat-loss areas).
5.Handle the person carefully, and move him no more than necessary.
6.If the person is conscious, offer sips of hot, sweet liquids. Note: Do not rub or massage an individual with hypothermia.
Follow-Up Care for Hypothermia
Offer sweet, hot drinks such as spiced cider or ginger tea, but not alcohol or drinks containing caffeine, both of which affect the cardiovascular system. Then, as the individual is able to eat, offer cooked, warm foods such as soup and oatmeal. Since garlic and ginger improve circulation, use them liberally in whatever you prepare. Avoid cold foods such as salad and ice cream.
Insect Bites
See Bug Bites and Stings [Bee, Hornet, and Wasp]
Jellyfish Stings
Anaphylactic shock is possible from jellyfish stings.
Seek immediate medical attention if you or someone else experiences any of the symptoms of an allergic reaction:
Nausea
Difficulty in breathing
Difficulty swallowing
Fever
Heart palpitations
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Prevent further stinging by brushing away tentacle fragments.
2.Scrape off any remaining stinging cells with a sharp-edged object such as a credit card. A towel will suffice if nothing else is available.
3.Rinse with seawater, not ever with fresh water.
4.Neutralize the sting. Apply up to 5 drops of lavender essential oil to help neutralize the sting. Reapply every 15 minutes. (Pouring urine on the stung area will have the same effect.)
5.Start healing. Apply vitamin E or aloe vera juice to heal tissue and reduce inflammation.
Follow-Up Care for Jellyfish Stings
Taking 1 dropperful of echinacea tincture 3 times daily for 1 to 2 days and boosting your vitamin C intake can reduce inflammation and help the body neutralize any toxins.
Nettle Rash
Stinging nettle is a wonderful plant, rich in minerals and beneficial for many health conditions, such as allergies and anemia. However, tiny hairs on the plant inject formic acid (found in red ant bites and bee stings) into the skin, causing a burning rash when the plant is touched.
At-Home First Aid for Nettle Rash
It is widely believed that wherever nettles grow, a remedy to soothe their sting is close at hand. And in fact nettle juice, applied topically, is an antidote to nettle rash.
Chop any of the following herbs, mix with a bit of water, and apply as a poultice. In an emergency, simply chew the herb and apply it to your skin.
Jewelweed leaf
Mint leaf
Mullein leaf
Plantain leaf
Rosemary leaf
Sage leaf
Yellow dock leaf
Nosebleeds
Seek immediate medical attention if:
Blood flows from both nostrils and doesn’t stop for 20 minutes
The nosebleed has occurred after a head injury
The bleeding lasts for longer than half an hour despite applications of cold and pressure
The bleeding resulted from a severe blow that also caused dizziness and nausea
The nose looks crooked or displaced in any way
The individual is elderly
The individual has high blood pressure
The individual is using blood-thinning drugs
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Sit down and lean forward. Have the individual lower her head and leave her mouth open. Try to stop the bleeding by pinching the soft part of the nostril closed by pressing with the thumb and index finger, below the cartilage, for at least 10 minutes. Release the pressure slowly.
Tip
To calm a frightened child who has a nosebleed, sprinkle 2 drops of lavender essential oil on a tissue and have the child hold the tissue to the nose.
2.Loosen any clothing around the neck.
3.Apply a cold water compress to the base of the skull and top of the nose to help constrict blood vessels. After 10 minutes, gradually release the nostrils, but still sit quietly and avoid blow
ing the nose for at least 3 hours.
At-Home First Aid for Nosebleeds
If the nosebleed does not require medical assistance, try to stop the bleeding with the “while you wait” steps above. If they prove unsuccessful, try any of the following remedies:
Household and Herbal Remedies
Apple cider vinegar. Snuff a bit of apple cider vinegar diluted in water — the strength of the solution will depend on your tolerance for it.
Cayenne. Drinking 1⁄8 teaspoon (0.6 ml) cayenne powder mixed in a cup of warm water can help stop the bleeding.
Cold water. Drinking plain cold water can help stop a nosebleed.
Yarrow leaf. Place a pinch of crushed yarrow leaf in the nostrils.
Homeopathic Remedy
Four pellets dissolved under the tongue of the homeopathic remedy ferrum phos may help curb profuse bleeding.
Follow-Up Care for Nosebleeds
Most nosebleeds don’t last longer than 15 minutes. Take it easy, and rest for at least half an hour afterward. Avoid vigorous exercise for a day or two so that the nose doesn’t start bleeding again. Avoid tobacco smoke, since it can dry out the nasal passages and make them prone to bleeding.
Prevention of Nosebleeds
If you frequently get nosebleeds, check with your doctor. Consider taking a supplement of vitamin C with bioflavonoids, and add doses of nettles or shepherd’s purse (1 dropperful of tincture 3 times daily) to strengthen the capillaries and promote healthy blood clotting.
If your nose bleeds due to excessive dryness, apply a bit of herbal salve inside your nose. Consider placing humidifiers in your home and work environments.
Panic Attacks
Anxiety is an overreaction of the autonomic nervous system, where the “flight or fight” mechanism is activated and usually accompanied by a rush of adrenaline. Panic is a sudden onset of anxiety.
At-Home First Aid for Panic Attacks
When panic occurs, encourage the person stay put and focus on something else as a distraction. Remind the person that this feeling will pass and not harm him. Have him sit calmly at a table, with both feet on the floor; have him place hands firmly on the table and say “stop” aloud, keeping the body relaxed. Encourage him to say a comforting prayer or sacred chant or mantra; count backward from 100 by threes; or focus on a still object in the room, describe it over and over again, and get lost in its details. Continue with the prayer, counting, or focus until the person feels calm.
To help calm anxiety, gently press or rub the space between the eyebrows in the center of the forehead. Apply firm pressure to the center of the left palm with the right hand for 1 minute. Hold the thumb of one hand with the other hand as a calming technique. Hold the middle toe to bring the energy down from the head and ground it. Keep repeating these steps.
Breathe deeply and slowly. If someone is breathing rapidly, carbon dioxide levels drop from “overbreathing,” which causes the panicked person to feel worse. The idea is to breathe normally into an empty paper bag (not plastic) for 10 breaths so that the panicked person inhales more carbon dioxide.
Herbal Remedies and Supplements
Herbal teas should be of a soothing sort, such as catnip, chamomile, hawthorn, hops, lemon balm, oatstraw, passionflower, and reishi mushroom. Hops and valerian calm anxiety but do not taste pleasant, so tinctures or capsules would be best. Hops and valerian can also produce sedative effects, so try them at night initially, or use a smaller amount during the day. Kava kava extract was recently approved in Germany for its antianxiety effects.
Calcium/magnesium and B complex supplements can help alleviate anxiety. The calming B vitamin inositol that works as a cell messenger is found in our spinal cord, brain, and nerves.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) supplements help protect the brain from excitatory messages. Many fearful people have low levels of GABA.
5-HTP (5- hydroxytryptophan) is a precursor to serotonin and is effective against anxiety.
Homeopathic Remedy
Have Rescue Remedy with you in several convenient places — such as a briefcase, desk, purse, and glove compartment — and dispense it when anxiety starts to come on. Two drops under the tongue is all it takes.
Prevention of Panic Attacks
Keep blood sugar on an even keel instead of on a sugar-powered roller coaster. Be wary of coffee, MSG (monosodium glutamate), stimulants, asthma medications, and decongestants. Food allergy reactions can trigger a panic attack. If prone to panic attacks, oatmeal and yogurt, both high in calming calcium, are beneficial. Eat nutrient-dense grounding foods such as buckwheat, millet, black quinoa, black rice, black sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.
Learn what the triggers are. Think about the most recent panic attacks. Are there any common denominators, such as a food, place, theme, or certain person, or situation? Make a list of the people and places typically encountered, and ask which of those feel safe and which don’t. Put a mark by all those that feel threatening, and try to limit those situations. To minimize anxiety and prevent panic attacks, avoid the dangerous.
Poisoning
(See also Food Poisoning )
Seek immediate medical attention for all poisoning! Symptoms may include:
Dizziness
Nausea
Headache
Impaired speech
Visual disturbances
Chest pains
Convulsions
Paralysis
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Call your local poison control center. Have the poison container in your hand when you call. Be prepared to give the approximate weight and age of the person poisoned. Try to find out if he or she has vomited. If there is a sample of vomited material, scoop it into a container and hold it — along with the poison container — for medical personnel.
2.Do not induce vomiting unless directed by poison control and never in an unconscious person. Vomiting up strong acids, strong alkalis, and petroleum products can burn the esophagus and airway and be inhaled and absorbed into the lungs. Burns around the lips are a sign that these products have been ingested.
3.If the poison control center suggests you help the victim vomit, sticking a finger or spoon in the back of the throat can also induce vomiting. Vomiting is often recommended for noncorrosive substances such as toxic plants and most drugs.
4.Once the person has vomited, give the person 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) activated charcoal in a glass of water to absorb remaining poisons.
5.If the poison control center suggests diluting the poison rather than vomiting, give the victim lots of water or milk. Have the person drink slowly so as not to induce vomiting.
6.If the poison control center suggests using an absorbent material, give 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of activated charcoal mixed in 1 cup (240 ml) of water.
Quick Fix
A universal antidote for poisoning is:
2 parts burnt toast (charcoal to absorb toxins)
1 part milk of magnesia (alkaline to offset acids)
1 part strong black tea (tannic acid to offset alkaline)
Check with your poison control center before using this formula.
Prevention of Poisoning
Most poisoning fatalities occur in children between the ages of 1 and 3. Aside from keeping chemicals and medicines out of their reach, here’s how you can help keep them safe:
Avoid taking medicine in front of kids. They love to imitate adults.
Mark containers with poisonous materials clearly. That may not stop the child, but at least you’ll be able to tell medical personnel what he or she ingested.
Never put food or drink in bottles or jars that once held toxic substances.
Don’t store chemicals and medicines on the same shelves as food.
Store all medicines and chemicals in a locked cabinet.
What Got You
The toxic substance in poison ivy, oak, and sumac is called urushiol. It is one of the most potent toxins on Ear
th. Its toxicity can persist for years after the plant is dead. One-quarter ounce (7 g) of urushiol has the potential to affect everyone on Earth!
Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac
(See also Hives )
Reactions to poison ivy, oak, and sumac may occur any time between 6 and 72 hours after exposure. Be alert for signs of an allergic reaction, as they can be life-threatening.
Seek immediate medical attention if:
The victim’s throat swells
The victim experiences cramps, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
Hives appear near the eyes, mouth, or genitals
Hives cover more than half the body
The victim develops a high fever
At-Home First Aid for Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac
If you think you’ve been in contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac and you do not need immediate medical attention, here’s how to minimize its effects:
The Natural First Aid Handbook Page 7
