WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2004
JULY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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15
Natural remedies provide help in summer
By Julie Jones
jjones@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Natural remedies are safe antidotes for common July 4 ailments, such as burns, bites, swimmer's ear and upset stomachs, said Dawn Rothwell, owner of Reiki Rays Institute, 732 Mass. St. The natural ingredients are chemical-free and have few side effects.
"There's only a handful of natural products a person needs to have," Rothwell said. "It's the best thing—a few products have many purposes."
Burns
Forgot to apply sunscreen? Use lavender oil to soothe the skin and prevent blistering.
"And you get to keep the color," said Patti Norton, president and author of lacetoleather.com. "Even those of us who are pale as ghosts won't peel."
Drip the oil onto burnt skin and gently spread using a tissue. Lavender oil reduces swelling, kills germs and speeds up cell turnover for faster healing, Rothwell said. The oil also works for other types of burns, including ones resulting from minor firecracker accidents.
Norton said to be wary of store-bought sunburn products, such as aloe vera creams.
Some of these products contain lanolin, which can increase pain once your body heat begins to warm the product, she said.
Insect Bites or Stings
Because insects don't like essential oils, such as lavender, pennyroyal, cloves and thyme, the oils can be used on the skin to prevent bites, said Farhang Khosh, naturopath at Natural Medical Care, 4824 Quail Crest Place. The lavender oil can also be used to soothe the skin after a bite, he said.
Grindelia, an herb also called gumweed, will lessen the intensity of bug bite itches. Khosh said.
Most health food stores carry the herb, which can also ease the discomforts of poison oak.
Another remedy for bug bites, as well as bee stings, is to mix baking soda and oatmeal into a wet paste, Rothwell said. When the mixture reaches toothpaste consistency, apply it to the affected skin area.
A paste can also be made using meat tenderizer and a little water, Norton said. A slice of raw onion or raw potato also
alleviates bug bites and stings.
Swimmer's Ear
If your ear aches after swimming, try dropping a blend of lavender and olive oils into the ear. Hydrogen peroxide can also be used.
These products help to dry out the ear, and the lavender is soothing, Rothwell said.
Another remedy for swimmer's ear is to blend rubbing alcohol with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, Norton said. The solution kills germs and evaporates any water inside the ear.
A blend of half vinegar and half rubbing alcohol also works, but the vinegar may need thinning if the solution causes pain. Norton said.
The mixture should be put into the ears one at a time and left for ten minutes. You may need to repeat the process for several days.
"Do not put liquids into your ears if you now have or have ever had a ruptured or perforated ear drum," Norton said. Use a hair dryer, on low heat, to dry the ear instead.
Then, without pushing too hard or too deeply, use a Q-tip to gently apply the alcohol and vinegar mixture to the ear.
tain olive oil and calendula, can help mild to moderate ear aches. The mullein is the safest way to dry out the inner and outer ears, Khosh said. Use two to three drops once a day for a week.
"If the pain doesn't go away within forty-eight hours, go see a doctor," Khosh said.
Khosh said the pressure can build, causing the ear to rupture.
Upset Stomach
If you drank too many celebratory beverages, or maybe just consumed too much barbeque, try ginger to soothe an upset stomach.
"Ginger is the tried and true remedy for any type of nausea," said Rothwell.
Drink ginger ale or ginger tea. You can also grind pure ginger, abstract the juice and put it into hot water, Khosh said.
Add one teaspoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice.
Peppermint tea also calms a queasy stomach by reducing stomach acids, Rothwell said.
If the stomachache is from a hangover, remember to drink plenty of water. This rehydrates the body and helps with alcohol excretion, Khosh said.
Garlic mullein ear drops, which con- Edited by John Scheirman