12 Natural Remedies to Cure Common Ailments

Natural home remedies can relieve different kinds of pain and make you feel a lot better. If the problem isn’t that serious and you’re absolutely sure it doesn’t require professional care, you can turn to our generous Mother Nature for help. We at Bright Side thought you should know more about these natural alternatives for treating ailments safely and effectively.

1. Back pain

• There are special acupressure points on your lower back, just below the waist and above the hips — ask someone to gently massage them for you for a temporary relief.
• Ask one of your family members to massage your back with alcohol. Before starting your massage, clean the skin on your back. Sprinkle some alcohol, and gently massage it into the skin.
• Also try massages with sandalwood oil, which is very popular for its relaxing effect.

• Lifting and carrying heavy objects should be done very carefully to avoid back injury. The best variant in this case will be to bend at the knees, and never at the waist.
• Try heat and cold therapies: alternate hot and cold packs for 20 minutes. For cold therapy, you can use an ice pack wrapped in a towel.
• Boil 1 liter of water with 1/4 liter of vinegar, and add 2 tablespoons of rosemary. Let stand for 5 minutes, and use a towel for a wet compress applied to the painful area.

• Choosing the correct mattress is an important thing — it shouldn’t be too hard (however, it’s better not to take the one that is too soft as well).
• You can also try to sleep in the fetal position, and put a pillow between your knees. If you sleep on your back, put a pillow under your knees.
• When you’re getting out of the bed, first lie on your side, then slide your legs to the floor, and push yourself into a sitting position. This way you won’t put too much pressure on your lower back.

2. Headache

• Lie down and apply a cold pack for 15 minutes to the painful area.
• Mix garlic juice (1 clove) with 1 tablespoon of honey. This recipe reactivates your brain’s sensory areas and makes the pain go away.
• Place 2 potato slices on the temples for about 30 minutes.
• Peppermint tea is a powerful relaxant that is often used for pain relief. Chamomile tea can also help ease the pain and discomfort.
• Try to relax and massage away a headache, performing circular motions with your fingertips.

3. Nasal congestion

• Boil eucalyptus leaves in a bowl. Inhale the steam by holding your head over the bowl and taking in deep breaths. It will give you quick relief and promote sinus drainage.
• Try the healing mix of bay leaf, sage, and cinnamon. Place the herbs in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Their magnificent smell is so strong that it will easily help unclog your stuffy nose.
• Honey and apple cider vinegar. Mix a glass of water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Let stand for 3 minutes before drinking.
• Steaming water. Place some water in a bowl, and boil it until it begins to evaporate. Hold your head over the bowl, cover with a towel, and inhale the steam.

4. Dermatitis

• Oatmeal. Cover 500 g of oats with 1 liter of water. Boil for a few minutes while stirring. Let it cool. Make a compress, and apply to the affected areas.

• Brewer’s yeast. Mix brewer’s yeast powder with milk, yogurt, or juice. This mixture is a natural skin cleanser that helps you deal with dermatitis.

• Thyme. Place a bunch of thyme in a bowl with water and boil. Let it cool, and apply the herbal infusion to the affected areas. This will help reduce itching and irritation on the skin.

• Tea tree. Sprinkle a few drops of tea tree oil on a sponge, and apply gently to the affected areas.

5. Migraine

• Banana peels. Sprinkle some alcohol on the peel, and apply to your face for 30 minutes. It’s believed that banana peels can absorb toxins and reduce a headache naturally.
• Almonds. Eating 100 g of almonds a day helps you release endorphins that reduce those terrible headaches.
• Chamomile tea. Known for its relaxing effect, chamomile has been used for centuries to combat severe headaches and migraines.
• Caffeine is a powerful vasodilator. A cup of strong black coffee without sugar will relieve your migraine.
• Hot and cold compresses. Try to relax in a dark quiet room. Alternate hot and cold compresses on your forehead for 10 minutes. This will help relax head muscles and improve blood circulation.

6. Constipation

• Oatmeal. Organic oatmeal mixed with water and lemon can help with constipation.
• Olive oil. To help ease constipation, try to do some self-massage every day. Apply some extra virgin olive oil to your belly, and massage in a circular clockwise motion.
• Stewed apples. Eating apples without skin helps digestion. Once your system has normalized, you can eat apples with skin.
• Mallow. Mallow infusion or mallow tea taken every day before breakfast will help regulate intestinal transit and thus fight constipation.
• Orange and kiwi juice. Drinking this juice on an empty stomach in the morning will provide enough fiber to stimulate digestion and help alleviate constipation.

7. Stomach ache, indigestion, or heartburn

• Chamomile tea. Chamomile helps relax your stomach muscles and ease pain.
• Chicken soup. This soup will help calm an upset stomach. Just remove the fat from the soup, and add some lemon juice.
• Warm compress. Apply the compress to the painful area for 15 minutes.
• Cinnamon, anise, mint, and basil. Put a tablespoon of each ingredient in 1/2 liter of water, and boil for 10 minutes. A cup every half hour will soon make you forget about the discomfort.
• Lemon juice and baking soda. This remedy acts as a natural antacid and effectively relieves the symptoms of heartburn. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda, some lemon juice, and half a glass of water. Drink slowly.

8. Cough, cold, and flu

• Orange juice. Drinking orange juice with your breakfast every day is a great idea to reduce the chances of getting a cold or the flu.
• Eucalyptus is antiseptic, antiviral, and balsamic, so it can help soothe coughs and even fight bronchitis.
• Honey and lemon cough syrup. Mix 2 cups of lemon juice and 7 tablespoons of honey. Simmer for an hour and a half. Let it cool, and take 2 tablespoons of the syrup every hour during the first day. Starting from the second day take 1 spoon every 3 hours.
• A cup of warm soup. Drink a cup of warm soup every day when you have the flu. Its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties can reduce pain in the throat area and ease symptoms of the flu.

9. Acne

• Rose water. Put 10 rose petals in a bottle of water. Let stand for 36 hours in the fridge. Add some alcohol, and apply once a day, after your bath, before going to sleep. Keep the rose water in the refrigerator.

• Orange peel, oatmeal, and yogurt. Put some orange peel in a bowl of water, and let stand for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Cut into pieces, and return them to the bowl. Then add 3 teaspoons of oatmeal and 2 teaspoons of plain yogurt. Apply the paste to your clean face for 5 minutes.

• Lemon tea. Zest a lemon, add water, and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Drink the tea twice a day to help detoxify the skin.

• Honey and cinnamon. Make a face mask using these 2 ingredients, and apply to the affected areas for 10 minutes.

• Apple cider vinegar. Dissolve some vinegar in water, and apply to a clean face with soft cotton pads. It will help regulate the pH-balance of the skin and remove dead cells.

10. Hair loss

• Onion, garlic, and lemon. Apply freshly squeezed raw onion or garlic juice directly to the scalp. Rinse thoroughly with lemon juice after 20 minutes to remove the smell.
• Carrot and coconut milk. Mix carrot juice and coconut milk, and apply to your hair. This will help the hair stay healthy and strong.
• Apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar. Vinegar is a great remedy to help deal with hair loss, especially with oily hair. It also helps stimulate better blood circulation to the hair follicles. Perform a scalp massage with some vinegar dissolved in water, and rinse with warm water after 10 minutes.
• Aloe vera. Extract aloe vera gel from the leaf, and dissolve it in a bowl of water. Apply to your hair, and massage your scalp. Rinse with warm water after 10 minutes.
• Beets. Boil a couple of beetroots for about 10 minutes. Cool the water, and apply your beet rinse to the scalp and hair 2-3 times a week.

11. High blood pressure

• Points 1-2. Don’t press nor massage the line between them, but caress very slowly instead. Do almost imperceptible movements of the hand from top to bottom, barely touching the tips of the fingers. Do it 10 times on one side and then repeat the procedure on the other side for 10 times as well.
• Point 3. You should massage this point with the fingertips for about one minute on each side, continually. Push hard but not that hard so that you feel pain. The direction is irrelevant.

12. Liver and kidney problems

Taoist walking helps a person deal with liver and kidney problems, and within Chinese medicine it’s seen as an effective treatment for all ailments!

All you need to carry out the exercise is a soft blanket placed on the floor. Walk on your knees at an unhurried pace, but without leaning on your arms.

Carry out the exercise for at least 15 minutes a day.