Home Remedies and Herbal Medicine for Congestive Heart Failure

Try a heart-friendly herb. The leaves and flowers of the herb hawthorn contain abundant supplies of compounds called flavonoids. Flavonoids improve the heart's pumping ability and the flow of blood through the circulatory system. "Hawthorn is very useful in treating CHF, especially in the early stages;" Dr. Pizzorno says.

Since hawthorn is such a potent herb, check with your doctor before you begin taking it. It may interfere with some high blood pressure medications and could be dangerous to those with low blood pressure.

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Feel better with willow bark. The herb willow bark contains a compound, salicin, that's the chemical forerunner of aspirin. Like aspirin, willow bark can help prevent the blood clotting that leads to heart attack and stroke. If the latest research is any indication, the herb may also benefit people with CHF.

If you'd like to try willow bark, take it as a tea, suggests James A. Duke, Ph.D. Simmer 1 teaspoon of the powdered herb in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes, then strain. Drink two to three cupfuls daily.

Social Support

Find someone to lean on. People with CHF who get emotional support from others are much more likely to manage their symptoms effectively. Harland Krumholz, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, analyzed the medical records of 292 elderly women who had developed heart failure. He found that compared with those who received the most emotional support, the women who felt socially isolated were eight times more likely to complain of CHF symptoms.

To find a CHF support group in your area, ask your doctor or contact your local office of the American Heart Association.

Home Remedies

Lose those extra pounds. Being over­weight raises your blood pressure and makes your heart work harder to move blood through all the extra tissue. Losing weight, on the other hand, lowers your blood pressure and gives your tired heart a break.

Research shows that the combination of weight control and sodium restriction can make an even bigger difference in your blood pressure and, therefore, in CHF symptoms.

Home Remedies and Herbal Medicine for Congestive Heart Failure

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Herbal and Alternative Medicines for Bedsores

Description

As anyone who has been bedridden for any period of time can tell you, bedsores are one of the unfortunate parts of the experience. Also known as pressure sores or decubits ulcers, they begin as sensitive, red patches of skin that eventually become sores or ulcers. Bedsores develop on weight-bearing parts of the body-commonly on the hips, shoulder blades, elbows, base of the spine, knees, ankles, and heels-where the bones are near the skin.

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Signs and Symptoms

Areas of red, sensitive skin (in early stages)

Open, ulcerated sores that don't seem to heal (in later stages)

Conventional Medical Treatment

For bedsores to heal, you must keep. weight off of them. Place cushioning at pressure points to help distribute body weight more evenly, thus keeping pressure from building in one spot. Air mattresses, foam pads and specially-designed pads for heels and elbows are available from medical supply stores. Clean ulcerated areas twice daily with an anti-microbial cleanser to keep sores germ-free and speed healing.

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

Nutrition and Supplementation

People who suffer from bedsores are usually deficient in a number of nutrients, especially zinc and vitamins A, E, ata balanced diet of which 70 percent is raw fruits and vegetables. Drink liquids (steam-distilled water, herbal teas, sugar-free Juices) around the clock to keep the colon clean. Eliminate animal fats, junk food, processed foods, fried food, and sugar. Get your fiber from oat bran Or ground flaxseeds. Fiber prevents constipation and absorbs dangerous toxins.

Supplementing your vitamin and mineral in take is very important. Try the following daily suggestions until healing is complete.

Most Important

vitamin E (400 IU)-improves circulation

zinc (30 mg, not to exceed a total of 100 mg from all supplements)-heals tissues

copper (3 mg)-balances zinc

Also Recommended

free-form amino acid complex (as directed on label)-supplies protein needed for healing

mixed carotenoid formula (15,000 IU)-improves skin tissue

vitamin B complex (100 mg twice daily with meals)-reduces stress and aids in healing

vitamin B12(2000 mcg twice daily)

vitamin C (3000 to 10,000 mg in divided doses)-aids in healing, improves circulation, and enhances immune function

vitamin D (400 to 1000 IU)-essential for healing

colloidal silver (apply topically as directed on label)-a natural antibiotic that destroys viruses, fungi, and bacteria; promotes healing

garlic (as directed on label)-a natural antibiotic

kelp (500 to 1000 mg daily)-provides a balance of minerals

vitamin A (25,000 IU for 1 month, then reduce to 5,000 IU; do not exceed 8000 IU daily if you are pregnant)-heals skin tissue

(For an acute condition, take supplements until your symptoms subside. If symptoms persist, seek the advice of your health care provider. For a chronic condition, consult your health care provider regarding the duration of treatment.)

Aromatherapy

To clean sores and promote healing, dab a solution of 4 drops of tea treeoil and 1 cup of water over the affected area.

Herbal Therapy

Herbal therapists recommend external application of the following therapeutic herbs, under appropnate supervision: echinacea, goldenseal, myrrh gum, pau d'arco, slippery elm.

Herbal products are available in health food stores and in some pharmacies and supermarkets. Follow package for specific directions.

Homeopathy

To help heal bedsores, apply Calendula ointment to the affected skin.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture Acupuncture can be used to improve blood and energy flow to the affected area-including the shoulder blades, buttocks, and hips-which may help bedsores heal faster. Acupuncture also can be used to relieve the pain associated with this condition.

Chinese Herbal Therapy There are many Chinese herbs that can speed healing and lessen the pain of bedsores, including Bletilla Striata, which can be mixed into an ointment with sesame oil and applied to the affected area 2 to 3 times a day. Some herbalists may add powdered amethyst to this preparation to enhance its curative properties.

Additionally, Lien Chiao Pai Th Pien is a skin-healing formula that can be found at health food or herb stores; follow package instructions (and do not use it during pregnancy).

Herbal and Alternative Medicines for Bedsores

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High Blood Pressure: Get Rid of Hypertension With Natural and Herbal Therapy

So you go to your doctor and you are told that you will be placed on a medicine for high blood pressure. "Oh NO!", you may say, " I told myself this would never happen to me." What you need to understand is: 1) What went wrong?, and 2) What are your options for dealing with it - both conventional and natural? Knowing this information will arm you so that you can get rid of the high blood pressure and never get it back again.

wheelchair cushions for pressure sores

What went wrong - what causes high blood pressure? Most high blood pressure (hypertension) can be placed into four areas of cause: stress, obesity, lack of physical fitness, and bad nutrition.

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Stress: Stress is one that everyone knows about. Mental/emotional stress has been shown to raise blood pressure especially over a prolonged time.

Obesity: When we get overweight by more than 20% of our optimal body weight it is called obesity. Pushing the blood through a body that is clogged with fat challenges the heart and increases the blood pressure.

Lack of physical fitness: Being a couch potato can lead to obesity. But it also is bad because it lets stress build up. Psychologists tell us that 3 hours of quality exercise weekly gets rid of this stress build-up and raises our mood level.

Bad nutrition due to intake of wrong types of fat: This one is more insidious. Saturated fats (dairy) and hydrogenated oils are everywhere in the grocery and especially in fast food. It has been quite challenging to choose processed foods without these things in them.

Now that we have a snapshot of what could have gone wrong, we need to know how to fix it. For our purposes I will break the high blood pressure remedies into two types: allopathic and natural.

Allopathic: This refers to medications given to us to force the body to lower the blood pressure. Over time we may need to increase the potency of these medications as the body struggles to get oxygen where it is needed and overpowers the medicine. This is not a cure. It is an emergency measure that can be used temporarily when the blood pressure reading is in the stroke range. If you remove the medicine the blood pressure goes right back up unless other measures are taken.

Natural: This is a large area but I will break it down into three broad areas: lifestyle, diet or nutrition, and herbal aids and cleansing regimens. Lifestyle includes but is not limited to exercise. It also includes getting fresh air and sunshine. If you are not overweight, it is possible that just getting the right amount of exercise regularly, getting fresh air regularly, and getting some exposure to sunlight will bring your pressure down. Diet or nutrition: I mean good nutrition.

Herbal aids and healing regimens: Cayenne has,time after time been used to lower excessive blood pressure. I take one teaspoonful in about 4 ounces of water three times a day. It is wonderful for the circulation. Apple Cider Vinegar has been used to strip the calcium off the walls of the arteries. Usually a teaspoonful is used taken three times a day in warm water and sweetened with raw honey. Dr. Christopher's Blood Circulation Formula is another excellent herbal aid for high blood pressure.

Cleansing is the last regimen to talk about. The 3 day juice cleanse is useful to remove toxins from the body that may be clogging the circulation. Send me an email and I will see that you get the instructions for this cleanse. Extended cleanses are also available for deeper cleaning.

Now that we understand what went wrong to cause the high blood pressure, we can:

• Improve our lifestyle

• Improve our nutrition

• Use the herbal aids and other healing regimens

Remember that, in most cases, high blood pressure is not something that just happens. It has a cause and is not a normal result of living and aging. Caution: do not go off your high blood pressure medication cold turkey. That is dangerous! There is a protocol for doing that. It is pretty hard to communicate everything you need to know in this space. You can come visit me at Natural Healing With Herbs to ask questions and to get clear on any of this information.

High Blood Pressure: Get Rid of Hypertension With Natural and Herbal Therapy

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5 Herbal Remedies For Controlling Blood Pressure

There are various course of actions that people adopt in order to treat their blood pressure abnormality. Wide spread blood pressure medications are available as easiest mode of blood pressure treatment. But the treatment with the help of medication often results in certain side effects that may turn out as dangerous as blood pressure abnormality itself. That's why to keep themselves free of any probability of side effects blood pressure patients now a days prefer herbal blood pressure remedies.

wheelchair cushions for pressure sores

Most of these herbal treatment options are easily available and happen to be very cost effective. Herbs can even offer permanent cure to your abnormal blood pressure. There are several effective herbs that help in controlling blood pressure. A few of them are discussed below.

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Garlic

Garlic happens to be one of the most effective natural remedy of blood pressure. It is particularly helpful in curing high blood pressure. It primarily affects diastolic blood pressure. Hypertension occurred due to cholesterol deposition could be successfully curbed by garlic as it is an efficient blood cholesterol reducing agent. You are needed to consume garlic for two to three weeks in order to get desired effect on blood pressure. It could be either eaten with food or taken separately. Don't take more than two or three cloves of garlic at a time.

Arjuna

The medicine is prepared from bark of Arjuna plant. It contains Q-ten enzymes as well as triterpine glycosides that are helpful in normal functioning of heart and arteries. By keeping arteries and heart in good working condition it controls blood pressure abnormality.

Melissa Officinalis

It is popularly known as lemon balm. It's particularly helpful in stress propelled hypertension.

Hawthorne

This herb is specifically meant to strengthen heart to keep it in perfect condition for its normal functioning. The medicine also reduces stiffness of arteries. By bettering condition of heart and arteries this herb ensures a normal blood pressure.

Guggul

It could be equally effective in blood pressure cure. It is specifically helpful in curing blood pressure abnormality among diabetics. As diabetics develop hypertension due to excess of LDL cholesterol and this medicine reduces LDL by producing more HDL.

These are some herbs that have found to be equally competent substitute of synthetic medications to control blood pressure. A consultation with doctor is must before going for these herbal remedies. Most often herbal medications are complimented with yoga therapy for a permanent cure to blood pressure imbalance.

5 Herbal Remedies For Controlling Blood Pressure

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