Health News and Information

Mouth and Gum Problems

For mouth ulcers, dental abscesses and sore or bleeding gums:

1 part Sage leaves

1 part Marigold flowers

Infusion: gargle frequently (3 or more times per day)

2 parts Blackberry leaves

1 part Marigold flowers

1 part Sage leaves

1 part Thyme herb

Infusion: gargle frequently

2 parts Sage leaves

2 parts Thyme herb

1 part Peppermint leaves

Infusion: gargle frequently

Marshmallow root

Infusion: gargle frequently

Nosebleed

Soak a wad of cotton wool with the fresh juice or a strong decoction of Shepherd’s Purse and insert in the nostril. Bleeding is soon stopped.

The fresh juice is often quicker to apply, but to make a ‘strong decoction’ for urgent treatment: add 5-10 grams of the fresh or dried herb to 100 ml of water and allow it to boil in a covered vessel for a few minutes. The cotton wool can be soaked in the hot decoction and then air-cooled before application to the nose.

Stinging Nettle and Marigold, also highly effective, can be used in the same way.

Sore Throat and Tonsillitis

1 part Sage leaves

1 part Thyme herb

Infusion: gargle frequently (3 or more times per day)

Garlic: fresh cloves, peeled and chopped, then mixed in equal parts with honey — I teaspoon every 2-4 hours for acute conditions, otherwise 3 teaspoons per day

Sage and Thyme have an antiseptic/astringent action, and Garlic has definite antibacterial properties. For minor cases, use either remedy; for best results in more serious cases, combine both treatments.

Toothache

Clove Oil (essential oil)

Apply a few drops to tooth cavity, but avoid gums

1 part St John’s Wort herb

1 part Chamomile flowers

Rinse mouth repeatedly with a strong infusion

Yarrow herb

Chew the fresh leaf

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Nausea and Vomiting

4 parts Spearmint leaves

4 parts Chamomile flowers

4 parts Skullcap herb

4 parts Cinnamon bark (cut or powdered)

1 part Clove buds (crushed or powdered)

Infusion: 1/2 cup every 30 minutes for acute conditions, otherwise up to 3 cups per day

Cinnamon bark (cut or powdered)

Infusion: 1/2 cup every 30 minutes for acute conditions, not to exceed 3 cups per day

2 parts Spearmint leaves

2 parts Lemon Balm leaves

2 parts Fennel seed

1 part Ginger root

Infusion: as required

Travel Sickness

Ginger root (powdered)

Cinnamon bark (powdered)

Mix equal parts of the above with a small amount of honey to form a paste-like consistency: 1/2-1 teaspoon as required

1 part Chamomile flowers

1 part Lemon Balm leaves

1 part Skullcap herb

1 part Valerian root

1 part Alfalfa herb

1 part Ginger root

Infusion: 1/2-1 ñèð as required, not to exceed 4 cups per day

Ulcers, Gastric and Duodenal

The following herbs, taken for an extended period, are used as a specific treatment for both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

10 parts Marshmallow root

2 parts Marigold flowers

2 parts Meadowsweet herb

1 part Lemon Balm leaves

Infusion: 3 cups per day

3 parts Marshmallow root

1 part Marigold flowers

Infusion: 3 cups per day

Weight Reduction

The following formula contains herbs with diuretic, laxative and alterative properties, the combined action of which appears to produce weight loss in many cases:

4 parts Chickweed herb

1 part Cinnamon bark

4 parts Cleavers herb

6 parts Dandelion root

4 parts Fennel seed

1 part Vervain leaves

Infusion: 3 cups daily, before meals

While the use of herbs may help with weight reduction, it should be noted that the most successful and lasting approach to weight loss is based on fairly frequent (i.e. at least 3 or 4 times a week) aerobic exercise and a well-balanced diet. Dieting and inactivity, because of their metabolic consequences, tend ultimately only to compound the problem, and there seems little sense in eagerly pursuing any form of treatment while at the same time ignoring the body’s natural function of movement and activity.

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Urtica dioica, U. urens

Action: Alterative, haemostatic, diuretic, astringent, galactagogue.

Systems Affected: Lungs, liver, kidneys, bladder, blood.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Dried flowering plant, dose 2-5 grams by infusion.

The term Stinging Nettle is often used of three distinct species: the Greater Nettle (Urtica dioica), the Lesser or Smaller Nettle (U. urens) and the Roman Nettle (U. pilulifera). The former is a tall perennial whereas the latter two are shorter annuals, but all have similar properties.

These species of Nettle are native to Eurasia but have been introduced and naturalized elsewhere, especially on moist fertile wasteland. The botanist J. H. Willis states that U. urens is common in Australia but U. dioica is rare or non-existent as a naturalized plant (examples of the plant supplied for botanical identification usually turn out to be U. urens, more vigorous in growth because of the warmer climate).

Nettle is valued for its haemostatic properties, regular doses of the infusion being used as a treatment for frequent nose bleeds and for haemorrhaging from the nose, lungs, stomach, uterus and haemorrhoids. To stop nose bleeds the dried powdered leaf is used as a snuff or a piece of cotton wool soaked with the expressed juice of the plant is inserted in the nostril.

Rich in chlorophyll, containing vitamins A and C, mineral salts such as calcium, potassium, silicon, iron, manganese and sulphur, plus other substances, Nettle is sometimes used in anaemia and for its alterative or tonic effects on the blood and, especially when combined with Burdock, is of great benefit in skin eruptions and eczema, being specific for eczema of nervous origin.

Nettle is considered of some benefit as an anti-asthmatic: the juice of the plant, mixed with honey or sugar, is used to relieve bronchial and asthmatic troubles and the dried leaves are smoked as a cigarette to the same effect.

The plant is sometimes used to treat rheumatism and gout, internally as a tonic and externally as an application where the affected parts are beaten with the fresh plant! (This painful form of treatment, used by the ancient Romans and by many others since, is regarded by those who employ it as being highly effective in relieving chronic rheumatism.)

Nettle is used for its galactagogue properties and as a treatment for bedwetting in children. It is reported to have hypoglycaemic properties (i.e. to lower the blood sugar level). The infusion provides a soothing and healing lotion for burns.

It is a highly-esteemed tonic for the hair and scalp. To stimulate hair growth, rendering it soft and glossy, and to prevent falling hair and eliminate dandruff, a strong decoction of the plant is used every other day as a shampoo or Nettle juice is combed through the hair daily.

Nettle has been variously used in cloth and paper manufacture, as a food, a medicine, a dyestuff and livestock feed. Nettle fibre, similar to flax, was used at different times, particularly in northern Europe, to make sheets, tablecloths and linen, sailcloth, sacking, ropes and nets. (The fine cloth resembles silky linen in feel and appearance.)

Cut and dried, Nettle is given as a supplementary feed to livestock: it increases milk production in cows and egg production in poultry, and imparts condition and sleek coats to run-down horses.

A decoction of the plant yields a permanent green dye and the roots, boiled with salt or alum, produce a beautiful yellow colour.

The young plants, 15 to 20 centimeters high, are eaten as a cooked vegetable in many cultures. A strong decoction of the plant can be used as a substitute for rennet. Strained, cooled and added to warm milk, it will curdle it without imparting any strong flavour.

Flies have a distaste for the plant and a fresh bunch of Stinging Nettles helps to keep a kitchen or pantry free of them.

The whole plant is downy and covered with stinging hairs that cause severe pain on even slight contact. The carbonic and formic acids that cause the stinging are broken down into harmless compounds within a few days when the plant is cut and dried, and are immediately rendered inactive when exposed to heat. Thus the dried herb may be safely handled and consumed, and the fresh plant is readily used when cooked or boiled. The expressed juice is made by bruising the leaves and subjecting them to low heat for thirty minutes, then wringing them out in a cloth.

Cautionary Notes: Gloves should always be worn when handling the fresh plant. The recommended antidote to Nettle rash is fresh Aloe Vera, Yellow Dock or Plantain leaves bruised and rubbed on the affected area. Rosemary, Mint or Sage leaves, and the juice of the Nettle itself, will also provide relief.

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Calendula officinalis

Action: Vulnerary, antiseptic, haemostatic, cholagogue, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, mild diaphoretic.

Systems Affected: Blood, lymphatic system, stomach, intestines, liver, gall-bladder, skin, uterus.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Dried flower-heads, dose 1-5 grams by infusion.

Native to the Mediterranean region, Marigold is now distributed throughout the world as a garden plant. The common name Marigold comes from the name Mary and from the flower’s golden yellow colour, once used as a dye. The botanical name is derived from the Latin calendulae, meaning ‘throughout the months’, a reference to the plant’s long flowering period. It was used as a healing herb by the ancient Greeks and was known to Arabic and Indian cultures.

Marigold has several medicinal properties which render it valuable in the treatment of many complaints.

It is a specific treatment for enlarged or inflamed lymphatic; nodes, duodenal ulcer, eruptive diseases such as measles and chicken pox, and acute or chronic skin problems such as boils and abscesses (for which it may be used both internally and externally).

More generally: it is used for its diaphoretic action in flu, fever, rheumatic pain and gout; its vulnerary and anti-inflammatory properties prevent inflammation and promote healing in gastritis, enteritis and ulcers of the stomach and intestines; its cholagogue action is useful in liver and gall-bladder complaints; its emmenagogue and antispasmodic action is used to treat painful or irregular menstruation and menopausal disorders.

Externally, the action of Marigold flowers is used to cleanse and disinfect cuts and wounds, to stop bleeding, to soothe pain and irritation, to reduce inflammation and to promote healing. They are recommended as a poultice, compress or ointment for the treatment of indolent leg ulcers and other poorly-healing wounds, for varicose veins, haemorrhoids, chilblains and burns.

The infusion is recommended as an eye lotion for conjunctivitis; applied on cotton wool to the nostrils, it is used to check nose-bleeds. The fresh crushed leaves (or their sap) are effective against warts and have the advantage of not being toxic. Applied morning and evening, they will also remove corns and callouses. The fresh flower, rubbed on the affected area, relieves the pain and inflammation of a wasp or bee sting.

The herb makes a good first aid remedy and is much used in treating children.

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Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Action: Stimulant, carminative, stomachic, aromatic, anti-emetic, astringent, haemostatic, antispasmodic, antiseptic, analgesic.

Systems Affected: Stomach, intestines, uterus, heart, circulation, nerves.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Dried bark (cut or powdered), dose 1-5 grams by infusion.

Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka but is now cultivated commercially in various tropical countries. First referred to by the Arabs in the thirteenth century, it later became an important item of the spice trade for the Portuguese and then the Dutch.

Cinnamon comes from the Arabic qaneh, meaning cane or reed, a reference to the reed-like shoots and the dried bark or ‘quills’ of the commercially-coppiced tree.

Cinnamon stimulates the digestion, warms the whole body, strengthens the heart and tones the nervous system.

It stops nausea and vomiting, and is particularly useful for treating vomiting during pregnancy.

It relieves flatulence, colic and heartburn, and is recommended in cases of chronic diarrhoea. Its warming and antispasmodic properties are also useful in cramps and spasms, heart and abdominal pains, coughing, wheezing and lower back pain.

Effective in treating hemorrhaging from the uterus, a dose is given every fifteen minutes or so until the bleeding is checked (the tincture being preferred because of its quicker effects).

Simmered in milk (and sweetened with honey if desired), Cinnamon provides a simple effective remedy for indigestion, flatulence and diarrhoea.

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As discussed previously, although women make up a relatively small percentage of those infected with HIV and those with AIDS itn the United States, they are one of the fastest-growing groups among the newly infected. Most often these are women who are at some risk for HIV such as those who use injection drugs and share works, or who have a sexual partner who is an injection drug user. Women often have a poorer prognosis than men, possibly because of inadequate access to health care.

Until recently, research into HIV and its clinical manifestations has focused on men, but we are now beginning to have a better idea of how HIV affects women. The treatment regimens for HIV are currently the same for women as for men (see the section on treatment), but there are differences between women and men with HIV infection. Women with HIV infection are more likely to have such AIDS-deflning illnesses as Candida (yeast) in the throat, recurrent bacterial pneumonia, and progressive multifocal leukencephalopathy. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to have such illnesses as Kaposi’s sarcoma, oral hairy leukoplakia, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and prolonged herpes outbreaks.

Women with HIV infection and AIDS are also at high risk for gynecological problems. Infected women acquire cervical cancer more often than women without HIV and the course of the cancer can be much more aggressive. Therefore, women with HIV infection and AIDS should be screened for cervical cancer more closely (every six months) than other women (for whom annual Pap smears are recommended).The treatment of cervical cancer is the same for both groups. Frequent yeast infections can be a sign of HIV infection in otherwise healthy women, but the connection is by no means automatic (see “Fungal Infections”). In addition, women infected with HIV are more likely to have problems with their periods and to experience early menopause.

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When a woman has her yearly examination, she should speak with her health care provider about her Pap smear results and understand what they mean. She may also want to ask for a copy of the results for her own files.

When the Pap smear result indicates an abnormality of dysplasia or cancer, there are several options for removing warts on the cervix.

They can be treated by cryotherapy, removal of part of the cervix, laser surgery, loop electrode excision, or surgical excision, including cervical conization (in which a cone of tissue is removed from the cervix). Even advanced lesions may be cured with these procedures.

The progression from precancerous changes to cervical cancer is very slow. Many women with HPV are concerned about the risk of cervical cancer, fearing that they have a ticking time bomb inside them. Yet this is simply not true for the majority of women with HPV If a woman follows the recommendations given here, having routine Pap smears and appropriate follow-up and treatment of any visible external warts, then she need not worry unduly about the risk of cancer. Certainly most of the millions of women infected with HPV do not develop these complications.

A final note. The Pap smear is not a test for STDs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, although many people mistakenly think that it does provide a screen for all STDs. Specific tests must be performed for these infections. Sexually transmitted infections such as herpes (if there are lesions on the cervix) and mucopurulent cervicitis can cause inflammation on the cervix, which also may result in an abnormal Pap smear. It is often better to defer the Pap smear until these infections have been treated and have resolved, so that the Pap smear can accurately perform its intended function: identifying problems caused by the warts virus.

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Those with same-sex partners face specific STD risks. Some misperceptions must also be discussed, and I try to address them here as clearly as possible. Although nearly 10 percent of sexually active adults engage in sex with partners of the same sex, considerable misunderstanding and stigma are still associated with same-sex relationships among the general public, in the media, and among health professionals as well. Many people in same-sex relationships find it difficult to discuss their sexuality openly with a health care provider or are discouraged in their efforts because the health care provider is so clearly uncomfortable. Under these circumstances a person is less likely to receive the high-quality health care that he or she deserves.

Until fairly recently, there had been little research into the sexual health risks faced by same-sex couples. Awareness of HIV and the prevalence of this infection among men who have sex with other men in the United States has led to more sexual health-related research in the last fifteen years, but there has still been remarkably little research addressing lesbian women and their risk for acquiring STDs. The sections that follow will cover some of these specific risks.

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Unless you talk honestly about your sexual health, your health care provider may not be aware that you need or want to be screened for STDs. Some health care providers don’t routinely screen their patients for STDs unless they think the patient is at high risk. Don’t assume that your health care provider has performed an STD screening just by looking at the genital area or by doing a Pap smear. The physical examination is just one of the steps in the screen. Specific tests must be done to screen for most STDs.

A full STD screen includes evaluation for the following (the diseases are listed in alphabetical order, not in order from most common to least common or vice versa):

1. Bacterial vaginosis, for women (not an STD)

2. Chancroid, donovanosis, and lymphogranuloma venereum. (These are not routinely screened for in most areas of the country because they are very rare. You may be screened if you are at risk, or if you show symptoms of these STDs on examination. See the descriptions of specific STDs in Part II to determine if you are at risk.)

3. Chlamydia

4. Genital warts, and a Pap smear for women if one has not been performed in the past year

5. Gonorrhea

6. Hepatitis B and possibly A or C

7. Herpes

8. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

9. Intestinal infections for recipients of anal sex or those who practice oral-anal sex

10. Lice and scabies

11. Molluscum contagiosum

12. Mucopurulent cervicitis (for women)

13. Nongonococcal urethritis (for men)

14. Syphilis

15. Trichomonas

16. Yeast (not an STD)

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The urethra is a hollow tube that leads from the bladder, through the prostate gland, and through the penis to open at the tip of the glans. It carries urine to the outside of the body to empty the bladder. The vas deferens lead sperm from the testicles into the urethra during ejaculation. In addition, there are glands called the seminal vesicles that empty fluid into the urethra during ejaculation. The ejaculate, called semen, contains a mixture of sperm and secretions from the vas deferens, the seminal vesicles, and the prostate. Pre-ejaculate, the small amount of fluid released before ejaculation, may contain sperm and cause pregnancy, and it may transmit infection as well. The urethra should not burn or itch, and normally there should not be any discharge from it. The urethra can become infected with bacteria (such as those that cause gonorrhea, chlamydia, and nongonoccal urethritis), viruses (herpes, genital warts), and protozoa (trichomoniasis) through sexual contact.

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