Top 10 Natural Home Remedies

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We gathered together a group of natural home remedy cures that are doctor-approved for your use.

Insomnia - Keep a lavender plant on your nightstand or use lavender essential oil in an aromatherapy diffuser. A study of female college students found the fragrance effectively helped participants fall asleep.

Bronchitis - Try pursed-lip breathing. If you have chronic bronchitis, you may breathe too fast. Pursed-lip breathing helps slow your breathing, and may make you feel better. Take a deep breath, then slowly breathe out through your mouth while pursing your lips (hold them as if you're going to kiss someone). Repeat. This technique increases the air pressure in your airways.

Canker Sore - Rinse your mouth. Use salt water, baking soda (dissolve 1 teaspoon of soda in ½ cup warm water), hydrogen peroxide diluted by half with water, or a mixture of 1 part diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to either 1 part bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate) or 1 part simethicone (Maalox). Be sure to spit out the mixtures after rinsing.

Or, dab a small amount of milk of magnesia on your canker sore a few times a day. This ...
... can ease the pain and may help the sore heal more quickly.

Caught a Cold - Slurp chicken soup. Generations of parents have spooned chicken soup into their sick children, and scientists have found that it does seem to help relieve symptoms in two ways. First, it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent that inhibits the movement of immune system cells that support the body's response to inflammation. Second, it temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus through the nose, helping relieve congestion and limiting the time that viruses are in contact with the nasal lining.

Bad Breath - Chew fresh parsley. Its strong flavor can mask halitosis until you have time to brush.

Coughing - Drink a cup of warm tea or warm lemon water that is sweetened with honey. Mix two teaspoons of honey with the warm liquid. A study of children ages two and older found honey at bedtime seemed to reduce nighttime coughing and improve sleep.

Earwax Blockage - Soften the earwax by applying a few drops of baby oil, mineral oil or glycerin with an eyedropper twice a day, for no more than four or five days. When the wax is softened, fill a bowl with water heated to body temperature (if it's colder or hotter, it may make you feel dizzy during the procedure). With your head upright, grasp the top of your ear and pull upward. With your other hand, squirt the water gently into your ear canal with a 3-ounce rubber-bulb syringe. Then, tilt your head and drain the water into the bowl or sink. You may need to repeat this process several times before the extra wax falls out. Gently dry your outer ear with a towel or a hand-held hair dryer.

Gout - Get adequate vitamin C Supplements containing vitamin C may reduce the levels of uric acid in your blood, a common cause of gout. However, vitamin C hasn't been studied specifically as a treatment for this painful condition. Don't assume that if a little vitamin C is good for you, then lots is even better. In fact, mega-doses of vitamin C may increase your body's uric acid levels. In place of supplements, increase your vitamin C intake by eating more fruits and vegetables, especially oranges.

Eat more cherries, too. Studies show an association between cherries and lower levels of uric acid in your blood, but it isn't clear if the cherries have any effect on the signs and symptoms of gout. Eating cherries and other dark-colored fruits, such as blackberries, blueberries, purple grapes and raspberries, may be a safe way to supplement your treatment, but discuss this strategy with your doctor first.

Headache - Rub peppermint oil on your forehead and temples. Most peppermint oil contains menthol, which may ease pain.

Heartburn - Elevate the head of your bed. An elevation of about six to nine inches at the head of your bed helps gravity work for you against stomach reflux. Place wood or cement blocks under the bedposts at the head of your bed. If it's not possible to elevate the bed frame, insert a wedge between the mattress and box spring that elevates your body from the waist up. Wedges are available at drugstores and medical supply stores.

Sore Throat - Gargle with warm salt water. Mix about ½ teaspoon of salt in a full glass of warm water, gargle and then spit the water out. This will help soothe your throat and clear it of mucus.

Toenail Fungal Infection - Add vinegar to your foot bath. There's no evidence that a vinegar soak can cure nail fungus, but some studies suggest that it may inhibit the growth of a certain bacteria. Soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes in a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts warm water. If your skin becomes irritated, try soaking only two to three times a week, or increase the proportion of water in the mixture.

Or, try Vicks VaporRub. As with vinegar, there's no scientific proof that this product works on nail fungus, but anecdotal reports claim it does. You apply the product to infected nails but there's no consensus on how often.

Indigestion - Drink herbal tea with peppermint. Some people get relief from indigestion with peppermint, although more research is needed to determine its effectiveness

Warts - Swap your Band-Aid for duct tape. Yes, duct tape. One study that employed a duct tape therapy—covering warts with duct tape for six days, then soaking the warts in warm water and rubbing them with an emery board or pumice stone—found it was more effective than having a doctor freeze off the warts with liquid nitrogen. Be aware, however, that the process may need to be repeated for as long as two months. Researchers say this unconventional therapy may work by irritating the wart and triggering the body's immune system to attack the virus. More recent research has disputed these findings and found that duct tape wasn't effective for treating warts. Still, the low cost and convenience of this treatment may make it worth trying.

We at Always New You are always on the alert for home cures and natural remedies. Home remedy cures that are doctor-recommended are the best. Also, remember to drink plenty of fluids, exercise regularly, and get eight hours rest daily.