Tips for pesky health problems | SaltWire
ND. Kali Simmonds | Posted: June 2, 2015, midnight | Updated: Sept. 30, 2017, 3:51 a.m. | 3 Min Read
QUESTION: There has a been a lot of pink eye going around lately and I was wondering how you prevent or treat that naturally?
ANSWER: Pink eye can be a viral, bacterial or allergic conjunctivitis. Euphrasia eye drops can be used for pink eye, and if you do not see improvement in a couple of days or you experience a worsening then you may need to move to antibiotic drops.Typically, a single drop in each eye three times per day is the dose. If it is an allergy, which one might expect in these past couple of weeks with the rising pollen levels, taking vitamin C 1000 mg three times per day for an adult or 500mg for a child can help stabilize mast cells so they don’t release histamine so easily.
Vitamins A, B6, B12, D, and the minerals zinc are the most important micronutrients for supporting immunity. If this is a child and pink eye followed a runny nose, most likely it is a virus and elderberry concentrate, 1 tsp three times daily, is a tasty option.
QUESTION: Is there any tips for preventing or treating head lice?
ANSWER: I have had people who have good success with tea tree and eucalyptus oil as a treatment. It is warned this is not an official treatment, so you really want to make sure it is gone so you don’t risk spreading it.
Also, the proper metal comb with long skinny teeth is the key and best used on wet hair. Work in sections using clips and starting right at the scalp. Drop nits into a bowl of soapy water. If hair is hard to comb, conditioner left in can make it easier.
It is certainly worth using shampoo that contains tea tree and eucalyptus or you can mist the hair with a combination designed for that use to discourage lice. Also, those with long hair should wear their hair tied up.
Pyrethrum and permethrin are the commonly used insecticides used to treat head lice. Seizures, behavioral changes, attention deficit disorders, brain injury, skin diseases and even death have been reported to the United States-based National Pediculosis Association’s registry by people who have used chemical treatments to get rid of head lice or scabies. Lindane, still approved for use in Canada but banned in 14 countries, is highly toxic and in the same class as DDT. So, personally I am not comfortable using those chemicals and would try tea tree and eucalyptus oil with a good comb first for both prevention and treatment. If that does not work then move to the toxic treatment.
QUESTION: My child’s friend has several warts on his hand and now my child has a wart, too, and I am wondering if there is any thing I can put on it to get rid of it?
ANSWER: There are products that burn them off, but if the virus lingers then they come back. Wart viruses are contagious.
I have had good success with oil of oregano in several cases. I would use the wild variety 1:1 concentration on the bottle and put a single drop on the wart. It will burn for a short time maybe a few minutes, but if it works it will turn black over a few days then it just recedes.
Kali Simmonds, ND, is a doctor of naturopathic medicine who practises in Charlottetown. The information provided is not intended to diagnose or substitute the advice of a health-care professional.
Consult with a health-care provider before making any changes.
She welcomes questions for this column, which is published the first Tuesday of every month in The Guardian. She can be reached by mail at 34 Queen St., Charlottetown, C1A 4A3 or by email at [email protected]
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