50 home remedies that work: these safe, fast, and effective fixes will relieve what ails you - Cover Story

Natural Health, August, 2003 by Maria Noel Mandile

20 Eye Strain

To revitalize tired eyes, treat yourself to a soothing chamomile (Matricaria recutita) compress twice a day. The chamomile soaks through your eyelids, soothing eye tissue and reducing swelling in the capillaries, Candee explains. Make the compress by steeping 1 teaspoon dried chamomile flowers or 1 chamomile tea bag in 1 cup boiling hot water for 20 minutes. Strain. Allow the tea to cool, soak a washcloth in it, wring it out, lie down, and place it over your closed eyes for 15 to 20 minutes.

21 Fatigue

Sleep is what you need if you're overtired. But for a quick pick-me-up, drink a mug of mate (Ilex paraguariensis). This tea contains caffeine, but in lower doses than coffee. It also contains theobromine, an energizing compound. Steep a mate tea bag or 1 teaspoon dried mate in boiling hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, strain, and drink. This earthy-tasting tea is good black or with milk and sugar.

22 Fever

Maintaining your fever, rather than breaking it right away, can fight the virus that's making you sick. If you have a mild fever (up to 100 degrees), wrap yourself in a blanket and drink a cup of yarrow tea (Achillea millefolium). Make the tea by steeping 2 yarrow tea bags or 2 teaspoons dried yarrow in 1 cup boiling hot water for 15 minutes. Reheat it until it's piping hot, and sip it slowly. Your temperature may rise or fall a degree as you start to sweat. If your starting temperature is 101 to 103, drink the tea but skip the blanket. Check your temperature every 30 minutes throughout this process. Eventually your temperature will drop. If your starting temperature is 104 or more, or if the tea-drinking brings your temperature to 104 or more, call your doctor. Don't do this with babies or children, or if you're pregnant; consult your doctor instead.

23 Foot Odor

Chlorophyll, the same plant compound that gives plants their green color, can also sweeten your feet. Pour 2 to 3 teaspoons liquid chlorophyll into a bucket filled with a gallon of warm water, and soak your feet for 15 minutes. Dry your feet completely afterward, and wear cotton socks which let your feet breathe.

24 Gas

Chew on a small handful of anise, dill, or fennel seeds when you feel bloated. The compounds in these seeds relax the muscles in your digestive tract, which allows trapped gas to pass. You can buy the seeds in the spice aisle of grocery stores or the bulk section of natural food stores. Bonus: They freshen your breath, too.

25 Headache

Dull a tension headache by massaging a few drops of peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita) into your temples. Peppermint works as well as 1,000 mg of acetaminophen, the main ingredient in aspirin, according to one German study. Herb experts don't know exactly how it works, says Yarnell, but the peppermint appears to prevent your body from sending pain signals to your central nervous system.

26 Heartburn

You'll need to find a carpeted area for this heartburn remedy called a heel drop. This sounds strange, but it works, says Yarnell. Roll up onto your toes as high as you can, and then allow your heels to quickly drop down onto the ground. Repeat this 20 to 30 times, holding onto the back of a chair for balance if you need to. The downward motion pulls the acid that causes heartburn back into your stomach.