Natural Treatments for Hives

Hives, urticaria, affects thousands of people every year. If you’re itchy and trying hard to not to scratch your hives as you read this, you’re not alone. Nearly 20 percent of the population has been affected with hives at one point or another. One hallmark of hives is their tendency to change size rapidly and [...]

1. 
   windyridge said-

   Actually being inside in stale stuffy air is not the main reason we get flu in the winter. I just read a study that showed that the reason we get flu when we do is because of air temperature and humidity. In fact, the experts say that you are more likely to get the flu on the way into work than while you are actually in the building. This is because the flu loves cold temps and very low humidity. As the temperature and humidity rises, the virus becomes less and less virulent.

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2. 
   Tony Isaacs said-

   For my own take on avoiding and beating the flu:

   http://www.tbyil.com/flu.htm

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3. 
   daddydoctor said-

   As a dad and a doctor, I find this a very scary topic. I used to think that as long as my patient’s or I dosed the children’s cold & cough medications right, then everything would be OK. But when I researched this further, it turns out that children have died from “over dose” of ALL THE MAJOR CHILDRENS COLD AND COUGH MEDICINES even when given the correct dose (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/108/3/e52?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=cough+medications&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT).

   Here are a few interesting facts:

   1. Last October 2007, the drug companies promised the FDA that they would change all their labeling to say “do not use” for children under the age of 2, but I was just in the store last week, and a number of packages still had the old labeling!

   2. The FDA reviewed safety and effectiveness data this last fall and its expert panel said that “right now the current cold & cough medications should not be given to children under 6.” Here is a link to the FDA’s minutes, “http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/07/minutes/2007-4323m1-Final.pdf”, see page 6. The FDA made a public advisory in January 2008 about never using it for children under 2, because the Drug companies are fighting them on the panels ruling to never use cold and cough medications on children 2 to 6. Since these drugs were previously allowed by the FDA, the FDA is forced to go though “due process” before they are willing to make an official public statement about never giving these medications to children 2 to 6.

   3. The number of infant deaths attributed to cold and cough medicines is dramatically underreported. New research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics demonstrated that there were at least “10 unexpected infant deaths that were associated with cold-medication” in 2006 alone in the state of Arizona. Extrapolated over the US and Canadian population, that would be over 500 deaths a year associated with cold-medication! (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/122/2/e318)

   The thing that the drug companies don’t want anyone to know is that these medications never underwent the rigorous safety and effectiveness studies modern medications have to go though, they we grandfathered in the early 1970’s because at that time experts felt like they seemed to work, and they seemed safe enough.

   Interestingly, some researchers from Penn State have shown that Buckwheat honey is better then the OTC drugs for children’s cough. There is a web site that talks about this, and gives lots of research to help parents be better informed about how to help their kids. Check out http://www.honeydontcough.com/

   -Daddydoctor

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4. 
   windyridge said-

   Daddydoctor, I knew a little about the kids and cold remedies but I didn’t know about the buckwheat honey.
   I think it’s appalling that the FDA now exists solely for the drug companies and the people’s well being be damned.

   windyridges last blog post..Palin is Useless

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5. 
   Roger from mortgage insurance bc said-

   This is very helpful tip to everyone thank you for this post.

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6. 
   Ed from Natural Health said-

   My personal remedies include boosting my vitamin c intake, as well as taking some oregano oil. That stuff will literally stop most viruses in their tracks. Colloidal silver can also help, but you have to have a good source before drinking it.
   Ed @ Natural Health´s last blog ..The Health Benefits of Oregano Oil

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