Kitchen Quickies… Burns As the name implies, Kitchen Quickies are short and to the point remedy suggestions to get you on your way if you have suffered any mishaps in the kitchen. I open my oven door and pull the rack out to tend to whatever lovely thing is cooking all the time. The other day, however, I managed to singe my forearm on the rack. What did I do? I immediately sprayed it with something I keep in my kitchen for precisely such occasions: Similasan Burn Recovery.* (Note: Mine was a minor burn. If you have anything more serious than a superficial burn, seek medical assistance.) This Burn Recovery bottle has pride of place in my cupboard and is standing ready and available for quick access following silly cooking errors as well as sunburned shoulders. Next to this spray is a little tube of Cantharis, which I also took shortly after using the spray. At bedtime that night, I put a little Boiron Calendula ointment* on the burn and that was that. I didn’t think about it again until my husband saw it and commented a few days later, saying, “that was a nasty burn.” I had pretty much forgotten about it because I didn’t feel it again after the first day. This Similasan burn combination contains homeopathic Calendula, Cantharis, Echinacea, and Urtica urens. All of these homeopathic remedies would likely be just as affective if taken orally when chosen individually, based on the presenting symptoms. But, this spray feels so good! (Additionally, homeopathic pellets can be put in some fresh water and applied to the skin for a similar effect to the commercially available spray.) Homeopathic Calendula is the first remedy I think about for any skin ouchies — big and little. According to K. Chandran (and Kuttan 2008), it’s with good reason. They found “the administration of Calendula officinalis extract significantly decreased the serum level of marker enzymes of tissue damage….” (Note: This research was conducted using an extract of Calendula.) Why these homeopathic remedies?
Keep on cooking, but mind the oven racks! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products. K. Chandran, P. and Kuttan, R., 2008. Effect of Calendula officinalis Flower Extract on Acute Phase Proteins, Antioxidant Defense Mechanism and Granuloma Formation During Thermal Burns. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition [online], 43 (2), 58–64.
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![]() I was reading an article the other day about Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and antibiotics. According to this CNN story LINK, 47% of women were being prescribed a wrong antibiotic for their UTIs. Nearly half! This is bad on many levels, not the least of which is that the pathogens which cause the UTIs are becoming increasingly resistant to the commonly used antibiotics (Mattoo et al. 2021; Wawrysiuk et al. 2019). UTIs are painful things. There often is burning pain. The urge to urinate that is not relieved by urinating — you have to go, you go and immediately feels like you have to go again. There may be blood in the urine. Cramping pain. They’re not fun and they are not uncommon. A 2011 WHO report “found UTIs contributed to over 8 million office visits and over 1 million hospitalizations” (LaMotte 2021). As for antibiotics for UTIs in general, sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t work. Whether they work or not is irrelevant to what they do to your gut (Ianiro et al. 2016). Some people, women most frequently, experience UTIs multiple times a year and know pretty much exactly what’s going on when they have these symptoms. For children (and their parents), the burning pain can be quite distressing. So, when do you know if it’s time to seek medical treatment? According to Dr. Troy Madsen (University of Utah 2018), if you’re an older man experiencing these troubles, that can be more problematic than if you’re a woman as these symptoms may signify prostate troubles. When to seek medical treatment for a UTI (ER of Texas 2022):
So, what’s the answer to this painful condition that winds up with so many people presenting to the ER and taking (possibly) ill-prescribed antibiotics which may lead to antibiotic resistance? Well, for run-of-the-mill UTIs, homeopathy, of course! For the treatment of minor urinary tract infections, homeopathy can be a marvelous and fast answer to some relief. A few well-indicated homeopathic remedies to address these uncomfortable symptoms, (for men, women, children and pets, too!):
Not only can homeopathy help the immediate symptoms, but using homeopathy has even been found to decrease the recurrence. Pannek (et al. 2018) found adjunctive homeopathic treatment led to a significant decrease in UTIs in patients with spinal cord injury. If you suffer from frequent, recurring UTIs, I highly encourage you to work with a professional homeopath because there’s something else going on there that needs to be brought into the equation. Stop the burning drip and get with the flow! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list
American College of Emergency Physicians, 2022. Urinary Tract Infections — Know When to Go to the ER [online]. www.emergencyphysicians.org. Chand, K. S. and Kapoor, P., 2020. Two Case Reports of Integrated Management of Antibiotic-Resistant Urinary Tract Infection. Homeopathy : the journal of the Faculty of Homeopathy [online], 10.1055/s0039-1696992. ER of Texas, 2022. When to go to the ER for Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms [online]. ER of Texas. Ianiro, G., Tilg, H. and Gasbarrini, A., 2016. Antibiotics as deep modulators of gut microbiota: between good and evil. Gut [online], 65 (11), 1906–1915. LaMotte, S., 2021. Doctors treat female UTIs with wrong antibiotics nearly half the time, study finds. CNN [online], 24 February 2021. Mattoo, T. K., Shaikh, N. and Nelson, C. P., 2021. Contemporary Management of Urinary Tract Infection in Children. Pediatrics [online], 147 (2). Pannek, J., Jus, M. C. and Jus, M. S., 2012. [Homeopathic prophylaxis of urinary tract infections in patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction]. Der Urologe. Ausg. A [online], 51 (4), 544–546. Pannek, J., Pannek-Rademacher, S., Jus, M. S., Wöllner, J. and Krebs, J., 2018. Usefulness of classical homeopathy for the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections in individuals with chronic neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine [online], 42 (4), 453–459. University of Utah, 2018. ER or Not: It’s Difficult to Pee [online]. healthcare.utah.edu. Wawrysiuk, S., Naber, K., Rechberger, T. and Miotla, P., 2019. Prevention and treatment of uncomplicated lower urinary tract infections in the era of increasing antimicrobial resistance—non-antibiotic approaches: a systemic review. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics [online], 300 (4), 821–828.
Summer is now officially in full swing! Whether you are jetting across the world or driving to the coast or just visiting your local water park, I hope you are out and about and enjoying the sunshine … with a nice, big, wide-brimmed hat, of course! After decades of being told to avoid the sun, at least one group is warning us that we are not getting enough sun (Alfredsson et al. 2020). As a redhead, I know too well it’s a fine line between too little and too much. Finding that sweet spot of sun is tricky. Sunburn. I’ve been there, done this and I feel your pain! I was always under the impression the sun reflecting off the water played a part in a beach vacation sunburn, but Diffey and Mobley (2018) say otherwise. They claim it is just a simple lack of shade at the beach that is the culprit. Those passing clouds aren’t going to help much, either! According to Cancer Research UK (2019), 90% of the UV rays can still pass through light clouds. And, it’s not just the sun from above… hot sand can result in “beach feet” (Cohen 2019). (My personal thoughts on the water and the clouds are that you just don't feel the intensity of the sun as much in those conditions so you are less likely to be taking the necessary precautions.) Years ago, I watched a TV program which said that adding lycopene (via tomato paste, specifically) to your diet can help keep your skin from burning. Apparently, they weren’t wrong: (Stahl et al. 2001; Cooperstone et al. 2017). Other carotenoids can also be helpful, too (Stahl and Sies 2012). But, if you haven’t eaten enough tomatoes and carrots and instead you find yourself turning into a sun-dried tomato*, I have some homeopathic remedies for you. For each of these sunburn remedy suggestions, repeat a 30c dose, every half hour or so until some relief is felt and then space the doses out. The first remedy to turn to for any burn, whether from the sun, a chemical or a flame, is Cantharis. Burns, as well as burning pains. Restlessness. Sunburn with blisters. Even burning pains in the eyes. Belladonna for dry and hot skin with burning sensations. Swollen skin. Throbbing pains. Bright, red skin. “Burning, pungent, steaming, heat” (Murphy 2020). If your skin is feeling itchy or prickly after a sunburn, Urtica urens is the remedy you’re looking for. Itching, raised, red blotches. (I had a childhood friend who used to get this after any exposure to the sun. I wish I had known then what I know now. Alas.) If your skin is burning up and you’re sweating but are inexplicably NOT thirsty, Pulsatilla may be in order. One more idea is Similasan’s Burn Recovery** for some quick, spray-on relief. That big beautiful glowing thing in the sky not only can be too much on your skin, it can be too much on your entire system. Horrible to experience, but not generally life threatening is a terrible headache resulting from too much sun. Belladonna or Glonoinum is what you need here. As mentioned above for the sunburn, the sun-induced Belladonna headache will be throbbing and intense. A Glonoinum headache will, in addition to throbbing, also be bursting with “waves of terrible, pounding pain” (Murphy 2020) with a rush of blood to the head. The person needing Glonoinum cannot tolerate having heir head laid backward and may also experience twitching or muscle contractions. The person needing Belladonna will be more comfortable with their head laid in a backward position and sitting quietly. This sun headache can be indicative of worse things to come. If you find yourself at this point — get out of the sun now(!) and get some fluids in you. Do whatever you need to do to gently lower your body temperature. The Natural First Aid Handbook (Mars 2017) suggests making a spritzer to cool yourself down by filling an 8-ounce spray bottle with water, 2 teaspoons of witch hazel, 10 drops of lavender essential oil and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and “spray or sprinkle over yourself.” If you are unsuccessful in regulating your temperature, Heat exhaustion or Heat Prostration is the next step when you’ve been out too long and your body is not able to cool itself. Children are particularly susceptible to this phenomenon (SunSmart 2020). Symptoms of heat exhaustion include confusion, weakness, faintness, headache, muscle cramps, heavy sweating and nausea and/or vomiting. Dr. Colin B. Lessell (1999) recommends giving either homeopathic Carbo vegetabilis for the exhausted person who seems ready to collapse or Bach Rescue Remedy and notes that expert medical assistance should be sought if the patient does not respond rapidly. A further ill-effect from the sun is Heat Stroke or Sunstroke which is a serious condition and requires immediate medical attention. Administer Belladonna or Glonoinum while on the way to the hospital or while waiting for the ambulance. How to tell the difference between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke? According to Lessell (1999, p. 116): If you, like me, have a history of sunburns, check out my article on Sol, yet another homeopathic remedy which can help set things right after too much sun. Now, get a big hat and a bottle of water, grab a friend (or a book) and head to the beach, the pool, the park or your balcony to soak up some (but not too much!) delicious vitamin D! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * Bonus remedy: Consider some China officinalis if you have experienced any dehydration from too much sweating or not drinking enough water. Note: putting a little pinch of salt in your water (Lessell 1999) can help balance your electrolytes … or, grab nature's electrolyte balancer, coconut water. (Clever thing that coconuts are what you find on an otherwise uninhabitable island!) ** I have no affiliation with this company, I just like their products. Reference list and further reading:
Alfredsson, L., Armstrong, B. K., Butterfield, D. A., Chowdhury, R., de Gruijl, F. R., Feelisch, M., Garland, C. F., Hart, P. H., Hoel, D. G., Jacobsen, R., Lindqvist, P. G., Llewellyn, D. J., Tiemeier, H., Weller, R. B. and Young, A. R., 2020. Insufficient Sun Exposure Has Become a Real Public Health Problem. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [online], 17 (14). Cancer Research UK, 2019. The UV index and sunburn risk [online]. Cancer Research UK. Cohen, P. R., 2019. Beach Feet: A Sand-associated Thermal Injury to the Soles of the Feet and the Plantar Aspect of the Toes. Cureus [online]. Connolly, S., Bertinetti, M., Teague, W. J., Gabbe, B. J. and Tracy, L. M., 2021. Sunburn Injuries Admitted to Burn Services in Australia and New Zealand. JAMA Dermatology [online], 157 (6), 729. Cooperstone, J. L., Tober, K. L., Riedl, K. M., Teegarden, M. D., Cichon, M. J., Francis, D. M., Schwartz, S. J. and Oberyszyn, T. M., 2017. Tomatoes protect against development of UV-induced keratinocyte carcinoma via metabolomic alterations. Scientific Reports [online], 7, 5106. Diffey, B. L. and Mobley, C. D., 2018. Sunburn at the seaside. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine [online], 34 (5), 298–301. Gauer, R. and Meyers, B. K., 2019. Heat-Related Illnesses. American Family Physician [online], 99 (8), 482–489. Glazer, J. L., 2005. Management of Heatstroke and Heat Exhaustion. American Family Physician [online], 71 (11), 2133–2140. Kenny, G. P., Wilson, T. E., Flouris, A. D. and Fujii, N., 2018. Chapter 31 - Heat exhaustion [online]. ScienceDirect. Lau, W. Y., Kato, H. and Nosaka, K., 2019. Water intake after dehydration makes muscles more susceptible to cramp but electrolytes reverse that effect. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine [online], 5 (1), e000478. Lessell, C. B., 1999. The world travellers’ manual of homoeopathy. Saffron Walden: C.W. Daniel. Mars, B., 2017. The natural first aid handbook : household remedies, herbal treatments, basic emergency preparedness everyone should know. North Adams, Ma: Storey Publishing. Murphy, R., 2020. Nature’s materia medica : 1,400 homeopathic and herbal remedies. 4th edition. Blackburg, Va.: Lotus Health Institute, November. Pirayesh Islamian, J. and Mehrali, H., 2015. Lycopene as A Carotenoid Provides Radioprotectant and Antioxidant Effects by Quenching Radiation-Induced Free Radical Singlet Oxygen: An Overview. Cell Journal (Yakhteh) [online], 16 (4), 386–391. Stahl, W., Heinrich, U., Wiseman, S., Eichler, O., Sies, H. and Tronnier, H., 2001. Dietary Tomato Paste Protects against Ultraviolet Light–Induced Erythema in Humans. The Journal of Nutrition [online], 131 (5), 1449–1451. Stahl, W. and Sies, H., 2012. Photoprotection by dietary carotenoids: concept, mechanisms, evidence and future development. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research [online], 56 (2), 287–295. SunSmart, 2020. Alarming number of infants, children and teens presenting at Victorian hospital emergency departments with sunburn - SunSmart [online]. Sunsmart.com.au. Tripathi, R., Mazmudar, R. S., Knusel, K. D., Ezaldein, H. H., Bordeaux, J. S. and Scott, J. F., 2021. Trends in emergency department visits due to sunburn and factors associated with severe sunburns in the United States. Archives of Dermatological Research [online], 313 (2), 79–88. |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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