Herbal remedies are becoming popular day by day. As the name suggest that solution that deals with herbs, comes under herbal remedies. Herbal remedies are the herbal solutions that are helping people world wide in finding new paths of achieving great health benefits.

These are the solutions that are easy to adapt and there is also no need to consult a doctor even for consuming them as there are non toxic and safe for consumption. Hence it saves your time and more importantly your hard earned money.

Herbal remedies basically are derived from ayurveda. As we know that ayurveda is a science that deals with herbs and natural method for treating any disorders. You will be surprised to know that most of material used in performing these remedies is found in our kitchen.

Herbal remedies can be used in any aspect of life and is beneficial in treating almost all ailments that commonly affects us. In India, our grand parents will always have some herbal remedy that will definitely help you relieving you from any kind of problem you might be suffering from.

Below are some of the home remedies specifically mentioned for treating diseases.

* Aloe vera for burn injuries - Aloe vera is an herb that is generally seen in arid or dry areas. This herb has gained its popularity as a wonderful skin tonic and also is used a beautifying agent. It is a part of every beauty saloon and is widely used in providing smoothness to the skin but not many people are familiar with one more quality that aloe vera possess. It has excellent results in burn injuries. Due to its cold potency it helps in cooling down the burning sensation that is cased due to fire of electric current. It is also quite effective in fading away the burn scar that are caused and are very effective in beautifying the affected area.
* Shallaki for arthritis – Shallaki commonly known as boswellia. It is very similar to Guggul (commiphora mukul) and is known as salai Guggul in ayurveda. It is the herb that is very frequently used in relieving from pain and also is very helpful in suppressing inflammation in the body and is used since prehistoric times in India. It is also helpful in maintaining the proper synovial fluid in the joint.
* Triphala as antioxidant – it will be very difficult to find a person who is not touched with the magic of triphala. Triphala is not only effective in rejuvenating our body but is also very effective in detoxification of our body. This detoxification not only helps in eliminating the toxins in our body but also prevents free radicals formation there by preventing the early aging process. Triphala is also one of the best antioxidant and improves the body immunity. It is more commonly used as mild laxative and is non habit forming.
* Ashwagandha for physical stamina – Ashwagandha is the herb that is widely used throughout ayurvedic world in curing almost every disease. It not only helps in improving the diseased condition but also helps in increasing the physical stamina of the body. It also increases the sexual vigor of the body and makes a person strong and active just like a horse. It is also widely used in suppressing pain and reducing any inflammatory condition that might occur in the body.
* Ginger for digestion – ginger is an herb that can be found in every Indian kitchen. It is one of the most widely used herb that not only increases the aroma of the food but also keeps our digestive tract in proper shape. It also helps in maintaining the proper peristaltic movements and is one of the best remedies for people troubled by flatulence. It is effective in treating stomach aches as it removes spasms from the stomach muscles and relaxes them. Ginger is a part of many ayurvedic medicines and also has some tendencies to maintain the normal levels of cholesterol.
* Guggul for decreasing cholesterol – Guggul is an herb that is widely used in preparations of ayurvedic medicines. It has two qualities that has lead to so much of its usage. One is its sticky nature that is very essential in preparing the tablets. Secondly it is widely used in suppressing the heart related problems especially reducing the cholesterol level to maintain it to normal. It is also used as an analgesic agent that is effective in reducing pain in the body.
* Garlic as antibiotic – garlic or allium sativum is used throughout world not only for its taste value but also for its medicinal properties. Garlic has a good role in reducing the cholesterol level in the body but it is also effective in curbing the infections in the body. In ayurvedic system of medicine it is most widely used as an agent to suppress bacterial infection and also in reducing the wormal infestation. It helps in purifying the blood and detoxifies the body.

A: It’s that nit-picking back-to-school time again. Head lice make nests in the hair of what seems like a zillion kids each year.

The tiny, wingless insects, usually about the size of a sesame seed, feed on human blood.

They lay nits (eggs) that glue themselves to hair shafts close to the scalp. Head lice may be spread by head-to-head contact with lice-infested individuals or transferred on clothes, combs, brushes or other items.

Herbal agents that have been used for head lice include pyrethrins, quassia, coconut oil, ylang ylang oil and anise.

Among these, pyrethrins have the best evidence for effectiveness and are included in several commonly used OTC head lice products (e.g., A-200, Pronto, Rid) along with other ingredients.

A topical spray containing a combination of anise, coconut oil, and ylang ylang oil (Hair Clean 123 Completely) and a tincture of Quassia applied to the scalp also appear to work.

Here are important lice facts:

Head lice can crawl quickly but don’t jump or fly.
They are more a nuisance than a health problem.
Don’t blame Benji or Garfield. Pets are not a source of head lice.
Getting head lice is not associated with poor hygiene, so no stigma need apply.

Concerns have been raised that some forms of head lice have mutated into “super lice” and may be resistant to some of the active ingredients in over-the-counter head lice remedies.

However, Richard J. Pollack, PhD, public entomologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, believes that most lice infestations will respond to over-the-counter treatments containing permethrin (e.g., Nix) or pyrethrins (e.g., Rid).

Pollack points out that treatment failures can be traced to mistaken identification, faulty treatment procedures, or perhaps actual lice resistance.

The first step in treatment is to make sure someone has head lice to begin with, so that it’s not a case of “mistaken identity” such as dandruff flakes or hair spray droplets. Look for live lice scurrying about.

A common problem may be that the lice are killed, but their hatchable eggs are not. Eggs hatch within a few days and new lice emerge. If these eggs are not killed or removed, reinfestation can occur.

It’s unnecessary to be concerned about eggs that cannot hatch — those that are either empty (already hatched) or dead.

For more information, visit the Harvard School of Public Health Web site (www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.htmlchildren). Near the bottom of that Web page are links to flowcharts with step-by-step instructions for managing presumed head lice infestations at home and at school. Included are close-up photos to help identify lice and their nits.

The National Pediculosis Association (www.headlice.org/) also provides useful information. The LiceMeister Comb, designed to remove nits and lice, is available from this organization.

Finally, note that itching may persist after successful treatment and should not be assumed to indicate treatment failure.

By Richard Harkness