Natural Means Of Medication To Stay Healthy

People often speculate that Americans are overmedicated. The Chicago Tribune reported that the money spent on prescription medications each year continues to rise. While prescription drugs can save lives and help keep people healthy, sometimes they only mask the symptoms of a deeper health issue. Because of this, people often turn to natural means of medication to stay healthy.

There are natural medications available that are not only safer but also more effective than prescription medicines. Another great perk is that they often cost less as well. Here are some natural medications that will benefit your health.

Pain Reliever
While many turn to drugs such as acetaminophen or Vicodin to relieve their pain, just using physical touch may be more effective. Pain medications are addictive and may do damage to your body in the long term. Instead of relying on a drug to mask pain, seek the help of a professional physical therapist.

According to the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, people suffering with lower back pain who opted against taking traditional medicine and received chiropractic treatment instead showed more improvement in their pain and disability than those taking medication.

A deep tissue massage is also a great way to loosen up painful muscles, rather than using a muscle relaxer. When the muscles are physically loosened up, they are more likely to stay that way rather when they are loosened through chemicals. Muscle aches and pains can have many causes, from a physical strain or stress due to everyday issues such as home repairs, bathroom remodeling, cabinet refacing, and stress due to work.

High Cholesterol
People with high cholesterol often take medications such as Lipitor or Zocor. A better way to go about lowering cholesterol is to make healthy changes to your diet. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet full of salmon, oats, and blueberries, can reduce the body's inflammation and naturally raise good cholesterol while lowering bad LDL cholesterol.

Eating garlic is especially effective because of its allicin contents. These heart-helpers are released when garlic is eaten and protect the heart by blocking cholesterol when it attempts to stick to artery walls.

University Health News also claims that red wine can help raise HDL and act as a blood thinner to prevent clots in the arteries from forming. Eating a very little amount of dark chocolate every other day is also effective in preventing heart disease.

Acid Reflux
People often take antacids to combat their acid reflux, but taking and herbal relief first to ease symptoms. If taken too much, antacids can damage the small intestines and hinder the body's absorption of nutrients.

Using an an herbal remedy like slippery-elm lozenges can help ease symptoms before having to go on medications. Slippery elm has antioxidants, coats the throat, and reduces inflammation in the intestines. It also increases mucus production, which helps protect the digestive system from too much acid. Other lifestyle changes, such as eating slowly, avoiding certain foods, and keeping stress levels low can also help heal acid reflux.

High Blood Pressure
Rather than getting on a medication to lower blood pressure, try using hibiscus as an herbal remedy to manage blood pressure naturally. Hibiscus is a diuretic. This means it takes excess sodium from the blood which then decreases the pressure on arterial walls.

Hibiscus can also act in the same way as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, which are common to treat high blood pressure. Hibiscus slows down the angiotensin-converting enzyme, which helps blood vessels relax and the volume of blood decrease, which then lowers blood pressure.

Sales of herbal remedies are steadily increasing and people learn more about the damaging effects of prescription drugs. Using a natural substance that works with your body to promote healing rather than a chemical to mask symptoms is likely better for one's health in the long run. For people who are taking prescriptions, it is important to talk to a doctor before switching to herbal remedies.


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