Back to the basics

A friend told me this story about how he had a sty in his eyelid that had hardened in to a tiny pebble.  He wasn't sure what he considered a growth and had gone to see a doctor who said that it needs to be removed surgically and a biopsy done.  It was going to cost him an equivalent of $80.  Being from Sri Lanka and this was about two month's salary for him.  He had mentioned this to his mother who told him to go out to the garden and pull up a stem of the weed 'Thuththiri" and apply the liquid in the stem on the growth for a couple of days.  He had done so and one morning that same week, when he was washing his face, the this had just dropped off. 

To me this highlights the easy non invasive herbal remedies that are available for small issues instead of which we seem to seek the most technology concentrated alternative.  Part of the issue is that dazzled by the success of Penicillin we slowly gave up our interest in the more holistic but sometimes tedious remedies in favour of the ease of using a tablet to take care of a symptom.  Now some of this knowledge is dying with the transitional generation that is in their 70s and 80s as the next generation was the one that grew up with drugs for all maladies.

What we give up for convenience is:

•  addressing the core issue which may or may not be taken care of by taking care of the symptom,
• increase chance of having more problems from side affects of the drugs,
• higher cost to consumer = higher profits for the drug companies.

Take for example something simple like a hangover, while suffering through it does not feel simple, you know what causes it - dehydration due to sweating, alcohol blocking the hormone that gets body to hold fluids thereby increasing urination and also the because alcohol dilates blood vessels of the brain.

Key is hydration which most of the old fashioned remedies are about - hot water with honey and lemon, chicken soup, fruit juice, apple cider vinegar. 

What not to do is to have Tylenol.  At the best of times, Tylenol or any other acetaminophen is toxic for the liver.  This is multiplied when there is alcohol in the system.  Easy remedy of the symptom that invites much more serious issues down the line.