Most people are already feeling sick from taking all sorts of food and beverages during the festive season, we will discuss about a few of the common ailments that may be affecting you these days. It is common that most of the health facilities do not have enough staff members because they are also on holiday so why not try home remedies until you get a chance to see your doctor or health professional.

Home remedies for heartburn:

Heartburn is a burning sensation and pain in the stomach and chest, behind the breastbone. The symptoms of heartburn are the following: bloating, gas, nausea, shortness of breath and/or an acidic or sour taste in the throat and mouth. Heartburn is caused when hydrochloric acid, which is use to digest food, is release up the esophagus. On its way up the acid irritates the sensitive tissues in the esophagus and throat. Usually the esophageal sphincter muscle contracts thus preventing the stomach acid from shooting up into the esophagus, but if this muscle is not functioning properly, the acid can slip past it and this is when heartburn symptoms start, however it is called Gastroesophageal reflux disease because of the muscle malfunction but it’s also known as  chronic heartburn or acid indigestion. if left un treated the repeated flow of acid through the esophagus can scar and produce changes in the cells lining, it can cause cancer later in life. a hiatus hernia develops when the stomach bulges up into the diaphragm, this condition can also cause heartburn, other triggers for heartburn are alcohol drinking, smoking and eating acidic foods.  The best solution for heartburn is the use of herbs and vegetables. Refer to your food for blood type list: n Drink Aloe Vera juice to heal the intestinal tract. n Drink Chamomile tea after meals to relieve esophageal irritation. n Drink a large glass of water at the first sign of heartburn, if the symptoms are not too strong this will help. n Make a juice using raw potatoes. Wash the potato very well do not peel it, just place it in the juicer, mix it with some other juice for taste and drink immediately after juicing.

Home remedies for a hangover:

You know you have a hangover when you have a headache, nausea, intestinal upset, and perhaps diarrhea, aches in the muscles and joints, and fatigue. you can prevent hangover by taking 6 raw almonds before imbibing to prevent intoxication. you can also take two teaspoons of evening primrose before imbibing. Eating 1 spoon of peanut butter before drinking is an African remedy.use tomato juice: to help stop the urge for alcohol drink a tangy drink, such as tomato with the juice of one lemon added.use Water: One of the best preventive measures is to drink 2-3 large glasses of water before you go to bed. Drinking alcohol is very dehydrating and hydrating your system helps counteract the effects of the alcohol.use Apples: apples eaten on an empty stomach the day after drinking is an effective remedy.Bananas: One of the quickest ways to cure a hangover is to make a banana milkshake sweetened with honey. The banana helps calm the stomach, and with the honey, builds up the depleted blood sugar levels. The milk soothes the stomach and rehydrates your system. Bananas are also rich in the important electrolytes, magnesium and potassium, which are severely depleted during heavy drinking.Chicken soup: Grandma’s old stand-by, chicken soup, seems to work as well for hangover problems as it does for colds.Feverfew: use feverfew, an herb, in place of aspirin. Aspirin is very hard on the stomach, while feverfew is not.Ginger: Take a cup of ginger tea to help soothe your stomach.Honey: Take 2-6 teaspoonfuls of honey every twenty minutes upon awaking, depending on the severity of the hangover. Continue with the honey until you start to feel better, then take four teaspoonsful with your first meal. The potassium in the honey helps counteract the effects of the alcohol and will decrease the cravings for it. Alcoholic drinks are acidic in reaction and satisfy your natural desire for an acid, the same as coffee and tea do. if you have an alcohol problem, check your body chemistry and make appropriate changes in diet and supplementation. In addition, honey contains fructose, a type of sugar that helps your body metabolize alcohol more quickly.Lemon: Add the juice of one lemon to a cup of black coffee and drink it unsweetened and without milk.Lime: As soon as you wake up on the "morning after" add two teaspoons of fresh lime juice and a teaspoon of sugar to 2 litres of water. Drink it slowly. This concoction will help stabilize your blood sugar, which will be low after imbibing.Peppermint: The herb peppermint, either in tea form or chewing the leaves, will relax the intestines. Peppermint is a carminative, which is a substance that removes accumulated gas from the stomach and intestines. Make a tea by pouring one cup of boiling water over 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb; cover; steep for fifteen minutes; strain. Drink 1-2 cups as soon as you can. It is important to produce your own herb even if you plant it in flower pots inside the house or in the veranda.Persimmon: Eat a raw persimmon for a headache.Prickly pear cactus: Prickly pear is known to reduce inflammation, and hangover symptoms are due to an increase in inflammation. Raw cabbage Eat raw cabbage to dissipate a headache.Thyme: Make a tea by lightly crushing five fresh or dried leaves; place in a cup and fill with water cooled to just below boiling; cover and leave to infuse for five minutes; remove leaves and drink.

Natural home remedies for diarrhoea:

n Ginger tea can stop cramps and pain. n Drinks like ginger ale or carrot juice is good for making the stools less watery.n Boil brown rice and water for 45 minutes eat the rice (it contains Vitamin B) and drink the water.n Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition.n Take two lemons and squeeze the juice into a glass, and then add a half teaspoon of baking powder. Drink it down as it foams.n Take a teaspoon of paste made from equal parts powdered ginger, powdered cumin, and powdered cinnamon mixed with honey three times a day.n In a cup mix 1 tsp of Cinnamon, 1 tsp or a little bit more of sugar. Add to hot water. Stir, let cool and drink in one gulp if you can.

REMEMBER TO STICK TO YOUR FOOD FOR BLOOD TYPE LIST

Greater Accra leads cholera infection March 22, 2011

Accra, March 22, GNA – Out of the recorded 4, 586 cases and 64 deaths recorded from the cholera outbreak in the country since September 2010, the Greater Accra Region is leading with 2, 756 cases and 31 deaths.

This had been attributed to the high rate of filth generated in Accra coupled with the perennial flooding and the sale of contaminated food in the city.

Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Minister of Health who was addressing the media after an inspection of some health facilities where some patients are on admission in Accra on Tuesday, cited the Upper East, Eastern and the Central regions as the other regions which had been hit by the epidemic.

He asked people who suspected that they were catching the infection to seek early treatment since treatment is free.

“I urge people who have started exhibiting the signs and symptoms of cholera to report as early as possible to all government health facilities for early treatment since it is free of charge. it has been detected most of those who die from it were the result from delays in seeking treatment,” he said.

He said the Ministry of Health had made available enough logistics and medication to some health facilities such as the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Adabraka and Maamobi Polyclinics to handle the epidemic and urged nurses to be cautious in treating infected persons.

At the Maamobi Polyclinic, Dr mrs Mildred Kummassah, who is the Medical Director in charge, said eight cases and four deaths had been recorded by the Polyclinic since 25th January 2010.

She expressed concern about the high rate at which people were encroaching on the polyclinic’s land and urged government to come to their aid.

“We also sometimes experience power fluctuations which had in some cases got our machines broken down because we do not have a reliable transformer,” she said.

At the Dworwulu Special School, mrs Veronica Sackey, Headmistress, said the School had recorded seven cases and one death since the disease was first detected on March 19, 2010.

“The first case was detected when a student who had visited the home returned. she died on the same day from diarrhoea,” she explained.

She said the school had sent all infected persons to hospital and had taken stock of large quantity of anti diarrhea drugs.

It had also improved the sanitary conditions of the school in order to stop the disease from spreading.