Old time medecine?

[XingMing]

Am I being unreasonable to suggest that people investigate old time frontier medicine and treatments first for everyday ailments before asking the doctor?

From personal experience 40 years ago, in the USA, I had a blocked ear canal. My then MIL laid my head on a table on a towel, and poured in hydrogen peroxide and told me to stick it out for five minutes. After which my ear was much improved: I could hear again. In rural NZ, an old nurse suggested a salt water gargle for a sore throat for my seven year old. For coughs and colds and low level ailments, we should be trying such treatments before the GP. Do you think I'm bonkers or should we go straight to high tech expensive treatments?

Excellent idea. A patient I saw last week declined a steroid injection for her arthritis and said instead she would treat it the old fashioned way. On questioning, this was by drinking nettle tea and hitting the affected joint with stinging nettles.

Gargle ok, peroxide definitely not, hitting a ganglion with a book not recommended.

There is something to be said for 'some' old ways, but equally, research changes and medical advice/dosages of meds changes often. As a child we were given aspirin, but now its not advised for kids unless under medical advice.

I do think far more can be sorted at home or by speaking to a pharmacist.

Once research study I was involved in showed that basic hot water, lemon and honey was more effective and much cheaper than shop bought cough mixture at suppressing a cough!

Medicine has never been the same since morphine and cocaine were removed from children's cough medicine. And we could bring back National Service, that would sort out the malingerers bringing down the National Health Service with their minor ailments.

I wasn't advocating morphine or cocaine, only hydrogen peroxide and salt water gargle @DogInATent . There's a difference!

The ear drops you buy in the chemist's are basically hydrogen peroxide.

Much cheaper to buy a bottle of the stuff rather than the teeny bottles you get in the chemist's.

I wouldn’t do the hydrogen peroxide in an ear.

Do do lemon and honey and whiskey

Steaming bowl of water

Chicken soup (Jewish antecedents)

Cranberry juice and lemon barley for early cystitis.

Savoy cabbage leaf for early onset mastitis if you know what you are doing.

My gran used to witter about a slice of bread soaked in vinegar, wrapped in muslin and tied round the neck for bad chests. Wouldn’t do that.

Salt water gargle yes

Epsom salts for muscle aches, yes.

Sleep, warmth and fresh air work wonders - as does a good diet.

I have this evening poured a few drops of 6% hydrogen peroxide into DH's ears, and he hears more clearly. I have been doing the same to DS23 since he was a nipper. It's an odd sensation, but it works. Ear wax is unlikely to kill anyone. but everyone wants it sorted. It doesn't need medicalisation or a chemical barrage, unless it neglected.

That's because they don't have free healthcare in the US, so do a lot at home instead, like lance boils, pop cysts and use hydrogen peroxide on everything! This can be incredibly dangerous!

Yes, like I said above, hydrogen peroxide is a standard ingredient in OTC ear drops. It creates a strange 'fizzing' sensation in the ear but does the job.

I guess people think of hydrogen peroxide as rather scary, but in low dilutions it is very safe.

I am curious as to why people are against hydrogen peroxide for earwax when it's a known treatment and is sold branded as Otex, and likely others.

www.healthline.com/health/ear-wax-removal-hydrogen-peroxide

It's great as a mouthwash or for gargling too but I can see why a specifically prepared flavoured mouthwash would be more appealing!

Hence the emphasis on home remedies, If you can't afford a doctor or you are too far distant to visit one, then the ability to lance a boil or pop a cyst hygenically and dab it with peroxide or salt water brine to clean it is not dangerous, it is life saving.

Any other homely remedies that you rely on?

I'm all in favour of traditional and alternative medicine, but on this matter I'll stick to the steroid injections thank you - they are unreliable enough on their own, but at least they don't taste disgusting and bring you out in a rash.

😂😂😂

My then MIL laid my head on a table on a towel, and poured in hydrogen peroxide and told me to stick it out for five minutes.

🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Totally agree op. People now want a pill for every ill. A headache is not an asprin deficiency and we would be better off trying to find the root cause of what ails us first and then trying natural ways to heal before chugging down the pharmaceuticals.

FWIW, my GP nurse advised me to do the hydrogen peroxide if my ear issue came back again and I did, it worked. I'm also a fan of not medicating to lower a fever as it's often the way the body works to fight disease.

@EarringsandLipstick , it works, Try it before going to A&E. Peroxide is also great for cleaning cuts and grazes.

YABU for one reason.

You assume everyone has and will use common sense. However , we know that's not true. So we end up with people sticking to home remedies,when they actually need a doctor or worse, use unsafe or actual dangerous techniques .

@Quveas I think @debka was writing tongue-in-cheek, not recommending it!

I'm not saying it doesn't work - I'm saying that self-treating without knowledge is not great.

The ingredient in ear drops is usually carbamide peroxide, a more dilute form of hydrogen peroxide, and it's the dilution that is relevant.

I think it's broadly fine to treat minor ailments sensibly yourself, but it's always worth knowing your limits too, and when appropriate medical advice is warranted.

That's exactly it.

I thought salt water gargles weren't recommended for children

@IdontWanna, there's a huge difference and timescale between trying a homely remedy as soon as you see the issue and waiting 24 hours. Personally, I'd give the homespun option about 10-15 hours, and then I'd head for A&E. Butt not before I had tried the dog's leftover antibiotic tablets.

DH has treated an infected tooth/gum on numerous occasions using hot salt water and thus prevented the need for antibiotics.