Homemade First Aid: Patch Up Common Ailments in a Pinch

It's the middle of the night, you child comes stumbling into your room scratching like crazy. You riffle through your medicine cabinet, but no one in the family has had a rash for a while so you are fresh out of cortaid and calamine. Its happened to all of us, the midnight run to the all night pharmacy, but with the right knowledge it can be avoided. Often, we have just what is needed to tame that rash or heal that boo boo right under are noses.

Baking Soda

Okay we all have baking soda in our kitchen, either taking the stink out of our freezer or sitting in the back of the cabinet from our last round of cookie baking. Baking soda is a time honored item that many have used for a multitude of ailments for eons. Mixed with water into a thick paste baking soda sooths itchy rashes rather quickly. People have used this little trick for all sorts of ailments from Poison Ivy to Chicken Pox. You can also make a thinner mixture of baking soda and water for treatment of bee stings and other insect bites. Obviously, you want to keep an eye out for a more serious reaction to bee stings, but this solution works well for normal reactions.

Oatmeal

No need to go out and purchase those pricey envelopes of oatmeal bath, pour a cup of good old fashion oatmeal in a tub of warm water and you have the same result. Making a homemade oatmeal bath is great for relieving the sting of a bad sunburn. Soak in the bath for about 20 minutes and then when you get out of the tub make certain to leave a light layer of the oatmeal on your skin. This will help to relieve any itchiness or sting your still experiencing. Oatmeal baths also work well for soothing rashes caused by hives, Poison Ivy and illness.

Lemon Juice

Most people keep lemon juice on hand for making tea or lemonade, but lemon juice can also be used as a health product in a pinch. The next time someone gets a cut and you have no antiseptic try a little lemon juice. Sounds crazy, but lemon juice is a well known natural antiseptic and also has styptic properties so it can also stop bleeding. No need to stop buying antiseptic altogether, but in a pinch lemon juice will do. Lemon juice also works well for sore throats when added to warm tea. Additionally, for a natural way to get regular when your constipated either drink a few tablespoons of lemon juice straight when you wake up or add them to warm water.

Tea Bags

Many of us keep tea bags on hand for either our own daily use, or for when we have company. However, tea bags can serve a dual purpose similar to many other common household items. If you are in need of a compress to soothe sunburn, soak a towel in cool tea. The pain caused by bee stings and insect bites can also eased by placing a cold wet tea bag on the affected area. Tea bags make an excellent compress, because they are known for reducing redness and swelling. You can also use a cold wet tea bag as a compress for pink eye, mouth sores and for other swollen or sore areas.

Common household items are often good for more than we actually use them for. Given a little research many of us have all we need already hiding away in our cupboards. Looking on package labels for warnings and instructions is always wise, but used with a little precaution we almost always have what we need to take care of our family in a pinch.