Echinacea

[Guest guest]

I have been using echinacea for years. It's great for upper and lower respiratory problems. However, I cannot take goldenseal. I have low normal blood pressure, and if I take goldenseal, my blood pressure drops too low.

Echinacea: Not Just for Colds, from Chet Day's "Health & Beyond"

Editor's Note: Do NOT try these home remedies without consulting a health professional to make sure they are appropriate for you.

Echinacea is a well-known, popular herb used widely today. It's primarily used for colds and to reduce flu symptoms, and you'll frequently find it mixed with other herbs because it's a great infection fighter and natural antibiotic.

Echinacea is most effective in fighting glandular and lymphatic problems, which is why you'll often find people using it when they have a bad head cold. Most don't know specifically what ailments echinacea is best for, but they have learned that it works well with these conditions so they use it often.

Echinacea works really well when you feel a cold or flu-like symptoms coming on. It doesn't usually prevent you from catching the cold or flu, but it can drastically reduce the normal symptoms that accompany them. It can also reduce the amount of time you suffer from cold and flu symptoms.

And if you're worried this is all bogus, like the American medical establishment has been saying for years, check out the following article and learn what kind of "science" these debunking researchers have employed:

Conflicting Reports about Echinacea

Since it's an excellent infection fighter, this herb may work well for ear aches, strep throat, or lymph gland problems. In fact, if echinacea is used in combination with goldenseal, cayenne, and yarrow you'll end up with a fantastic infection fighting formula. That's why you'll often find echinacea sold in combination with golden seal at health and herb stores.

Important note: if you have low blood sugar problems, or hypoglycemia, don't take the echinacea and golden seal combinations. Golden seal is a natural source of insulin, so it can be dangerous for hypoglycemics. Instead try to find echinacea mixed with myrrh, or buy the two separately and create your infection fighting herbal combination.

Echinacea is also thought to be one of the best herbs for helping with enlargement or weakness of the prostrate gland, and it can be used in combination with an herb called chickweed to help with losing weight.

Many people realize this, but you can create a tea or rinse with echinacea to use as a gargle. This may work particularly well for strep throat, and it also helps with tonsilitis, mouth sores, and sore gums.

It also works wonderfully in salve form for helping with eczema, insect bites and stings, general skin problems, and even minor wounds. Just open a gel capsule of echinacea -- make sure it's a powdered or ground form of echinacea and not some hard pill which has many other additives in it -- dump the powder onto a small dish of some kind, then mix all natural aloe vera juice or natural petroleum jelly with it. This will make a paste, or salve type of ointment that can be applied externally as needed.