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A treatment or cure for a disease or other ailment that
employs certain foods or other common household items. Home
remedies may or may not have actual medicinal properties
that serve to treat or cure the disease or ailment in question;
many are merely used as a result of tradition or habit or
because they are quite effective in inducing the placebo
effect. A significant number, however, have been demonstrated
to effectively treat ailments such as sprains, minor lacerations,
headaches, fevers, and even the common cold. One of the
more popular examples of a home remedy is the use of chicken
soup to treat respiratory infections such as a cold or mild
flu, and according to recent studies, this may actually
be effective. Other examples of medically successful home
remedies include: willow bark tea to cure headaches and
fevers (willow bark contains a form of acetylsalicylic acid,
also known as aspirin); duct tape to help with setting broken
bones; and duct tape or super-glue to treat plantar warts.
Benefits/Contraindications
A common error is to confuse home remedies with homeopathic
remedies. In fact, the two concepts are unrelated. Home
remedies are often extremely helpful, often handy and relatively
inexpensive. They can also have side-effects. Use with caution.
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