Yes, I know "water" is not an herb.
But I had a conversation with the very nice lady who edited my books and she suggested there might be a market for a book on medicinal herbs.
Several emails flew back-and-forth through the ether. Those emails helped me clarify my thinking.
The 80:20 Rule (aka Pareto Principle)
Eighty percent of what you will deal with as a caregiver (also known as "parent" or "Dutiful child") will be generated by 20% of the possible causes.
And of that significant 20%, as a caregiver you will be able to effectively address 80% of those cases but 20% will be far beyond the scope of your abilities.
Your efforts to be an effective caregiver is critically dependent on being able to recognize the 16% that are high-runners and you can address in safe, effective ways. Potable water, even though it is not an "herb" is a big player in "safe, effective ways" and merits inclusion in this mini-series of posts.
Water
Water comes into play in many ways.
First, dehydration exacerbates many conditions.
Constipated? Drink a tumbler of water and go on a walk. Drink another tumbler when you come back. Half an hour later...drink a third tumbler of water.
Stomach ache? You might be constipated. See above.
Does you kid have diarrhea? Their body is trying to flush out toxins and at risk of dehydration. Mix up a couple of quarts of Oral Rehydration Solution and start "pushing" it. Note that using non-iodized salt makes it more palatable.
Have a headache? Drink a tumbler of water. Then drink another one a half hour later.
Dizzy? Drink a tumbler of water.
Nauseated? Stop watching CNN and drink a tumbler of water.
Can you see a trend here? It is very rare that drinking a tumbler of water will result in an undesirable outcome.
The second way that water comes into play is that cleanliness is next to Godliness. Really. God heals. Cleanliness allows your body to heal.
Wound care: Wash with copious quantities of potable water. I know it is not "sterile" but it will flush the contaminants and grit that harbor bacteria and shield them from your immune system.
Pre-wound care: Insect bites on legs that become infected are a high-runner in third-world countries. Why? Because their legs are coated with poop-dust. Either the insect/spider bite breaches the skin and allows bacterial to enter or the scratching does.
Prevention involves washing with soap and....water.
Cleanliness really is next to Godliness.
Medicinal herbs
Yeah, they are a nifty thing to know about. But in many cases they are chasing after the horse on a stormy night when it would have been far more efficient to keep the barn doors closed.
Clean water is the first "medicinal herb" you should consider and the one you use most extravagantly.
Rule of threes.
ReplyDeleteThree minutes without oxygen,
Three days without water,
Three weeks without food,
Three months without shelter,
Three years without people and purpose...
I had not seen that last, Fred. But it makes sense. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteSeen a lot of people lose their will to live once the kids are grown and the retirement ticket punched.
DeleteA man's gotta have a purpose or he's gonna feel empty inside. Just how the Good Lord hardwired us.
ERJ, a great (and under-rated) point. Without water, lots of things do not happen. I still work to remind myself to ensure I get enough each day.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you don’t end up low sodium by drinking too much water without getting enough electrolytes. I ended up in the hospital about six weeks ago and spent the first three days unconscious because my sodium was at 105. I didn’t even know they medivacted me.
ReplyDeleteWant to drop your blood pressure? Drink your water and then take a hot shower.
ReplyDeleteRoasting hot in the summertime and miserable; and the AC is out or been working outside all day? Take a luke-warm shower and slowly drop the temp to "cool" and stay in there until the heat stress goes away. Don't jump into cold shower, and don't overdo it. But a good way to cool off on the cheap.
With migraines, dehydration is one of my worst triggers, and the easiest to deal with. I can get dehydrated enough while I sleep to trigger a migraine. This is why I drink a glass of water if I get up to go to the bathroom, which I usually do at some point because I'm well hydrated. I drink a glass when I first get up. There is something wet nearby my entire day.
ReplyDeleteWhat you're providing here is, in effect, an essay on plucking the low-hanging fruit that most people would walk right by. Good on ya.
I had a heart injury in 2010 when we moved back to Texas. Since then I've been very susceptible to cramps when I get overheated and/or dehydrated.
ReplyDeleteDihydrogen monoxide rules!
And if you use the chemical term in a conversation with the right leftist, you can trigger them by telling them somebody's watering plants! Hilarious when you get it right.
ReplyDeleteThe confused, almost insulted look when they figure it out lets you know you got it right.
Richo with strictlymedicinalseeds.com has an awesome selection of medicinal herb seeds available. He's published several books on how to raise them and process them into medicine. You may find them a valuable resource in your research. They've been very helpful to me in planting / raising / harvesting several acres of medicinal herbs (and no - not marijuana to dispel any illusions).
ReplyDelete