Some of the best remedies for common ailments mean a trip to the pharmacy that can yield a medicine that will cure anything. The next time you have one of these common ailments, try doing what grandmother did and take a trip to your kitchen cabinet instead of to the drug store. It will be kinder on your purse as well as your health! While supplements of vitamin C, D and zinc will shorten the lifespan of a common cold, a hot lemon drink is also extremely good. Cool lemon juice and honey are a great soother for a sore throat and gives the body much-needed vitamin C at the same time. The juice of one lemon in a glass of water is sufficient. When you have the cold or flu the constant rubbing of tissue on your nose and lips can cause chaffing and soreness. Try a smear of Vaseline or petroleum jelly on those sore lips and nose.

A ‘streaming cold’ where the nose and eyes water profusely, can be inconvenient and even embarrassing but believe it or not, you can help alleviate these runny symptoms with an onion. Simply dip a slice of onion into a glass of hot water for two seconds, then sip the cooled water throughout the day. In fact, onion is a good thing to have around when you have a cold and putting half an onion on the bedside table at night can get rid of your cold symptoms because its odour is inhaled while you sleep.

For those unpleasant times when you suffer from an upset stomach, two tablespoons of brown vinegar will usually fix the problem. In addition to common kitchen products, many herbs can be used to treat ailments instead of expensive drugs. For example, if you suffer from headaches dizziness or tinnitus, you might try feverfew leaves. The Tea Tree and Eucalyptus oils are useful for treating a variety of respiratory ailments. These are excellent for the treatment of colds and coughs. They can be massaged into the chest or burned in an oil burner to help clear the airways and prevent congestion. Tea Tree oil is a natural antiseptic and can be dabbed on cuts, bites and stings. It is often used to treat spots. The herb black cohosh is a powerful relaxant as well and is extremely effective in easing painful menstrual cramps. Ovarian cramps will be relieved as well as bringing on a delayed menstrual cycle. It is also effective in the treatment of arthritis, osteo-arthritis, rheumatic pain and neurological pan. In small doses, appetite and digestion are greatly improved and is very beneficial for the nervous system in general. Suffering with PMS? Having a regular menstrual cycle is a sign of good health but along with it can come pain, bloating and over 100 other symptoms! And because each woman is different there is no agreed upon case or treatment for PMS. Conventional doctors will tell you to take aspirin and may offer water pills or hormonal therapy but alternatives to these forms of comfort can be more relaxing and have fewer side effects. Acupuncture can relieve pain and stress for any ailment so it is worth a try for PMS. Same goes for massage, and your massage therapist can show you self massage to do on your lower abdomen any time you need to relax cramps. No medicine is involved, and both of these alternative therapies are non-invasive. Plus, they leave you so relaxed that having them can turn a bad PMS day into a happy one.