These remedies are not intended to take the place of regular medicine. If your complaint requires it VISIT A DOCTOR!

Remember that all essential oils, with the exception of Lavender, MUST be diluted before coming into contact with your skin. Some oils can cause irritation. Wash the affected area and discontinue use if affected. Check out the 'Important notes on oils' page before you begin.

Ailments K-O

Kidney Stones

Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to your daily diet. Drink fresh Lemon juice in water every morning to flush out the kidneys and disolve stones.

Sip a decoction of Celery Seed or Gravel Root daily to help disolve stones.

Massage bladder area with Fennel, Geranium, Juniper or Lemon essential oils or add them to a bath.

Drink plenty of water and take 1g of vitamin C daily.

Menopause

Valarian and Skullcap relax the nervous system. Ginseng will help to lower anxiety and irritability and raise mental alertness and vitality. It also helps to prevent fatigue.

Drink Dandelion tea to detoxify the body and reduce water retention.

A massage using Chamomile oil will help to balance hormone levels reducing hot flushes, night sweats etc. as will massaging the abdomen with Fennel essentail oil.

Increase levels of Magnesium and vitamin B complex to reduce anxiety and irritability. Selenium and vitamin C will both help to reduce hot flushes.

Menstruation

Take dried Carrot powder daily to help regulate the menstrual cycle. Drinking diluted Lemon juice will help to control bleeding. Strawberry leaves taken regularly over a long period of time will help to ease the pain of menstration.

Take Lady's Mantle 3 times daily to check bleeding. Drinking Catnip or Peppermint tea morning and evening will help to reduce pain.

Use Clary Sage, Lavender or Cypress essential oils in a bath or massage. Massage Clary Sage and Fennel essential oils into the lower back to regulate hormone balance.

Take vitamin B6 twice daily to reduce cramps.

Migraine

Eat 2 or 3 Feverfew leaves.

Apply a warm compress of Lamaican Dogwood to the temples and forehead.

Peppermint and Lavender oils also make a good compress.

Melissa, rosemary or Sweet Marjoram in a bath, inhaltion or massage can help relieve the pain and are also good for prevention when used regularly.

Vitamins B5, C and E and Evening Primrose oil are also helpful in preventing migraines.

Mouth Ulcers

Add Myrrh tincture to a cup of boiled water and use as a mouthwash. Rub aloe vera gel into the affected area.

Dissolve Myrrh essential oil in vodka or brandy (3 drops of Myrrh to 1 tsp alcohol) to make a tincture, dab directly onto the ulcer or dilute in warm water to make a mouthwash.

Apply vitamin E oil to the ulcers. Increase levels of vitamins A, E and B2.

Nausia and Vomiting

Drink Ginger tea or chew crystallized Ginger for travel sickenss or nausia during pregnancy.

For travel sickness chew fresh Angelica leaves or Peppermint leaves. Drink Peppermint, Fennel or Chamomile teas. Red Raspberry, Peppermint, Alfalfa, Basil, or Catnip will help to relieve nausea.

Increase levels of Vitamin B6 to relieve symptoms of morning or travel sickness.

Obsessions and Compulsions

Drink infusions of any of the following herbs: Hops, Valarian, Vervain, Vhamomile, Passiflora.

Use any of the following essential oils in baths or burners: Roman Chamomile, Marjoram, Lavender.

White Chestnut flower essence is good for calming an overactive mind full of unwanted patterns of thought.

Oral Thrush

Eat fresh live yoghurt. Use Olive oil in food as often as possible to prevent yeast becomming a fungus in the body. Rub raw Garlic into affected areas and add to your diet as often as possible.

Use a mouthwash of Aloe Vera which is antifungal. Chewing fresh Juniper berries attacks the Candida fungus.

Eat ripe Bananas to encourage growth of healthy bacteria.

Osteoperosis

Drink Comfrey leaf and Bay leaf tea 3 times daily. Hops and Sage contain oestrogen like properties and so can discourage calcium loss from bones. Nettles, Parsley and Dandelion leaves contain calcium. Yellow Dock root, Rosemary and Yarrow aid the absorption of minerals.

Take brewers yeast to raise levels of magnesium. Vitamin D aids the absorption of calcium.

Information sources:

'The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies' C. Norman Shealy

'Aromatherapy an A-Z' Patricia Davis

My own Book of Shadows