In the modern world, most people buy expensive prescription and over the counter medications from huge drug companies when the need their various problems treated. However, not too long ago, many people depended on tried and true home remedies to relieve their ailments. While some of these things are still being used today, many of these remedies were quite dangerous. Here are three remedies that should remain in the past.
The first one to go is the idea of using kerosene to kill head lice.
Sometime in our not too distant past, we thought it was perfectly acceptable to dump kerosene over the heads of children with head lice. Believe it or not, it actually worked, but was discontinued as the dangers were greater than the benefits.
Kerosene gets absorbed quickly through the skin and it is very flammable. It is also very toxic, and many people were either sick or died because of using kerosene as a treatment for lice.
For treating stomach problems, the second thing to avoid is taking greta or azarcon.
Many older people, especially those from Latin American communities will be familiar with both of these powders that were used in the treatment of empacho. Empacho is a term that described many various intestinal and digestive problems. Unfortunately, both of these powders are nearly 100 percent lead.
You still can find both acarcon and greta today, but be sure to avoid them at all costs. Even small doses of these substances can cause lead poisoning and has killed and harmed many, many people.
The next thing to try and avoid is to put butter on a burn.
Putting butter on a burn is a great example of what not to do, and this home remedy should be wiped from memory. While butter will reduce the pain for a short time, butter contaminates the burn site and is a breeding ground for growing bacteria. This will cause the wound to become infected and cause all kinds of problems.
We are often taught to cherish our cultural traditions handed down to us by our elders. However, in terms of treating illness and other problems, it is better to get another opinion before trying anything out.
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