Dangerous home remedies to avoid!

For centuries now, home remedies have been potent in alleviating minor pains, aches, and other ailments, and many households swear by them (remember how our moms used to make us endless cups of herbal 'kadha' when we had a cold?) However, while it is a good idea to stay away from too many medicines, especially if you are mildly sick, not all home remedies always work. Not only that, some of them might make the situation worse than it already is, so make sure you stay away from these. Most importantly, listen to your body, and take the advice of a doctor...

This one has been going around for many years, with a lot of people swearing that it actually works. However, that is not true. The fact of the matter is that toothpaste simply dries out the pimple, and does not treat it, at any level, so you might feel the redness subside down a little, but that's about it. What's more, toothpaste contains ingredients like triclosan, which can further irritate the skin.

This one is actually quite dangerous, and should be avoided at all cost. Applying butter, coconut oil, petroleum jelly, or other any greasy substances can, on the contrary, trap heat and hinder the healing process. If it is a minor (surface) burn, then running it under tap water should be the first line of treatment (cool tap water, not ice cold) Post that, the patient can be taken to a doctor for further treatment.

To explain things, it is said that one must eat a lot when one is running a cold, but consume the bare minimum when one is running a fever. However, this is not true. The fact is that in both cases, your body needs enough nutrition to fight off the infection, and support your immune system. However, it is another matter that while in a cold, you might crave for hot, warm foods, your appetite may dip in case of a fever.

This one might be the most followed home remedy to treat wounds at home, but it does not work, at least in ways you think it does. While chemical agents like those in hydrogen peroxide can eliminate some bacteria, they often cause more harm to healthy cells that are working to heal the wound. Therefore, the recommended approach is to gently clean the wound with clear water. This method helps preserve the integrity of the healing tissues while minimizing the risk of infection.

This apart, home remedies that actually work are first off, using honey for a cough. Adding honey to your tea or swallowing a teaspoon does suppress a cough, and it is backed by science. This apart, having any sort of hot soup (not necessarily chicken, though that will also give you nutrition), helps alleviate cold symptoms such as a runny nose, and chills. However, please note that a common cold has no cure, and this remedy will only make you feel better.