Our natural First Aid Kit

As a follow on from my previous natural health post, I thought I'd just go through what remedies and other things make up my first aid kit. I have so far successfully managed to stay away from antibiotics for myself and the kids using a variety of these (we have a doctor who is very much into natural healthcare and will give a prescription with the advice to try natural for a few days before reassessing). My first aid kit comprises of a good daily diet, healthy environment as well as topical and internal treatments - it really is a holistic approach.

Homoepathic first aid kit - This comprises of 24 remedies that are useful for treating things such as: ear infections, fevers, teething, vomiting, chicken pox, injuries, bruises. This gets used as a first port of call.

Lavender oil - I used this in the kids bathwater when they had chicken pox to help keep their skin clean and healthy because of it's antibacterial properties and directly on mozzie bites that Nathan seems to get real flare-ups with.

Tea Tree Oil - This is also an antibacterial and antifungal that I occasionally use in bathwater or direct on cuts or rashes that may be fungal in nature. It is useful for women who suffer from thrush and I have found it successful in the past (1 litre of warm water, 4 drops of tea tree oil, 2 tablespoons of vinegar - apply as a wash/dousch to affected area).

Other things I keep on hand: hydrogen peroxide (disinfectant and specifically a good anti-tetanus disinfectant due to it working aerobically), ACV (as discussed in a previous post), vitamin C (specifically sodium ascorbate, for fighting infections), probiotic yoghurt taken as a daily digestive aid and great for keeping the immune system working well, garlic capsules (good for immune system, and good for mixing with olive oil and using for ear infections), hypercal cream (good for applying to skin infections or rashes, is cooling and soothing), fresh oranges (one each is squeezed daily for the kids and when I am using vitamin C powder it is added to the juice which contains bioflavonoids which increase effectiveness), cod liver oil/flax seed oil (both alternated day about and provide good sources of essential fatty acids (CLO is also high source of Vitamin D which can be harder to get during winter with less sun for the body to manufacture it)).

I successfully dealt to a sinus infection that I was getting seriously worried about (took me a while to realise what it was since it was a first for me - darn decluttering stirred up all the dust!). I poured boiling water into a bowl, added a large splash of ACV, few drops of tea tree oil and inhaled and repeated several times a day - the antibacterial/antifungal properties dealt to it very quicky!