Passionflower herb is a gentle sedative, pain reliever and tranquilizer. Its balancing healing powers come from the plant's alkaloids and flavonoids, special compounds that interact favorably with the body's own systems to restore mental and...
When your heart pumps blood through your arteries, the blood creates a force on the walls of your blood vessels. If you suffer from hypertension, or high blood pressure, this force is unusually high. MayoClinic.com states that high blood pressure...
Hemorrhoids are a common and often painful condition that affects many Americans. The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons notes that hemorrhoids are enlarged blood vessels in or around your anus or lower rectum. Hemorrhoids can be...
Muscle relaxants are agents that interact with the human neuromuscular system in a way that reduces tone in skeletal muscle. Muscle tone refers to the resistance of movement present in a muscle at any given moment. Muscle relaxants generally work...
DDAVP, or desmopressin, is a replacement hormone for vasopressin and is an anti-diuretic, meaning that it lessens urine production. Doctors prescribe it to treat bed wetting and diabetes insipidus. Patients can take it in pill form, or via...
Occasional bloating and gas usually do not cause serious health problems, and the condition typically passes on its own. According to the Mayo Clinic, everyone experiences gas, and most people pass gas at least 12 times a day. Some people may have...
The Mayo Clinic refers to stomach ache as nonulcer stomach pain or dyspepsia. Stomach aches are caused by a number of factors, from stress to diet, which can make it frustrating to treat. If you suffer from severe symptoms like bloody vomit, black...
Ruta graveolens, also known as Herb-of-Grace and common rue, is an ornamental plant appreciated for its bright yellow flowers, which contrast with its velvety, bluish-green foliage. The plant is also valued as a culinary herb in Greek and...
Spanish chamomile, often referred to as manzanilla or common chamomile, can be used for herbal medicinal purposes. It is a common practice for some people to drink Spanish chamomile as tea prior to going to bed due to the herb's relaxing...
Fennel is a vegetable with bulbous, celery like stem and feathery leaves. The aromatic yellow- green fennel seed is used as a spice and flavoring agent as well as an ingredient in traditional herbal medicine. Fennel is an antispasmodic, diuretic,...
Pleurisy is inflammation of your pleura -- a two-layered membrane that covers your lungs. According to the National Health Service of the United Kingdom, if your pleura becomes irritated or inflamed, you may experience sharp chest pain, especially...
Fennel, a popular culinary and medicinal herb native to the Mediterranean, has appeared in lore and legend for hundreds of years around the world. According to herbalist Margaret Roberts in her book "The Essential Margaret Roberts," fennel was...
Systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus, is an autoimmune condition that affects certain parts of your body, including your joints, skin, kidneys and other organs. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that the precise cause of...
Licorice, or Glycycrhiza glabra, is a perennial plant prized for its sweetness and medicinal properties. Folk medicine practitioners have used licorice root to treat bronchitis, stomach upsets, sore throats, as a laxative, for ulcers, coughs and...
Dioscorea villosa, also known as Mexican wild yam, contains a phytoestrogen chemical called diosgenin that can be converted to the hormone progesterone. Wild yam cream is claimed to provide certain hormonal benefits, but no evidence supports this,...
Licorice tea is made with licorice root, which is harvested from from the perennial herb licorice, or glycyrrhiza glabra, that grows indigenously in Europe, the Near East and southern China. Licorice also is extensively grown for commercial...
Valerian is a flowering plant native to Asia and Europe. Its roots contain medicinal chemicals that produce calming effects, which gives the herb the epithet "poor man's valium." The part of the plant used most often for medicinal applications is...
The Mayo Clinic describes bronchitis as "an inflammation of the lining of your bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from your lungs." Chronic bronchitis requires medical attention and prescription medicine. Although some natural treatments an...
Soma, known generically as carisoprodol, is a muscle relaxant prescribed to relieve the pain and discomfort that accompanies sprains, strains and other injuries to the muscles. Several herbal remedies have medicinal properties similar to that of...
Kombucha is made from tea and sugar fermented by a pancake-shaped yeast-and-bacteria culture. Also called mushroom tea, it is served chilled. The beverage contains acetic and other organic acids, B vitamins, amino acids, polyphenols, enzymes,...
Congestion is a symptom rather than a disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common causes of congestion are cold, flu, allergies or a response to irritants. For most older children and adults, congestion is only an annoyance. Congestion...
Esophagitis is an inflammation of the lining of your esophagus, the tube that links your throat with your stomach. Esophagitis can cause significant pain or discomfort if left untreated. Numerous herbs may be helpful in treating your esophagitis....
Public speaking is a common cause of nervousness and anxiety, and many people completely avoid public speaking situations. Fear of public speaking can cause feelings that range from mild nervousness to crippling fear and panic. Some of the most...
Fibromyalgia -- a relatively common syndrome, especially in middle-aged women -- is associated with chronic and diffuse pain in muscles, joints, tendons and other tissues. PubMed Health states that fibromyalgia is linked with numerous factors,...
Bell's Palsy, also known as peripheral facial paralysis, is an inflammation of the cranial nerve on one side of the face. The inflammation may be caused by a virus, such as herpes simplex or herpes zoster. Symptoms may include weakness, paralysis...
Hives, otherwise called urticaria, and razor bumps are both characterized by raised, swollen, itchy welts on the skin. Chronic hives are usually caused by allergies, but mild cases can occur from overheating or from pressure applied to the skin,...
Headaches are a common and potentially debilitating problem experienced by many people. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that there are four main types of headache: vascular, tension, traction and inflammatory....
A bladder infection, also called cystitis, is one of the most common types of urinary tract infection. This health problem occurs most frequently in women. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse states that urinary...
Heart tonics, also known as cardiotonics, benefit your heart and blood vessels and help prevent disease. Some cardiotonics are also effective for menstrual cramps, or dysmenorrhea. This painful condition can produce a dull throbbing pain, nausea,...
