Natural health: earaches, eye strains & headaches

No matter where it hurts – your head, your feet or anywhere in between – aches and pains can wear you out. Try these natural remedies to ease your discomfort resulting from earaches, eye strains and headaches.

If you suffer from earaches, try nipping them in the bud with these natural remedies.

• Rub a garlic oil capsule between your hands to warm the oil, then pierce the capsule and place one to two drops in the affected ear. Warning: If you think your eardrum is ruptured, never drip fluids into your ear.
• If your ears become painfully blocked whenever you travel by plane, take horseradish tablets, a herbal decongestant.
• Try the herbal form of chamomile for a mild earache and the homeopathic form for a more painful one.

Soothe tired, aching eyes with these easy treatments you can do at home.

• Lie down and place either cucumber slices or cold, used tea bags over both eyes. Relax for 10–15 minutes, then remove the cucumber or tea bags.
• If you suffer from dry eyes, boil 500 millilitres (2 cups) of water with a pinch of baking soda. Leave the solution to cool, then bathe your eyes.
• Add 5 millilitres (1 teaspoon) of dried eyebright – available from health food shops – to a teacup full of boiling water. Cover, cool and strain through coffee filter paper before using the solution to bathe your eyes.

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer regularly from headaches, consider possible environmental causes as well as other common triggers, such as food sensitivities and eating habits.

• If you're prone to headaches, make sure you snack little and often. Eating too little or infrequently results in fluctuating blood sugar levels, which can kick-start a headache.
• Try white willow tablets or capsules, which are available from health food shops. This natural herbal anti-inflammatory is very similar to aspirin, but it doesn't cause stomach bleeding – one of aspirin's potentially serious side effects. Warning: If you are allergic to aspirin or suffer from ulcers, you should avoid this herb.
• Be aware that food sensitivities can be the cause of headaches. The four 'Cs' – cheese, chocolate, citrus and caffeine – are known culprits, as are red wine and port. If you notice that you suffer a headache every time you eat a certain food, try eliminating that food from your diet.
• Boost your fibre intake with brown rice, oats and bran because constipation, surprisingly, can be a cause of headaches.

With these natural remedies, you may be able to keep ear aches, eye strains and headaches at bay without the need for commercial pain-killers. If you have any questions or concerns about using natural remedies, it is always best to discuss them first with your doctor.