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Anxiety Herbal Medicine: Did You Know It Could Help?
Anxiety is one of the most common problems in the United States today. It affects nearly 40 million Americans. Symptoms include feelings of panic and doom, rapid breathing, tightness in the chest, nausea, diarrhea, and frequent urination. Common treatments include psychotherapy and prescription medication. However, many herbal remedies are available at your corner drug store and maybe as nearby as your own garden.
Anxiety Herbal Medicine?Common remedies and how to find them
The most commonly used herbal remedies are Valerian root, Kava Kava, Chamomile, Lavender, and Peppermint. You can purchase these extracts in tablet form at most drug and grocery stores. These same stores will usually carry the extracts in herbal teas. Health food stores will usually offer these remedies as ground or crushed herbs with which you can brew your own teas.
Let's learn a little more about each of the anxiety herbal medicine remedies:
Valerian root
Valerian root is available as tablet, herb or tea. You should take it shortly before bedtime. Most professionals believe that it is safe for short-term use. If you brew your own Valerian tea, use 1 teaspoon of ground Valerian root per pint of boiling water. You should probably add a little honey, lemon, licorice or peppermint to the tea. Most people find that Valerian by itself tastes awful. You should also keep your Valerian root away from your cats. Valerian is similar to catnip. If your cats find your Valerian stash, they will have a wonderful time, but they might not leave you enough Valerian root for your tea.
Kava Kava
Kava Kava is an anxiety herbal medicine remedy from the South Pacific. It is available as a tablet, herb or drink, or can be chewed raw. Like Valerian, it is taken shortly before bedtime. However, government agencies have raised safety concerns about liver toxicity in long term used of Kava. Although Kava is widely used, you might wish to avoid it.
Chamomile
Chamomile is our common ragweed flower, but brewed in a tea, it is quite calming. You can purchase the herbal tea ready made, or brew your own with one ounce of dried Chamomile blossoms for each pint of boiling water. It may aggravate your seasonal allergies if you use it long term.
Lavender
Lavender is an anxiety herbal medicine known and used for centuries in Western Europe. Dried lavender flowers can be brewed in teas; Use 2 teaspoons of dried flowers per pint of boiling water. Also, the oils from the flowers, leaves and stems can be used as topical remedies. One on-the-spot, anxiety remedy is to pluck several leaves from a lavender plant, grind the leaves between your thumb and forefinger, and then rub your forehead with the lavender oil you just extracted. You can then enjoy the soothing lavender smell every time you inhale.
Peppermint
Peppermint can relieve the upset stomach that comes with anxiety. Dried peppermint leaves can be brewed in a teas, and like lavender, the oils extracted from them can be used as topical remedies.
Of course, your first consultation about your anxiety should be with your health care provider. He or she can insure that any anxiety herbal medicine treatments you take are safe and effective and do not interact with any other medications you may be taking. Start feeling better today.
Copyright 2007
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