The health benefits in your garden

For minor day-to-day ailments such as headaches and digestive problems it can be worth taking a look at the plants growing outside. Some herbs and plants are good alternatives or complements to pharmaceuticals.

Many people prefer to only use medicines when it’s really necessary. For relatively minor problems such as headaches, fatigue and similar day-to-day ailments they often opt for the plant alternative. Nature offers a host of medicinal herbs and plants that can alleviate symptoms more gently:

  • Headache: a little peppermint oil rubbed into the temples can relieve tension headache. A willow bark tea may also prove useful.
  • Sleep problems: chamomile, lemon balm and hops have proved successful for insomnia and restlessness. A freshly brewed tea before going to bed is soothing and helps you get to sleep. Alternatively, the fragrance of lavender and rose blossom can also help.
  • Exhaustion: the fragrance of rosemary has an invigorating effect and gets the circulation going. Sprinkle a few drops of rosemary oil on a tissue and sniff on it.
  • Digestive problems: a tea mixture of caraway and aniseed is a tried and trusted treatment for constipation. In cases of flatulence, chamomile tea or fennel (as tea or steamed garnish) is recommended.
  • Nausea: ginger and chamomile tea can combat mild nausea.
  • Skin blemishes: tea tree oil has an anti-inflammatory and regulatory effect on sebum production. In the case of spots and blackheads, dab the affected areas of the skin with a few drops of the oil. You can also use a mask of almond meal as a preventive to clean the face. Extracts of marigold can help in cases of severe acne.
  • Water retention: stinging nettles, dandelion and basil not only make a tasty salad, but also have a diuretic effect when used as a fresh herb or tea.

Bear in mind that, while herbal remedies may relieve symptoms, they cannot treat serious diseases. If your symptoms persist for some time or worsen you should consult a doctor to find out what might be causing the condition.

 

Helping you stay healthy

SWICA advocates a combination of orthodox and complementary medicine. If it’s good for your health, then it’s a good thing. SWICA helps members with COMPLETA TOP and OPTIMA supplementary insurance stay healthy by contributing to alternative treatment methods. Please call our 24/7 customer service hotline toll-free on 0800 80 90 80 for non-binding advice.

22/02/2017


In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 telemedicine service free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach. SWICA customers can also use the BENECURA medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.
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