Sooth Poison Ivy or Oak Rashes Without Steroids

Avoiding contact with Poison Ivy and Poison Oak is, obviously, the best course of action.  There are several varieties, but these photos will help you identify the most common:

If you do find yourself having made contact with one of these plants and the oil (urushiol) got on your skin, the following should help relieve the symptoms:

WHEN TO GO TO A HOSPITAL WITH POISON IVY OR POISON OAK

Firstly, if the symptoms are serious, get to a hospital E.R., like when:

• You’re having difficulty breathing or swallowing.
• There are many rashes and/or blisters covering most of your body, or the rash is anywhere on your face or genitals.
• There is swelling anywhere, especially around the eyes.
• Large areas itch and nothing seems to help.

WHEN YOU CAN TREAT POISON IVY OR POISON OAK YOURSELF

If it’s a manageable area, try the following:

1. Thoroughly wash the area with lukewarm soapy water to get the plant’s oils off the skin.
2. Apply witch hazel, available at most pharmacies.
3. Apply one of the following plant “milks", usually offering instant relief:

   

Stinging Nettle:  As the name implies, it does sting to the touch, so wear leather gloves or use a heavy cloth or towel to grasp it.  Use a clean rock or hammer to bang it up enough to get the “milk” flowing, as that is what you want to put on the poison ivy skin rash.

Aloe Vera:  Break off an aloe vera leaf, squeeze toward the broken end, and brush the juices onto the rash.

Plantain:  As with the Stinging Nettle, crush the leaf until the juices flow, then apply.

 

If these plants are not available, you can also try a cup of baking soda in a lukewarm bath, or make a paste of 2 tablespoons of baking soda mixed with 1/2 to one TBSP of apple cider vinegar - mix the ACV in slowly until it becomes a spreadable paste.

Be sure to wash the clothes you were wearing and any items that may have come in contact with the oils of the Poison Ivy or Oak plants.  If the oils are left, you could start another rash when touched.

Take the Bactotox and Herbal Multi throughout the summer to keep the immune system strong and skin less reactive.Best of Health to you as always,Doc EveP.S. - The Allergy Therapy Packs are on sale for the Spring season.From So. Calif., call 310-855-1111 / Otherwise, call 541-482-2112Email: doctoreve@evesherbs.comEvesHerbs.com          Come find us on     for daily tips and updates

Dr. Eve Campanelli's E-News April and May 2014

[youtube id="lHR_neGePzA" width="600" height="350"]Firstly, I thank the following people for referring others with their health concerns:  Lisa Baker, Terri Blake, Esther Caporales, Cindy Horwitz, Francesca Kemitch, Jan Lewis, Vicky Myles, Ann Philbin, Lauren Santa, Natalie Sherinian and Roy Vongtama, M.D.LOWERING PSA LEVELS FOR MENWe're having more dramatic drops in our patient's PSA levels.  The most recent is that of a malignant prostate cancer case with a REALLY high PSA of 787 (normal is 0 - 4) in Dec. 2013 that dropped to 135 by the end of Jan. this year, and recently to 80.  He still has a way to go, but he won't let anyone take away his herbs!The Tate:I and  MNF formulas - a good idea for guys who would like to keep their prostates for as long as possible.FREQUENT URINATION IN MENRecent feedback from another male patient has again confirmed that the R:I and Tate:I formulas plus Cramp Bark (see video) and Enhance will allow men, even those already on Flomax, to gradually eliminate the drug and urinate normally. He emailed me with the following:

1.  "My flow is improving and the sense of urgency has mitigated somewhat after this short time  on the herbs.
2.  "Doing the Kegel exercises you suggested after I pee creates a second round of flow and completes the elimination.  I'm getting up at night anywhere from 0 to 4 times - a lot less than usual.  This seems to be driven mostly by diet choices and liquid intake, if any, after 5 p.m.
3.  " The pre-cancers on my face are way down.
4.  "My elimination system is working just fine now.

"I am running low on my supplies and need to put in a new order and am thrilled with how things are working out, especially the skin cancers leaving as a side effect."P.S. - I am also starting to cut back on the Cialis 5 mg."THE EQUIVALENT IN WOMEN - HONEYMOONER'S DISEASE (CYSTITIS)In cases of cystitis, as well as interstitial cystitis, the R:I formula, the Blend F, Cramp Bark and Enhance will help with the pain and make for a trouble free "honeymoon."  The Kegel exercises are wonderful as an adjunct, as they are known to strengthen the uterus, bladder and pelvic floor muscles for pregnancy and birth, and will speed healing to the bladder by increasing the circulation to this organ.AN ANXIETY, STRESS & FATIGUE TESTIMONIAL FROM SOMEONE LIVING IN THE VERY FAST LANE IN L.A."Thanks Eve!  I am already a ton better than yesterday!Miracles!!!Herbs!!!!Love them."NEXT WEEK:  Cure Poison Ivy rashes without steroids.I hope you are enjoying spring with all the renewal that it brings and the sartorial splendor of all that's thriving around us.Thinking of you,Doc EveP.S. - The Allergy Therapy Packs are on sale for the Spring season.From So. Calif., call 310-855-1111 / Otherwise, call 541-482-2112Email: doctoreve@evesherbs.comEvesHerbs.com          Come find us on     for daily tips and updates

Calm a Panic Attack with Neurological Body Points and Herbs

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We might wake up in the night, and it hits us that something is "wrong and frightening", and immediately our heart has extremely progressive ideas on accelerating.  Possible sweating and shakiness can come with it and we panic.Ideally, of course, the source has to be dealt with, but in the meantime logical thought is denied access and we need something to do about it right now.

When you feel a PANIC ATTACK starting, give this a try:

1. Take the calming herbs and/or meds you may already be on for it.  But they need time to work, so in the meantime...
2. Sit or lie down as comfortably as possible and place the finger pads of one hand (index through pinky) vertically on the sternum.  I find myself taking a deeper breath immediately.  Not hard pressure, just a gentle tugging of the skin as the fingers rest.
3. Gently rest the other hand on the forehead, just the weight of the hand is fine as it will use enough pressure on the "emotional holding points" to tell the nervous system to calm.
4. Once that has begun and we can at least think again, breathe in the "dark and heavy solidity" of the panic, recognizing that is what it happens to be for now.  Then exhale it into vast space, light and airy.  Repeat this several times.  By then, the physical support of the calming herbs below should be kicking in.

Herbal formula recommendations:  I have found the Calm Spirit, Vervain, HBP and MNF formulas very effective while learning to cope.Try it out and let me know how you do - at my email below, or by phone.Best of Health to you as always,Doc EveP.S. - The Allergy Therapy Packs are on sale for the Spring season.From So. Calif., call 310-855-1111 / Otherwise, call 541-482-2112Email: doctoreve@evesherbs.comEvesHerbs.com          Come find us on     for daily tips and updates

GERD and Hiatal Hernia: Action Steps to Relief

The first rule of thumb for healing or avoiding GERD and hiatal hernia is DO NOT DRINK WHEN YOU EAT.  It dilutes the digestive juices and causes the food in the stomach to swim in liquid which can easily come back up with movements like bending, lying down, etc.A man, who had bought my book at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore in Los Angeles when it first came out, called me to say, "I just tried what your book said about not drinking with my meals and I'm cured of this reflux that's been plaguing me for years.  Thanks!!"The hiatal hernia is a protrusion of the stomach through and above the diaphragm. It can also be aggravated by:

• Eating too fast without chewing.
• Weight gain.
• Tension, like family feuds while we eat.

ACTION STEPS to Relieve GERD and Hiatal Hernia

1. Drink very little, to no liquid at all, when you eat.  Drink fluids between meals.
2. Making a serious attempt to relax before eating by taking a deep breath, doing a short meditation or prayer, etc. - anything that will calm the wild beast within.
3. Kinder food combining is very helpful too.  Especially avoid eating bread with meat/fish or even vegetarian proteins like veggie burgers.  For occasions when the reflux gives us the yips, even just from drinking water, you'll find the Indigestion/Reflux/Hiatus Hernia Therapy Pack your friend.
4. The deep massage move (see video below) is accomplished by taking a deep breath, then, on exhalation, using your knuckles or the pads of your fingers to press gently into your belly just below the sternum and at the same time pulling down toward the navel with as much pressure as is reasonably bearable.  Repeat this motion on an angle downward to the left just under the border of the ribcage.  This will pull the stomach back down and out of the diaphragm where it was stuck.  Alternatively, you might find it easier if someone else does it for you.

[youtube id="-55CoKwAIug" width="600" height="350"]Between the Indigestion/Reflux/Hiatus Hernia Therapy Pack, the above move, better food combining and not drinking with your meals, you are indeed likely to feel very much better.Salut!!    Doc EveFYI - The Allergies Therapy Packs (Male & Female) are still on special for the remainder of Spring.  Achoo and gesundheit!!From So. Calif., call 310-855-1111 / Otherwise, call 541-482-2112Email: doctoreve@evesherbs.com EvesHerbs.com          Come find us on     for daily tips and updates

Depression: Get Dirty, Be Happy

Depression compliments of the immune system?Apparently, a worn and inefficient immune system can lead to depression.  Conversely, strengthening and supporting our immune systems (spleen, thymus and bone marrow, primarily) makes us happy, says recent research¹ connecting the dots between a haywire immune system and depression.One of the reasons given is that we weren't allowed enough harmless germs in our mere youths. Everything was sterilized of anything live, whatsoever. And then immunizations added insult to injury, disabling the immune system by taking away it's job - it became indolent and unable to recognize the myriad invaders we come up against.A healthy, employed immune system produces cytokines that tell the brain to produce the serotonin², which we need to feel happy - well, most of the time anyway. A course of action might be to make it O.K. to let an occasional minor infection have its way in our body, to take some time out and rest and let it get on with it.  I've always believed that allowing some small tremors can often prevent the big, major quake.

My Working Observations Linking Depression and the Immune System

What rang my bell, while reading this research, was remembering a recurring theme from when I first started in practice.  People I had given the Bactotox, were the ones that reported "feeling very much better", and just "happier", usually within a week.  Others also felt improvements in their general maladies, but didn't quite have that "up" feeling along with it, unless there was a lot of adrenal and pancreatic support.  This has been a consistent result over the years.One of my favorite thoughts on this topic is from an essay by Michel de Montaigne (II: 12, 629) - "What an outrageous sword the mind is, even for its owner..."So, the upshot is... get a little dirty and let your, and your children's, immune systems get some exercise in dealing with your everyday, garden variety, "bugs", and give depression a much needed vacation.Best of Health to you as always,Doc EveP.S. - The Allergy Therapy Packs are on sale for the Spring season.From So. Calif., call 310-855-1111 / Otherwise, call 541-482-2112Email: doctoreve@evesherbs.comEvesHerbs.com          Come find us on     for daily tips and updates

1. Ref: Neuroscience, 2007 March 28;doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.01.0672. Medscape: Inflammatory Markers in Depression:  Cytokines and Their Effect on Serotonin

Eggs and Cholesterol - No Worries, Mate

Must one worry about eggs being a culprit for increased LDL?  Lots of research* says not.  Besides, as we've discussed, it's not the cholesterol that causes heart disease, but rather inflammation.  What could make a difference, however, is what we eat in combination with our eggs.If the side dish includes bread, butter and jam, which is yummy for the moments we're eating them, then problems can follow.  Wheat and/or sugar in combination with the egg protein makes the system acidic and can result in inflammation of the arteries.  You can also see the result  as reflux, a common woe.

How to Alkalize Your Breakfast Eggs and Eliminate Cholesterol and Inflammation Worries

Alkalize your egg breakfast by eating them in combination with one of the following suggestions:

1. Left over roasted spuds from dinner the night before.
2. Grits.
3. Frijoles - one of my favorites - half a can per serving should be plenty.
4. Make an omelet with spinach, onions, mushrooms or any veggie(s) you prefer with a little feta or other goat cheese.

These combinations are easier to digest, are more alkaline, and will leave you with plenty of energy for the day, since the digestive process is not so heavily burdened with the egg/bread/sugar combination.Let us know what you think after you've tried the difference - we'd love to hear about more egg/veggie combinations you have created.On days there is not much choice, or you've decided to indulge an egg/bread/sugar combination, accept a little help from your herbal friends, the Gentian Root or the Patic Fe formula.  They are both gentle "roto-rooters" that will plumb your system of the offenders and restore energy.P.S. - When at all possible, buy them organic, as happy, healthy and chemical-free chickens produce much tastier eggs.Best of Health to you as always,Doc EveFrom So. Calif., call 310-855-1111 / Otherwise, call 541-482-2112Email:  doctoreve@evesherbs.comEvesHerbs.com          Come find us on     for daily tips and updates*Fernandez ML. Dietary cholesterol provided by eggs and plasma lipoproteins in healthy populations. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2006; 9:8-12.

Chronic Cough and the Plunging Neckline

We know it's quite the thing to have the chest "exposed" for that chic and plunging neckline.  But while bronchitis or plain old chronic coughs are living within, any little wisp of air that touches that skin will set off another round of coughing paroxysms.The air can still be quite cool in the Spring, especially at night, and repeated exposure of the chest to nippy breezes can prolong recovery from seasonal bronchial infections and coughs.

Simple Steps to Help Relieve a Chronic Cough

• The lengthy coughs, that are going around right now, will stop much more quickly with the "old wives' tale" of a warm flannel to cover that sensitive area.  It helps to wear the flannel under a snug T-shirt to keep it in place and then a turtle neck over those to protect the vulnerable throat.
• The old standby of warm lemon and honey tea is still a soothing and comforting drink to help with the symptoms.  Fresh thyme from the garden can also be used, since it is an expectorant and aids in relaxing the respiratory tract.  Allow a couple of 6-7 inch sprigs to steep in hot water for 5 minutes or so, strain if necessary, and add honey if you wish.  Just a reminder:  don't use honey with children under the age of one.
• Take your herbs to fortify the immune  and respiratory systems into maximum strength for taking out those brawling micrococci.

Herbal Formulas for Chronic Cough

Of course, our old favorite formulas, BACTOTOX and HERBA PNEU, along with some extra rest, should make short work of it.  If a chronic cough has been ailing you for a long while, you might fortify treatment with the Enhance formula as well.Best of Health to you as always,Doc EveFrom So. Calif., call 310-855-1111 / Otherwise, call 541-482-2112Email:  doctoreve@evesherbs.comEvesHerbs.com          Come find us on     for daily tips and updates