Increasingly, many parents are turning away from so called modern teething remedies. The idea of giving a small child chemicals to ease teething discomfort is anathema to many parents. Many are concerned about any possible side-effects of putting gels into a child's mouth. Also, teething rings and pacifiers have caused concerns lately. Some teething rings are made using diisononyl phthalate during the manufacturing process ? this chemical is used as a softening agent and many teething rings contain about 10 to 20 percent phthalate; a chemical that is believed to be cancer causing. Although all reputable manufacturers have stopped using diisononyl phthalate many parents still have concerns about plastic pacifiers.
An old-fashioned teething remedy is that of using a damp cloth. You simply soak a piece of cloth in cold water and let your baby suck on it. The cold water helps to numb the gums and the sucking/chewing action also helps to alleviate pain. This is a highly effective teething remedy and it's the cheapest.
Bread has also been used. Again, giving the baby something to chew on helps to ease the discomfort of teething. Old-fashioned, whole meal breads work best. The bread should be hard and not liable to disintegrate in your baby's mouth, which can lead to choking. Bagels have been, and still, are a very popular teething ring. Always supervise your child when you give them something to chew on.
In some European countries there was a widespread belief that amber, worn as a necklace, eased teething pains. Amber teething necklaces still remain popular today. The belief is that amber helps teething pains because of the oils that are said to be released and then absorbed by the skin ? amber being a resin and not a stone. The oils contain succinic acid and some recent research suggests that succinic acid stimulates the thyroid glands to help reduce drooling and soothe red inflamed cheeks as well as having calmative, analgesic, antispasmodic, expectorant, and febrifuge (anti-fever) functions.
Homeopathic remedies can be a safe, non-toxic way to help relieve the pain of teething. However, you should only use a homeopathic remedy in conjunction with expert advice and guidance. First discovered in 1835, by the Rev. Brauns, in Thuringia, Germany, Apis mellifica has been used to ease teething discomfort. Apis mellifica actually means whole honey bee. It became popular due to its ease of preparation and because it just seemed to work. Over the succeeding years, the preparation has gone through several changes to improve its efficacy.
These improvements involved the introduction and use of Apium virus (removed venom sack) and later Apis Venenum Purum (pure bee venom). You can still buy this preparation today. Other homeopathic products can also be bought, Hyland's Teething Tablets being the most well known.
There is one old-fashioned teething remedy that doesn't cost anything, doesn't require your baby to suck or chew on anything and is guaranteed to be 100% safe; distraction. The simple act of distracting a baby works extremely well for most babies and offers a chance for parents to play with their child.
Progress is so contemporary and so closely a part of our daily lives that we sometimes fail to recognize that we, ourselves, may fail to keep up with what is happening. Things that we would have considered very modern because we witnessed their creation only a few years ago may already be "old fashioned" to high school students.
In the medical world, treatment that might have been popular for a disease in 1986 may be completely outmoded in 2006. Even medical discoveries of the 1990's may be old fashioned today.
However, over the years, and for generation after generation, a great number of home remedies for many illnesses have managed to stay alive. They have been passed down from elders to youngsters in each country throughout the world. Many of them are strikingly similar although they may have originated on separate continents among completely alien peoples.
This area of medicine is commonly called "folk medicine." Few people will have failed to have come into contact with this term at one time or another. Usually folk medicines are the "old fashioned remedies, the cure that "Grandma used"; the wisdom of the oldster who remembers when "My old friend Betty would have died if they hadn't used that old remedy! Yes sir, even the doctor had to admit it worked."
Periodically there seems to be a revival in folk medicine. We appear to be now experiencing such a time as more people are becoming concerned, not only about the high cost of medicine, but also the increasing discoveries of side effects.
Basically most folk medicine is closely associated with herbs, food, oils, minerals and components found in any household. Techniques and methodology of folk medicine are especially adaptable to home use.
It is not difficult to understand how many of these medicines and treatments originated and why they were popular. Among pioneers and peoples where doctors were few and far between, or nonexistent, medical aids were the products of experience and necessity. People used what they had at hand. Sometimes what they "had at hand" are still used by our most modern medical experts.
For instance, over two centuries ago an English woman herb doctor used a concoction of over twenty herbs to treat symptoms of dropsical. Dr William Withering of Shropshire in England became interested in her success and, after considerable research, concluded that the foxglove in her treatment was the answer to her success. Medicine, derived from foxglove, is still considered an excellent treatment.
Nature has given us many natural remedies, with little or no side effects. I am sure, with more research in this area, she would be more than willing to give up more of her healing remedies.
Both Robin Obrien & Ben are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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