subject: Home Remedies That Are Toxic For You [print this page] In the modern world, most people buy expensive prescription and over the counter medications from huge drug companies when the need their various problems treated. However, not too long ago, many people depended on tried and true home remedies to relieve their ailments. While some of these things are still being used today, many of these remedies were quite dangerous. Here are three remedies that should remain in the past.
In order to kill head lice, people would use kerosene.
There was a time in our medical past when people would dump kerosene over the heads of their kids to kill lice. It actually worked, but it was incredibly dangerous, and the dangers were more than the benefits.
Kerosene gets absorbed quickly through the skin and it is very flammable. It is also very toxic, and many people were either sick or died because of using kerosene as a treatment for lice.
The second treatment to avoid at home is ingesting greta or azarcon for stomach problems.
Many older people, especially those from Latin American communities will be familiar with both of these powders that were used in the treatment of empacho. Empacho is a term that described many various intestinal and digestive problems. Unfortunately, both of these powders are nearly 100 percent lead.
Acarcon and Greta are both available today, but should be avoided. Even small doses of these powders can lead to lead poisoning and death. Lead has killed many, many people over the years.
Number three to avoid is putting butter on burns.
Buttering a burn is a fine example of a home remedy that was a really dumb idea. Butter can reduce the pain from a burn at first, but it also will contaminate the wound site while providing the perfect environment to grow bacteria in. This can lead to a nasty infection and lead to numerous other complications.
Many of us have been taught to honor our cultural practices, especially those handed down to us from the generations prior. The problem is many of these remedies can do more harm than good, so it is always important to get a second opinion first.
