Medicines, It is very necessary to understand the primary causes of sickness before addressing the above subject matter.
What are the causes of sickness? Persons from different countries or background have different ways to explain what causes sickness. Take for example, a baby gets diarrhea; and you asked — why?
(a). People in small villages may say it is because the parents did something wrong, or perhaps because they made a god or spirit angry.
(b). A doctor may say it is because the child has an infection. (c). A public health officer may say it is because the villagers do not have a good water system or use latrines.
(d). A social reformer may say the unhealthy conditions that lead to frequent childhood diarrhea are caused by an unfair distribution of land and wealth; while a teacher may place the blame on lack of education.
Therefore people see the cause of sickness in terms of their own experience and point of view. Who then is right about the cause? Possibly we can say everyone is right; or partly right.
This is because sickness usually results from a combination of causes. Each of the causes suggested above may be a part of the reason why a baby gets diarrhea. To prevent and treat sickness successfully, it helps to have as full an understanding as possible about the common sickness in your area and the combination of things that causes them.
However, despite there many types of sicknesses; for most sicknesses no medicines are needed for treatment. Naturally our bodies have their own defenses, or ways to resist and fight disease.
In most cases, these natural defenses are far more important to our health than are medicines. People will get well from most sicknesses — including the common cold and ‘flu’ — by themselves, without need for medicines. Therefore, to help the body fight off or overcome a sickness, often all that is needed is to keep clean your body, wear neat clothes and clean environment; get plenty of rest especially when you are exhausted and to eat well. Even in a case of more serious illness, when a medicine may be needed, it is the body that must overcome the disease; the medicine only helps.
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Cleanliness, rest, and nutritious food are still very important. Much of the art of health care does not — and should not depend on use of medications. Even if you live in an area where there is no modern medicines, there is a great deal you can do to prevent and treat most common sicknesses— if you learn how it is done. Many sicknesses can be prevented or treated without medicines if people simple learned how to use water correctly — this alone might do more to prevent and cure illnesses than all the medicine they now use… and misuse.
HEALING WITH WATER. The reality of life is that most of us could live without medicines. But no one can live without water. In fact, over half (57%) of the human body is water. If everyone living in farms and villages made the best use of water, the amount of sickness and death — especially of children could probably be cut in half. For example, correct use of water is basic both in the prevention and treatment of diarrhea.
In many areas diarrhea is most common cause of sickness and death in small children especially in Africa rural communities. Contaminated (unclean) water is often part of the cause. An important part of the prevention of diarrhea is to boil water used for drinking or for preparing foods. This is especially important for babies. Babies’ bottles and eating utensils should also be boiled. Washing one’s hands with soap and water after a bowel movement ( shitting) and before eating or handling foods is just as important.
Treatment– The common cause of death in children with diarrhea is severe dehydration, or loss of too much water from the body. By giving a child with diarrhea plenty of water ( best with sugar or honey and salt), dehydration can often be prevented or corrected.
Giving lots of liquids to a child with diarrhea is more important than any medicine. In fact, if enough liquid is given, no medicine is usually needed in the treatment of diarrhea.
Times when the Right Use of Water May Do More Good than Medicine to PREVENT: (1.) Diarrhea, worms, gut infections— boil drinking water, wash hands, etc. (2.) Skin infections— bathe often.
(3.) Wounds becoming infected; tetanus—- wash wounds well with soap and boiled water. 4. Guinea worms in the legs or body— do not let people step into the water when drawing water from a water hole, filter water or boil it before drinking.
WATER TO TREAT: (1.) Diarrhea, dehydration, illnesses with fever— drink plenty of liquids. (2.) High fever— soak body with cool water. (3.) Minor uninary infections ( common in women)— drink plenty of water. (4.) Cough, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough— drink a lot of water and breathe hot water vapors ( to loosen mucus). (5.) Sores, impetigo, ringworm of the skin or scalp, pimples— scrub with soap and water.
(6.) Infected wounds,boils— hot soaks or compresses. (7.) Stiff, sore muscles and joints, itching, burning— hot compresses. (8.) Minor burns— hold in cold water.
(9.) Sore throat or tonsillitis—gargle hot salt water. (10.) Acid, dirt, or irritating substance in eye— flood eye with cool water at once, and continue flooding with water for at least 15 minutes. (11.) Stuffed up nose— sniff salt water. (12.) Constipation, hard stools,— drink lots of water. Finally, in each of the above cases ( except pneumonia) when water is used correctly, often medicines are not needed.
