Nothing is worse than being sick and away from home, except for being sick and away from home and driving 80,000 pounds of machinery and product around a neverending maze of traffic. If you’re on the road long enough, it’s inevitable you’re going to have a sick day once in a while, and being able to make yourself comfortable enough to get home or to wherever you can stop and tend to yourself properly is important.
Home and natural remedies have been used for thousands of years with much success, but modern medicine is sometimes more beneficial. These tips are provided as palliative measures — any time you have an infection, fever or chronic condition, you should seek professional medical care. Use common sense and take care of yourself. The most important machine you have is your body.
A small first-aid kit-sized box is all you need for your own little traveling homeopathic pharmacy. These remedies are intended for brief usage; no large amounts of anything listed is necessary. Because most of these things are perishable, it’s important to check and rotate your supplies regularly.
There are three common ailments on the road. Having a few simple items on hand can greatly reduce the discomfort associated with all three. Again, use common sense when self-treating any illness. If you’re running a high fever, or can’t get swelling under control, seek immediate medical attention. If you’re just feeling under the weather and need to get home to rest or see a doctor, these tips are for you.
Indigestion/upset stomach
Milk often hinders rather than helps stomachs because many people can’t digest it easily. Though many people think milk can soothe an aching tummy, it actually may do more harm than good, especially if you’re lactose intolerant.
Cinnamon stimulates the digestive system, helping things move along the gut tract smoothly. You can make a cinnamon tea by stirring a quarter to a half teaspoon of cinnamon powder into 1 cup of hot water. Let the tea stand for up to five minutes and drink for a soothing after-meal preventive.
Make your own antacid with baking soda. Mix a half teaspoon of baking soda in half a glass of water and drink away. Remember that baking soda is a sodium compound (sodium bicarbonate), so if you have high blood pressure or are on a sodium-restricted diet, don’t use this remedy and consider that ginger has much the same effect when eaten.
