Herbs have been used for thousands of years for therapeutic and prophylactic-that is, curative and preventive qualities. In many homes, especially in the rural areas, people often resort to herbal self-medication rather than to visit Orthodox hospitals whenever they are ill,or to stave of illness. Then, there are alternative, or herbal medical practitioners who diagnose ailments in their own way and dispense drugs to their patients. The number of such practitioners has been steadily rising over the years.
The practice of traditional medicine is described as practice based on knowledge, skils, beliefs passed down through culture to treat mental and physical illness based on the use of ancient roots.(Pants and plant extracts ) Traditional medicine covers a wide variety of therapies and practices which vary from country to country and region to region.
Preparation of Herbs.
Herbal preparations are made from herbs, herbal materials and finished herbal products that contain parts of plants or other plants materials considered as an alternative ingredients. They either concocted or retained in one form, into herbal tea, alcoholic drink, herbal syrup, herbal tincture, infused oil, cream etc.
According to World Health Organization, 78% of the world's population depends on herbal medicine products as a primary source of health.
In Nigeria, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of organized doctors on traditional medicine. The leading name in this class include Dr Yo-Yo, Dr Yemkem, Dr Omo Oba, Dr Kolaq etc all based in Lagos State Nigeria, the country commercial capital. But millions of poor Nigerians can hardly afford the services of these upscale traditional doctors.
Their cheap alternatives are numerou sellers of herbal conditions, mainly synthesized with alcohol, whose number continues to rise as poverty level worsen. More and more middle-aged women, and even men are taking to trading in paraga, as herbs synthesized with alcohol is widely called, to survive the hard times. Their patrons are mostly the artisans, commercial bus and motorcycle drivers and generally the low and middle income skilled and unskilled workers. Paraga traders maintain their herbal drinks are hygienic and safe for consumption.
Fact gathered from Bimbo Akanbi, a 29-year old popular paraga hawker on 22/Agboju Acme Festac Town, Lagos State asserted that her herbal drinks are made from natural ingredients, harmless to human body system and most medicinal for preventive and curative purposes. Bimbo claimed she earns about #12,000 within a duration of two hours whenever she hawks. She earns additional money delivering her concoctions to offices and homes on demand.
Bimbo on duty.......
DANGERS ON THE USE OF HERBS.
Herbal ingredients are made from natural ingredients does not mean they are unlikely to be toxic. People believe and abuse herbs to treat all types of ailments without adequate knowledge of their compositions and possible side effects. Herbal drugs contain a lot of chemicals that are alkaloids and are usually not healthy for human consumption. Most of this herbs may be useful, but the active ingredients of herbal concoctions on it are unknown. Many of them are TOXIC because they did not undergo processes conventional drugs undergo.
Herbal Remedies.
One of the harmful effect of herbal abuse vary from as simple as an illness as diarrhoea to as complex situations as multiple organ failures. Many herbs interact with conventional drugs like cardiovascular and diabetic medications and lead to severe debilitating ailments. Gastro-intestinal system is one of the first that can suffer from erosive lesions, which can lead to bleeding or ulcerations, depending on the severity of toxicity.
It can lead to severe liver toxicities and failure, especially when mixed with alcohol to extract the ingredients from them. The mixture of toxin containing herbs with alcohol is a double jeopardy on the liver and cardiovascular organs which can eventually lead to a permanent damage of the liver.
The following three herbs do more harm than good. These herbs should be avoided at all costs.
a. Ephedra: Causes liver damage along with HBP, Heart problems and stroke.
b. Lobelia: Leads to coma and death if misused.
c. Pennyroyal: It is said to be used as a means of inducing miscarriage or abortion in pregnant women, if misused, it will lead to excess bleeding, damage of womb, kidney and renal failure
Damaged kidneys as a result of self-medication and excess of use of herbal medicine.
Solution to above remedies.
To avoid negative effects of herbal drugs and their complications, patients are advised to consult their doctors before deciding on any herbal supplement and be sure to sure to disclose whatever supplements they are taking even when not asked. The message here is not to avoid all herbal supplements. However, it is to remember that they are essentially drugs and the best way to use them is to separate facts from fiction first. " Your health is your precious wealth"
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