Many people tend to think that if an alternative treatment would not help, at least it wouldn't hurt… Is that a fact?
1) Even if the label "natural" or "food additive" is written on the package – the product is not necessarily healthy or safe; there might be side effects.
2) Children, pregnant women and breastfeeding women should be especially cautious when using healing herbs.
3) Patients who are treated with medications must consult a doctor because of potential reactions between the medications and the herbs.
4) Patients who suffer from the following conditions must NOT be treated with ANY alternative treatment: high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid gland problems, heart problems, psychiatric problems, epilepsy, Parkinson disease, glaucoma, enlarged prostate, CVA, blood clots problems and allergies.
5) Herbs might cause complications during surgery. A research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2006, reported that the direct influences of healing herbs in surgeries included: bleeding caused by use of garlic, ginkgo and ginseng, heart instability cause by use of epidrin, and hypoglycemia caused by use of ginseng. Reactions between drugs and herbs included: increased influence of the sedatives caused by valerian and piper methysticum, and increased dismantling of medications caused by hypericum.
6) Be aware of charlatans. If you are using healing herbs, it's important to see a specialist who received proper training.
7) Be aware of doctors, who refuse to hear about your wishes to get alternative treatment.
8) Ask the therapist to give you his advices in writing, and give it to your doctor for approval.
9) Always tell your doctors about the herb and additives you take. They can always check it at: http://nccam.nih.gov, and see whether there are any unhealthy side effects.
10) Do not recommend your alternative treatment to other people; it might not be suitable for them.
Prof. Dina Ben-Yehuda.
Head, Department of Hematology, Hadassah University Hospital, Ein-Kerem.