Home healer: about the beneficial properties and contraindications of chamomile. Chamomile: beneficial properties and contraindications

Of all the variety of medicinal plants, chamomile stands out, from which healers have been making medicinal potions since time immemorial. As you guessed, the topic of conversation will be the herb chamomile and its medicinal properties and contraindications for women and children.

The flowers of the plant owe their pleasant aroma to the oil, which is used in medicine and cosmetology. Chamomile is characterized by truly invaluable beneficial properties, an extensive chemical composition with miraculous powers.

Useful and healing properties

• The flowers contain plenty of valuable essential oil, which includes montorepenes and sexviterpenoids.
• The plant is rich in flavonoids, thanks to which it has an anti-inflammatory effect on the human body and fights viruses and bacteria.
• Saturated with glycerides of fatty acids, polysaccharides, choline. Due to these natural substances, chamomile is actively used in traditional and folk medicine.
• A universal medicinal herb for internal and external use. Chamomile is a mild herbal medicine for the treatment of adults and children.
• The unique properties of chamomile have been used in the treatment of the digestive system and colds.
• Chamomile decoction reduces swelling of the gastric mucosa, enhances the secretion of bile, accelerates the healing of stomach ulcers, relieves spasms and helps with flatulence.
• The substances contained in the plant calm the nervous system, help in the fight against insomnia and are indispensable in eliminating the negative effects of stress.

In its natural environment, chamomile grows along roads, in wheat crops and on grassy slopes. Nowadays, even farmers are engaged in its cultivation.

During the flowering period, herbalists collect baskets rich in essential oil, and the herb itself is ideal for healing baths. Chamomile is usually dried in commercial dryers or in the fresh air in a shaded place.

Contraindications for medicinal chamomile

For absolutely healthy people, when used correctly, medicinal chamomile has no contraindications. If there are certain ailments or problems, undesirable consequences may arise, which I will discuss below.

1. It is necessary to adhere to the correct dosage of teas, decoctions and preparations based on chamomile. An overdose threatens the appearance of outbursts of anger, headaches, irritability, and disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system.
2. The risk group includes people prone to chronic diarrhea or suffering from anacid gastritis.
3. You should use medicinal chamomile with caution during pregnancy. Some doctors claim that plant-based products affect a woman’s hormonal levels, while others note their ability to cause uterine tone. Traditional medicine recommends drinking chamomile infusions to relax smooth muscles. Information is conflicting, so it is better to completely avoid internal use of chamomile during pregnancy.
4. Chamomile can provoke allergies, but traditional medicine advises rinsing the sinuses with a decoction of the herb to prevent hay fever. It is better to consult a doctor before use.
5. Chamomile tea is contraindicated for people with diseases of the liver, kidneys and genitourinary system. This tea is a natural choleretic agent, which can cause complications for the listed diseases.

Healers claim that chamomile helps with sore throat and dental diseases. In fact, it only relieves symptoms.

Use in folk medicine

I will give 6 of my own recipes for homemade chamomile medicines.

• Chamomile tea . Calms nerves and relieves insomnia. Recipe: pour a small spoon of chamomile with a glass of boiling water and wait about an hour. Use before bed.
• Carminative tea. Relieves flatulence and bloating. Recipe: I combine six parts of dried chamomile with one part of cumin and four parts of valerian root. I pour a glass of boiling water over a spoonful of the resulting mixture, wait a third of an hour and filter. Take half a glass in the morning and evening.
• Chamomile decoction. Relieves gum inflammation. Recipe: I mix St. John's wort, chamomile, calendula and horsetail in equal quantities. I take a small spoon of each ingredient and pour two glasses of boiling water. Rinse your mouth with the prepared mixture.
• Chamomile infusion. Eliminates intestinal colic and spasms. Recipe: pour 20 grams of chamomile with a glass of boiling water and wait 15 minutes. Take a spoon before meals.
• Medicinal chamomile for cystitis. I mix corn silk, St. John's wort, cornflower, chamomile and knotweed in a ratio of 1 to 1. I pour 400 ml of boiling water into a spoonful of the resulting mixture, wait exactly an hour, filter and drink after eating.
• Chamomile for weight loss. I mix strawberry leaves, birch buds, St. John's wort and chamomile, one spoon at a time and chop them. I pour three tablespoons of the prepared mixture into two glasses of boiling water and after 12 hours I take a glass twice a day. The infusion accelerates the removal of harmful substances and normalizes salt metabolism.

Video recipe for hair rinse

This is not a complete list of folk recipes for home remedies using chamomile.

Chamomile Tea Recipes

Chamomile goes well with spices, medicinal plants and fruit additives. The tea recipes that I will share allow you to make wonderful drinks that have a beautiful color and excellent aroma.

Classic chamomile tea

I pour two tablespoons of medicinal chamomile with a glass of boiling water, cover it with a saucer and wait half an hour. I strain and squeeze out the flowers.

Chamomile tea with mint

I combine crushed chamomile and chopped mint in equal quantities. For one serving, a teaspoon of ingredients is enough. I pour a glass of boiling water over the mixture of herbs, wait a little and strain. Tea has a calming effect on the body and prevents the formation of stones in the urinary system. If desired, you can add a little cumin to the drink.

Chamomile tea with lemon balm

If you change the previous recipe by replacing mint with lemon balm, you will get a medicinal drink for the stomach and nerves. This infusion will make life easier when you have a cold. I drink one glass twice a day.

Chamomile tea with herbs

I take a coffee spoon of chamomile, St. John's wort, sweet clover and mint. I mix it, pour a glass of boiling water, cover it with a saucer and wait half an hour. Then I strain it. Tea with herbs has an appetite-reducing, rejuvenating and cleansing effect on the body.

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Benefits of chamomile tea

1. All-round impact . Chamomile is rich in proteins, pectins, beneficial acids, essential oils and flavonoids. It has an astringent, anti-inflammatory, sedative, emollient, choleretic, sedative and analgesic effect on the body.
2. Nervous system . The fragrant drink contains apigenin. This natural antispasmodic fights stress, depression, irritability, and insomnia.
3. Digestive system ema. Tea accelerates the production of bile, helps with gastritis and helps restore intestinal microflora. Useful for people taking medications containing acetylsalicylic acid, as it protects the gastric mucosa from its harmful effects.
4. Diabetes . Scientific research results have shown that chamomile tea is beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes. It is rich in substances that lower glucose levels.
5. Skin covering . If you drink chamomile tea daily, your skin will look healthy and fresh. Ice cubes made from a healing drink eliminate irritation and rejuvenate the skin. Chamomile is beneficial for the skin of babies, so its extract is present in toothpaste, shampoo and cream for children.
6. Fighting excess weight . Drinking chamomile tea daily can help you lose up to four kilograms every month. Chamomile improves digestion, controls appetite and helps better absorb nutrients. It calms the nerves, which is important for people who eat stress.
7. Colds . Medicinal chamomile has diaphoretic, expectorant, and analgesic properties. It will help with bronchitis, flu and other ailments of the respiratory system. They drink healing tea, gargle, do inhalations and baths.
8. Children. Chamomile tea is indispensable when a child has a stomach ache, teething or a cold. Small children are allowed to give only a weak decoction.
9. Women Health . Chamomile drinks contain the substance bisabolol, which has a positive effect on women's health. The drink helps with gynecological ailments, relieves pain during menstruation, and improves the functioning of the endocrine system. Can be used for douching and compresses.

Speaking about the dangers of chamomile tea, I note that the main thing is to use the decoction correctly. If the dosage is exceeded, a healthy person will experience nausea or drowsiness. If after drinking tea you feel worse, refuse the drink. Tea is harmful for people taking blood thinning medications.

Chamomile tea during pregnancy

Is chamomile tea safe during pregnancy? Let's take a closer look at the positive and negative aspects of tea during pregnancy.

For external use, and the alcohol tincture has very limited applicability precisely because of the presence of alcohol in its composition, the decoction is used both internally and externally, both in adults and in children. Of course, it has certain restrictions, but there are not so many of them. At the same time, chamomile decoction really helps with a variety of diseases precisely due to the very wide spectrum of chamomile activity.

The raw material for preparing chamomile decoction is dried flowers with peduncles.

At the same time, chamomile decoction is often used without reason for diseases and syndromes for which it is not able to help. This use of this remedy is not only useless, but can also be harmful, since chamomile can cause some side effects.

Let's look at what diseases people most often try to use chamomile decoction for, and figure out what it helps with, when it is really useful, and when its use does not make sense and if it works, it is only in placebo mode.

Does chamomile decoction help with ARVI, including influenza?

For influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections, a decoction of chamomile is useful for easing sore throats and easing the symptoms of a runny nose. For this purpose it is used only topically:

• For sore throat, gargle with chamomile decoction. These procedures help to reduce inflammation and sore throat and resolve it more quickly. They do not give an immediate result, but when compared with treatment without such rinses, they can reduce the duration of the pain syndrome by 1-2 days and generally alleviate the patient’s condition;
• To relieve a runny nose, rinse your nose with the decoction. This allows you to wash out some of the mucus and facilitate its flow out naturally, helps to moisturize the surface of the inflamed mucous membrane and reduce inflammation. In some cases, with proper rinsing, a patient with ARVI does not have to drip vasoconstrictors into the nose;
• To reduce inflammation in the upper parts of the respiratory tract, inhalations with chamomile decoction are performed. However, there is no particular point in them, since, in fact, the components of chamomile do not penetrate deeper than the nasopharynx, and it is easier to introduce them here, either by simply dripping the decoction into the nose (for small children), or by rinsing it (for adults). Doing inhalation with chamomile decoction using a compressor, ultrasonic inhaler, or nebulizer is strictly prohibited by the instructions for using these devices.

Such inhalations must be carried out with great caution due to the risk of scalding and because they are contraindicated for bacterial infections.

At the same time, for influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections, there is no point in drinking chamomile decoction. When it enters the digestive tract, it does not cause any effect that may be useful for acute respiratory viral infections. However, it is known that chamomile can cause diarrhea, a very common disorder associated with certain types of viral infections. In particular, with rotavirus infection, it is diarrhea that is the most terrible syndrome, which kills a large number of children around the world every year. Risking its development for the sake of taking chamomile is completely pointless.

A rotavirus virion that can cause an infection that will manifest itself first as digestive upset and then as respiratory syndrome.

There is an opinion that chamomile infusion can help reduce fever. This assumption has not been confirmed by anything; such properties of chamomile are not indicated in pharmacopoeias. To some extent, simply drinking liquid contributes to the normal regulation of temperature in the heat, but both regular tea and clean water can cope with this task equally. There is no point in force-feeding a chamomile decoction that is not the most pleasant to the taste.

Using a decoction for prostatitis

Theoretically, chamomile tea can reduce inflammation of the prostate gland. This use is practically the only specific indication for taking chamomile decoction for men. The likelihood of such an effect is greater if enemas with chamomile and parallel massage of the prostate are performed for this purpose; the same result is less likely if chamomile is simply ingested for this purpose.

There is practically no information about the effectiveness of treating prostatitis (even symptomatic) with chamomile decoction.

At the same time, taking chamomile decoction does not affect prostatitis itself and its course. It is impossible to completely cure the disease with this remedy alone - it only helps to weaken the symptoms. There is no evidence base for the treatment of prostatitis with chamomile. Therefore, the drug can be used for this disease only in parallel with the main treatment and only as directed by a doctor.

When vomiting

For nausea and vomiting, taking chamomile infusion is not recommended. By itself, it has an unpleasant taste and in large quantities can provoke a gag reflex, so it will definitely not improve the patient’s condition.

Does chamomile infusion help with heartburn and can it be used for GERD?

Chamomile infusion does not help with heartburn. There is no known mechanism by which chamomile could influence the activity of the lower esophageal sphincter or gastric acidity.

At the same time, to some extent, chamomile decoction, when taken orally, normalizes the functioning of the muscles of the stomach and intestines, due to which the general condition of a patient with gastroesophageal reflux disease can be alleviated. Heartburn will not go away completely, but the severity of GERD symptoms may decrease.

Inflammation of the female genital organs

The use of chamomile for vulvitis, vaginitis, endocervicitis, genital herpes and other diseases of the female genital organs is very widespread. As a rule, for this purpose, douching or washing is carried out with chamomile decoction.

Statistics show that for such diseases, chamomile decoction has virtually no effect on the course of the disease or on the general condition of the woman. Moreover, douching with it can contribute to the introduction of infection from the vagina into the uterus and subsequent inflammation of the uterus. At the same time, douching itself increases the risk of injury to the vaginal epithelium, disrupts the microbiological background here and is one of the risk factors for the development of cancer pathologies.

For cystitis and various gynecological diseases, chamomile can only be used internally, and douching is strictly not recommended.

To some extent, symptomatic treatment of female diseases, including those associated with inflammation and accompanied by itching and pain in intimate places, is possible. If itching develops specifically on the external genitalia, washing them with chamomile decoction can reduce the severity of the sensations and generally improve the patient’s condition. In these cases, the decoction is really useful. However, it is impossible to completely cure any such disease with the help of chamomile, and therefore its decoction is used only as a means for symptomatic therapy.

It is absolutely clear that chamomile decoction will not help with diseases associated with various neoplasms. For example, it makes no sense to take it for ovarian cysts, cervical dysplasia and various benign formations - chamomile does not affect their growth in any way.

For the same reason, chamomile does not help with mastopathy, which is also associated with the appearance of cysts, but not in the genitals, but in the mammary glands.

Gastrointestinal diseases

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by abdominal pain and caused by inflammation, ulcers or muscle spasms, are the main indications for the use of chamomile infusion.

For example, WHO indicates the symptomatic treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and digestive disorders as the main indication for the use of chamomile decoction orally or in the form of enemas, the feasibility of which has been confirmed by special studies.

Degenerated epithelium of the gastric mucosa during gastritis - when taking chamomile, its regeneration and restoration of mucosal function are accelerated.

So, chamomile is used for:

• Gastritis (including with ulcer);
• Colitis, including its nonspecific ulcerative form (UC);
• Enterite;
• Dyspepsia;
• Bloating;
• Flatulence.

For these diseases, taking the decoction helps relieve abdominal pain, remove gases, normalize muscle contractions and eliminate spasms, and cleanse the intestines. It is taken as an adjuvant in the complex therapy of a particular disease.

As a rule, for gastritis, bloating, and dyspepsia, the decoction is taken orally; for colitis, enemas are done with it.

Chamomile decoction for gout

For gout, chamomile infusion is practically useless. There is no reason to believe that foot baths with it, lotions or oral use could affect the deposition of salts in gout or in any way reduce the severity of its attacks.

It is unlikely that such manifestations can be weakened or completely eliminated with the help of chamomile.

Cholelithiasis

The advisability of taking chamomile decoction for cholelithiasis is a subject of debate.

On the one hand, chamomile is known to cause a slight choleretic effect. On the other hand, taking chamomile does not have a pronounced effect on the course and symptoms of gallstone disease. There are no known cases where the use of this remedy would significantly improve the patient’s condition or promote the dissolution of stones in the gallbladder.

Gallstone disease is one of the indications for taking chamomile in folk medicine, although in fact there is no evidence of the effectiveness of chamomile decoction for it.

In any case, today it is reliably known that sandy immortelle is many times superior to chamomile in its choleretic effect and benefits for cholelithiasis. Taking chamomile infusion for this disease cannot be considered advisable.

Does chamomile help with late periods?

It is reliably known that chamomile can stimulate the activity of the uterine muscles. Due to this, its decoction is often drunk to speed up the onset of menstruation, especially when it is delayed.

However, this property must be used very carefully. In some cases, a delay in the onset of menstruation can be caused by pregnancy, and stimulation of the uterus with chamomile can lead to miscarriage. Sometimes women even confuse the miscarriage itself too early with heavy periods. Therefore, when taking chamomile decoction to speed up the onset of menstruation, a woman needs to make sure in advance that she is not pregnant.

The effect of decoction on the condition of a woman during menopause

If menopause is severe, a woman may really need a chamomile decoction. Providing a mild sedative, calming, relaxing effect, it helps to reduce the symptoms of “hot flashes” - headaches, pressure surges, emotional outbursts.

The photo shows the same decoction that you can drink 1-2 times a day instead of tea:

At the same time, the effect of chamomile on the nervous system is not as pronounced as, for example, St. John's wort, and therefore, when deciding whether to take traditional medicine, a woman or her doctor must assess the severity and severity of symptoms in order to correctly choose a more appropriate drug.

The benefits of chamomile decoction in cosmetology

Chamomile is widely used in both clinical and aesthetic cosmetology.

In particular, its decoction has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect against acne, excessive sweating, and the appearance of characteristic black spots on the skin. To combat these problems, masks and lotions with chamomile are used.

For example, in the photo there is a typical problem of “blackheads”, which can be partly solved through the regular use of lotions and washes with chamomile:

Chamomile decoction is also used to wash hair - it provides a slight yellowish coloration. There is also a known recipe for a remedy made from egg yolk, honey, almond oil and chamomile decoction, in which a lotion is moistened and applied to the face for 20-25 minutes. After this procedure, the skin becomes matte and smoother.

At the same time, with swelling on the face or different parts of the body, chamomile decoction practically does not help. Some diuretic effect of chamomile is supposed, but it is weakly expressed and in practice, chamomile decoction does not allow you to get rid of edema or even reduce its severity.

Dermatological diseases

The anti-inflammatory activity of chamomile is widely used in the treatment of various skin diseases. Among them:

1. Dermatitis;
2. Eczema;
3. Cuperosis of various etiologies;
4. Rosacea;
5. Burns;
6. Allergic rashes.

The main ability of chamomile used in such syndromes is anti-inflammatory, allowing to reduce the severity and pain of the rash.

With them, lotions or simple rubbing with chamomile on inflamed or damaged areas of the skin helps to reduce inflammation and its manifestations, as well as faster regeneration of damaged tissues. The decoction is also useful for reducing the severity of itching.

On a note

When treating allergic rashes with chamomile decoction, great care must be taken. Chamomile itself can cause allergies or intensify an already developed reaction. Therefore, you can lubricate rashes with its decoction from small areas and apply small amounts of the product. If the decoction does not aggravate the allergy, you can gradually increase the intensity of treating the rash with it.

To some extent, chamomile decoction helps to reduce the manifestations of diathesis if it is prescribed to children for external use. In this case, the product allows you to reduce the severity of hyperemia and inflammation of the skin.

Chamomile decoction for toxicosis

For various poisonings, chamomile infusion is of little use. It does not neutralize toxins, does not accelerate their elimination from the body, and therefore its use does not provide any pronounced effects.

It is very important to use chamomile to treat diseases of the digestive tract, and not randomly collected herbs of little use that are similar to it - nivaria, pyrethrum and others.

At the same time, it cannot be used in case of toxicosis in a pregnant woman because it is contraindicated during gestation.

Insomnia

Insomnia, various stresses, anxiety, and anxiety are typical indications for taking chamomile infusion orally. In these diseases, chamomile has a pronounced calming, relaxing effect, helps normalize the patient’s emotional state and improves the quality of sleep.

For insomnia, this decoction should be drunk 1.5-2 hours before bedtime.

Patients suffering from insomnia, when regularly taking chamomile infusion, report easier sleep and a gradual abandonment of pharmaceutical sleeping pills. Moreover, in some cases, when used correctly, chamomile infusion is more useful than strong pharmaceuticals.

Benefits of chamomile for bronchitis and pneumonia

For bronchitis and pneumonia, chamomile infusion practically does not help. This is due to the fact that steam inhalations with it do not allow treating the area of ​​inflammation - the bronchi and pulmonary alveoli, since the components of chamomile settle in the upper respiratory tract. And when taken orally, the effect of the active substances from chamomile on the bronchi is either completely absent or very insignificant.

Chest X-ray for bronchitis - here it is almost impossible to deliver chamomile to the site of inflammation.

In inhalers and nebulizers, which allow the delivery of a working solution to the lower respiratory tract, the use of chamomile decoction is prohibited.

However, there are numerous reviews that steam inhalations with chamomile helped a patient with bronchitis. This is easy to explain: the vast majority of bronchitis is viral in nature and does not require the use of special means at all. With them, even without treatment, the disease will go away on its own, but patients or parents of sick children who used inhalers are convinced that it was such diligent treatment that ensured normal recovery.

Sinusitis and other inflammations of the sinuses

For sinusitis and other sinusitis, chamomile decoction is sometimes prescribed for rinsing the sinuses at home. However, such washing is a very complex and rather unpleasant procedure, and its complexity significantly exceeds the possible therapeutic effect. Chamomile can neither cure sinusitis nor eliminate its cause, and all that can be achieved by using it is a slight reduction in the amount of mucus secreted, easing inflammation and pain in the head. Such effects do not in any way compensate for the difficulties in properly performing sinus rinses, and therefore it is better to avoid such procedures.

X-ray for sinusitis - here it is also difficult to treat areas of inflammation with chamomile decoction.

Taking chamomile orally does not help with inflammation of the sinuses.

Hypertension and hypotension

The ability of chamomile to influence blood pressure is not known. Therefore, for hypertension and hypotension, its decoction is not used as a medicine, and there is no mention of such use in any literary source.

Candidiasis

Chamomile decoction is widely used in folk medicine to treat vaginal candidiasis (thrush) and fungal infections of the mouth or throat.

At the same time, special studies have shown that pharmaceutical chamomile has virtually no effect on fungal infections. Its use in patients with candidiasis gave a result identical to the result when using a placebo, and therefore no mention of the antifungal activity of chamomile is found in modern sources.

It is almost impossible to eliminate such fungal infections with chamomile.

At the same time, many women actively use chamomile decoction for douching for thrush. As we have already found out, such procedures are very dangerous, but due to the lack of antifungal activity in chamomile, they do not help cure this disease and do not even have a symptomatic effect.

As a result, it makes no sense to use chamomile for this disease.

Likewise, chamomile decoction does not help when trying to treat nail fungus with it, when special baths with this remedy are prepared for the feet or hands. Such procedures only have a distracting effect.

Chamomile decoction for kidney diseases

It is believed that chamomile decoction helps to reduce various inflammations in the organs of the urinary system. There is also experimental evidence for this: when taking chamomile preparations orally, patients experienced a significant reduction in the severity of symptoms of inflammation of the kidneys or urinary tract. For this reason, chamomile is used in the complex treatment of pyelonephritis, urethritis, glomerulonephritis and even chronic renal failure, not only in folk but also in traditional medicine.

It is interesting that chamomile does not actually have diuretic activity and the effect of using its decoction will be the same as the effect of drinking clean water.

However, it is dangerous to rely only on chamomile infusion for kidney pain, especially for constant pain. By itself, it will not cure either acute inflammation or chronic disease, including chronic renal failure, and therefore chamomile can only be used for kidney disease with parallel complex therapy.

Inflammation of the pharynx and throat

Another widespread use of chamomile is as a gargle for sore throat, chronic tonsillitis, abscesses, pharyngitis or laryngitis. During these procedures, chamomile provides a pronounced anti-inflammatory, mild analgesic effect and helps to moisturize inflamed tissues and cleanse them of pus.

With such obvious tonsillitis, gargling with chamomile decoction will help relieve pain and inflammation.

In most cases, with proper rinsing, chamomile decoction helps to shorten the duration of the pain syndrome by several days, and in the acute phase of the disease, reduce the severity of sore throat.

For the same purposes, chamomile is used to gargle for various dental diseases - caries, stomatitis, gumboil, periodontitis. The effect of these procedures is similar to gargling: the patient’s pain subsides, the severity and duration of inflammation somewhat decreases.

Finally, chamomile is used in folk medicine for many other diseases and syndromes: hangover, migraine, rheumatism, bronchial asthma, hemorrhoids, scrofula and malaria. It is difficult to even say under what condition chamomile infusion should not be used. However, in most such cases, its use turns out to be ineffective and is intended to a greater extent to convince the patient that he is being treated and will certainly recover. Indeed, the effectiveness of chamomile has been confirmed only for the above diseases.

Interesting video: typical ideas about the benefits of chamomile in folk medicine

Chamomile has long been considered the best hemostatic and anti-inflammatory agent; it is actively used to treat diseases. Chamomile is most often used, since its medicinal properties are most pronounced. Other varieties are less effective, so they are practically not used. The plant is specially grown in personal plots, it can be prepared in meadows, or purchased ready-made at a pharmacy. Chamomile decoction is often found in herbalist recipes, let's look at some of them.

Medicinal properties of chamomile

A decoction of chamomile flowers helps fight various diseases:

• relieves inflammation during colds;
• improves the secretion of digestive glands;
• relieves swelling of the gastric mucosa;
• normalizes the strength of heart contractions;
• calms the nervous system.

It is successfully used for liver inflammation, treatment of stomach ulcers, to prevent bile stagnation, and for flatulence. People have long called chamomile a uterine herb because it helps with female diseases. Chamomile has the ability to stop uterine bleeding and regulate the menstrual cycle. A decoction of this plant will help cope with spasms, inflammation, pain, and cramps.

Composition of chamomile

Chamomile owes its rich medicinal properties to the large number of beneficial substances it contains. White flowers with yellow cores contain a large amount of matrices, a source of chamazulene. Chamazulene has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects, accelerates tissue regeneration. This substance, unfortunately, is partially destroyed when boiled.

Essential oil contains palmitic, oleic, linoleic, stearic acids, as well as carotene, coumarins, flavonoids, mucus, gums and vitamin C. Microelements such as copper, potassium, selenium, and zinc are also present in the composition. Unlike chamomile, fragrant chamomile does not contain chamazulene essential oil.

Procurement of raw materials

To prepare a healing drink and begin treatment, you need to properly prepare the raw materials. Healing chamomile (pharmaceutical) begins to bloom in early summer and ends in September. The maximum beneficial properties in the plant occur already in mid-June. For collection, choose a dry, warm morning. The flowers are carefully plucked, then sorted to remove any stray insects, soil, or wilted flowers.

The prepared raw materials are laid out on paper in a small layer and dried. You can do this on the veranda, balcony or at home. When using dryers, you must ensure that the temperature does not exceed 40 degrees. After drying, the chamomile will become light, having lost almost 80% of its mass. The appearance of the raw material will indicate the readiness of the raw material. If the flowers crumble easily, turning into dust, they are overdried. If they don’t crumble at all, they still need to dry out. The finished chamomile is poured into a cloth or paper bag and stored in a dry place.

How to prepare chamomile decoction

Chamomile can be used in the form of a decoction, infusion, tincture, or tea. In traditional medicine recipes, chamomile decoction is most often found, so we’ll talk about it. In order not to destroy chamazulene, it is not recommended to boil the plant over an open fire. It is better to use a water bath for cooking. There are several ways to prepare a decoction, everyone can choose the appropriate one.

1. Pour boiling water over the flowers in a teapot or any other convenient vessel, close the lid and leave for an hour. The decoction can be used for treatment.
2. You can get a stronger decoction if you take chamomile flowers, pour hot water over them, and simmer in a water bath for half an hour. Then strain. Depending on the purpose, the decoction can be diluted or taken undiluted.
3. Place chamomile flowers in an enamel bowl and fill with water. Bring to a boil, remove, cool. After straining it can be consumed.

Chamomile for the treatment of throat, runny nose, mouth

Chamomile for inhalation. For colds, prepare an infusion of chamomile (2 tablespoons/200 ml of water). Leave for half an hour, then add a liter of boiling water. Cover the container with a towel, carefully lower your head and inhale warm steam through your nose and mouth. Such procedures are carried out every day, if there is no fever.

Recipe for a runny nose. This prescription can be used after consultation with a doctor, since it can cause harm in case of sinusitis and other complications. In a thermos, brew a teaspoon of chamomile flowers with a glass of boiling water. After four hours, filter the resulting infusion and apply warm compresses to the bridge of the nose.

Treatment of sore throat. A decoction for rinsing is prepared. A mixture of a spoonful of celandine, a glass of boiling water and 1 tbsp is simmered in a water bath. spoons of chamomile. After 15 minutes, remove and strain. The resulting product can only be used as a rinse (up to 7 times a day). It cannot be taken internally due to the presence of celandine in the composition.

Toothache. To rinse your mouth for toothache, you need to take a tablespoon of sage and chamomile flowers. Leave for 15 minutes, then strain. While the infusion is warm, it should be used for rinsing, holding it in the mouth for a long time.

Chamomile for the treatment of blood vessels and heart

Arrhythmia. It is necessary to prepare a complex composition, take 2 tablespoons of cumin, fennel, chamomile, mint, valerian. Brew 2 tbsp. tablespoons of the mixture with a glass of boiling water, after 15 minutes of infusion, the medicinal infusion will be ready. You need to drink a glass of it before bed.

Atherosclerosis. To prepare the decoction, you need to take equal parts of the fruits of chokeberry, hawthorn, buckthorn bark, lingonberry, corn silk, motherwort, string and chamomile. Infuse the drink; 100 ml of it is used to treat blood vessels.

Chamomile for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract

Chamomile normalizes gastric secretion and is useful if acidity is high. Chamomile decoction eliminates gas formation and fermentation processes, relieves swelling of the mucous membrane and spasm, and promotes tissue regeneration.

Stomach ulcer. You need to prepare a decoction of a glass of boiling water and a tablespoon of chamomile flowers. You need to drink it for at least a month, half a glass after each meal. After taking the decoction, you should lie down for a while, alternately turning from side to side.

Liver diseases. To stimulate the secretion of bile and eliminate spasms, it is recommended to take a decoction of wormwood, chamomile, yarrow, mint, and cumin. You need to leave it for at least 12 hours. Then bring to a boil. Take 100 ml after meals.

Using chamomile decoction for eye health

If the eyelids and eyes become inflamed after prolonged visual work, you need to brew a tablespoon of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. After straining, make gauze or cotton swabs with this decoction. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. To treat conjunctivitis, wash the eyes with a warm decoction.

Chamomile for the treatment of female and male diseases

Treatment of inflammation of the female genital organs prescribed by a doctor is recommended to be accompanied by douching with chamomile decoction. You can take a decoction of chamomile, or you can prepare a decoction of knotweed, chamomile and nettle. Douching should be carried out at a warm temperature (about 37°).

For prostatitis, chamomile infusion will also benefit men. To do this, you need to mix chamomile, celandine leaves, and St. John's wort. You need to take the decoction in the morning and evening. The course lasts three weeks.

Chamomile for children

Chamomile decoction for newborns is too strong a concentration and is not recommended for use. Children can only be given specialized medicine, which is sold in children's stores, and then only from a certain age and as prescribed by a doctor.

But chamomile decoction can be added to a bath for bathing. Chamomile can relieve any skin inflammation and remove irritation. Baths with chamomile also have a calming effect on the child. It is better to bathe your baby before bedtime.

Contraindications for the use of chamomile

There are contraindications when chamomile can cause harm. It is not recommended to use an infusion from this plant:

• with anacid gastritis;
• with individual intolerance;
• during pregnancy and lactation.

In case of an overdose of the plant, dizziness, cough, headache, hoarseness, diarrhea, and nausea may occur. In women, pain may worsen during menstruation.

This plant is quite often used in medicine. It is used to treat many ailments. The legendary Hippocrates used infusions from this flower. Avicenna used this plant to prepare medications for headaches.

Chamomile is an annual plant that is found in the south and central Russia. Some species of this plant grow in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and southern Siberia. Chamomile can be found in meadows and fields, forest edges and along roads.

Medicinal properties of chamomile

Due to its unique properties, chamomile has long been used in medicinal and cosmetic products. Decoctions and infusions of this plant were used by legendary healers of the ancient world to care for the skin and eyes. Pliny the Elder described the use of chamomile to treat female diseases.

In our country, the first records of chamomile date back to the time of Ivan the Terrible. During his reign, this plant was harvested for the needs of the army. Under Peter the Great, chamomile was not only harvested, but also began to be grown.

The uniqueness of this plant is due to the content of chamazulene in its oil. This substance has an anti-inflammatory effect. Chamazulene helps relieve allergic reactions and enhances the body's regenerative processes.

In addition, chamomile has the following properties:

• Relieves inflammation
• Has an antiseptic effect
• Destroys viruses and pathogenic microorganisms
• Strengthens immunity
• Has an analgesic and sedative effect
• Reduces allergic reactions of the body
• Restores the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract
• Helps reduce body temperature

Chamomile oil contains apiin, apigenin and herniarin. These substances have an antispasmodic effect. Using the unique oil of this plant, you can reduce gas formation in the intestines, remove harmful substances from the gastrointestinal tract, weaken inflammatory processes and dilate blood vessels in the brain.

Chamomile oil activates the immune system, kills bacteria and stimulates appetite. The use of this remedy is indicated for menstrual irregularities and menopause.

Chamomile oil can heal wounds from insect bites and relieve pain from sunburn. In cosmetology, chamomile oil is included in anti-wrinkle products, hair masks and skin-whitening preparations.

Chamomile - benefits and harm

The benefits and harms of chamomile

The main benefit of this plant is its antimicrobial effect. Chamomile contains essential oils that are used today in aromatherapy as antidepressants.

The vitamin composition of this plant is represented by almost all the vitamins necessary for humans. That is why chamomile is used in the treatment of many diseases. It can help with mental stress and bone diseases.

But, if you use chamomile very often, it can cause headaches and lethargy. You should not use decoctions and infusions of this plant during pregnancy. Chamomile causes severe allergic reactions in some people.

How and why to take and use chamomile?

• Very often, products based on this plant are used to fight colds. For this, infusions and decoctions are prepared. They can be used as a liquid for inhalation. Chamomile vapor contains substances that have an antimicrobial effect. They can not only suppress the action of pathogenic microorganisms, but also help remove phlegm from the lungs and bronchi
• The oil of this plant is widely used in preparations for the common cold. It has an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effect. Due to this, it can normalize the functioning of the nasal mucosa
• Chamomile oil is very popular in cosmetology. Substances included in lotions, ointments and creams based on it are used against acne. Polysaccharides and biological acids contained in the plant can normalize skin health and stop inflammatory processes
• Tea with chamomile will help with stomach problems. With its help, they cleanse the intestinal mucosa and normalize the functioning of the nervous system.
• You can use chamomile-based compresses to relieve painful sensations in the joints. Due to the presence of chamazulene in chamomile oil, a compress from a decoction of this plant can not only relieve inflammation from the joints, but also help regenerate deteriorating cartilage tissue
• This plant contains phytocompounds that inhibit oral bacteria. That is why chamomile can be used in gargles for diseases of the teeth, gums and throat. You can enhance the effect of chamomile to solve this problem with honey.
• A decoction of this plant relieves headaches. Moreover, the product prepared from the dry collection can be taken orally. A good effect can be achieved by using chamomile decoction to prepare a compress on the back of the head. This remedy will not only help you cope well with headaches, but also calm your nerves.
• Peptic ulcers are treated with chamomile infusion. It should be drunk 15 minutes before meals three times a day. After 5-6 months the disease should subside.
• Tea with chamomile and honey will perfectly help in the fight against insomnia. And if you add a couple of lemon balm leaves to this tea, your sleep will not only be sound, but will also help you recover better after a hard day.

Indications and contraindications for chamomile treatment

• As mentioned above, chamomile has a disinfectant and anti-inflammatory effect. This allows it to be used to treat diseases caused by bacteria and viral infections. This plant is especially useful for throat diseases: tonsillitis, catarrhal and follicular sore throat.
• Chamomile is incredibly useful for pharyngitis and laryngitis. Infusions and decoctions of this plant will relieve itching and dry throat. Swelling of the vocal cords can be relieved with chamomile tea. This can also help relieve sore throat
• Chamomile is very helpful for colds complicated by joint pain and general intoxication. The active substances of this plant are able to remove toxins and other harmful substances from the body.
• The uniqueness of chamomile is that it can be used at any age. For newborns, this plant is indicated for external use, and from the age of one month, chamomile-based products can also be used internally. But it is important to make sure that the child is not allergic to this plant.

IMPORTANT: But, chamomile must be used in moderation. Typically, treatments based on this medicinal plant last for 2-3 weeks.

As for the contraindications to taking chamomile, it should not be used during exacerbation of antacid gastritis. If the level of estrogen in the body is exceeded, then it is also better to avoid products based on this plant. During pregnancy, chamomile can be used internally only after consultation with your doctor.

Treatment of allergies with chamomile

Allergies are not hereditary. This is a purely individual problem that may not appear for a long time. Chamomile helps cope well with disorders of the immune system.

It has proven itself especially well for allergic skin rashes. Moreover, this problem can be treated even in the youngest by adding chamomile to baths. It is recommended to carry them out for 2-3 days in a row. Instead of baths, you can use lotions.

To do this you need to pour 3 tbsp. spoons of the plant with boiling water and let it brew. In this infusion, you need to soak a clean cloth and apply it to the affected area on the skin.

Treatment of sore throat with chamomile

• This medicinal plant is very often used in the treatment of sore throat. To remove bacteria from the mouth and throat, rinse with a warm decoction or infusion of chamomile. During such rinses, the essential oil of this plant has an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect.
• The great benefit of chamomile for sore throat lies in the complex effect of the active substances of this plant on a sore throat. In addition to its antibacterial effect, chamomile helps reduce fever and pain.
• For rinsing, you need to pour a glass of boiling water over a tablespoon of this plant. After 10 minutes, you need to strain the infusion and use it for its intended purpose. Gargle with warm infusion. If it cools down, the effect of such rinses will be close to zero.
• Chamomile infusion and sea salt go well together. You need to pour one tablespoon of these ingredients into a thermos and pour 300 ml of boiling water over them. You need to gargle with this solution 4-5 times a day.
• Other remedies are also indicated for angina. You can make medicinal tea. To do this, pour a glass of dry chamomile with a glass of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. To this tea you need to add honey and milk (20 ml)

Treating a runny nose with chamomile

Washing noma with this medicinal plant helps to quickly get rid of a runny nose. In this way you can even treat a runny nose in a child. To do this, the decoction must be injected one drop into each nostril. But this must be done very carefully. So that the child does not begin to choke and cough.

A decoction for instillation is prepared from dry chamomile. To do this, pour one glass of this medicinal plant with a glass of boiling water. You can bury this product in your nose only when the infusion has cooled to room temperature.

You can use chamomile nasal rinses for several days. As soon as it becomes easier to breathe, you can finish washing.

Treatment of thrush in women with chamomile

Thrush is caused by the activity of the yeast Candida albicans. Under normal conditions, the body is able to fight these microorganisms. But, if the immune system is weakened, then these yeasts get out of control. Chamomile can help him.

IMPORTANT: You can treat thrush at home. But, for proper treatment, it is advisable to first consult a doctor.

• Chamomile contains pharmacozulene. This substance helps relieve inflammation and cope with pathogenic microorganisms. Essential oils of the described medicinal plant will help relieve pain and enhance regenerative processes
• When treating thrush, douching with chamomile infusion is indicated. If a problem is detected at an early stage, such procedures can be used as basic ones. If the thrush has already “gained” its strength, then it is better to supplement douching with chamomile by taking special medications
• To prepare a decoction for douching, you need to pour two tablespoons of the flowers of this medicinal plant into a liter of cold water and bring to a boil. After the broth has cooled to body temperature, it needs to be strained and douched.
• You can also use chamomile baths to treat thrush. 100 g of flowers of this plant is enough for one bath. The water should be warm. You need to take such baths daily for 10-20 minutes.

Treatment of prostatitis with chamomile

• There are several causes of prostate disease in men. One of the causes of prostatitis is the action of pathogenic microorganisms that, penetrating into this area of ​​the body, activate inflammatory processes. This cause of this common problem can be dealt with with the help of medicinal herbs. Including daisies
• Chamomile infusion is suitable for treating this delicate problem. To do this, pour a tablespoon of this medicinal plant with a glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. You need to drink this infusion several times during the day.
• You can also use an enema with the infusion described above. Before using it, you need to empty the intestines and inject 100 ml of infusion into the rectum. Enemas are very helpful for acute forms of prostatitis

Chamomile eye treatment. How to cure conjunctivitis with chamomile?

• Conjunctivitis can cause an allergic reaction of the body, a bacterial or viral infection. In all cases, this disease can be treated with chamomile. With the help of decoctions or infusions of this plant, you can soothe pain and relieve inflammation.
• The infusion of this medicinal plant will help cope with conjunctivitis. With its help, you need to wash your eyes every 2-3 hours. It is very simple to prepare such an infusion. It is enough to mix one tablespoon of chamomile with one glass of boiling water.
• To get rid of eye inflammation, a compress with chamomile will help. To do this, use a regular infusion from this plant. You need to moisten a cotton pad in it and apply it to the inflamed eye.
• Chamomile is good for coping with conjunctivitis caused by bacteria and viruses. But, it is not always effective for other types of eye inflammation. If no improvement is visible within 1-2 days, you should consult your doctor.

Cough treatment with chamomile

• Chamomile also helps with coughs. But the effect of such treatment can be achieved if you start using this medicinal plant at the first symptoms of the disease. Cough can be treated with a decoction. To do this, one tablespoon is poured into a glass of boiling water. You need to take one tablespoon of this infusion throughout the day.
• Herbal tea is well indicated for the treatment of cough. If you include chamomile in its composition, then this tea will improve the condition of the mucous membrane. In addition, it will have an expectorant effect
• For dry cough, inhalations with chamomile are indicated. Such procedures will soften the cough and clear the airways. The herbal mixture can be brewed in a saucepan and its vapors can be inhaled while covered with a towel. One inhalation procedure should not exceed 15 minutes. To treat a cough, 5-15 inhalations with chamomile are needed
• For greater effectiveness, chamomile flowers need to be crushed and poured with boiling water at the rate of half a glass per liter of water. After 30 minutes, add boiling water to the infusion and inhale the vapors of this medicinal plant. To enhance the effect of chamomile during inhalation, you can add sage and mint to the solution.

How to prepare?

Chamomile-based infusions or dietary supplements can be purchased at any pharmacy. But, if you want to prepare this medicinal plant yourself, then you need to do this at the end of June or beginning of August. Chamomile inflorescences are used for treatment. They need to be collected in dry weather, away from highways and industrial enterprises.

It is necessary to dry chamomile in the shade. The room must have good ventilation. The resulting raw materials for decoctions and infusions can be used for no longer than a year. Then, its medicinal properties noticeably deteriorate.

How to use chamomile for treatment: tips and reviews

Olga. I always treat conjunctivitis with chamomile. The collection can be purchased at any pharmacy. And its effectiveness is not a cause for concern. And all these newfangled drops cannot always cope with inflammation. Therefore, it is better to be treated with herbs.

Natalia. Since school, I began to periodically wash my face with chamomile infusion. My skin during adolescence was very problematic. But chamomile helped cope with acne and other inflammations.

Video: Chamomile. Medicinal herbs

The healing properties of chamomile were known to the doctors of Ancient Greece and Rome. In the Middle Ages, this remedy was a panacea for many diseases and is described in most medieval herbal books. But by the 18th century, the glory of this healing flower gradually began to fade, and in the 19th century, the herb was used to a greater extent in cosmetology. Interest in the plant returned in the twentieth century, when laboratory studies of the chemical composition became available and the medicinal properties of chamomile were scientifically proven. Discovered biologically active substances and essential oils contained in chamomile “rehabilitated” the flower and placed it in a place of honor among medicinal plants.

Features of chamomile

Pharmaceutical camomile. Botanical illustration from the book by A. Mascle,
Atlas des plantes de France, 1891.

The medicinal plant chamomile has been well studied in botany, pharmacology and folk medicine. Chamomile is trusted by everyone: doctors of traditional medicine, traditional healers, and patients themselves. Due to its rich chemical composition, this plant is sometimes credited with miraculous powers. Is it really? What are the medicinal properties of chamomile? How to properly prepare raw materials and distinguish between the types of this plant?

Area

Chamomile can be found throughout the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It does not grow only in tropical zones. In Europe, the flower takes root well both in the northern Scandinavian countries and in the Mediterranean. In Russia it grows not only in the European part, but also in the Urals, Far East, Altai, Tien Shan, and Transbaikalia. Chamomile is the most common medicinal raw material of all other medicinal plants. It is cultivated industrially in 26 countries around the world. The world's most famous producers of chamomile are Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic.

Botanical description

Chamomile officinalis, or chamomile, is an annual herbaceous plant with a taproot, slightly branched root. The stem is thin, hollow, sinuous, and can be from 15 to 60 cm high, depending on conditions. The leaves are divided into narrow linear lobules, sessile, alternate. The inflorescences are collected in conical baskets and placed on the tops of the stems. The marginal flowers are small, numerous, white, reed-shaped, they frame the basket with a white corolla. The inner flowers are yellow and tubular. Chamomile is characterized by a conical, strongly convex, hollow receptacle, which distinguishes the flower from other species. Chamomile is a light-loving plant. In the early morning its petals are usually bent down, and by lunchtime they gradually rise and take a horizontal position. In the evening, the petals are pressed against the stem again.

Yellow-colored navel

Types of chamomile

Today there are 25 types of chamomile. The most famous of them is chamomile. It is widely used as a medicine. What other types of this plant can be used in folk medicine?

• Roman chamomile. Popularly, this flower is also called the noble navel, button flower, and chamomile. Like chamomile, it belongs to the medicinal species, has the same healing properties, and is used in cosmetology and pharmaceuticals. It has a strong odor and is grown as an ornamental plant. It blooms later - from July to September.
• Yellow chamomile. This is the popular name for Anthemis tinctalis, or yellow-flowered navel. Loves dry meadows and fields. Previously, in Rus' it was used to dye fabrics bright yellow. Widely used in gardening because of its beautiful, bright inflorescences, aroma, and frost resistance. It is used less frequently in folk medicine. Yellow chamomile is known as a hemostatic, diaphoretic, and choleretic agent. The plant can also be used as an insecticidal agent in the fight against insects.
• Field chamomile. There is no clear description of this species. It can be cornflower, odorous chamomile (without tongue), and non-odorous chamomile, and Roman chamomile, and chamomile, which grow in the field.
• Meadow chamomile. The plant is also found in fields and likes to grow along roads. Meadow chamomile is also called cornflower. The flower is easy to distinguish from the chamomile: the flower is larger, it has one flower basket and one stem, dense leaves with jagged edges. Nivyanik has healing properties, but it is not used as a medicinal raw material as widely as chamomile.

Procurement of raw materials

It is important to correctly distinguish between the types of this medicinal plant and to collect chamomile.

• Collection of chamomile. The tubular flowers should open halfway and the white corolla should be in a horizontal position, then picking can begin. Experienced herbalists call the best time for collection - the fifth day after the flower blooms. It is during this period that the inflorescence contains the maximum amount of useful substances. The plant is harvested in dry, clear weather. As a rule, the inflorescences are picked by hand and placed in a linen bag. You can also collect young shoots with leaves, which are then used to prepare chamomile baths. For industrial collection, special rakes or machines are used.
• Drying and storage. When using specialized dryers, the temperature should not exceed 40°C. The beneficial properties of chamomile are lost at high temperatures and under the influence of sunlight. At home, the grass is dried in dark, ventilated rooms, the raw materials are laid out in a thin layer, and the grass is turned over from time to time. Store dried raw materials in glass containers, wooden boxes, tightly sealed and in a dark place.

Some herbalists indicate a shelf life of 1 year, others - 2 years. Experienced healers recommend, if possible, updating supplies of raw materials annually.

What's included

What are the healing properties of chamomile? Chamomile contains many useful types of acids: caprylic, ascorbic, nicotinic, salicylic, anthemisic, linoleic, stearic, palmitic, isovaleric and others. It contains flavonoids, bitterness, sugars, proteins, mucus, gum, carotene, vitamin C, essential oils, coumarins, and glycosides. Apiin is considered especially valuable - a type of glycoside that relaxes smooth muscles and has an antispasmodic, choleretic effect. The biologically active substance chamazulene, which is part of essential oils, is also considered valuable. Without exception, all components of the herb are important; it is their combination and quantity that gives the healing effect.

Healing effect

What are the benefits of chamomile? What is the pharmacological action and scope of its application in folk and traditional medicine?

Beneficial properties of chamomile root

Everyone is well aware of the medicinal properties of the inflorescences of this plant, but chamomile root is also useful. It contains biologically active substances in high concentration. The root has the following medicinal effects:

• hemostatic;
• regenerating;
• anti-inflammatory;
• painkiller;
• tonic;
• antispasmodic.

Chamomile root powder is used for treatment. Most often they treat diseases of the genitourinary system, digestive organs, mastitis, allergic rashes, and nervous disorders.

What are the contraindications for chamomile? Herbal decoctions should be used with caution for anacid gastritis with low acidity, chronic diarrhea, mental disorders, and hypersensitivity to the drug. The medicinal plant is not toxic, but with prolonged use or overdose the following side effects may occur: dizziness, cough, nervous disorders, headache, hoarseness, menstrual irregularities, conjunctivitis.

Use in folk medicine

There are many options for preparing healing potions from chamomile: teas, decoctions, different types of tinctures, essential oil.

Chamomile tea

What are the benefits of chamomile tea? First of all, it is taken for gastritis, especially in the chronic form, with high acidity. In this case, chamomile tea is drunk over a long course of up to 10 days.

Preparation

1. Take 1 teaspoon of chamomile herb.
2. Pour a glass of boiling water.
3. Leave for 20 minutes.
4. Strain.

Drink warm tea, 1/3 glass three times a day before meals.

• What other benefits of chamomile tea?
• Strengthens the immune system and is used as a prophylaxis against acute respiratory viral infections and influenza.
• Reduces gas formation, relieves spasms in the intestines and stomach.
• Relieves inflammation of the upper and lower respiratory tract, makes breathing easier.
• Relaxes the nervous system.
• Helps with inflammation of the kidneys and bladder.

Chamomile tea can also be prepared as part of stomach, chest, and sedative mixtures. For example, for psychoneurological causes of gastric diseases, chamomile with lemon balm is recommended; for diseases of the gallbladder, this herb is prepared with peppermint, and for nervous excitement, it is mixed with valerian.

Decoction

Chamomile decoction is most often used externally. This is an indispensable natural antiseptic, which is used to treat the skin, wash the nose and throat, and it is useful to take it for coughs during ARVI and flu as part of chest preparations. But you can also drink the decoction for gastrointestinal diseases.

Preparation

1. Place 1 tbsp in an enamel bowl. a spoonful of chamomile.
2. Pour 1 cup boiling water.
3. Keep covered in a steam bath for 15 minutes.
4. Cool and strain.

The finished broth should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day.

Infusion

Chamomile infusion can be prepared in different ways depending on the application. It can be water-based or alcohol-based. It is important to remember that the concentration of the infusion for internal use should be lower than for external use.

Hot cooking

1. Take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of chamomile.
2. Pour a glass of boiling water.
3. Leave for 2 hours.
4. Strain.

The infusion is taken orally, ¼ cup three times a day.

Preparation of infusion for cosmetic purposes

1. Take 4 tbsp. spoons of chamomile.
2. Pour a glass of boiling water.
3. Keep in a steam bath for 10 minutes.
4. Leave for 1 hour.

Use when cooled.

Cold cooking

1. Take 5 tbsp. spoons of chamomile.
2. Pour in 0.5 liters of cold water.
3. Leave for 8 hours.
4. Strain and store the infusion in the refrigerator.

The resulting portion of the infusion should be divided into equal doses and taken for 2 days. How to drink chamomile? Some herbalists recommend making only cold infusions of the herb for oral use, as it will retain the essential oils. And for external use, it is better to prepare infusions using a hot method.

Preparation of alcohol tincture

1. Take 1 tbsp. spoon of chamomile and add 10 tbsp. spoons of vodka.
2. Leave for a week in a dark place.
3. Strain.

Take 20 drops of alcohol tincture after meals with plenty of water.

Essential oil

Essential oil is often used externally for skin diseases, as well as in cosmetology, for the production of hypoallergenic and antiseptic skin care products. But the drug is also effective for aching pain, spasms of the stomach and intestines, menopausal syndrome, menstrual irregularities, irritability and insomnia. It is taken in strict doses, 15 drops three times a day, preferably before meals. You can add oil to tea, dilute it in a spoon of honey.

Preparation

1. Take 2 tbsp. spoons of chamomile.
2. Pour in ¼ cup vegetable oil.
3. Leave for 2 days in a dark and cool place.

Chamomile essential oil can be purchased at a pharmacy. It is made from different types of plants, and the price of the drug depends on this. The medicine is widely used in aromatherapy; there are many positive reviews about the treatment of neuroses with this oil. It is important to remember: chamomile essential oil is prohibited for children and pregnant women.

Read more about the external use of chamomile

All chamomile solutions for external use are more concentrated. However, you need to remember that the delicate mucous membrane may react to a strong decoction or essential oil, then they must be used diluted.

• In cosmetology. Chamomile extract is often added to creams, shampoos, soaps, gels, and lotions. Natural herbs in cosmetics are an expensive component, which is why they are so often replaced with synthetic substances. For hair, you can make natural chamomile masks, rinse your hair with herbal decoctions after washing. To cleanse the skin of the face with acne and pimples, you can make natural alcohol-free lotions and masks.
• Chamomile sitz baths. These procedures are prescribed for inflammation in the anal and genital area. To prepare a bath you need 1 liter of strong hot broth and a comfortable place to sit. It is best to use a bucket into which the broth is poured. Steam baths are most effective for cystitis.
• Oral disinfection. In addition to otolaryngology, chamomile is often prescribed in dentistry. The herb is effective for stomatitis, useful for gums with periodontal disease.
• Inhalations. You can breathe over chamomile infusion during ARVI, flu, respiratory symptoms, if there is no fever and no tendency to laryngospasms (especially in children). Steam inhalations soften breathing, relieve coughing, help remove sputum, and disinfect the upper and lower respiratory tract.
• Eye wash. There is no clear opinion on this issue. Some herbalists recommend washing your eyes with chamomile solution for inflammation, while others do not advise doing this and talk about the risk of developing conjunctivitis. In any case, the solution when washing the eyes should be in a weak dilution.
• Microclysters. Instructions for using chamomile include the following information: for microenemas, use 50 ml of warm solution, the procedure is carried out no more than 2 times a day. Only a doctor can prescribe chamomile microenemas to adults and children for intestinal colic, bloating, rectal fissures, hemorrhoids and other diseases. Long-term use can lead to disruption of intestinal microflora.
• Douching. Chamomile infusions are often used as an adjuvant for the treatment of inflammation in gynecology. This procedure can be performed during an exacerbation period for no more than 5–7 days. As a daily hygiene item, it is strictly prohibited. The herb dries out the mucous membrane, leads to disruption of the vaginal microflora, and can cause itching and burning. Douching is also contraindicated in the first trimester of pregnancy, during menstruation, within a month after childbirth, and during menopause.
• Chamomile baths. Chamomile is a powerful natural antiseptic. It is used for skin problems, like other popular herbs - string, calendula, celandine. Also, the vapors of this plant before bedtime calm and relax the nervous system. When taking baths, add 1 liter of steep chamomile infusion to the water.

Features of use in men, women and children

Chamomile tincture is effective for diseases of the genitourinary system in men and women. It is actively used in children, starting from the first days of life.

For men

There is widespread misinformation that chamomile cures impotence. But for prostatitis, this medicine really has a healing effect. Usually a herbal mixture is prepared that helps relieve inflammation and pain due to prostatitis. Warm chamomile baths will be helpful. The decoction can also be taken orally.

Preparation

1. Mix 1 teaspoon each of chamomile, St. John's wort and linden herbs.
2. Pour 1 cup boiling water.
3. Leave for 1 hour.
4. Strain.

Drink the herbal mixture twice a day, ½ cup. Take the decoction for a long course - at least 3 weeks.

For women

For what diagnoses in women is chamomile prescribed?

• Treatment of thrush. Local therapy is prescribed in the form of baths, douching and tampons. Herbal treatment relieves itching, burning in the vagina, and reduces heavy discharge. You can get rid of thrush with local treatment with antiseptic chamomile solutions with the addition of soda only at the initial stage of the disease. If there is heavy discharge and severe itching, you cannot do without antifungal drugs.
• Menopausal syndrome. During menopause, chamomile essential oil is prescribed, which relieves irritability, nervousness, feelings of panic and anxiety during this difficult period for a woman.
• Painful periods. Chamomile decoction smoothes smooth muscles, relieves spasms, and eliminates bloating during menstruation.
• Cervical erosion. This is the most common and controversial diagnosis for women. There are many approaches to its treatment, including the principle of not touching the erosion at all. Chamomile douches and tampons help relieve inflammation in the vagina, which can cause erosion. But identifying the cause of the disease is sometimes very difficult. Complex, advanced forms of erosion, of course, cannot be treated with grass.

During pregnancy, chamomile decoctions and infusions are used orally only as prescribed by a doctor, since the herb has abortifacient properties and can cause miscarriage in the early stages. You should not get carried away with douching during pregnancy, so as not to “plant” the vaginal microflora, which is already vulnerable during this period. But you can safely use decoctions externally as an antiseptic for ARVI, sinusitis, diseases of the throat and gums. Read more about it in our other article.

For children

Before using chamomile infusions in children, especially infants, you should consult a pediatrician. Children have cases of individual intolerance to this herb.

Chamomile flowers are widely used for inflammation of the digestive organs - gastritis, colitis, enterocolitis, liver and pancreas diseases, stomach and duodenal ulcers, flatulence. The herb is also effective for diseases of the ENT organs, respiratory and urinary tracts, neuroses, and skin inflammations of various natures.