A flatulence is the presence of excessive gas in the stomach and in the intestinal tract.
Water Treatments:
1. Fomentation on the abdomen, 2 times a day.
2. Turpentine stupes, 2 times a day.
3. Heating compress on the abdomen overnight.
4. Rectal tube insertion for serve gas pain, especially for babies.
Procedure (fomentation):
a. Remove patient’s clothing and cover with sheet or blanket.
b. Have basin of the ice water and compress at bedside of the patient.
c. Close windows near patient’s bed avoid drafts.
d. Cover area to be treated with one bath towel.
e. Wring out one bath towel from boiling water.
f. Spread the dry towel on the table and wrap the hot towel.
g. Apply the hot towel to the body area to be treated, over the dry towel.
h. Apply cold compress to the patient’s head. Change it three times during the application of each fomentation.
i. Give three changes of hot fomentation, drying the treated area quickly between applications. Change fomentation every 5 minutes or till it gets warm or cool. Don’t wait till towel gets cold before removing it.
j. Have hot towel ready before used hot towel is removed from the treated area.
k. After the last fomentation, rub the area quickly with cold compress wrung from the ice water.
l. Dry thoroughly and give sponge or warm bath if desired.
m. Let patient rest after the treatment.
Procedure (turpentine stupes):
a. Bring all things needed to the bedside including the mixture of oil and turpentine.
b. Prepare the patient as for fomentation on the abdomen or ankle.
c. Apply the oil and turpentine mixture with your finger tips to the area to be treated.
d. Observe the skin very carefully to see if the patient is allergic to turpentine. If redness is noticed, discontinue the treatment. Wipe and remove the oil and turpentine mixture and apply cream on the skin.
e. Cover the area with the dry towel and apply the hot fomentation over the area with the turpentine mixture. Fomentation pad should not be very hot.
f. Give the three sets of fomentations. For abdominal distention teach patient to do abdominal breathing. While the hot fomentation is still on the abdominal area, tell patient to do abdominal breathing. Breath in slowly bringing the abdomen up on inspiration and down on expiration. Do this exercise a few times, with rest periods in between.
g. After the last fomentation pad, remove hot towel and with the dry towel remove the oil from the skin.
h. Apply cream or hand lotion cover the skin area treated and bandage (for sprained joint).
i. If abdominal distention persists, repeat the treatment after two hours, unless contraindicated (not advised).
j. If patient is not relieved in spite of treatments, consult your physician immediately.
Procedure (heating compress):
a. Soak cloth with tap water. Wring and put around the neck or joint twice. Be sure the wet cloth is neither too wet to drip nor too dry. If medicated compress is applied, rub area with prescribed medication or ointment. Do not wet the cloth with water but wrap the cloth is applied. (In applying a plain heating compress, wet cloth is applied without medication).
b. Apply compress smoothly and quickly to avoid chilling.
c. With the piece of flannel cloth, wrap compress snugly to exclude air and pin securely on the side of the neck or joint.
d. Leave compress on overnight or at least for 6-8 hours.
e. Take care that the compress is not too tight so it does not interface with circulation and joint movements.
f. Rub the area with a cloth wrung out of cold water (tap water) immediately after removing the compress in the morning or after 6-8 hours.
g. Dry the area thoroughly. Compress may be applied once or twice a day.
Note: It is best to apply a heating compress at night just before retiring.
Okra seeds (Internal Medications) herbal medications to help lower the Fever.
Treatments for Fever:
- Roast dried seeds and grind or pound fine. Boil 1/2 cup of the ground seeds in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes. Cool and strain.
Dosage:
Adults: 1 cup, 3 times a day, every after meals.
Children: (Babies) 1 tbp., 3 times a day, every after meals.
(2-6 yrs.) 1/4 cup, 3 times a day, every after meals.
(7-12 yrs.) 1/2 cup, 3 times a day, every after meals.
Ginger Lily leaves (kamias in tagalog) herbal medications for Fever Due to Viral Infections.
Treatments for Fever:
- Boil 3 cups of chopped fresh leaves in one gallon of water for 15 minutes. Strain.
- Use this decoction for cold or hot sponge bath.
Auerrhoa Carambola leaves (balimbing in tagalog) herbal medications for Fever Due to Viral Infections.
Treatments for Fever:
- Boil 2 cups of chopped leaves in 1/2 gallon of water for 10 minutes. Strain. Cool for 2 hours.
- Use this in making a cold compress if ice water is not available.
Vinegar (sukang puti in tagalog) herbal medication for Fever Due to Viral Infections.
Treatments for Fever:
- Put 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a basin of cold water.
- Use this for making vinegar compress on the forehead if ice is not available.
Fever occurs when there is an elevation of the body temperature.
Water Treatments:
1. Fever sponge bath. Give hot water sponge bath if the patient has high fever and his arms and legs are cold. Give cold water sponge bath if the skin is dry and hot. Give warm water sponge bath if there is fever with a generalized hot skin. Give a fever sponge bath three times a day, or more, if needed.
2. Bed rest with continuous cold compress on the forehead.
3. Hot foot bath. If the fever is due to head congestion and flu, give a hot foot bath in the morning and in the evening, after supper.
4. Drink one glass of water or juice every hour during waking hours.
Procedure (fever sponge bath):
a. Make the patient comfortable. Remove clothing and cover with a sheet or blanket. Close windows to avoid drafts.
b. Protect the bed with the towels as each part is being sponged. Put one bath towel across the chest and sponge the face, ears, and neck. Dry the areas that had been sponged with the towel across the chest.
c. Sponge one part at a time in the following order: arms, chest, abdomen, legs, feet and back. For the arm or leg, spread the towel under the whole length of the arm or leg while it is being sponged. Rub skin briefly with the face towel to draw blood on the surface. Dry each part after the sponge to avoid chilling. Be sure the patient is dry before replacing clothing and covers. Hot drinks (Calamansi juice) may be offered to encourage perspiration.
Procedure (cold compress):
a. Wring compress cloth from ice water. Be sure it does not drip.
b. Apply snugly on the area to be treated.
c. Change or renew compress every 2-3 minutes.
d. Treatment time: for decongestion … 20-30 minutes; fever… continuously, or as long as there fever.
e. At the end of the treatment, dry body part thoroughly with the towel and avoid chilling.
Procedure (hot foot bath):
a. Close windows and doors. If done in the bathroom, The patient should be seated on a chair. If the patient is too weak to sit, patient may lie down and be treated in bed.
b. Remove clothing of patient, and drape with blanket.
c. Assist patient’s feet into the pail or basin of water. Water is ankle deep to start with. Temperature should be a hot as can be tolerated.
d. Apply cold compress to the forehead or on the nape if compress is small.
e. Add hot water, in adding hot water to the foot tub, push the patient’s feet to one side and place your hand between the feet and the stream of water, increase the water temperature to patient’s heat tolerance.
f. Continue adding hot water for 20-30 minutes, renewing cold compress every 2-3 minutes. Don’t let the water cool off.
g. At the end of the treatment lift feet from the water and pour cold water over them.
h. Give hot and cold shower if patient is strong. Give warm sponge bath if done in bed.
i. Dry patient and keep him comfortable. Let patient rest till he stops perspiring.
Guava leaves (bayabas in tagalog) herbal medications.
Treatments for Fainting Spells.
- Crush guava leaves.
- Let the patient smell the aroma, instructing him to take deep breaths. Put the crushed leaves over the nose for him to smell the essence of the leaves.
