The immunity-boosting herb, Andrographis, has proven to prevent colds as well. Sold in health food stores under the name Kold Kare, it has shown to reduce fever and enhance the body’s immune system so that it can fight off bacterial and viral infections. The usual dose for cold or allergy symptoms is two or three tables twice a day, taken with a meal.

About 15 million Americans have severe tinnitus, the sensation of a ringing, roaring or humming in the inner ear. Using small doses of melatonin (3mg every night for one month), tinnitus symptoms decreased nearly 30%.

To make sure you get an accurate blood pressure the next time you visit your doctor, sit quietly for five minutes in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your back supported rather then on the examination table. Studies have shown that older patients who did this had systolic readings 14 points lower then those who sat on the examination table.

Eye floaters as usually nothing to worry about. They are annoying black shapes that appear and seem to move when you adjust your gaze do not affect your vision and there is no treatment. Floaters are often permanent and some eventually disappear on their own. If many floaters appear or if flashes accompany them, consult a physician immediately. This could be a sign that the vitreous gel that maintains the eyeball’s shape has collapsed and that retinal detachment or other eye damage could occur.

Some medications have a coating that, if broken, could irritate your stomach or esophagus or possibly cause ulcers. Others simply will not work if they are broken and chewed because the stomach acid would destroy the medicine. Another reason is because many medicines are time-released. Time-release capsules (or tablets) are specially designed to release medicine over a twelve or twenty-four hour time period. If you crush the capsule, it would not work as a time-release pill and it would be dangerous if that medicine were to be released into the stomach all a one time.