Some home remedy options for Chikungunya, such as echinacea tea, ginseng tea or cayenne pepper ointment, help alleviate symptoms such as joint pain, nausea, vomiting or muscle pain.
These home remedies have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune system strengthening effects and can be used to complement medical treatment for Chikungunya.
Therefore, it is important to emphasize that these home remedies should not replace the treatment recommended by the doctor, serving only as a complement to speed up recovery and alleviate symptoms more quickly. See how Chikungunya is treated.
10 Home Remedies for Chikungunya
Some home remedy options for Chikungunya are:
1. Echinacea tea
Echinacea tea is rich in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant substances, such as flavonoids, chicoric and rosmarinic acids, which help reduce the production of substances that can cause joint pain or body pain, in addition to strengthening the immune system.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of echinacea root or leaves;
- 1 cup of filtered water.
Preparation mode
To use echinacea leaves, add them to a cup of boiling water and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. As for the echinacea root, you must boil the root together with water for 10 to 15 minutes. Then strain the tea and drink it warm, up to 2 times a day.
Echinacea tea should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who have tuberculosis, leukemia, collagen diseases, multiple sclerosis, or autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or psoriasis.
2. White willow tea
White willow tea, made from the medicinal plant Salix albahas analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of salicin, which is a substance similar to the main ingredient in aspirin.
Therefore, tea made from the bark of this plant can be a good option for relieving joint pain and fever caused by Chikungunya.
However, it should be avoided in the acute phase of the disease, which corresponds to the first 14 days due to the risk of bleeding, if dengue fever is still suspected.
Ingredients
Preparation mode
Bring the water to a boil and add the willow bark. Let it boil for 10 minutes, strain and drink warm up to 2 cups a day.
White willow bark tea should not be consumed by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people who are allergic to aspirin or who are using anticoagulants.
Furthermore, the use of white willow bark tea is not recommended for people with dengue fever, gastrointestinal problems, such as ulcers, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux, colitis or diverticulitis.
3. Cayenne Pepper Ointment
Cayenne pepper ointment is rich in capsaicin, a substance with anti-inflammatory and analgesic action, which helps combat the symptoms of pain and swelling in joints or muscle pain caused by Chikungunya.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper;
- 45 mL of olive oil or almond oil.
Preparation mode
In a container, add olive oil or almond oil and heat to heat. Then, turn off the heat and add the cayenne pepper, letting it rest for a few hours so that the capsaicin can be extracted from the cayenne pepper.
When it is warm, strain and store in a clean, dry glass container with a lid. Always keep the glass in a dry, dark and ventilated place.
Apply cayenne pepper ointment to the affected joint, once a day, using gauze or cotton, using gentle movements, leaving it to act for 15 minutes. Wash your hands afterwards and avoid contact with your mouth, eyes and nose. After 15 minutes, remove the ointment by washing the area with plenty of water.
This ointment should not be used immediately before or after bathing, swimming, sunbathing or exercising. Additionally, cayenne pepper ointment should not be applied to skin with wounds, cuts, scrapes, sunburns, or to eyes, mouth, nostrils, or genitals.
4. Camphor poultice
Camphor poultice has antirheumatic and analgesic properties and can be used to relieve joint pain or muscle pain caused by Chikungunya.
Ingredients
- 4 camphor leaves;
- 1 cup of water.
Preparation mode
Boil the water and add it to a container containing the camphor leaves. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Then strain, wait for it to cool and dip gauze, cotton or cloth in this mixture. Apply to the skin on the affected muscle or joint, massaging gently, up to 3 times a day.
Camphor poultice should not be used by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, open or infected wounds, or on mucous membranes, such as the eyes, inside the nose or genital region.
Furthermore, it should not be ingested orally, and should only be used on the skin, as it is toxic.
5. St. John’s wort essential oil
St. John’s wort essential oil has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to alleviate Chikungunya symptoms, such as joint or muscle pain.
Ingredients
- 1 to 3 drops of St. John’s wort essential oil;
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil, such as almond oil or coconut oil.
Preparation mode
In a clean, dry glass container, mix the ingredients well. Then, apply to the skin in the area of muscle or joint pain, massaging gently.
Before using St. John’s wort essential oil, an allergy test must be carried out, preparing a mixture containing 1 drop of the essential oil in 1 teaspoon of the carrier oil, and applying it to the back of the hand or the crook of the elbow. .
Wait 24 hours and, if during this period the skin becomes red or irritated, it is not recommended to use St. John’s wort essential oil.
St. John’s wort essential oil should not be used by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women. Furthermore, it should not be used before exposure to the sun and should not be taken orally.
6. Tansy tea
Tansy tea, made from the medicinal plant Parthenium tanacetumcan be used to relieve headache or joint pain caused by Chikungunya.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of the aerial parts of tansy;
- 500 mL of filtered water.
Preparation mode
Bring the water to a boil and then take it off the heat and add the tansy, cover and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Then strain, wait for it to cool and drink a cup of this tea, up to 3 times a day.
Tansy tea should not be used by children under 12 years of age, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or by people who have epilepsy, digestive or liver problems, clotting problems or who take anticoagulants.
This tea should also not be consumed by people who are allergic to tansy or other plants such as chrysanthemum, daisy, chamomile or wort.
7. Ginseng tea
Ginseng tea, prepared with the medicinal plant Panax ginsengis rich in gynaecosides, alkaloids and polyphenols, with antioxidant action, which helps to increase blood flow, improving the transport of oxygen to cells, improving tiredness and exhaustion.
Ingredients
- 2 g or 1 tablespoon of ginseng powder;
- 300 mL of water.
Preparation mode
Add ginseng powder to water and boil. Then turn off the heat, let it rest for about 10 minutes, wait for it to cool and drink. This tea can be drunk up to 3 times a day.
The maximum dose of ginseng is 5 g to 8 g per day, therefore, you should not exceed the amount of 4 cups per day, as it can cause side effects such as agitation, irritability, mental confusion and insomnia.
Ginseng tea should not be used by children under 12 years of age, if pregnant or breastfeeding, by people who have heart disease or asthma, or who are taking medication for depression or diabetes.
8. Ginger tea
Ginger tea is a good option to relieve nausea and vomiting caused by Chikungunya as it has antiemetic properties.
Ingredients
- 1 cm of ginger;
- 1 cup of filtered water.
Preparation mode
Place the ginger and water in a pan and bring to a boil for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and, when it is warm, strain and then drink in small sips. It is recommended to drink a maximum of 3 cups of this tea per day.
Ginger tea should be avoided by women close to childbirth or with a history of miscarriage. Furthermore, it should also be avoided by people with clotting problems or who are at risk of bleeding. See other teas for vomiting and how to prepare them.
9. Rice water
To stop diarrhea caused by Chikungunya, you can drink rice water, which is capable of regulating intestinal function, reducing the number of bowel movements and making feces bulkier.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of white rice;
- 2 cups of filtered water.
Preparation mode
Place the white rice and water in a pan, and let it cook for 20 to 30 minutes over low heat. Once ready, the whitish water must be strained and stored in a jar in the refrigerator for a maximum of 1 week.
It is recommended to drink 1 liter of rice water per day until the diarrhea disappears. See other benefits of rice water.
10. Cinnamon stick tea
Cinnamon stick tea has properties that help to “bind” the intestines and can be used to relieve diarrhea.
Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick;
- 200 mL of filtered water.
Preparation mode
In a pan, add the cinnamon stick and water and boil for 10 minutes. Then remove the cinnamon stick, wait for it to cool and drink the tea while it is still warm, up to twice a day.
Cinnamon stick tea should not be consumed by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or by people with ulcers, gastritis or serious liver disease.
How to use home remedies correctly
To combat more than one symptom, it is possible to mix the teas, using the indicated proportions and drink afterwards.
However, if the fever worsens or other symptoms appear that were not previously present, such as tingling, chest pain or frequent vomiting, you should see a doctor, as these symptoms may be indicative of severity, requiring hospitalization.
It is important to note that home remedies can be used to help treat Chikungunya, but they do not replace the treatment recommended by your doctor. See how Chikungunya is treated.
Pregnant women and children should only use these home remedies with medical knowledge.
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