Herbal medicines are now lining in shelves in most health food stores. This is basically for the reason that the causes of illness that afflicted mankind are continually evolving, so is number of people who need some prescriptions and herbal medications continually increase.
However, even if herbal medicines are widely manufactured and used nowadays, there are still certain doubts in terms of its safety and effectiveness. Many people claimed that herbal medicines are absolutely safe and effective because they come from natural sources and they are labeled as “herbal” or “natural”. With this matter, it is then necessary to know that not all herbal medicines are safe and effective. In fact, many plants are poisonous and the labeling does not necessarily mean that herbal medicines are really safe and effective. This is for the reason that some herbal medicines labeled as “natural” are not really natural to the human body.
To support such stand, the herbal medicines, unlike the over-the-counter prescriptions and medications, are not tested before they are sold. There is a lack of governance in the place of herbal medicines so there is no proof that they work well or are safe. And there is great possibility that herbal medicines are not really pure, for they may contain some ingredients like the plant pollen which could make you sick.
Given such information, perhaps the best move to take when considering herbal medicines is to consult the doctor for some guidelines, before taking any form of herbal medicines. In fact, most of the herbal medicines are not good for those who have particular health problems such as high blood pressure, blood clotting problems, diabetes, heart disease, epilepsy, history of stroke, and other serious ailments.
Also considerable is the fact that since the herbal medicines are not tested to ensure that they are safe, most of the herbal medicines may have certain side effects. For instance, taking ginkgo biloba may lead to have bleeding as a side effect. Other example is the fact that if you are taking St. John’s Wort, there is a great possibility that you may have an upset stomach, a tired feeling, confusion, dizziness, and dry mouth. Aside from that, sunburn may also appear more easily.
Some of the herbal medicines are not also taken if you have other prescriptions or medications. This is for the fact that the herbal products can alter the way prescription medicines work.
So if you want to avoid several complications after taking herbal medicines, you should then tell your doctor if you are taking a prescription medicine or have certain health problems while taking an herbal supplement.
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