The Yarrow Plant in First Aid as a Natural Herbal Remedy

By Kevin Birch - 2007-01-19 - Viewed 2199 times. Find more articles like this in our Traditional herbs category.

Small - Big

Email article       Print

The Yarrow plant, Latin name Achillea millefolium, is one of the most highly valued natural herbal remedy plants for treating colds and 'flu.

The Latin name for the plant, is actually derived from the Greek hero Achilles. Historically, the plant was used to treat war wounds during the Trojan wars.

Yarrow also has a curious folk name: "nosebleed." This folk nickname is a testimony to its traditional use as a first aid natural herbal remedy. Yarrow has been used in the past as an emergency styptic to stop bleeding.

These days, as well as colds and ‘flu, Yarrow is also used to treat circulatory, digestive and urinary system problems.

Most traditional herbalists harvest the flower that's found in meadows, during the summer and fall. They describe Yarrow as alternately dry, sweet, cook, astringent and sometimes slightly bitter in taste.

The constituents of the Yarrow plant include:

salicylic acid

volatile oils (including proazulenes)

isovalerianic acid

flavonoids

sterols

tannins

bitters

asparagin

coumarins.

The action of the plant is described astringent, relaxing, a promoter of sweat, a blood vessel relaxant, febrifuge, and restorative for the menstrual system.

Several parts of the Yarrow plant are used to create natural herbal remedies.

These include the plants aerial parts, its leaves, its essential oil, and its flowers.

It is said that the leaves of the plant contain properties that encourage blood clotting.

Extracts from the Yarrow plant have also been used to make an effective mosquito repellent.

The leaves are also used fresh as a natural herbal remedy to combat nose bleeding. However, if Yarrow leaves are used to treat nosebleeds, they must not be inserted into the nostril directly as this can cause a nosebleed.

The essential oils of the Yarrow plant is described as anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and antiallergenic.

The oils are extracted from the Yarrow plant by steam distillation of the flowers. The distilled oils of the plant are generally used as an anti-inflammatory or in chest rubs that can be applied when a person is suffering from a cold or ‘flu.

The flowers of the Yarrow plant can also be used to make natural herbal remedies. For instance, the flowers have been shown to be rich in chemicals that can be converted by steam into antiallergenic compounds. These chemicals can be used to treat various allergic problems, including mucus problems and hay fever.

There are many other applications for the Yarrow plant.

Its flowers can be used to infuse and drink as a hot tea that helps treat common ailments of the upper respiratory system, including excessive phlegm.

The aerial parts of the Yarrow plant can also be used to reduce fevers when it is prepared in a hot tea.

You can also use Yarrow in a chest rub to treat chest colds, influenza, or to relieve severe congestion.

The author, Kevin Birch, has suffered from several chronic health conditions since birth. He has successfully used some of the natural herbal remedies included in his herbal remedy guide, “Effective Herbal Remedies”, as well as his “A to Z of Herbs” to manage his various health conditions. Hopefully you will have found this natural herbal remedy article informative. You can find out about several more exciting health remedies at healthwareonline.com/herbs

You can print this article by clicking the printer icon at the top this of page.

Ask, answer questions or add more facts concerning "The Yarrow Plant in First Aid as a Natural Herbal Remedy " below.
Your comment will NOT show up right away, it will be sent for approval before it will appear here. Please bookmark this page so you can check back for possible replies and answers to your questions.