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How to Use Herbal Therapies to Help Live With AIDS HIV

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(2 Ratings)

Herbal therapies are sometimes used in conjunction with other treatment methods to help people live with HIV and AIDS. Though herbal therapy is often viewed as an alternative form of medical care, many common medications are derived from herbs.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Consult your doctor or primary-care physician about using herbal therapies. In general, it is not recommended to use herbal therapies as your primary-treatment method for HIV and AIDS.

  2. Step 2

    Explore why some people choose herbal therapy as a treatment method as opposed to conventional medications. Not surprisingly, herbs are generally much less expensive than prescription medications, yet some have positive benefits that support the overall health of the body. Some people also appreciate the fact that herbs are from the earth and are not engineered with chemicals.

  3. Step 3

    Learn about herbal therapies used to help treat the symptoms of AIDS. Understand that though certain herbs have minor success at reducing the level of HIV in the blood stream, conventional medications are still significantly more effective.

  4. Step 4

    Try using boxwood extract, a substance taken from the stems and leaves of the plant, to help treat AIDS. Boxwood has been shown to slow the progress of damage to the immune system, and it may decrease the level of the virus found in your blood. Still, some substances found in the boxwood plant can lead to muscle spasms and paralysis, so be sure to only use the plant under the guidance of your doctor.

  5. Step 5

    Use herbal therapy while undergoing other forms of alternative medicine. Natural-treatment methods, such as yoga, massage and acupuncture, actually help prepare the body for herbal therapy by relaxing and strengthening the muscles.

  6. Step 6

    Take licorice extract, as long as you do not have high blood pressure or heart disease. Licorice has been shown to slow down the further growth of the HIV virus.

Tips & Warnings
  • Use herbal therapy as part of an overall healthy lifestyle that includes a regimented plan of daily exercise and a well-balanced diet of nutritious foods. In order to live more comfortably with HIV and AIDS, it's necessary to keep your body as healthy as possible.
  • You should notify your doctor when beginning a new form of treatment, regardless of whether it is a more traditional treatment or an alternative form, so that she can help keep track of any side effects or reactions.
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