(From shine.com)

When it comes to minor ailments like headaches and motion sickness, I don’t really like to take medications. I’d rather use a kitchen-based remedy to soothe my symptoms. And I’m not the only one. A recent survey reported that worries about the economy are driving more people to alternative remedies as they look for ways to save money on expensive doctor visits and prescription medicines.

Here’s the truth about home remedies for 5 common ailments:

1. You’ve heard: “Grab a cup of coffee to relieve a headache.”

The Truth: Better make it two cups. Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—does provide relief from headaches, including migraines. However, relying on caffeine long-term can backfire.

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2. You’ve heard: “If you’re feeling queasy, sip some ginger ale.”

The Truth: It turns out that ginger ale doesn’t help nausea. But ginger itself may help control nausea related to pregnancy, surgical anesthesia and even sailing the high seas. So if you’re feeling queasy, steep 1 to 2 grams of fresh gingerroot (1 gram is about the size of a quarter) in boiling water to make a tea or eat about 2 teaspoons of candied ginger.

But don’t go overboard: consuming more than 6 grams of ginger in one sitting can irritate the stomach. As for ginger ale: only a few companies use real ginger in their brews—and since most manufacturers don’t disclose amounts of ingredients it’s hard to know whether even those drinks have enough ginger to provide anti-nausea benefits.

3. You’ve heard: “Treat a urinary tract infection by drinking lots of cranberry juice.”

The Truth: Drinking cranberry juice can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to several studies. Find out how much juice you need to drink or how many dried cranberries you need to eat to prevent UTIs.

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Migraines and other types of headache — such as tension headache and sinus headache — are painful and can rob you of quality of life. Migraine symptoms include a pounding headache, nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivity. Headache remedies include various types of pain relievers. Migraine treatments may also include antinausea drugs and medications to prevent or stop headaches.

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The folks over at FitSugar wrote about this tried-and-true trick:

“When you’re stressed and feel the tension mounting you can fight the inevitable headache with a little acupressure,” they write. “The point at the base of your thumb, known as Union Valley, helps redirect blocked energy known as chi in Chinese medicine. To find this tension taming spot, open your palm wide stretching all five fingers. The little mound of flesh where your thumb meets your palm is the Union Valley. Take the index finder and thumb from your opposite hand and give that spot a moderate squeeze. Hold for about 30 seconds wile breathing slowly and deeply. Repeat two to three more times, then switch hands. File this tip away for the next time you feel the beginnings of a tension headache.”

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