Herbal remedies: not just for hippies

AT his practices in Greater Manchester medicinal herbalist, Jesper Launder says less than one third of his patients are men. "Probably the most common reason is bravado," he says. "Men generally aren't good at dealing with health issues. That is the same for all therapies not just herbalism. Women are generally much more confident talking about problems even if it's of an intimate nature."The idea behind herbalism is to treat the underlying causes of illness rather than the symptoms alone. An initial consultation with a herbalist will take about an hour, during which a full case history will be taken to assess overall health and to look at the underlying causes of any health complaints.

As part of the consultation a herbalist might also check pulse, blood pressure and for some conditions, listen to your chest.Medicine is usually prescribed as a combination herbal tincture - an individually prepared remedy based on six to nine herbs. Herbal teas are sometimes used, and creams and ointments may also be given.STRESS Stress is one of the biggest health issues for men and includes related problems such as depression, fatigue, exhaustion and panic attacks."I often see men when they have reached breaking point," Jesper says.

"When they are rock bottom it takes a lot longer to recover, which is why I try to encourage people to recognise when their stress levels are getting too high so that it is easier to manage."Jesper encourages people to take steps to reduce the stress in their life and to change their response to it, such as tackling one task at a time and setting time aside to relax."Learning a relaxation technique, such as meditation or yoga, can be very helpful," he says. However, there are a number of remedies useful in treating stress and anxiety including lemon balm, scull cap, wild oats, ginseng and valerian.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART DISEASE

Heart disease accounts for one in five deaths in men under 75.It is not advisable to self-medicate for heart disease and high blood pressure, however, there are herbal remedies that you can take to help prevent the risk of future problems."Hawthorn, either berries of flowers, is one of our most useful native medicinal plants," says Jesper. "It contains large amounts of plant pigments, known as flavonoids, that have a marked antioxidant effect in our body and particularly on the cardio-vascular system."Jesper stresses, however, that, if you are already on medication for any heart or circulatory disorders, Hawthorn should not be taken as an over the counter medicine without consulting a specialist.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Erectile dysfunction is repeated difficulty in achieving an erection and more than half of all men over 40 will experience this problem at some time.Lifestyle factors have an influence such as smoking and drinking as well as psychological factors such as anxiety, worry, stress or depression.But there are underlying medical conditions that can be linked too such as diabetes, heart and circulatory diseases or multiple sclerosis. Injury to the spine and nerve damage can also cause it."A lot of men who come to me do so for sexual complaints, although they might only mention it after a couple of sessions," Jesper says.

Jesper says that herbal medicine can often help but may take a week or so to improve the condition - there is no direct alternative to Viagra. He suggests trying ginseng, which both increases circulation and improves resistance to stress. Ginseng should not be used if you suffer from high blood pressure, have a tendency towards manic states or if you drink a lot of caffeine.

PROSTATE PROBLEMS

The prostate is a gland located between a man's bladder and urethra (the tube that takes urine from the bladder to the end of the penis). It often enlarges when men reach their mid-40s and symptoms of this, which are very common in men over 50, are, feeling that you have not completely emptied your bladder after urinating, waking up often at night to urinate, urinating often and needing to push or strain to start the urine stream.

Jesper suggests trying Saw Palmetto which has been found to be useful in the treatment of benign enlargement of the prostate gland. The medication is thought to relieve only the difficulties associated with an enlarged prostate without reducing the enlargement.

PSORIASIS

Psoriasis is a skin condition that can occur in both men and women and commonly affects about one in 50 men.Psoriasis is a vast acceleration of the usual replacement processes of the skin, which appears as raised red patches of skin covered with silvery scales. It can occur on any part of the body although elbows, knees and the scalp are the most common. The exact cause is unknown although it is thought to be linked to certain genes and this genetic tendency can then be triggered off by such things as injury, throat infection, certain drugs and physical and emotional stress."Herbalists tend to look at skin complaints like psoriasis and eczema as an external (on the skin) reflection of internal problems," says Jesper."This means that two people with very similar looking psoriasis for example might well be treated differently," he explains.For those looking to try a single herbal remedy initially, Jesper recommends sarsaparilla, which is thought of as a blood cleanser as well as being appropriate for rheumatic complaints. You can also try blue flag root, a North American member of the Iris family.