Bloodroot

Other name : Sanguinaria canadensis
Bloodroot is a plant. People use the underground stem (rhizome) to make medicine.

Special Precautions of Bloodroot

• In general, bloodroot products like paste, tinctures, salves, oils etc, should be taken after consulting a professional alternative medicine expert because bloodroot has certain toxic properties and can cause certain adverse effects like skin rashes and visual distortions if not administered correctly.
• Some other common side effects of using bloodroot include feeling faint, vertigo, nausea, vomiting and headaches.
• One of the most popular bloodroot uses is through topical or external applications of bloodroot paste and salves in treating skin cancer. However, do take note that this could result in certain major bloodroot side effects like disfigurement.
• Due to its power and effectiveness while treating skin tags, bloodroot should be administered with extreme caution and it shouldn't come in contact with healthy skin because it will result in damaging it. It is therefore advisable that bloodroot salve or bloodroot paste isn't applied to skin tags on eyelids or any other sensitive areas like genitals, etc.
• Bloodroot juice should not be taken internally since it is toxic and poisonous.
• It is highly unsafe to apply bloodroot juice to the skin since this herb is considered to be an escharotic, a substance that kills tissue.
• Bloodroot contains certain chemical substances that might increase bleeding when used with an anti-coagulating agent. The same could happen when used with certain anti-platelet an anti-angiogenic medications.
• Bloodroot might also have certain adverse effects if taken by patients who are on anti-arrhythmic medications.
• Patients suffering from glaucoma should not take any form of bloodroot.
• The various bloodroot uses are also not recommended for pregnant women, breast-feeding women, and children.
• Some people feel that bloodroot salve or paste is not recommended as a self-treatment method to cure skin cancers since it isn't possible for self-medicated bloodroot salve to treat all the malignant cancerous tissue. This, of course, is very much a matter of personal choice, and bloodroot salves have in fact proven effective for numerous people.
• While extracting the sap from the roots of the bloodroot plant, it is always advisable to wear rubber gloves because the sap has certain very powerful properties and, if absorbed by the skin, can cause dizziness, headaches and nausea. Skin inflammations have also been reported in some cases.
• Last but not least, although it grows extensively, it is important that only cultivated bloodroot herbs be used and not bloodroot that grows in the wild.

The benefits of Bloodroot are

• Bloodroot is used to cause vomiting, empty the bowels, and reduce tooth pain. It is also used to treat croup, hoarseness (laryngitis), sore throat (pharyngitis), poor circulation in the surface blood vessels, nasal polyps, achy joints and muscles (rheumatism), warts, and fever.
• Some people apply bloodroot directly to the skin around wounds to remove dead tissue and promote healing. During the mid-1800s, bloodroot extracts were applied to the skin as part of the Fell Technique for treatment of breast tumors.
• In dentistry, bloodroot is used on the teeth to reduce the build-up of plaque. Plaque is a film of saliva, mucus, bacteria, and food particles that can promote gum disease.