Treating coughs caused by colds with guava leaves.

According to traditional medicine, the entire guava tree has medicinal properties. The roots of the guava tree have a sweet and bitter taste, a cooling nature, and are effective in clearing heat.

According to traditional medicine, the entire guava tree has medicinal properties. The roots have a sweet and bitter taste, a cooling nature, and are used to clear heat. The leaves have a cooling nature and are used to reduce inflammation, relieve itching, and treat snake bites. The flowers have a sweet, mild taste, a cooling nature, and are used to stop bleeding. However, people usually only harvest the leaves, flowers, and branches, dry them, and use them as medicine.

The fragrant guava tree, also known as the five-colored tree, four-season flower, four-time flower, single-flowered guava, grape guava, guava blossom, or called "nha khi mu" by the Tay people, is a small, shrub-like plant, 1-2 meters tall. Its square stem is covered with rough hairs and has downward-curving thorns. The branches extend far. The leaves are opposite, oval-shaped, with a rounded or heart-shaped base, a pointed tip, and evenly serrated edges.

The flowers grow in clusters at the leaf axils and branch tips, forming a spherical, pseudo-head-shaped inflorescence. The entire plant has a distinctive pungent smell. Flowering and fruiting season is from April to September. The plant grows wild in many places, commonly found on hills, open fields, and forest edges. Nowadays, people often cultivate it as an ornamental plant because of its beautiful flowers that bloom year-round. The flowers of the guava tree come in various colors such as red, yellow, and orange, growing in spherical clusters that closely resemble a head, making them very attractive.

Some traditional remedies based on experience.

Lesson 1To treat a cold: Take a handful each of guava leaves, lemon leaves, pomelo leaves, lemongrass leaves, bamboo leaves, basil leaves, perilla leaves, cypress leaves, and kudzu leaves. Wash them thoroughly and boil them in water to make a steam inhalation remedy for a cold. Afterwards, eat hot porridge and cover yourself with a blanket.

Lesson 2Treatment for coughs caused by cold: Take 20g of fresh guava flowers or 10g of dried guava flowers, decoct with 500ml of water until only 100ml remains, and drink throughout the day. Use alone or in combination with 8g each of charred Sophora japonica flowers and Angelica dahurica root. Sugar can be added to make it easier to drink. This decoction also treats colds, fevers, and high blood pressure. Use for 5 consecutive days.

Lesson 3For hemostasis, antiseptic, and treatment of small wounds: Combine 30g of guava leaves and flowers with 10g of fresh ginger, dry them in the sun or oven, grind them into a fine powder, and sprinkle it on the wound. Change the dressing once a day. Alternatively, use fresh guava leaves, wash them, crush them, and apply them to the wound. If the wound is large, provide first aid and then go to a medical facility for emergency treatment.

Lesson 4To treat diabetes insipidus: Take the entire branch, leaves, and flowers of the fragrant guava tree and dry them. Cut them into pieces and put them in a sealed jar. Use gradually, each day taking about 40g, adding 500ml of water, boiling down to 150ml, and drinking it instead of tea daily. Combining this with eating porridge made from yam and water lily tubers is even better. Use for 10 consecutive days.

Lesson 5:Treatment for itching and rashes: Boil 30-50g of guava leaves and flowers to make a concentrated decoction, then use it for bathing and soaking daily.

Note:Lantana camara L., belonging to the Verbenaceae family, should not be confused with Ageratum conyzoides L., belonging to the Asteraceae family, which is used to treat sinusitis.

According to Health and Life