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Page 45
| carminative, diaphoretic, digestive tonic, diuretic, febrifuge, hypotensive, peripheral vasodilator, styptic, urinary antiseptic. |
| Uses: One of yarrow's country names is nosebleed, which confirms its traditional first aid use as an emergency styptic; simply insert a couple of fresh leaves into the nostril, and the feathery leaves provide an ideal encouragement for clotting. |
| Yarrow relaxes the peripheral blood vessels and thus can help to reduce high blood pressure; it is also cooling in fevers. Yarrow tea can be helpful for colds, influenza, hay fever and catarrh, and it can also be added to urinary remedies. Use 1 heaped teaspoon of herb to a cup of boiling water and drink up to 3 cups daily for catarrhal problems or colds. |
| Like chamomile, yarrow flowers also contain anti-allergenic compounds which are activated by steam so are only found in infusions or the distilled essential oil. These compounds make yarrow ideal for steam inhalations for hay fever or allergic rhinitis. |
| Yarrow oil is available commercially and is also anti-inflammatory. It can be used in chest rubs for colds and catarrh (use 2 drops to a teaspoon of sweet almond oil) and is also helpful for tennis elbow and joint inflammations when combined with St. John's wort infused oil (p. 39). |
| Cautions: Yarrow should be avoided in pregnancy as it is a uterine stimulant. The fresh herb can sometimes cause contact dermatitis, and in rare cases, prolonged use may increase the skin's photosensitivity. |
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