Drug and alcohol detoxing is a prime example. Many alcoholics and addicts choose to go “cold turkey” when they decide to kick the habit. But suddenly dropping a habit that’s become part of your lifestyle can cause convulsions, hallucinations, nausea and even heart seizures. Unless the person who is detoxing is monitored, he or she potentially could die if the symptoms are severe.

Some people who develop an earache believe earwax is responsible for their pain. So they seek to remove it by so-called “ear candling,” which uses a candle-like beeswax cone that burns down and allegedly removes the earwax and other impurities when removed.

What this ignores is that earwax is a natural lubricant that waterproofs the ear and prevents infections. Worse, lighting a flame and putting it near your ear may burn your ear canal and eardrum, and may actually cause hearing loss. Using ear candling as a home remedy ignores the fact that a competent ear, nose and throat doctor may be able to suggest ear drops to clear any excessive wax.

Other Home Cure Dangers

Colon cleansing is another popular yet dangerous home practice. It’s used by people who believe that their colon has all sorts of impacted toxic products and that flushing them out will be beneficial. What this ignores is that the colon has lots of valuable bacteria that help to break down food and help eliminate it from your body. Washing that out of your system can disrupt the process and potentially lead to anemia and malnutrition or dehydration.