Table 2A.

Practices in place of missed medicines (when conventional medicines are not available).

ACTION/PRACTICE	REASON OR TRIGGER (SYMPTOM OR SIGN)	INTERPRETATION OF TRIGGER	PERCEIVED OUTCOME
Soak feet in salt water	Swelling of feet	High BP	Prevents likely complication
Sleep on a cold surface	Burning sensations in body	High BP	Relieved
Drink cold water	Heat in the body and feet	High BP	Cooled body
Undress or sleep on a cold surface	Heat in the body and feet	High BP	Cooled body
Eat raw carrots	Itchy feeling/tingling	High BP	Partial relief
Use herbal teas or herbal coffee	Chest pain, joint pains	High BP	Partial relief
Drink water	Palpitations	High BP	Psychological relief
Take herbal medicines	No medicines at expected time for swallowing the medicines	High BP	Reduced BP
Take oral rehydration salt (ORS)	No medicines at expected time for swallowing the medicines	High sugar	Temporary relief
Walk around	Numbness of feet or toes	High sugar	Reduced numbness
Take herbal medicines	Erectile dysfunction	High sugar	Substitute medicines
Eat bitter tomatoes	Itching	High sugar	Partial relief
Take oral rehydration salt (ORS)	No medicines at expected time for swallowing the medicines	High sugar	Partial relief