YOU don't have to rush for a prescription for minor ailments. An

increasing number of people are turning to natural remedies for a whole

range of ailments from sunburn, insomnia, dandruff, and the common cold

to migraine. The problem is finding out the best way to harness nature's

resources.

However Belinda Grant Viagas has just written a useful book, Natural

Remedies for Common Complaints (Piatkus Books, #8.99 paperback), which

looks at the underlying causes of the complaints and at suitable herbal,

or natural solutions, many of which have been used for thousands of

years. One way to help ease chronic pain, such as arthritis, is to have

a groaning session, says Viagas. ''Take a deep breath and go for it,''

she advises. Just make certain you are out of earshot of your

neighbours.

* GETTING young people to realise they have a mental health problem

that cannot be solved by them alone is difficult. Yet many experience

symptoms of a mental illness for the first time between the ages of 16

and 25.

Now a new leaflet made by young people for young people on behalf of

Glasgow Student Mental Health was launched yesterday at the Art Gallery

and Museum, Kelvingrove in conjunction with the Out of Mind, Out of

Sight exhibition.

Cath Bailey, a research psychologist at Strathclyde University who

helped write the leaflet, says: ''If you become ill, just having a chat

with a student counsellor isn't enough, you urgently need information

and access to treatment. Better still, people should know about mental

health before it affects them personally.''

The leaflet gives facts about mental illness, its causes, and various

methods of controlling illnesses. It also explains how psychiatrists,

psychologists, and self-help groups can help -- and provides useful

local addresses and telephone numbers.

* THE special needs of elderly people in care who are partially

sighted is a neglected area despite the fact that there are over 200,000

aged over 75 years in this category.

Often they are in homes without staff trained to understand their

requirements. In a bid to improve the training of carers, the Royal

National Institute for the Blind has launched a comprehensive training

package for care and Nursing Staff working with older, visually impaired

people in residential accommodation.

Called ''New Independence'', it is divided into six modules and seeks

to raise awareness of the nature of visual impairment and covers such

topics as ''Vision and Ageing'' and ''Changing the Environment''. This

material can be used by individual staff for self-directed study or in

groups with a facilitator. Further details from the Royal National

Insitute for the Blind, 224 Great Portland Street, London, W1N 6AA.

Phone: 071-636 1153.

* A NEW natural throat spray claims also to alleviate summer insect

stings and even sunburn. Called Propex, it is a natural antibiotic made

by bees from the buds and bark of specific plants and trees.

Bees line their hives with propolis to protect the inhabitants from

bacterial and viral infection. This substance was known to the Ancient

Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans and used for thousands of years. Propex is

now available from health food stores for #4.85.

* TWO new guides for menopausal women have been produced by the

medical charity, Amarant Trust. One deals with premature menopause,

before the age of 40, and the other motherhood and the menopause. Copies

of these leaflets can be obtained by sending a SAE to the Amarant Trust,

56-60 St John Street, London, EC1M 4DT.

* KEEPING the house warm, at around 21 degrees C, can reduce the risk

of a heart attack. Deaths in most countries, including Britain, are 10%

to 25% higher in winter compared with the rest of the year, says a

report in Monitor Weekly, the doctor's magazine.

Now Dr Kay-Tee Khaw from the Clinical Gerontology Unit at

Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, says the key to reducing the

increased number of deaths from heart attacks in winter is to raise the

room temperature. Social and economic policies that support

energy-efficient housing and central heating are good for health, he

concludes.

* THERE'S growing evidence that an aspirin a day reduces the risk of

stroke by as much as one third in high-risk patients. If you want to

find out more the Stroke Association issue free leaflets, Aspirin and

Stroke. For a free copy ring 071-490 7999.

* A DISTURBING report in the British Medical Journal suggests that a

patient who goes to a GP with a self diagnosis of ME is less likely to

be accepted on the doctor's list. The report, from Edinburgh University

Department of Pyschology, says GPs fear such patients are less likely to

accept treatment, will pose problems, and will take up a lot of time.