Surprising & Unique Remedies
Unorthodox uses of many common household staples can solve an amazing range of simple health problems. Share your own discoveries.
Black Walnut Remedy For Ringworm
Q. I've read a couple of questions about ringworm in your column and want to give you the benefit of my experience. I grew up in the country. As a teenager, I got ringworm on the back of my leg. Sever…
Dandruff Shampoo May Ease Jock Itch
Q. Are there natural ways to keep jock itch from returning? My husband has been using Lotrimin cream or other antifungals daily for about 3 years. Within 2 or 3 days of stopping the cream, the rash al…
Silver May Turn Children Gray
Q. My daughter and her husband make their own formulation of colloidal silver. They think this mixture protects them against the flu and other infections because it provides a natural boost to the imm…
Can Castor Oil Grow Hair?
Q. At 62 years old, my hair is thinning, especially on the crown. Both my grandfathers were bald in their 70s, so this doesn't surprise me much. Yesterday, a woman I don't know stopped me in a parking…
Noxema Provides Help For Hemmorrhoids
Q. I enjoy reading about Noxzema in your column. I have used this product on my hemorrhoids for years. I used to work for General Motors as a power fork truck driver. I sat on leather seat, sweating, …
Home Remedies To Relieve Chigger Bite Misery
Q. My mother has over 100 chigger bites, and the itching is driving her crazy. What can she do to get some relief? Is there any way to prevent this from ever happening again? A: Chiggers are a type of…
New Uses For Old Mouthwash
Q. You have written about a formula using Listerine for hot spots on dogs. I tried it and it works great, but we've nearly used it up and I lost the instructions. Could you give them again? A. A horse…
Listerine Mouthwash Eases Itch From Chiggers
Q. I am intrigued by the unusual ways people use Listerine. Every summer, I am plagued with itchy chigger bites. After reading that Listerine could relieve shingles pain, I tried applying it to the bi…
Don’t Give Raisin Remedy To Dogs
Q. I am curious to know if anyone has tried the gin-soaked raisins for arthritic dogs. I have an 80 lb. dog with arthritic hips, although she is only 6. Daily aspirin and glucosamine is helping somewh…
Beware Home Remedies That Hurt
Everyone loves home remedies. Whether it's a banana peel taped to a wart or a teaspoon of sugar for hiccups, these inexpensive approaches seem harmless and amusing. But not all home remedies are safe.…
Finding Help For Hockey Bruises
Q. Are there any supplements or vitamins that speed up healing from bruising? I am a 38-year-old man and I have recently started playing ice hockey again. Needless to say, bruises are a part of the ga…
Smelly Feet Can Be Remedied
Q. My son has really smelly feet. He can't take off his shoes when we're in the car or the house, or he stinks us all out. His feet must be covered. (Fresh socks, a blanket or a hazmat response suit a…
Prevent Cancerous Chemicals When Grilling
Q. Our family is big into grilling, even the kids. Our son loves to cook burgers or chicken and my husband is noted for his spare ribs. Last week my sister and her family were over and when we fired u…
Jelly Bean Cure For Constipation
Q. I read with interest and sympathy a letter about problems with constipation. I wanted to share something that has helped me. After hearing some people complain that sugar-free jellybeans gave them …
Gum To Fight Bad Breath And Cavities
Q. I read that cinnamon is good against plaque. Can you tell me how to take it? A. Research funded by the Wrigley Company has found that chewing cinnamon gum (Big Red, for example) can kill bacteria i…
Nosebleed Remedy Yields Amazing Results
Home remedies are usually reserved for minor irritations. Hiccups, heartburn, colds and warts are often treated with remedies passed down from one generation to another. Nosebleeds are common, but the…
Can Sage Boost Brain Power As We Age?
Q. I recently read an interesting claim about the herb sage. It is said to increase mental acuity when taken orally. Apparently this is not brand new. Sage has been used this way since the middle ages…
Listerine Dazzles With Different Uses
More than 100 years ago Listerine was developed as an antiseptic. At first, surgeons used it in the operating room, but before long it became a household brand. The Lambert Pharmaceutical Company mark…
Worry Over Penis Size Causes Bashful Bladder
Q. I hope you will not laugh at my problem. My embarrassment over my small penis makes it impossible for me to use a public restroom to urinate. This causes me great trouble if I go to a football game…
Aloe Vera Eases Pain Of Cut
Q. I grew up in South Texas going to the family ranch with my father, who was an excellent self-taught botanist and biologist. He had learned a lot of folk medicine from his father's Hispanic cowhands…
Listerine And Baby Oil For Dandruff
Q. Have you ever heard of using Listerine for dandruff? Someone told me he heard it on the radio. A. A gentleman called in to our public radio show with an amazing story about Listerine mixed with bab…
Mint Makes Heartburn Worse
Q. Several years ago I was experiencing serious heartburn. I had always enjoyed chewing mint gum, and as the symptoms got worse I chewed more and more. I thought that chewing gum was helping the probl…
Flea Infestation Is Hard To Fight
Q. Help me! I have fleas! I mean, the dog has fleas but they are eating me alive. My ankles look like they have been through a meat grinder. What can I do? A. The first thing to do is treat your pet. …
Clear The Air With A Charcoal Cushion
Q. I have been searching high and low for a pillow that is supposed to deodorize gas. You sit on it and something inside the cushion traps offensive odors. If you've written about this product, please…
Podiatrist Knocks Home Remedies For Nail Fungus
Q. I am a Podiatrist, and I would like to comment on toenail fungus and treatment. When you write, "Home remedies don't always work," you imply that sometimes they do work. This is untrue. Home remedi…
Superglue Solution To Stubborn Warts
Q. I read your article on getting rid of warts by soaking them in hot water. I have a better solution. I had a huge wart come up on my stomach. I used instant glue and smothered it to death! It turned…
Natural Approaches Can Lower Cholesterol
Q. My cholesterol has ranged from 240 to 300 for years. My doctor finds these numbers unacceptable and has insisted I take medication. First I was put on Lescol. My muscles hurt so much I could barely…
Iced Tea Soothes Singed Hand
Q. I was incinerating papers in the back yard one day when the wind changed and my hand was badly burned. I rushed into the house, and my daughter, who did not know anything had happened, handed me a …
Witch Hazel Fights Off Mosquitoes
Q. I was too lazy to put on jeans yesterday afternoon and went out to weed the garden in shorts. I had no insect repellent, so of course the mosquitoes ate me alive. I was in a hurry to finish the job…
Ginkgo Restores Sexual Pleasure
Q. I started taking Gingko biloba a few months ago for leg pain due to poor circulation. I got moderate relief from the leg pains, but I also began having great orgasms! I didn't ascribe it to the her…
Television Tip Stops Hiccups
Q. I really appreciate the tips, updates and news in your column. When I read advice about halting hiccups, I'm reminded about the only sure-fire way I've ever found to stop hiccups--and I learned it …
Omega-3 Fats Restore Natural Hair Color
Q. I am responding to a recent column about omega-3 fats changing hair color. When I was 30 years old, my formerly dark brown hair had turned completely gray. Now at age 63 I have a lot of my former h…
Unfreeze Your Brain With Your Tongue
Q. What causes "brain freezes" from eating ice cream too fast? Is there any drug or supplement to prevent these excruciating headaches? A. Brain freeze, or as doctors call it, "frigid headache," occur…
Common Sense Best Guide For Health
With years of research and millions of taxpayer dollars, scientists have discovered what the old wives always knew. The cornerstone to good health is common sense. Grandma always said that to stay hea…
Vicks Vaporub Heals Sore Heels
Have you looked at your heels lately? Most people don't. But at this time of year there is a good chance they are dry and cracked like the rest of your skin. You may even have sore heels because of th…
Sticky Solution For Wound Healing
Q. I have been using honey as an ointment to prevent and treat skin infections for years. Not only does it work for cuts and scrapes, but it also works on herpes cold sores, cutting down on the length…
Do Older Folks Need To Give Up On Sex?
Q. My husband and I live in a retirement community. One common subject here is what to do when one spouse has an active sex drive but the other no longer functions in this area. Usually, the reason is…
Can Fatty Acids Cure Cocker Spaniel’s Itch…
Q. I know you mostly answer questions about human problems but I have three pedigree cocker spaniels with dry skin. They scratch all the time but have no fleas. I have tried conditioner and baby oil o…
St. John’s Wort Does Not Mix Well With Sun…
Q. I tried taking St. John's wort some time ago to relieve anxiety. After several months I found I had become sensitive to sunlight. Not only was it difficult to look at things in bright light, but I …
Cactus May Help Control Blood Sugar
Q. I am a family practitioner and want to share an herbal remedy with you. A 60-year-old male Hispanic diabetic patient has had trouble controlling his blood sugar. Despite intensive diet changes and …