Surprising & Unique Remedies
Unorthodox uses of many common household staples can solve an amazing range of simple health problems. Share your own discoveries.
Will Vicks VapoRub Help Your Athlete’s Foo…
If you have ever struggled with persistent athlete's foot, you know it can be hard to eradicate this fungal infection. Of course, there are plenty of over-the-counter products for treating it. In addi…
What Will MSM Do for Joint Pain?
Arthritis creates such dilemmas for its sufferers. Some medications alleviate pain reasonably well, but many or most of them have serious side effects. Narcotics cause addiction if they are used for e…
How Milk of Magnesia Cleared Stubborn Blemishes
Stubborn blemishes can be extremely distressing. People with moderate to severe acne sometimes report that they feel embarrassed by a bad outbreak. They often withdraw from social interaction. One rea…
Be Prepared for Summer with The People’s P…
When was the last time you updated your first aid kit? Now that summer is in full swing, it is high time to make sure you are well equipped for any contingency. Besides all the normal equipment, we ar…
How to Cure Swamp Rash with Milk of Magnesia
The ingenuity of our readers always impresses us. We recently heard from a reader who recommended an unusual treatment for a friend. She later had an occasion to use this home remedy herself. Who knew…
Is There a Problem Taking Melatonin to Sleep?
Chronic insomnia wears you down. It also contributes to a range of health problems, from high blood pressure to diabetes. But many of the medications people take to get to sleep are not intended for l…
Can You Cure Your Plantar Warts with Hot Water?
Plantar warts are those that appear on the soles of the feet. You might catch the human papillomavirus that causes plantar warts if you go barefoot in a shared locker room or swimming pool area. Likew…
Hyaluronic Acid Offers Minimal Relief for Sore K…
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are staples for treating arthritis pain. However, such medicines, including nonprescription versions such as ibuprofen or naproxen, have risks. Even aceta…
Removing a Splinter Without Tears
Do you have a favorite trick for removing a splinter? Many families have a "traditional" approach to this common medical problem that may have been handed down for at least a generation or two. Two of…
Putting Old Familiar Brands to New Weird Uses
Do you remember the old TV show called MacGyver? “Mac,” the hero, worked for some secret government agency. He was always being called upon to save the day by repurposing old familiar brands and p…
How to Use Cold Keys to Stop Your Nosebleed
Nosebleeds are common, messy and embarrassing. No one likes to drip blood all over everything. Your first reaction might be to try to stop the blood with a handful of paper tissues, but that doesn't a…
How to Prevent and Stop the Itch of Mosquito Bit…
Some people are mosquito magnets. They attract mosquitoes like honey draws flies. A bunch of people can be sitting around the back yard enjoying themselves and not being bothered by mosquitoes. That…
Grated Apple and Toast Calm Kids’ Diarrhea
Loose stools are a common problem among babies and toddlers, and parents often search for simple effective treatments. When kids' diarrhea is severe, doctors usually recommend oral rehydration with a …
Brain Freeze Breaks Migraine Cycle
Could an ice cream headache help interrupt a migraine or a cycle of migraines? For years, doctors thought there was no relationship whatsoever between the two types of headaches (Bird, MacGregor &…
Castor Oil Helped Prevent Knee Surgery
Castor oil is an old-time remedy. The oil comes from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant, which has been used for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians used castor oil in their lamps because i…
Will Urine Cure Nail Fungus & Athlete’…
For many years, readers were eager to share their home remedies for toenail fungus. During much of that time, doctors had little to offer patients who wanted to clear this unsightly infection. The pre…
Will Sniffing Alcohol Ease Nausea After Surgery?
Most of the time when we learn about an unusual home remedy, we have no idea how or even whether it works. So we were thrilled last year when we came across an actual placebo-controlled trial of sniff…
Walking at Home Can Help Ease Leg Pain from Peri…
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition in which the arteries of the limbs narrow. As a result, they become unable to deliver adequate blood flow to the muscles. The typical symptoms are severe…
Show 1297: How Chimps Treat Wounds Sheds Light o…
In our nationally syndicated radio show we are live this week for the first time in more than two years. First, we speak with biologist Simone Pika about her very interesting observations of chimpanze…
Many Remedies May Rout Jock Itch
Our skin is swarming with microbes we can't see. Most of them are beneficial, or at least not harmful. Occasionally, however, one species or another gets a bit out of hand. That's what we think is hap…
Can You Use Oil of Oregano With Confidence?
For years, readers have been telling us that they use oil of oregano as an antifungal or antimicrobial agent. Scientists have found data to support this use. For example, oregano oil applied topically…
How to Ease Restless Legs Syndrome with Soap Und…
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological condition in which a person feels an irresistible urge to move the legs. The movement can temporarily ease restless legs syndrome. Moving relieves an unc…
How Would You Know If Home Remedies Work?
Ask most health professionals about home remedies and you are likely to get a disparaging reaction. Such treatments are relegated to the dustbin of old wives’ tales: quaint but ineffective. Physicia…
Can You Use Coconut Oil to Ease Vaginal Dryness?
Say "menopause" and most people will immediately think of hot flashes. While they certainly can be disturbing, there are many other symptoms that women may find equally troublesome. One is vaginal dis…
Too Much Potassium Poses Danger
We refer to potassium as the "Goldilocks" mineral. That's because too much potassium or too little can cause serious health problems. Potassium needs to be "just right." Normally, the body handles p…
Painful Cracked Lips Linked to Digestive Disorde…
From time to time, we hear from people with painful cracked lips looking for an explanation and, hopefully, a way to address the problem. If the cracks have appeared at the corners of the mouth, as th…
Will Soy Sauce Ease Your Burn Pain?
If you have ever had hot liquid splash on your hand accidentally, you've looked for a burn remedy. Holding the singed fingers under cold tap water is the recommended first aid, but it may ease your bu…
Vicks on the Soles of Your Feet Is Better Than D…
On Paul Simon's Grammy award winning album "Graceland" is an amazing song titled "Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes." Take a moment to watch it being performed with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Link to e…
Laxative Helps Remove Earwax
Over 15 years ago a listener to our syndicated public radio show sent us a question about ear wax (cerumen). This person wanted to know why putting a laxative in the ear helps remove earwax: Q. I was …
How Plants Like Thyme and Oregano Make Cancer-Fi…
Researchers at Purdue University have unraveled just how plants like thyme and oregano make some of their bioactive compounds. Thymol, carvacrol and thymohydroquinone provide the characteristic flavor…
When Should You Worry About Hiccups?
Have you ever had hiccups? Almost everyone has. They can be annoying, embarrassing and uncomfortable, but hiccups generally go away on their own. When hiccups last for more than two days, though, they…
Is Quinine in Tonic Water Safe?
Quinine is bitter. It gives tonic water a distinctive flavor. People who love gin and tonic savor the unique bite of this drink, especially if you throw in a lime or lemon wedge. Quinine also has medi…
Can We Help With Your Holiday Shopping?
Holiday shopping can be quite a challenge, and this year is not an exception. In addition to making your list and pairing gifts to recipients, there's the quandary–is it safe to venture out to the m…
Does Berberine Protect Against Prostate Cancer?
Berberine is a fascinating compound. It is one of the key constituents of the Oregon grape holly plant (Mahonia aquifolium). Traditionally, this natural compound was used to treat digestive disorders …
Is Vicks Dangerous Against Hemorrhoids?
We are always astonished at the remedies people use to treat hemorrhoids. We once made the mistake of sharing one of those remedies on public television. Ooops! We are stating for the record: Do Not P…
Natural Approaches for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is common and challenging to treat. People who have IBS may feel incredibly frustrated because often doctors tell them there is no observable problem. All the same, they…
Is Listerine a First Aid Kit in a Bottle?
Some household staples are so versatile that people use them for nearly everything. Where would we be without baking soda and vinegar in the kitchen cupboard and Epsom salts or Vicks VapoRub in the ba…
Will CBD for Pain Make You Fail the Marijuana Te…
One lesson learned from the terrible opioid crisis of the past few years: a lot of Americans are in a lot of pain. With doctors increasingly reluctant to prescribe narcotics for pain relief, people ar…
The Best Soap Story Ever!
We do not know why so many health professionals are offended by home remedies in general and soap in particular. The idea that putting a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of the bed to combat leg cra…
Can You Stop Bleeding with Black Pepper?
We have been collecting home remedies for more than 40 years. One of the most unusual came to us from Nell Heard, who told us about a camping trip to Yellowstone National Park. She went with her siste…