Parasites
Life-Threatening Allergy to Meat Is Triggered by…
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with itchy hives all over your body. You might also find you were having trouble breathing. A trip to the ER could safe your life, but the cause of your my…
Catnip Wards Off Mosquitoes and Ticks
Q. Recently you discussed how to avoid ticks and other creepy-crawlies in the summer. Some studies show that catnip oil is as good as DEET in repelling mosquitoes, and geranium oil likewise is effecti…
Treating Lice Without Pesticides
Q. Two years ago my entire family had a severe case of head lice, including my 4-year-old daughter, 6- and 10-year-old sons and my wife. (I was spared.) We settled on the Cetaphil method. It worked 10…
Strange Allergy Starts with Tick Bite
Q. One evening five weeks ago, I had a weird allergic reaction. I hadn't had any supper or taken any medicine, so my hives were puzzling. But I had had a hamburger for lunch. And I often get tick bite…
Getting Rid of Lice
Q. My four-year-old daughter came home about two months ago with lice. My 8-year-old son caught them from her. I just shaved his head and that took care of the problem for him. But her hair is very lo…
Garlic Banished Pinworms
Q. I read your article on pinworms. As a child I had several episodes with this parasite. Because I was vomiting up the meds that were prescribed my mother called the doctor and he said to put sliced …
Don’t Trifle with Tick Fever
Q. You have written about ways to remove ticks. My advice to anyone who pulls off a tick is to save it. If you have symptoms, remember to take it to your doctor or the ER. I forgot to take my saved ti…
Persistence Pays Off Against Pinworms
Q. My neighbor's five-year-old daughter came down with a pinworm infestation. They found tiny worms crawling out of her anus. She was taken to the pediatrician and given medication. The pinworms went …
Lice Advice Provokes Rebuke
Just think about the word lice for a minute or two and the chances are good your head will start to itch. Mention the word in polite company and some people will start to move away from you. When look…
Liquid Soap Won’t Scare Off Tick
Q. My brother-in-law sent me an email about how to remove ticks. It was attributed to a school nurse who suggested applying a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball and covering the tick with the cotton…
Listerine for Lice
We have heard from several readers that Listerine can be helpful in preventing lice infestations. We recently received this testimonial from a reader about using Listerine for Lice: "The best way to p…