Surprising & Unique Remedies
Unorthodox uses of many common household staples can solve an amazing range of simple health problems. Share your own discoveries.
Hot Water for Itchy Bug Bites
Like most people, we love spending tie outdoors in warm weather, but we hate itchy bug bites. While some potent topical steroids (such as clobetasol) can be helpful, you need a prescription to access …
Why Would Anyone Try Wacky Arthritis Remedy from…
Joint pain is such a common problem that people have invented many different approaches to easing it. One wacky arthritis remedy was reputed to be the recommendation of the famous Mayo brothers, found…
Soy Sauce Helps Ease the Pain of a Burn
Sometimes we learn about a surprising home remedy and then we hear from scores or even hundreds of people that they have used it successfully. More than a decade ago, a listener to our radio show call…
Backyard Weed Calms Poison Ivy Itch
If you are out in the woods or fields this summer, you'll want to be wary of a noxious weed that can cause a terrible itchy rash. We are referring, of course, to poison ivy. Poison oak and poison suma…
Tagamet for Warts and Shingles!
Cimetidine (Tagamet) was the first prescription H2 antagonist to ease symptoms of heartburn and heal ulcers. It was introduced in the U.S. in 1977 as a prescription medication. This drug became a gian…
Ginger Is Brilliant Remedy for Post-Operative Na…
Post-operative nausea can be very troubling. People who have had any type of abdominal surgery definitely want to avoid throwing up. In addition to the usual unpleasantness, vomiting after surgery cou…
Does Castor Oil Get Rid of Warts and Scars?
People have been using the castor bean (Ricinus communis) for thousands of years to treat an amazing number of maladies. The seeds are also a source of ricin, one of the most toxic chemicals known to …
Is Chasteberry a Natural Way to Ease Hot Flashes…
Hot flashes are the signature symptom of menopause. Some women are barely troubled by them, while others are incapacitated. Most women in menopause would like to find a way to ease hot flashes, though…
Show 1340: Were the Old Wives Right?
This week’s episode begins with an interview. We talk with Dr. Craig Hopp of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health about why doctors so often dismiss home remedies as old wive…
Will Chinese Herb Andrographis Ease Misery of Fl…
As we move into spring, flu season is receding. We will not hear public health announcements urging us to get our flu shots for another six months. But the question remains: what can you do if you cat…
Getting Off Omeprazole
Is it smart to block the production of stomach acid with powerful proton pump inhibitor drugs (PPIs)? Millions of people take these drugs to control acid reflux, ulcers or gastroesophageal reflux dise…
Will Boosting Your Step Count Save Your Life?
How many steps do you take a day? You may have heard that you should be taking 10,000 steps a day. Initially, that ideal step count was not based on evidence, but rather was a marketing maneuver. Howe…
Vicks on the Feet Calms Night Cough: Not a Place…
We have no idea why someone first experimented with Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet. We do know that whenever we publish a story about putting Vicks on the feet for a nighttime cough we hear fr…
What Are the Best Remedies for Under-Breast Rash…
Women rarely talk about one delicate problem that many of them experience. It is especially common when the weather is warm and humid. These conditions favor the growth of yeast or fungus under the br…
Can Turmeric Milk Remedy Relieve Hip Bursitis Pa…
If you have ever had to endure hip bursitis pain, you can appreciate the problem. One reader found turmeric milk mixed with cinnamon and cayenne pepper can be used for a remedy that was surprisingly e…
Can You Overcome Depression with Exercise?
Millions of people globally are suffering from depression or anxiety. There is some good news, however. An overview of systematic reviews (an "umbrella review") of more than a thousand randomized cont…
How to Help Arthritis Pain with Chair Yoga
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University report that chair yoga can be an effective treatment for people suffering from osteoarthritis pain (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, online Dec. 2…
Psilocybin from Mushrooms Can Ease Depression
Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Humans have used this magic mushroom compound in rituals for thousands of years. The compound alters sensory perceptions and even t…
Can Acupressure Wrist Bands Help You Get to Slee…
Far too many Americans sleep less than the recommended seven hours a night, according to the CDC. Are you among them? Sleep difficulties can come from having trouble falling asleep or from waking in t…
Power Pudding Is Nurses’ Secret Weapon Aga…
Americans are experiencing an epidemic of chronic constipation. A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology (June, 2020) reports that CIC (chronic idiopathic constipation) "affects 9…
Could Hydrogen Peroxide Get Rid of Seborrheic Ke…
We frequently get questions about home remedies to remove the "barnacles" that appear on our skin as we age. Doctors call this type of skin spot a seborrheic keratosis. Here is a link to a collection …
Will Your Hiccups Go Away If You Reach and Sip?
Have you ever tried to make hiccups go away with a home remedy? There are dozens, at least! Some sound entirely plausible, while others appear quite improbable. They all have one thing in common: a fe…
Can Vicks VapoRub on Your Soles Calm Your Cough?
Sometimes a cough can linger on long after the respiratory infection that triggered it has vanished. What do you do for such a cough? We have heard from a surprising number of people that smearing Vic…
Warning–Don’t Use Bleach to Treat Athlet…
People are aware that bleach (sodium hypochlorite) has powerful cleaning power. They use this familiar household product to remove stains from sheets, towels and white clothes. Some also use diluted b…
When Drugs Are Dangerous, Natural Remedies Ease …
People with arthritis often face a terrible dilemma because the medications that are most commonly used to ease stiffness and discomfort in the joints can have nasty side effects. NSAIDs such as diclo…
What Can You Use for Psoriasis If You Can’…
Although no one knows precisely what causes psoriasis, most experts believe this skin condition gets worse when the immune system is especially stressed. Skin cell growth goes into overdrive, and cell…
Can Soap Chips in Your Socks Ease Leg Cramps?
Leg cramps can be terribly painful. Athletes exercising in hot weather do all they can to avoid them, including sipping pickle juice. But ordinary mortals can get them, too, during daytime activities …
Have You Tried Elderberry to Ease Your Cold Symp…
What is your favorite cold remedy? Sometimes people rely on drugstore products, but they may not be aware of the potential side effects from a multi-symptom cold product. As a result, we frequently pr…
Can Taking a Probiotic Product Help You Sleep Be…
If you have heard about taking a probiotic product, a pill or beverage containing millions or billions of beneficial bacteria, chances are you were thinking about digestive health. Some people take su…
Are There Helpful Home Remedies for Eczema?
Eczema is a common skin problem, sometimes referred to as "the itch that rashes." Doctors call this condition atopic dermatitis. They don’t know precisely what causes it, although some individuals h…
What Are the Natural Remedies for Gout?
Gout is a miserable condition. It causes intense, excruciating pain, redness and swelling in one or more joints. Often, the pain may start at the base of the big toe, but other joints frequently hurt …
How to Use Soap in Bed for Nighttime Leg Cramps
If you suffer from leg cramps that wake you up at night, you've no doubt sought some way to prevent them. Some people have been advised to take minerals such as magnesium or potassium to ward off leg …
Will Cannabis Cream Really Ease Neuropathy?
People with neuropathy are often desperate for relief. The causes of this nerve pain may vary, from drug side effects to the aftermath of an infection. Sometimes too little or too much of a common vit…
Listerine, Vicks & Vinegar Curing Nail Fung…
Nail fungus is a common complaint. Often, people with this condition find it annoying and want to get rid of it. Prescription drugs to treat nail fungus (also called "onychomycosis") take a long time …
What Natural Remedies Could Help Neuropathy?
Neuropathy (pain, numbness or tingling, usually in the feet or hands) is caused by a malfunction of the nerves in the skin. We need such nerves to tell us about the world around us, and when they st…
Show 1322: Herbs for Healing and Optimal Wellnes…
This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we talk with two physicians who have looked closely at the research on using herbs for healing. Sometimes, people dismiss the medicines we can find i…
Does Acupuncture Safely Relieve Back Pain During…
Pregnant people often experience lower back or pelvic pain during pregnancy. progresses. This poses a dilemma, since medications used to alleviate pain may not be safe for the developing fetus. An ana…
Milk of Magnesia Is Magnificent Deodorant
Most of us think of milk of magnesia as a liquid laxative. That is how it is marketed, and it is certainly effective for that purpose. But many readers have found that topical milk of magnesia makes a…
Aromatherapy | Can a Sniff of Alcohol Relieve Na…
Have you ever experienced nausea? Who hasn’t? It’s a terrible feeling. It can be brought on by vertigo or medications. Cancer chemotherapy drugs are notorious for triggering unrelenting nausea and…
How to Make Warts Disappear by Buying Them
Warts are mysterious growths on the skin that are caused by the human papillomavirus. If you wonder why we term them mysterious, just think back to a case of warts you have witnessed or experienced. W…