Old time remedies: Some carry their weight some fall flat
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What works, what doesn't
Here's the breakdown of some of the tips readers sent in and a few others:
Remedy: Kerosene oil for insect bites, minor scrapes, sore muscles and bruises: Experts say: Don't try it.
Remedy: Vinegar for cooking, cleaning, gardening, laundry, health, automotive and pets: Experts say: Yes, it works.
Remedy: Comet paste on cuts or sores: Experts say: Don't try it. Comet contains detergents and irritants that should not be used on cuts.
Remedy: A teaspoon of honey a day keeps allergies away: Experts say: It's good food, but won't cure allergies.
Remedy: Penny on a bee sting to relieve the pain: Experts say: There's no medical evidence it works. Pennies are made up of 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper. There's nothing magical about these ingredients.
Remedy: Cream and butter for ulcers: Experts say: It's only a very temporary ease of discomfort. It's better to go your doctor for the cure.
He soaked his hand twice for about 15 minutes.
"It worked overnight. It's not sore anymore," said the Shreveport owner of Ace Electric Motor Service, who still works five days a week.
You have to make sure it's made from coal, added Brown, "We used to call it coal oil."
Mark Ryan, the director of Louisiana Poison Control, doesn't think it's a good idea.
"There's no medical basis for this," Ryan said. "The hydrocarbons could actually irritate the site further and prolong the healing and possibly increase the chances of infection."
Brown's kerosene cure is just one of several The Times found when it went hunting for old home remedies. Experts and The Times research help demystify their worth.
Vinegar
Minnie Auvil, 70, was quick to contact The Times after one of many contaminated food scares of the past year hit the news.
"I never cook meat or vegetables without washing it in vinegar first," said Auvil, of Panola, Texas. "I wipe my kitchen cabinets down with it every night and use it to mop with. You know the little container in your dishwasher that's used to make your glasses sparkle? Mine is filled with a mix of about one-fourth cup of vinegar to a gallon of water. I keep it on my counter at all times."
Auvil uses it for ear infections, for coughs and to sterilize camp water.
"When I go camping and draw water out of the tap, I'll put a teaspoon to every gallon," Auvil said. "It doesn't taste bad, but it will make you thirsty and make you want to drink more."
The uses for vinegar don't stop there. Numerous Web sites and books spell out more than 1,000 uses for the liquid that is produced from the fermentation of ethanol. Its key ingredient: acetic acid.
Jodie Wankowski, of Bossier City, who buys three gallons of vinegar every two weeks and uses it for everything from weed control to a beauty product to cleaning and cooking, came by her vinegar knowledge honestly.
"My grandmother was a Depression-era baby from the North and used it for everything," Wankowski said. "She was very frugal and always had her measuring cup out."
One of Wankowski's most valuable uses for the product is for daughter Angelica's eczema and food allergies.
"We've had to learn to use natural cleaning products and food additives, but this can be pricey. Vinegar is a cheap alternative," Wankowski said. "In the beginning we tried all the customary over-the-counter products, but none of them worked. We've used vinegar for past two years and nothing else."
Wankowski makes a soak for Angelica of eight ounces of apple cider vinegar in a warm bath.
"It stops itchy skin and sore muscles," she said. "You can also use it for dandruff; just massage full-strength vinegar on your scalp a few times a week before shampooing."
Vinegar has also saved the family a lot of money.
"It will replace most of chemical cleaners in your home and using a mix of one part vinegar to two parts water will tackle tough carpet stains," said the young mom of three, who's a hit on camping trips when she pulls out the vinegar to clean the tent. "Yeah, it smells, but once you rinse it away, or burn a smell over it, it's not bad. And the smell actually keeps ants out of your house."
Wankowski is not embarrassed to admit she's frugal just like her grandmother.
"(Being frugal) is a lost art, but it's coming back into popularity," she said. "People are beginning to look for greener things. If it works better and it's cheaper, it benefits everybody."
While Mark Ryan agrees that vinegar is good for many things, he does offer some warnings.
"Vinegar is an excellent cleanser and has hundreds of various applications and is found in many cleaning agents, especially window cleaners," Ryan said. "But it should not be mixed with other cleaning agents. It's an acid and could react with ingredients in other products."
He's also heard of its use for bee and wasp stings, but says it's only been shown to be beneficial for jellyfish stings.
"Vinegar prevents the stinging cells (nematocysts) from firing," Ryan said. "This prevents further injury while the tentacles and stinging cells are removed from the patient."
The acidity gives vinegar its astringent effect and antibacterial properties, Ryan said, and this is why it's good for acne or other skin conditions.
"But it can be very irritating to open cuts or abraded skin," he warned.
Honey
Even the Mayo Clinic will suggest a little honey, lemon and warm water to relieve cold symptoms and a sore throat, but honey has another beneficial use.
"I put it on my toast or bagel every morning. It's very effective for allergies," said Shreveporter Linda Shemwell, who hasn't had the allergy flare-ups she used to for years. "If I don't do it for several days, I can really tell the difference. But make sure it's local honey."
Shemwell buys her honey from Jeff Smith Farms in Haughton. Area residents can also buy local honey from Hummer and Son Honey Farm in Bossier.
Billy Hummer explained why honey comes with this great benefit for users.
"As bees go from plant to plant they end up with pollen on their bodies and the pollen ends up in the honey," Hummer said. "When you eat honey with very limited processing, like ours, it helps build up the body's immunity."
But it's not just local honey you want to look for, added Hummer.
"What you're looking for is the flora and fauna in your area and that's what you want to stay close to when you buy honey," he said. "Our honey is clover, rattan vine, goldenrod, peppervine, aster and many other small blooming flora. We considers ourselves a regional honey."
Shreveport allergist Dr. Willard Washburne wished it were that simple.
"Honey is a good food, but it will in no way help allergic rhinitis," Washburne said. "It would be nice if it was, but then there would be no reason for allergists being overworked."
Butter, cream and ulcers
An 85-year-old reader who wished to remain anonymous wrote in to offer the benefits of eating butter and cream for ulcers.
"It helped me working until I was 65, or else I would not have made it," she said.
Experts say butter, milk and other daily products will soothe your stomach but it's very temporary.
"That's what we used 40 years ago, but it doesn't really help. Anytime you eat something, it's going to knock down the acid in your stomach but it quickly replenishes," said Dr. David Dies, a board-certified gastroenterologist in Shreveport. "And it won't do anything to cure ulcers. With today's modern medicine you can run to the store and buy Prilosec over the counter. It really knocks down the acid and heals it fast."
Another thing modern medicine has found out about ulcers is that a bacteria, H.pylori, is the cause of most of them.
"Now it's standard of care to test for H.pylori and if it's there we get rid of the bacteria and the ulcers never come back," Dies said.
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Related: Old time remedies: Some carry their weight some fall flat
Additional information:
From www.shreveporttimes.com:
Rest and care at home is often all children with ear infections need. cold remedies usually do not work for treating or preventing.
Home Remedies for Ear Infection. Few drops of garlic juice into the infected ear. Use blow dryer from about 12 to 15 inches from your head, this will remove.
There are different home remedies for outer ear and middle ear infection. These home remedies are simple to adhere to. Home Remedies.
Home Remedies For Ear Infections. It is very important to pay attention to ear infection in early stage. You can have inner ear infection.
Ear Dr. home remedies for dog ear mites and cat ear infections. Natural remedies can treat and prevent infections of the ear without.
Home Remedies for Earache and Ear Problems to get quick relief.
Home Remedies for Ear Infection. Use Colloidal silver, as an ear wash, it can be taken orally too. This is a natural antibiotic. Use ajwain.
Ear infections can sometimes be dangerous and could cause a temporary or permanent hearing loss. These home remedies ear infections could only give light.
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