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Testing Grandma's Knowledge - Home Remedies Under Scientific Eye

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Health care experts advise that the best way to stop a nosebleed is to squeeze or pinch the nostrils together with the thumb and index finger. Hold this position for about 5 minutes. Repeat the technique until the bleeding stops. Sit, relax and keep the head elevated. Do not lie down or put your head between your legs. Apply crushed ice to the nose and cheek areas. After a nosebleed, rest with your head elevated.

The Best Cure for a "Hangover Breakfast" - Black Coffee, Two Eggs, Tomato Juice and an Aspirin - All Mixed Together - FALSE!

Like most people, I do not like to suffer. And the best way to avoid it is not to eat or drink in excess. But people, being people, will always have gluttons for punishment. Consider some facts about the effects of alcohol on the body:

Medical experts state that the body absorbs about 90 percent of the alcohol in a drink. The rest is excreted through the breath, perspiration and urine. On average, a normal liver can process 10 grams of alcohol per hour - the equivalent of one glass of wine, half a pint of beer, or one shot of 80 proof spirits.

Alcohol is a depressant that slows down the activity of the central nervous system by replacing the water around the nervous cells in the body.

There are, however, a few things you can do to make a hangover less severe. Before drinking eat a substantial meal or have at least one glass of milk to protect your stomach lining. After drinking, have a pint of water before bedtime to minimize dehydration.

The bad news, according to experts, is that a hangover can't be cured once you have one. Some cures may exacerbate the problem. Aspirin and ibuprofen can irritate the stomach lining. Acetaminophen can strain the liver. Copious amounts of coffee can give you a caffeine buzz. Sleep would be a better remedy. Better to drink a lot of fruit juice or eat something sweet and wait for the sugar to absorb the alcohol.

Rub Butter on a Burn - FALSE!

Drs. Rutherford and Dowshen of KidsHealth.org say never apply butter, grease, powder or any remedies to a first-degree burn. Before you phone for medical assistance, run cool water over the burned area or hold a clean, cold compress on the burn until the pain subsides. Remove clothing (that is not stuck to the flesh) from the burned area. If water is not available use any cold drinkable fluid, but do not use ice. If the burn area is small, loosely cover it with a sterile gauze pad or bandage. For second and third degree burns follow the instructions for first degree burns. Do not break blisters.

Cure Hiccups by Swallowing Sugar, Sucking on a Lemon, Drinking from a Far Side of a Glass - TRUE!

The medical term for hiccups (hiccoughs), according to Dr. Garry Wilkes, is known as singultus, originating from Latin, which means “the act of one catching one's breath while sobbing.” Hiccups appear to serve no purpose in humans or other mammals. A hiccup bout is any episode that lasts for more than a few minutes. The reason many traditional remedies are effective is because they employ methods that stimulate components of the hiccup reflex.

And Finally, Laughter is Good for the Soul - TRUE

Grandma didn't say this but researchers at the University of Maryland who have studied the influence of laughter on the body, concluded that a good guffaw has a positive effect on blood flow, the immune response and blood sugar levels. Check out the net for some more outrageous OWT and if for some reason you develop hiccups between your chuckles, you'll know what to do.

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Comments (18)
#1 by Puzzled, Oct 28, 2007
How can drinking from the far side of a glass solve hiccups???
#2 by cool runnin', Oct 28, 2007
The concentration that you exert trying to drink from the far side of the glass must make you forget about your hiccups altogether.
Heck how do I know, go ask your Granny!
#3 by John, Oct 29, 2007
Excellent Work!!!
#4 by Judith, Oct 29, 2007
Good to know that some OWT don't even come from Granny -- that is a wise, wise man you married! I look forward to the next installment.
#5 by Compadre, Oct 29, 2007
Good WISDOM here..I bet your Mate never stays sick for long!
#6 by Marion, Oct 29, 2007
What a WOW (woman of wisdom) you are. I concur with your grandmother's great wisdom as it echoes my mother's remedies in my own childhood. Keep the wisdom coming!
#7 by Judy Sheldon, Oct 31, 2007
Thank you for the tips.
#8 by valli, Nov 1, 2007
Thank you very much for the information.
#9 by Dee Huff, Nov 1, 2007
Thanks for a very entertaining and informative article. I've always used a heaped teaspoon of sugar as an instant hiccup cure and it invariably works!
#10 by Evelyn, Nov 2, 2007
Warm water and salt work every time for my sore throat – good to know it's not just "the placebo effect." Interesting article!
#11 by Charly, Nov 3, 2007
Acetylecysteine is not an antibiotic. It's a mucolytic, an agent that acts dissolving mucus.
#12 by Michael Pan, Nov 4, 2007
Well, that was wierd. But slighty interesting
#13 by Liane Schmidt, Nov 7, 2007
Interesting, well written and well laid out article.

Best wishes.

Sincerely,

-Liane Schmidt.
#14 by Bev Petracek, Nov 8, 2007
Well written and interesting. Confirms some of the treatments that I have found beneficial over the years. Ever heard of rubbing Vicks Vaporub on your feet for a cold...works well.
#15 by Jamie White, Nov 13, 2007
A teaspoonful of vinegar works instantly for curing hiccups. I've never known it to fail. Just close your eyes and imagine you're eating french fries!
#16 by Ruby Hawk, Nov 22, 2007
I always use salt water for a sore throat and it does work every time. I gave it to my children too, but they hated it.

I always put ice on their necks when they had a nose bleed and pressed the upper part of the nose, not the lower part of the nose. that always worked.
#17 by Colette, Dec 5, 2007
I really like this. Would be great if you could compile a complete A to Z of all the old wives tails that work - I always believed there was something in them!! Well done.
#18 by quiet voice, Dec 28, 2007
Hi, I found this very, very interesting. You certainly put a lot of effort into the article and it is appreciated. Take care.
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