Chocolate to cure a cough and onions for earache… these are 10 of the weirdest health remedies around
Vodka, vinegar and teabags are among the things which have uses you have probably never heard of
WHEN you have a headache you probably reach for a painkiller, and having a tickly throat normally means it's time for the cough medicine.
It could be time to reconsider all that though, as there are a range of weird and wonderful home remedies which could be just as helpful.
Battle those bruises
Some of us are more prone to bruising than others, and it can be a real pain. Once you have one there isn't much you can do to get rid of it... unless you have some vinegar lying around.
Apparently it can help get rid of bruises because it increases blood flow to the skin's surface, which might help get rid of the blood which can formed the bruise.
Just put some on a cotton wool ball and wipe over the area.
Ward off warts
Obviously if you have warts you should see your doctor. Not because they are a sign of anything untoward, but because a trained professional is always the best bet if you want to get rid of them.
If you really can't bring yourself to have them frozen off, give this hack a go... all you need is some duct tape.
Before you get worried, this isn't a case of giving the sticky substance a yank and taking the wart with it.
You actually use the tape to deprive the wart of oxygen by covering it. Leave it a few days then take the tape off and giving skin a clean, then reapplying. Before long your wart should drop off on its own.
Sweet spot
You'll likely already know that honey can help with a sore throat, but it's good for the skin too.
It's been claimed that dotting some on a spot and then putting a plaster over the top will help get rid of the pimple, because the sweet honey kills off bacteria.
You lemon
Pregnant women the world over will probably give anything a go if it has a chance of getting rid of morning sickness.
Apparently the smell of the citrus fruit could be enough to stop you feeling sick - obviously this is if you have light nausea, not full-on vomiting attacks.
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Aspirin for acne
People with acne are often advised to use beauty products with salicylic acid in them, because it acts like an exfoliator and gets into blocked pores to clean them.
Aspirin is similar to the acid, so you can whizz up a mask at home which might help the inflammation of the spot.
All you do is crush the pill and add some water so it's a paste, then apply. Once it's dry, wipe off with warm water.
Obviously if you're allergic to aspirin don't try this one.
Feet first
Smelly feet aren't the best, but in the hot summer months many of us will fall foul of them.
Aside from airing your feet, wearing light shoes or investing in special insoles, it can be tricky to mask the stench, which is caused by bacteria.
If you've tried everything but can still detect a bit of a pong, you might want to reach for the vodka.
According to the high alcohol content in the tipple makes it great at warding off bacteria.
Time to start sipping your toes in that shot glass then.
The sweet stuff
Chocolate has a compound called Theobromine in it, which can help with coughs by cutting down the body's need to splutter.
Sadly this isn't the go ahead to start tucking into Crunchies though - only dark chocolate works and you only need a small amount.
Travel aid
Anyone who's done a car journey with little kids will know how horrific travel sickness can be.
There are bands you can get to put on wrists to help, but your kitchen might have the answer too.
Apparently olives can help ward it off, because they have tannin in which stops the body creating so much saliva.
Help with burns
Again, we're not talking deep burns - those mean you need to get to the hospital sharpish.
If you've knocked into a hot pan or splashed a drop of boiling water on you, this could help though.
Tannic acid in black tea can help get rid of the heat in burns, so they don't help as much. Put a couple of cold, wet teabags on the area and hold them in place with gauze.
Ear, ear
Suffering from ear ache is miserable, especially as it's the kind of thing you'll get repeatedly or not at all.
If your ear is hurting and you can't get to the doctor, try boiling an onion until it's soft.
The vegetables have antiseptic properties, so you can take the juice and drop it into your ear.