Thursday, March 4, 2010

Home Remedies.

I just pulled my bottom lip away from my teeth, took a package of McDonald's salt and poured it directly onto a canker sore that has been bothering me for a couple of days.

It is no longer bothering me.

IT IS FUCKING TORTURING ME.  Sting, ouch, whaaa.

WTF was I thinking???

Oh, I know.  I was thinking that my mommy always did this to me when I had a canker sore as a kid and it seemed reasonable to put salt on an open wound at the time so hand me the shaker dudes and let's party.

As I sat back down at my desk with a hint of tears in my eyes, I decided to google whether or not this home remedy has any merit.  Now most intelligent people would have done this prior to inflicting severe pain upon themselves but I never claimed to be most people and the jury is still out on the intelligent part.

Lo and Behold!  I found this...

How Stuff Works says a home remedy for treating a canker sore is to do the following:  Combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 ounces hydrogen peroxide. Mix and rinse your mouth with it four times daily. If the taste is too strong, or the tingle uncomfortable, dilute with 2 ounces water. You can also just rinse your mouth with lukewarm salt water. Or, if you're brave, just apply a little salt directly to your wound.

So apparently Mom was right.  OH and I am brave instead of stupid for not knowing gargling with salt diluted with water was an option.

Who else has a odd home remedy from childhood?  Did it turn out to be true or a myth?

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

For canker sores, gargle (i hate that word) green bean juice or saurkraut juice. I swear it works. And pour regular table pepper on a bleeding cut... it stops the bleeding immediately. And a bar of soap under your sheets helps with leg cramps. Weird, but it worked for me.

I'm sure I sound crazy.

razorbeck said...

The salt thing works for almost all mouth problems, I think it is just a cure becaise they show up do to a salt deficiency but thats just me.

I prefer to do it at bed time and then sleep the unpleasantness away

Doc said...

A bar of soap under the sheets? Are you sure you werent reading the "Ivory-Sutra" ? LOL

Home remedies scare me

The Dish said...

Alcohol cures everything.

Christine said...

The soap one is simply awesome!!

Dish, I wish someone had told me than when I was a kid. I had to waste so many years figuring it out on my own.

Coffeypot said...

If you stick a bar of Irish Spring under your bed sheets will you wake up doing the River Dance? Dial make you want to use your phone more? Just wonder how that all works - because I am thinking of Massengale...

Anonymous said...

I don't know how it works, maybe it's psychological, but when I was a cheerleader I had leg cramps nightly. I read about this remedy in a magazine my grandma had, so I tried it & it worked.

Meggy said...

Mix vinegar and oil and apply to sunburns. It sucks the burn right out and NO, it does not hurt. Learned this from my mother 35 years ago and it works better than anything on the market. Downside? You smell like a side salad.....but you feel a whole lot better!

Karen said...

For cold sores, I have heard you can stick with a needle to make sure it is "open" and hold a cotton ball with nail polish remover to your lip.

I have no tried this. I bet it hurts.

Christine said...

Oh Karen, that just made me shudder. Owie.

I like that one Bohica and will definitely try it. I am a big aloe advocate but if this takes the sting out even better, smelling like lunch is certainly worth it.

Olly said...

Used teabags for eye infections, styes, etc. is something I remember.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if tea bags work for bags under eyes. I was looking a little like a prize fighter after getting his ass kicked this morning when I woke up.

DILLIGAF said...

I'm sure masochism is so much fun for masochists....;-)

MacDonalds salt????

Disgraceful behaviour.

After a particularly gruelling game of football for my school team / town team / county team (I was actually half way decent you know. Even had a schoolboy trial for Manchester City - I was thrown out after an hour as I had turned up innebriated...well??? I played better even at 15 after a few libations!!) my Gran would put my feet in hot water in a bowl with the addition of mustard.

I had no idea then and have no idea now.

It did feel good though.

Golden To Silver Val said...

My mom always had me touch the canker sore with a styptic pencil (tube of white stuff that stops bleeding when men cut themselves shaving). Its tastes bitter as hell but it doesn't hurt and it works. Within a day, its gone. I always keep one in the medicine cabinet for that purpose. Also rub a sty on your eyelid with a real yellow gold ring. It will cure it. Yes, this works too. Don't know why though.

Anonymous said...

I had absolutely huge horrible canker sores when I was a kid. The doctor told me it is proven they are related to stress or anxiety. And I used to do the exact same thing. I would pour salt directly on the wound to make it go away faster.

Libby said...

christine-wow...the article said "a little tingle"? *snicker* is that really what it was??

Briley Ryan said...

Oh My Gosh!!! I thought my mom was the only one who poured salt on my canker sours. I got them all the time as a kid, I get them occasionally now as an adult...I never thought the salt worked, but of course, a kid would only focus on the pain. I'll have to try it again the next time I get one. Love these home remedies too.

Matty said...

My parents used a belt to remedy my behavior. Ir proved to be an old wives tale.