Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 5-31-19

Health
BUG BITES OR STINGS
CANKER SORES
STUFFY OR RUNNY NOSE
SORE THROAT
BAD BREATH
INGROWN TOENAIL
PSORIASIS AND ECZEMA
HEARTBURN
If your breath isn’t the fresh- est, a dry mouth and plaque buildup are probably to blame. Baking soda can fight microbes in your mouth and can neutral- ize bad breath for up to 3 hours. Make a mouthwash with half a teaspoon of baking soda and a cup of water. Swish for a minute 3-4 times per day.
This is when the edge of your toenail curves down and gets trapped in your skin. It often af- fects the big toe, and it can really hurt. To ease swelling and ten- derness, soak your foot in warm salt water several times a day. Follow with antibiotic ointment and a bandage. See your doctor if it doesn’t improve or gets worse.
Salt is a proven way to help you breathe easier when you’ve got a cold, the flu, or allergies. A bonus: It’s affordable, too. Look for over-the-counter saline nose sprays at the drugstore. Or use a neti pot to rinse out your nasal passages with salt water.
Baking soda is a type of salt, and it’s also a natural antacid. Stir about a teaspoon into a glass of cold water after a meal. If you get heartburn a lot, don’t keep treat- ing it yourself. See a doctor to make sure there’s nothing else going on. And keep in mind that baking soda has sodium in it. If you’re on a low-salt diet, your doctor might want you to try a dif- ferent type of antacid instead.
Rinsing your mouth with salt water can ease the pain and help you heal faster. Stir a teaspoon of salt into a half-cup or so of water. Swish and spit. Do this several times a day until your canker sores don’t bother you anymore.
Mineral-rich salt water is in places like the Dead Sea in the Middle East and the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Soaking in water like this helps moisturize the skin and ease redness. And if you have pso- riasis or eczema, it can relieve the scaly patches and inflammation. To do this at home, add Dead Sea salts or Epsom salts to your tub and soak for about 15 minutes. Even a cup of plain table salt in your bath water can ease eczema symptoms.
A paste made from baking soda and a little bit of water can help with any itching, stinging, or minor swelling. It also helps with rashes from hives or from contact with plants like poison ivy or poi- son oak.
Gargling with salt water -- about 1/2 teaspoon dissolved in a cup of warm water -- can ease swelling and make a sore, scratchy throat feel better.
A few studies show that tooth- paste with baking soda whitens your teeth better than the kind without it. The soda scrubs away surface stains but won't scratch your pearly whites.
Two cups of Epsom salt dis- solved in a gallon of warm water is a common remedy for achy feet. The salt has magnesium, which helps keep your muscles working well.
Feeling a little irregular? Fol- low the dosage directions to dis- solve some Epsom salt in a glass of water (it’s usually 2-6 tea- spoons per day). You can add lemon juice to make it taste bet- ter. This will usually help you go in 1/2 hour to 6 hours.
TEETH STAINS
TIRED FEET
CONSTIPATION
PAGE 6-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2019