Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with homeremedies

Please help me alleviate my sore throat pain

katemcd — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:28:36 -0800

What do you do to help your sore throat feel better? You are not my doctor, and I am not looking for a cure or any sort of diagnosis. I am having chronic sore throats (every 2-4 weeks since May), have been to an Ear, Nose, & Throat doctor, and will be having a tonsillectomy in January/February 2010. In the meantime, however, I need to cope with the pain and discomfort associated with swollen glands, tonsilitis, and throat pain. Basically, I hydrate constantly which helps, but I have the feeling there are other things I could be trying that might make this more bearable. What do you do to feel better when you have a sore throat?

Things I have tried include Chloraseptic (helps for about 20 minutes and then konks out), Advil (seems to dull the pain slightly), Vicks (the ointment seems to relax the muscles a little), lots of seltzer water (the carbonation feels good in my throat), and some ice cream and tea (definitely helps, but not long lasting by any means). Do you have any other ideas? I am happy to try anything that sounds safe. Thank you!

How to retreive a lost voice quickly?

argylekneesocks — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:22:17 -0800

Do you have any "magical" home remedies for a lost voice? My boyfriend lost his voice singing karaoke with a bit too much gusto a couple of weeks ago. His band is playing this Saturday; he is the vocalist.
He is already gargling with warm salt water and drinking hot tea with honey. He seems utterly incapable of not talking to rest his voice.

Anyone have any experience/advice on how to get his voice back before Saturday?

Thanks!

Shouldn't I be all better now?

scaryblackdeath — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:46:18 -0800

I puked my guts out on New Year's on my way back to my car. I had nothing alcoholic to drink. I ate at Wendy's before the party. All day yesterday and this morning I still feel like I've got a lead brick in my stomach. How should I treat this at home? WebMD hasn't been much help, actually. So far I've eaten mainly bread, saltine crackers and a little chicken soup to try to absorb the stomach acid. About the biggest improvement is that this morning I found that if I lie still the pain goes away.

Luckily, I had yesterday & today off.

Home remedies, anyone?

hack hack hack moan * hack hack hack*

kaseijin — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 18:55:10 -0800

Ever get a sudden and annoyingly strong and tenacious throat tickle that forces you into spasms of dry coughing (being that there's nothing to cough up), in a futile attempt to relieve said tickle? Yeah, how the hell do you get rid of that?

I'm asking Heloise and Abelard

rob511 — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 15:58:19 -0800

O bibliophiles of MeFi: I humbly seek your wisdom. How would you clean the white linen cover of a fine hardcover? The book is 35 years old and in good shape, but the cover has grime, smudges, flecks, some yellowing: i.e., the usual buildup a reference volume would accrue over a few decades. I've tried mild soaps, but hesitate to use anything stronger. Extra credit: The slipcase is covered in black linen, so its flaws (which include some whitish scrapes) are less noticeable. Same question as above, however. Same answer?

cramps!

inging — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:43:19 -0800

Menstrual Cramps. Help! My cramps have become, in these past few months... bad. I'm already on a fairly strong b.c. pill. I'm looking for home remedy-ish solutions to ease my suffering.

What will help, besides taking 50 advils/day? Is there a kind of tea that will soothe my uterus? How about caffeine... will it hurt or help? Heating pads, I know, are useful, but while sitting at my desk at work I'd rather not be plugged into the wall...

My Window Screen pops out, Fix from inside?

freudianslipper — Mon, 16 May 2005 18:28:28 -0800

My window screen pops out at the bottom corner. I'm on 2nd floor. Easy fix from inside? It's not bad but I can't seem to pull the screen back in with the tab. I tried a pocket knife but i just can't get the angle right, I almost popped it completely out that way. the screen's frame isn't bent or anything. I suspect a previous tenant pushed on it by accident and it popped the corner out.

Any ideas?

I don't have access to a ladder and it would have to be a big ladder anyway. I can call my landlord but its such a small thing I'd rather see if I could fix it myself from inside.

Congested Ear Canal

vers — Fri, 19 Nov 2004 08:02:11 -0800

Remedies for opening up a congested ear canal? I've had a sinus/ear infection this week, and am currently taking both a decongestant and an antibiotic. My head seems to be clearing nicely, except my inner ear on one side which feels completely blocked. I'm trying hot compresses and steam. Are there any other suggested methods to clear this up at home?

Adult acne question

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Oct 2004 22:14:51 -0800

Adult acne & combination skin: have any MeFites won the battle over persistent & social-anxiety-creating skin problems? Want to share your secrets?

How do you comfort yourself when you are ill?

melissa may — Sat, 09 Oct 2004 01:37:59 -0800

How do you comfort yourself when you are ill? I’ve got a throat full of needles, a cough like Mimi in the garrett, and the hem of Death’s robe swishing around my bedside like a drag queen on goofballs. Not that I’d ever complain. When I was a little girl, that meant catching up on my coloring and exploring the curative powers of Campbell’s soup and Vicks. Now that I’ve watched all the bad TV I can stand, I’m wondering: what are some other options? What do you eat, drink, think, and do when you’re not sleeping, coughing, or bitterly pondering human fragility?

mold in the shower

tr33hggr — Wed, 07 Jan 2004 06:45:20 -0800

For you home improvement types - we moved into our first house last July, and since then I've been battling some mold in the shower. It's not bad, but despite my attempts to banish it, the critters keep coming back - right at the seam where the shower wall meets the tub.

Will simply recaulking the seam fix it, or will it eventually come back through the new caulk as well? Any, ahem, natural remedies for ridding our shower of the stuff?