 1. Athlete’s Foot Burning feet? Sprinkle baking soda on your feet and between your toes, or apply a paste made with 1 tablespoon of baking soda and lukewarm water. Wait 15 minutes, then rinse and dry your feet thoroughly. 2. Burns on the Roof of Your Mouth If hot pizza (or an extra-spicy pepper) scorched the roof of your mouth, use an over-the-counter cough lozenge with benzocaine to cut the pain. If you don’t have any, try using sugar. 3. Canker Sores They’re not cancerous or contagious, but they’re definitely annoying. These frustrating sores, which form on the inside of the mouth, can be treated with a common pantry item. Hold a wet tea bag on these sores—the tannin from the tea acts as an astringent. 4. Charley Horse The leg muscle spasm—that can occur after a long run or a squat session—leads to some seriously unbearable pain. Here’s what you do: Arch your toes back toward your body while gently rubbing your calf. Start behind the knee and slide your hand down the muscle to the heel, then repeat. Rub along the length of the muscle, not across it. 5. Heartburn It can be triggered by certain foods or drinks, but acid reflux can sometimes lead to heartburn. Solve it: Chew a stick of sugarless gum. The increased saliva will help your stomach acid flow, and it will also coat and protect the esophagus. 6. Hoarseness Your vocal cords need rest, so don’t speak. To get rid of the frog in your throat, take a 5-minute hot shower, drink warm herbal tea with a slice of lemon, and avoid caffeine, smoke, alcohol, and large, fatty meals. 7. Indigestion Holiday meal gone wrong? Mix one of the following items in a glass of water for an emergency antacid: 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (to increase stomach acidity) or 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (to ease bloating). Then take a walk. A post-meal stroll can help you digest your food up to 50 percent faster.  8. Ingrown Toenail
If you injured your toenail, cut it too short, or crammed your foot into a much-too-short shoe, an ingrown toenail can be your worst nightmare. Soak your foot in warm water to soften the nail. Then roll a small piece of cotton to the thickness of a candle wick, soak it with iodine, and place it between the skin and the tip of your nail. Wrap the toe with gauze, tape it, and change the dressing daily until the nail grows out. 9. Itchy Eyes Why? Probably due to allergies. A cold washcloth held over closed eyes will shrink blood vessels and reduce redness. 10. Nosebleed Think you should tilt your head back? Not the case. Sit up so that gravity will lower the vein pressure inside your nose. Tilt your head forward slightly to keep blood from running down your throat. 11. Rashes Get rid of the breakout by rubbing a paste of crushed vitamin C tablets and water on your skin. 12. Sore Feet Love your stilettos but hate the cramps? Pour a handful of uncooked beans into your slippers and walk around for a few minutes. The rolling beans create an instant massage. Then hold your feet under the bathtub faucet; run the water on hot 1 minute, cold the next. Alternate for 10 minutes, ending in a cold rinse. To prevent future pain, spread marbles on the floor and pick them up with your toes. Then, practice some foot exercises so your high heel habit doesn’t become a constant pain. 13. Sunburn If you skipped on the SPF (major no-no) and spent a little too much time in the sun, take an oatmeal bath. Wrap a cup of oats in cheesecloth and hang it from your faucet so that the bathwater runs directly over it as the tub is filling. No one knows exactly how the oatmeal works to soothe the pain, but you will feel better. Posted on EcoWatch
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