Hot water, duct tape may relieve warts
Q. My adult son has plantar warts. What remedies do you know of?
A. Warts on the sole of the foot (plantar warts) can be uncomfortable and difficult to treat. Patients may decline the doctor’s offer to remove such warts surgically because they don’t want to stay off their feet for the recovery period.
As a result, some doctors have turned to a home remedy: Soak the foot in hot water (110 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 to 90 minutes a week. Six weeks of treatment may eradicate them.
Others have had success treating plantar warts with duct tape. Cut a piece the size of the wart, and apply it to the wart for a week. Then remove it, soak the foot in warm water to soften the skin, and abrade the wart with an emery board. Discard the emery board and reapply a patch of duct tape the next day. This remedy may take a few months to work, but like the hot-water soaks, it is inexpensive and less invasive than surgery.
Q. Some of the people in my multiple sclerosis support group use the gin and raisins remedy for achy muscles and joints. Does the alcohol evaporate entirely? Would there be cause for worry if a person ate 15 or 20 raisins and was pulled over by a state trooper?
A. The recipe for gin-soaked raisins calls for barely covering golden raisins with gin in a shallow bowl. Allow the gin to evaporate, and eat nine raisins a day.
Under these conditions, there is only about a drop of alcohol in the daily dose. But someone who ate 15 or 20 raisins might blow detectable alcohol on a Breathalyzer soon afterward. This actually happened several years ago to a sheriff who was eating the raisins for his arthritis.
Q. One doctor sends me a newsletter warning about using plastic containers in the microwave. Another doctor replies that this warning is just an urban legend. What is the truth?
A. Some plastic containers or plastic wraps should not be used in the microwave because the heat liberates chemicals from the plastic. These can then enter the food. In some cases, these chemicals can act like estrogen. Extra estrogen may upset the body’s biological balance.
We conducted an hourlong radio interview on the health effects of plastic used in water bottles, food containers and soft-drink cans. Anyone who would like to know more may wish to order the CD by sending $16 to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy (CD-470), P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Q. I have a follow-up thought on hot water for bug bites. We tried that remedy, and it definitely stops the itching. It’s not always convenient to put hot water on all the places bugs can find to bite, though, so we tried a hair dryer with great success. Obviously, you need to use it with care, but we have received up to 10 hours of relief from itching by applying hot air to bites.
A. Anyone who tries this must be careful not to burn delicate skin. A washcloth moistened with hot (not burning) water may also help some itches. A second or two is all that is needed.
Q. Do breast-enhancer supplements work, and if they do, which herbs work the best?
A. We have not seen clinical studies showing that these products work. Consumerlab.com, an organization that tests dietary supplements, reviewed such products in 2002. The review posted on Consumerlab’s Web site stated that it found “no well-controlled clinical studies and no sound theoretical basis for any of twenty ingredients often appearing in such products to be effective.”