People’s Pharmacy: Get itch out of bites with hot water

Q. Why haven’t you written about an effective remedy for alleviating the agony of poison ivy and mosquito or fire-ant bites? Simply run water, as warm as you can stand, over the affected area for a few seconds. The itching and torment is wonderfully relieved for many hours, even overnight. This treatment can be repeated as necessary.

Several weeks ago, I got nine fire-ant bites on my foot. Applying warm water within 10 minutes completely eliminated the symptoms. Of course, care should be taken to avoid scalding.

A. We first learned about this home remedy decades ago from a dermatology textbook (“Dermatology: Diagnosis and Treatment”) written in 1961. Dr. M.B. Sulzberger wrote that the water should be quite hot (about 120 degrees Fahrenheit), because if it is not hot enough, it will aggravate the situation. A few seconds under hot running water or a hot washcloth can stop itching for several hours.

Apparently heat overwhelms the nerve endings that signal itch. Anyone using this technique must take care not to burn the skin.

Q. You have mentioned neti pots several times in your column. They’re so awkward to use. But NeilMed makes a Sinus Rinse that is easy to use and only costs about $3 for the application bottle. (You can make the rinse with water and table salt or buy NeilMed’s little packets of solution.) Sinus Rinse is available at Walgreen’s, but other drugstores can get it.

A. The idea behind both treatments is the same: wash out the nose and sinuses with saline solution to reduce allergies. A neti pot is an ancient Indian approach to this problem. You hold your head upside down and pour the solution in one nostril until it runs out the other.

With the NeilMed bottle, you keep your head upright and squeeze the saline solution into one nostril until it runs out the other. Pressure, rather than gravity, does the trick.

Q. I’ve been struggling with nail fungus for years. One nail even came off. My doctor prescribed Sporanox, but my nails don’t seem to be improving. Is it true that Vicks VapoRub could help fight nail fungus?

A. There is some research suggesting that Vicks VapoRub occasionally helps against nail fungus. Here is one reader’s experience: “I lived with a fungus infection of one big toenail for several years and tried various over-the-counter remedies without success. Then I read about Vicks VapoRub in the March 2006 issue of Consumer Reports.

“Doctors at Michigan State University found that applying the product daily to the infected nail cleared the condition in 32 of 85 patients. It took months for their nails to improve. I didn’t have much to lose, so I purchased Vicks in mid-February and applied it morning and evening to the affected toenail.

“To my immense gratification, IT WORKS! The nail has lost most of its previous black color and is showing at least a quarter inch of fresh, healthy-looking nail beginning to grow out.”

Anyone who would like to learn more about Vicks and other treatments for nail fungus may order our Guides to Nail Care and Unique Uses for Vicks. Please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (63 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. HV-376, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.