DEAR DR. GOTT: My mother contracted shingles many years ago. Being miserably uncomfortable and somewhat horrified, she rushed to her doctor. Since he was German and practiced considerable "old European" medicine, my mother, likewise German, touted his medical acumen.
"Ah," he said, "you have nothing to fear! You have a case of old-fashioned shingles. Now, here is what you do. Apply a light coating of clear fingernail polish over the head of each little blister. Any that don't disappear immediately get a second coat. In effect, the polish suffocates them and they will be gone before you know it!" This remedy cured not only my mother but numerous other patients of his.
With all the hoop-la and money being spent researching shingles, isn't it possible that our 21st-century research is too sophisticated to discover this simple, old-fashioned, homey remedy?
DEAR READER: This might be an opportunity for some folks to nip shingles in the bud. I had not heard of this before.
DEAR DR. GOTT: I am writing to you to ask a question. I started taking grape juice with Certo the first of August and I still take it. I have had very little pain since then. But I am wondering if the Certo may cause side effects.
DEAR READER: To my knowledge, Certo (pectin) is free of any side effects or health dangers. The product is used widely in the manufacture of jams and jellies. To make this home remedy for arthritis, add 1 tablespoon of Certo to 8 ounces of purple grape juice.
DEAR DR. GOTT: My husband keeps getting boils or carbuncles. They always have more than one head and they are always cultured and always come back with a staph infection. He gets these about every six months and sometimes another will come before the first one gets well. My husband is a diabetic and is on Avandia for this. He also has hypertension and is on a medication for that. When I ask his doctor why he keeps getting this staph, he says it's because he has diabetes. I don't feel this is true.
DEAR READER: Diabetics are especially prone to getting staph infections. Therefore, your husband has to make sure that his blood sugar is under control.
Also, he may be helped by changing to an antibacterial soap. If these changes are ineffective, he may have to consider intermittent antibiotic therapy. His doctor should meet with him to develop a plan of action regarding treatment.
"Ah," he said, "you have nothing to fear! You have a case of old-fashioned shingles. Now, here is what you do. Apply a light coating of clear fingernail polish over the head of each little blister. Any that don't disappear immediately get a second coat. In effect, the polish suffocates them and they will be gone before you know it!" This remedy cured not only my mother but numerous other patients of his.
With all the hoop-la and money being spent researching shingles, isn't it possible that our 21st-century research is too sophisticated to discover this simple, old-fashioned, homey remedy?
DEAR READER: This might be an opportunity for some folks to nip shingles in the bud. I had not heard of this before.
DEAR DR. GOTT: I am writing to you to ask a question. I started taking grape juice with Certo the first of August and I still take it. I have had very little pain since then. But I am wondering if the Certo may cause side effects.
DEAR READER: To my knowledge, Certo (pectin) is free of any side effects or health dangers. The product is used widely in the manufacture of jams and jellies. To make this home remedy for arthritis, add 1 tablespoon of Certo to 8 ounces of purple grape juice.
DEAR DR. GOTT: My husband keeps getting boils or carbuncles. They always have more than one head and they are always cultured and always come back with a staph infection. He gets these about every six months and sometimes another will come before the first one gets well. My husband is a diabetic and is on Avandia for this. He also has hypertension and is on a medication for that. When I ask his doctor why he keeps getting this staph, he says it's because he has diabetes. I don't feel this is true.
DEAR READER: Diabetics are especially prone to getting staph infections. Therefore, your husband has to make sure that his blood sugar is under control.
Also, he may be helped by changing to an antibacterial soap. If these changes are ineffective, he may have to consider intermittent antibiotic therapy. His doctor should meet with him to develop a plan of action regarding treatment.