Thursday, March 23, 2006
Q. My 12-year-old daughter is a ballet dancer and has started pointe. Her feet smell so bad that we gag if she takes her shoes off. Do you have any remedies for foot odor?
A. Foot odor seems to be a common problem among young ballerinas. The mother of a 20-year-old dancer offered this advice:
"First, get some 'shoe dogs.' These are cedar-filled bags that absorb the moisture in the shoe and help with the odor.
"Second, ballet students also wear classic soft ballet slippers. Canvas slippers are better than leather, since the canvas kind can be washed every other week, if need be. With daily classes, shoes don't dry out, so buying a few pairs will help. They should be stored in mesh bags, not plastic, and outside the dance bag, not in it.
"Third, try a dry, rub-on antiperspirant on the feet once a day. This also helped my son with his sweaty, smelly soccer feet.
"Fourth, if she is new to pointe, she may be wearing pads in the shoes to protect her toes. She should use natural lambswool pads that allow the skin to breathe."
Q. My friends all swear by your recipe for golden raisins soaked in gin to relieve arthritis pain. The problem is that I am morally opposed to alcohol in any form. Even though I realize the gin evaporates, I cannot buy gin in the first place. Now that glucosamine has been discredited, I am looking for a substitute.
A. There are lots of alternatives to gin-soaked raisins. Remember, though, that such home remedies have not been tested in any scientific manner.
Many readers maintain that drinking a tablespoon of Certo (plant pectin used for making jam) mixed in 8 ounces of grape juice can relieve joint pain. Others tell us that a combination of honey, vinegar, grape juice and apple juice is helpful. The Indian spice turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties. Some people find that taking it eases their stiffness. Glucosamine may help people with moderate to severe pain.
We are sending you our "Guide to Alternative Treatments for Arthritis" with more details on these and other remedies for joint pain.
Q. A few weeks ago, a reader wrote to you about cold sores. This person derided the use of "silly" remedies like lysine. I know from experience that lysine works, but plain old buttermilk works just as well and even quicker.
A. Physicians, pharmacists and housewives have all written to tell us that both taking amino acid lysine and drinking buttermilk work to prevent cold sores (fever blisters) or canker sores (aphthous ulcers). There are no placebo-controlled trials, but these seem like inexpensive and low-risk approaches.
Q. I had an outbreak of more than 50 warts on my left hand. To get rid of them, I used a solution of 1 gram sodium ascorbate (a form of vitamin C) in an ounce of water. I applied it six times a day for two weeks. The local application of ascorbate can achieve a much higher concentration than you can get by taking it orally.
A. We've come across dozens of wart remedies, but this is a new one for us. Thank you for sharing it.
XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
& copy; 2006 King Features Syndicate Inc.