Thump foot to stop nosebleed

Q. I learned a procedure from a wrestling coach to stop nosebleeds. Determine which nostril is bleeding, remove the shoe from the opposite foot and, with the heel of your hand, give two good thumps to the heel of that bare foot.

I have used this tactic many times, in the gym, on field trips, at Little League and even on my wife sitting in the car. You should have seen the look on passers-by! My question is, Why does this work?

A. We wish we could tell you. It makes about as much sense to us as dropping keys down the back of the neck to stop a nosebleed. Many readers have shared success stories with that technique. Even though we can’t explain either approach, it will be obvious within seconds whether it has worked.

Drugstore alternatives include Nosebleed QR, NasalCEASE and Seal-On.

Q. My mother has type 2 diabetes and has had a terrible time getting her blood sugar under control even though she takes metformin and Actos. I suspect that the risperidone she takes for her nerves and the Lipitor for lowering cholesterol might be making this harder.

Are there any natural approaches that might help her keep her blood sugar and cholesterol under control?

A. Dozens of drugs can make blood-sugar control more difficult. Diuretics for hypertension such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), certain beta blockers such as Coreg, the arthritis medicine Celebrex and the antipsychotic drugs Risperdal (risperidone), Seroquel and Zyprexa all can raise blood sugar. Higher blood sugar also has been reported as a side effect of Lipitor (Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis, June 2009).

Your mother needs to discuss her medications with her doctor and ask about alternatives for risperidone and Lipitor. Our new book, “Favorite Foods: Mother Nature’s Medicine,” has suggestions for food remedies to help control blood sugar as well as cholesterol. It is available online at www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Risperidone has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes. Anyone taking this medicine must be monitored very carefully.

Q. I was excited to read about canker sores in your column. They also are called aphthous ulcers.

I have suffered for many years with extremely painful mouth ulcers. I read a magazine article that mentioned a study done at Ben-Gurion University in Israel. They found that patients given 1,000 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B-12 for a six-month period experienced a substantial decrease in breakouts or even a complete cure.

I have been on this regimen for six months to date, and if I experience any sore, it lasts for only one day, then disappears completely. I recommend that people who have recurrent canker sores check with the physician first, and then consider 1,000 mcg of vitamin B-12. It has made a major difference in my life. No more suffering, no more pain.

A. We tracked down the study you read about. It was published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (January-February 2009). The investigators used a sublingual (under the tongue) form of vitamin B-12. They concluded, “Vitamin B(12) treatment, which is simple, inexpensive, and low-risk, seems to be effective for patients suffering from RAS [recurrent aphthous stomatitis, or canker sores], regardless of the serum vitamin B(12) level.”

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of The Vindicator or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Favorite Foods From The People’s Pharmacy: Mother Nature’s Medicine.”

2010 King Features Syndicate, Inc