Hot spoon soothes mosquito-bite itch

Q. I must be especially tasty to mosquitoes, since they attack me and leave other folks alone. I have read in your column about hot water to stop itching. I’ve got a different solution: Warm a spoon in hot water and then put the back of the spoon on the bite. That stops the itch for several hours.

A. We have seen this suggestion on the Internet. It often includes the explanation that the heat denatures the protein that causes itching when mosquitoes inject it under the skin.

We suspect that the actual mechanism has more to do with the temporary effect of heat on nerve endings. Years ago, we read about using heat (in the form of hot tap water) to relieve itching in “Dermatology: Diagnosis and Treatment” (1961). The itch sensation can be overwhelmed for several hours with this approach.

Take care not to cause a burn, which would be worse than the mosquito bite.

Q. My sweetheart developed type 2 diabetes a few years ago after decades of being overweight. Metformin caused severe diarrhea, and other drugs the doctor tried were very expensive and caused nausea.

In desperation, she started exercising every day and eating very carefully. She lost nearly 50 pounds and doesn’t need insulin any more. I am impressed that she has nearly reversed her type 2 diabetes and wonder whether there are any natural approaches she could incorporate into her regimen to help her keep her blood sugar under control. I’ve heard that cinnamon might help. Is that true?

A. Surprisingly, cinnamon and several other foods can help keep blood sugar from spiking after a meal. Nopal leaves from prickly pear cactus, bitter melon used in Asian cuisines and vinegar all are capable of blunting blood-sugar spikes.

Q. My mother sent me one of your newspaper columns more than 20 years ago. It had a recipe for plant food that I have used successfully for years.

Now I cannot find a key ingredient, saltpeter, except as a tree-stump remover. I don’t need that much. Where can I order saltpeter like I used to, 6 to 8 ounces at a time?

A. A retired journalist shared the Pantry Plant Food recipe from the Georgia Market Bulletin many decades ago. It called for “one teaspoon (tsp) baking powder, one tsp Epsom salts, one tsp saltpeter, one-half tsp household ammonia, all stirred into one gallon of warm water. Warning: do not use more often than monthly or the leafy plants will crowd you out and the flowering ones will bloom themselves to death.”

Some people looking for saltpeter (potassium nitrate) to use in this recipe had to deal with the embarrassing perception that they planned to use it to cool a partner’s romantic ardor. Although it has a reputation for that, there is no evidence that saltpeter works to diminish libido.

Saltpeter can be used, however, to make explosives, and that probably accounts for the fact that it is nearly impossible to purchase in bulk. We were unable to find any source except, as you noted, labeled for tree-stump removal.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or email them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”

2014 King Features Syndicate, Inc.