Pickle eased pain of bee sting in the mouth

Q. I read your column about a child who was stung by a wasp in the throat and ate raw onion to counteract it. I want to share another helpful hint.

My 4-year-old daughter was stung inside her mouth when taking a sip from a Sprite can and having a bee slip into her mouth. We were at a water park. The attendants there immediately took her to first aid and gave her a big pickle to suck on. They said the vinegar from the pickle would alleviate the sting and the swelling.

Years later, while at an outdoor fair, my husband also was stung in the mouth (call us unlucky!). He bought a giant pickle and sucked on it. It worked like a charm for him.

A. A sting inside the mouth or throat is a medical emergency and requires immediate attention. That’s because the swelling could block the airways and lead to suffocation.

We are glad that the pickle trick worked for both your daughter and your husband. We encourage anyone drinking a sweet beverage outdoors to look carefully before swigging.

Q. Several years ago, I began having debilitating headaches in the morning. I could not even think, much less work.

I had started eating prepackaged shredded cabbage for snacking and in salads, thinking I was doing something good for myself. It turned out that I am extremely sensitive to the sulfites used in some prepackaged salad ingredients.

When I quit eating any of the prepackaged stuff, the headaches went away as if by magic. I had an elderly friend who started having severe headaches at times. We looked back on what she had eaten, and it always appeared that she, too, had eaten prepackaged veggie ingredients such as carrots or salads. She stopped eating them, and the headaches went away.

A. Sulfite sensitivity refers to a reaction to the preservative that used to be applied to fresh veggies to keep them from turning brown. The Food and Drug Administration banned sulfites from salad bars in 1986 because of serious adverse reactions, including more than a dozen deaths.

Such chemicals still may be found in other foods, including baked goods, condiments and precut or peeled potatoes. Sulfites are sometimes used in dried fruit, vegetable juice or guacamole and in wine making. Shellfish such as shrimp or crab also may be treated. Look on the label for the words “sulfite,” “bisulfite” or “metabisulfite.”

Sulfite reactions may include symptoms such as hives, shortness of breath and digestive distress. Headaches are not common, but others also have reported trouble with this reaction.

Q. I would like to know more about your home remedy for constipation. Does it really work?

Please send me the recipe. I know it contains applesauce, prune juice and bran. What kind of bran?

A. We have heard from nurses that this combination, termed “Power Pudding,” is very helpful for postoperative constipation and in nursing homes where drugs may be contributing to the problem. The bran is unprocessed wheat bran and can be found in many supermarkets or natural-food stores.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers.

2014 King Features Syndicate Inc.