Greek yogurt soothed itchy bottom
Q. I have had many vaginal yeast infections through the years, so when I developed severe anal itching, I wasn’t surprised to learn that this also might be caused by yeast. Vaginal ointments such as Monistat did not seem to help.
I read that yogurt often can be helpful for vaginal yeast infections. I had some plain nonfat Greek yogurt in the fridge and tried applying it to my derriere. It provided immediate relief.
I applied the yogurt several times a day, and within three days I had no itching and was able to stop treatment. An added bonus: The cool yogurt provides immediate relief to the burning and itch. I would not use yogurt for vaginal infections, since there are other, less-messy options. But for anal itching it worked great.
A. We are glad to learn that yogurt applied to your bottom was so soothing. We have to admit that we had never heard of such a treatment for hemorrhoids or itchy bottom (pruritus ani).
Eating yogurt with live cultures is sometimes recommended as a preventive measure for vaginal yeast infections. Perhaps that would be helpful in your case as well.
Your approach, while creative, sounds a bit messy. Other recommendations that some people find helpful include sitting in a warm bath with baking soda or Epsom salts, cleaning (gently) with witch hazel or using warm tea bags as a compress on the area.
Some readers report that acid-suppressing drugs such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec) may contribute to this problem.
Q. You have written about success in treating burns with soy sauce. I think this can be attributed to the high sodium content.
I read years ago that a burn was due to rapid dehydration of the skin due to heat, and that quickly rehydrating was helpful. This is done by soaking a paper towel with cold water, sprinkling it generously with salt and firmly applying it to the burned area.
I’ve treated kitchen burns in this manner for years. The pain subsides, and there is never a blister!
A. Thank you for your suggestion. Your observation might explain why low-salt soy sauce doesn’t seem to help against burns.
There isn’t much in the medical literature to support your hypothesis, but applying saline (salt water) during the treatment of a serious burn appears to be a common practice (Burns, September 2007).
Q. After more than 40 years of misery, I have gotten my IBS under control thanks to coconut macaroons. Thanks for writing about this great remedy.
A. Many readers have found that eating coconut macaroon cookies can help control diarrhea symptoms from a number of different conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We first heard about this remedy 17 years ago, when Donald Agar wrote about his experience.
During 40 years of Crohn’s disease, he had battled diarrhea daily, with limited help from medications such as Lomotil. After buying Archway Coconut Macaroon cookies, he reported: “I’ve been eating two a day, and I have not experienced diarrhea in that time. If by chance I eat three in a day, I get constipated. Believe me, I have a new life now.”
2015 King Features Syndicate Inc.