Green tea for eye health

Q. I was interested to read that black tea can reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis because of its flavonoid content. Does green tea also contain these compounds?

I drink a cup of green tea with 1 teaspoon of plain chocolate powder in it daily. This has helped keep my eye pressure at 15 and 16, which makes my ophthalmologist happy.

A. The study you are mentioning was conducted in Australia and included almost 1,200 women. They were at least 75 years old at the start of the study, which lasted 10 years. These women were at high risk for osteoporotic fracture. The study concluded that flavonoids in the diet (including black tea as one important source) were associated with a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of fracture (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October 2015).

Green tea and cocoa also are good sources of flavonoid compounds. A recent meta-analysis of studies looking at the effects of flavonoid consumption on eye pressure and glaucoma found that these compounds have “a promising role” (Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, November 2015).

Q. You have written before about using mustard and vanilla (the real thing) for burns, and I can tell you they both work! I’m a kitchen burn “expert,” usually getting at least one a month. I rely on vanilla.

I recently burned the back of my hand reaching into a hot oven, and I immediately poured vanilla on it. A week later, I had only a slightly darker spot with a little bit of tenderness, no blistering and no scarring.

A. A severe burn should always be treated as a medical emergency with professional care. We are glad that the vanilla helped, but we don’t want anyone to substitute a home remedy for needed medical attention.

Cold water is the first line of defense in treating a kitchen burn. That helps stop ongoing tissue damage. After that, vanilla, yellow mustard and soy sauce have been reported to ease pain and prevent blistering.

Q. I was out of town this week and suffered a large cut on my left index finger from a sharp piece of metal. I held pressure on it constantly, but I could not stop the steady bleeding. I purchased a styptic stick and diligently applied it for more than 30 minutes, to no avail.

After more than two hours of bleeding, I went to Walgreens and spoke with a pharmacist. He said it might sound silly, but I should get an Afrin Nasal Spray bottle and apply the spray directly to the cut, or wrap a tissue soaked in the spray on that finger. He said it might require several applications to be effective. The pharmacist also said this would not stop the bleeding per se, but would constrict the blood vessels and prevent blood from seeping.

I followed his instructions, and the bleeding stopped in about 15 minutes. Perhaps you are aware of this home remedy, but the wife and I, both retired health-care professionals, were not. Please pass this on to your readers.

A. Thanks for sharing. This is also new to us, but it makes sense, because the ingredient in Afrin is oxymetazoline, a vasoconstrictor.

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.”

King Features Syndicate Inc.