Health: 10 unusual home remedies for various ailments

Health: 10 simple yet unusual home remedies you can try

Hold a pencil between your teeth to cure headache: For stress-induced headaches the solution is simple: put a pencil between your teeth but don't bite! Health experts opine that this could ease headaches caused when a person clenches his or her teeth due to stress or anxiety. This practice can relax the jaw muscles that get strained.

Aching feet? Roll them on tennis balls: Giving yourself a mini massage by rolling your feet on tennis balls can actually sooth the pain. This can also be done using a golf ball or a soup can and throbbing feet can be cooled by rolling them over a bottle of frozen water.

Make warts disappear by using duct tape: Forget gels or expensive lotions. Simply applying a piece of duct tape on a wart every 3 days can make them go away! Also, as the tape is removed the dead skin should be filed down using a nail file. This could actually eliminate warts after 2 months as per the results published in an international medical journal.

Want to lower your BP? Listen to some music: For blood-pressure patients, researchers at an Italian university, say that simply popping up the earphones and listening to some soothing tunes on their smartphone, iPod or mp3 player for 30 minutes daily can lower BP or hypertension significantly.

Soothe blisters with mouthwash: Known for its powerful antiseptic properties, the classic breath freshener or mouthwash is an effective home remedy to help treat blisters. Moisten a cotton ball with the solution and dab it on the blister-afficted area thrice a day until it dries out. So, as health experts say, next time if you suffer from blisters, grab a bottle of Listerine.

Swallow some sugar to cure hiccups: Can't stop hiccupping even after drinking water? Then researchers say, swallowing a teaspoon full of dry sugar can actually stop them within a few minutes. This is because the nerve muscles in the diaphragm that actually contribute to hiccups get modified.

Vodka can actually cure foot odour: It's true! But not by drinking. Confused? Here's how it works: Rubbing your 'smelly feet' with a rag or washcloth soaked with vodka can actually get rid of the odour. This is because vodka is antiseptic and drying and capable of destroying fungus and bacteria that cause your feet to smell and also helps dry out the moisture so the organisms don't grow again.

Soothe flareups caused by eczema with olive oil: The basis for many moisturisers, olive oil is packed with antioxidants, which can soothe inflammation associated with skin-irritating conditions like eczema. Dermatoligists also say that when used in it's natural form it lacks the irritation found in store-bought creams.

Baking soda is a good home cure for urinary tract infection: Urologists say the drinking a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda mixed in 1.9 litres of water can offer relief from the symptoms of urinary tract infection. Doing this once daily before approaching the doctor for a culture test is a best possible remedy and it stops bacteria from multiplying, thus making the bladder more alkaline.

Chomp on apples for whiter teeth: According to dental health experts, gentle malic acid present in crunchy fruits like apples can actually help dissolve stains present in teeth, thus acting as natural toothbrushes. So, no need for expensive teeth-whitening treatments. An apple a day can keep the dentist away!