Quirky Home Remedies That Really Work!

(CBS)  Pencils for headaches? Mouthwash for blisters? Don't knock them until you've tried them!

On "The Early Show Saturday Edition," Prevention magazine editor Rebekah George spotlighted some unusual, surprisingly effective treatments for minor conditions, and you probably already have the items in your house.

She explains that home remedies grew from necessity, when formal medical care either didn't exist or wasn't widely available to everyone. Our ancestors made do by using whatever they had on-hand to treat their various ailments, and then sharing what worked for them with their friends and neighbors.

The amazing thing about home remedies is that they've survived through the evolution of modern medicine. Despite all the great advances that have transformed how we treat illness or injury, home remedies are often still the go-to choice for many people for many conditions.

Why? They're inexpensive, convenient, and they work!

All of these can be found in one of Prevention's most popular books, "The Big Doctors Book of Home Remedies." Prevention interviewed doctors, health professionals, and experts across a number of fields, asking them what remedies they've found to be the most successful, and what they themselves recommend.

According to George, certain remedies have been validated by clinical research, but for many others, the proof comes from the laboratory of real life. We don't always know WHY they're effective, they just are. Some of them have even found their way into our doctors' offices!

George stresses that these aren't substitutes for serious medical treatment. Never stop taking a medication or otherwise change your treatment plan without consulting your doctor first.

Home cure: Headaches: Use A Pencil

Almost all of us have experiences headaches, but you may not know that 90 percent of all headaches are classified as tension headaches, according to the National Headache Foundation.

When you're stressed or anxious, you subconsciously clench your jaw and teeth; this strains the muscle that connects your jaw to your temples and can trigger a tension headache.

A solution: Put a pencil between your teeth but don't bite. You automatically relax your jaw muscle to do this, which can help ease the pain.

Home cure: Blisters: Use Mouthwash

Blisters are caused by friction that ruptures cell tissue and releases plasma (that's what the fluid in the blister is!). The outside skin is your body's natural way of preventing infection.

In addition to fresher breath, mouthwash can also help treat blisters!

Moisten a cotton ball with Listerine and dab it on your blister 3 times a day until the area dries out and no longer hurts.

Home cure: Hiccups: Use a Teaspoon of Sugar

No one is sure what triggers the hiccup reflex. A common explanation is that it's caused by irritation or stimulation of the nerve that connects the brain and the diaphragm.

Although they're harmless, they can be annoying. There are hundreds of home remedies out there, and everyone has a favorite. But before you try scaring them out of someone, tell them to try one of our favorites: Swallowing a spoonful of dry sugar can stop hiccups in minutes.

The sugar is believed to modify the nerve muscles that are telling the muscles in the diaphragm to contract irregularly.

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