These days, it’s become all too common for people to reach for a pill bottle or run to the urgent care center for the smallest scrape. Our grandparents, on the other hand, were too worried about the cost of going to the doctor or buying commercial products. That’s why there are so many wacky home remedies still floating around out there, weird concoctions formed from everyday household goods and often mocked by the medical community. Some of what we think of as time-tested home remedies are actually bad ideas. Doctors warn that some home remedies used by our grandparents can actually make us sick. Here are just a few of those old-fashioned remedies that are better left in family folklore.
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Vinegar Compress Vinegar compresses used to be used to bring down fevers, but the Poison Control Center warns that it can not only cause irritation but even burns serious enough to require skin grafts. |
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St. John’s Wort People assume that because St. John’s Wort is an herbal remedy, it must be safe. There’s just one problem, it can interfere with a myriad of medications. It can make medications like birth control pills, antidepressants, heart medications, and statins less effective. |
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Hydrogen Peroxide For Cuts If you were taught to pour hydrogen peroxide on a wound — and watch for the exciting fizz reaction — you were taught wrong. While it’s true that hydrogen peroxide can kill germs, it also kills some of your body’s own immune cells. These cells are responsible for healing, which the peroxide interferes with. The best thing to do is flush the wound with plain water and cover it with a clean bandage. |
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Baking Soda For Stomach Troubles Chemically, baking soda is known as sodium bicarbonate. If you’ve ever dumped baking soda and vinegar down your sink drain, you may see why it’s not a good idea to mix baking soda and stomach acid inside your body. In severe cases, the gas can expand so much that it causes stomach rupture. You’re better off with a bottle of Tums. |
