Try the raisin remedy for removing splinters
Q: A few years ago, I was unable to remove a splinter from my hand. Ultimately, it calloused over but was still bothersome. In desperation, I searched the internet to find out how to remove it and viewed a video that told how to use a raisin to get it to surface.
The result wasn’t immediate, but I was persistent. After about a week of taping a fresh raisin over the spot daily, the splinter emerged.
More recently, a rose thorn went through my garden glove and embedded itself in my hand. I could not grab it with tweezers nor pry it out using a needle, so I covered it with a raisin and bandage. The next morning the thorn had emerged enough that I could grab it and pull the quarter-inch thorn out. Can you please explain the magical properties in raisins?
A: We wish we could! We retraced your internet search and found a similar video demonstrating this remedy.
We have written for years about using a wart plaster with salicylic acid over a stubborn splinter. This was written up in the medical literature ( Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, April 1989).
Raisins are high in salicylates, so perhaps that helps explain this unusual effect. Some people advocate cutting the raisin in half and applying the cut surface to the skin for a day to encourage the splinter to work itself out.
Q: I have IBS. Sometimes this causes constipation, sometimes sudden urges with
soft stool. I thought I saw something recently that said vitamin D helps with IBS. Is this true? How much vitamin D should I be taking?
A: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause a great deal of discomfort, though doctors do not consider it a dangerous disorder. The usual symptoms are bloating, stomach cramps and changes in bowel habits. Some people experience diarrhea, others are constipated, and still others, like you, alternate between the two.
We were intrigued by your suggestion that vitamin D supplements might be helpful. Checking the medical literature revealed a randomized controlled trial of vitamin D vs. placebo for IBS symptoms (European Journal of Nutrition, July 30, 2021). We are sorry to say that 3,000 IU vitamin D daily for three months was no more effective than placebo. The authors conclude: “There is no case for advocating use of vitamin D in the management of IBS symptoms.”
You can learn more about remedies for IBS and other conditions such as constipation, diarrhea and flatulence in our eGuide to Overcoming Digestive Disorders. This online resource is available under the Health eGuides tab at PeoplesPharmacy.com.
Q: You have written about applying ground black pepper to a minor kitchen cut to stop bleeding. You failed to point out the serious risk of contamination.
Spices are grown and collected in very unsanitary conditions. Applying any spice to an open wound could lead to infection. Warn your readers not to put black pepper on cuts.
A: You are quite right that spices are not sterile. The agricultural products are often harvested under uncontrolled conditions. Small farms all over India supply most of the black pepper we consume. The same is true for many other spices.
Some large companies that sell spices in the U.S. pasteurize their products before selling them. Whether that would make ground black pepper safe to apply topically is uncertain.