San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Turn to tea bags after tooth extraction
Q: I have worked in dentistry all my adult life. One dentist I worked for instructed patients after extractions to bite on a wet tea bag if bleeding continued. He told them to use a plain old Lipton tea bag soaked in water and gently squeezed out. Apparently, the tannic acid in the tea helped stop bleeding.
A: We searched for research to support your experience. A study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (June 12, 2014) reinforces the value of tea for stopping bleeding. The dentists used green tea extract-impregnated gauze. The conclusion: “The results of this study show that green tea extract is significantly effective in stopping bleeding of socket caused by tooth extraction and in reduction of consequent oozing.”
We agree that the tannins in tea have astringent properties, which means they can cause vasoconstriction and enhance blood clotting. Either green or black tea should work. One recommendation is to keep the tea bag in place 15 to 30 minutes.
Q: I recently read your article about elevating the head of the bed. I liked that idea, but instead, I raised the foot of my bed about 6 inches.
I thought it would help my swollen feet and ankles to raise them above my heart. Sadly, my ankles are still swollen, but I have slept like a rock.
A: We are certainly glad to hear you are sleeping well. We cannot explain why some people might benefit from elevating the legs while others find it better to raise the head of the bed. This just proves that individuals respond differently.
That’s why we offer so many options in our “eGuide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.” This online resource can be found under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
You may want to ask your doctor why your feet are so swollen. This could be a symptom of something more serious.
Q: Recently a reader extolled the virtues of fish oil for his arthritic knees. I would like to share a similar story.
I was plagued with hip bursitis. Not wanting to rely completely on anti-inflammatory meds, I doubled my fish oil intake. That meant two capsules daily, about 200 milligrams EPA and 1,000 milligrams DHA per capsule. I actually noticed little improvement.
Then I switched to another brand of fish oil. It has the same amount of EPA and DHA but also contains 130 milligrams of DPA. Within a week, I noticed a marked, though not total, improvement. I can only attribute it to the DPA.
A: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and DPA (docosapentaenoic acid) are all omega-3 fatty acids (Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids, August 2018). However, DPA is rarely included in dietary supplements.
Although studies suggest that lipid intake (such as omega-3 fats) only accounts for a small proportion of arthritis pain, DPA may be relevant (Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, August 2022). Q: My husband suffered with plantar warts for years. He tried several remedies, including burning, freezing and duct tape, to no avail.
Then we started taking yucca capsules. Yucca is a plant with antiviral properties; we heard it was effective against arthritis.
After a few weeks, my husband noticed the plantar warts falling off, one by one, until they were totally gone! They have never returned, nor do we have arthritis in our joints.
A: What a fascinating testimonial! Yucca is the genus name for numerous North American plant species with anti-inflammatory properties (Antioxidants, March 2023). A protein found in yucca leaves can keep viruses from replicating (Antiviral Research, April 1992). This might explain the effect on plantar warts, which are caused by human papillomavirus.