The People’s Pharmacy

Q: Although I have always been attracted to mosquitoes, I didn’t know until recently about the wonderful “hot spoon” remedy for itch-causing bites. When the bite is still fresh, warm up a spoon in a glass of hot water or coffee, then apply as much heat as you can to the bite using the back of the spoon. The mosquito bite is apparently neutralized by the heat from the spoon, which significantly shortens the duration and severity of the itching. For the past couple of summers, this has been a godsend!

A: person’s appeal to mosquitoes varies greatly amongst individuals. Their responses to the bites also vary in intensity. You and other individuals who attract mosquitoes ought to apply insect repellent anytime you go outside.

The majority of people have some redness, itching, and maybe a lump where a mosquito bit them. Experts believe that this is a response to mosquito saliva triggered by histamine. Some people, on the other hand, experience a severe reaction to mosquito bites that lasts for weeks as opposed to days. This is known by doctors as “skeeter syndrome.”

The hot water cure for itchiness was originally found in the textbook “Dermatology: Diagnosis and Treatment” more than 50 years ago. It functions by desensitizing the skin’s itch-transmitting nerves. We believe that the hot spoon method operates via the same system. The water and the spoon shouldn’t be so hot that they burn the skin.

These days, high-tech variations of this strategy are sold under the brands Therapik, Bite Away, and Bite Helper. These are battery-operated gadgets that apply heat to itch-producing insect bites.

Q: My grandma reached the ripe old age of ninety-nine. She used a recipe you printed out years ago. She claimed that it truly kept her joints moving and that it was purportedly from the Mayo Clinic. Could you elaborate on this solution for me?

A: The Mayo Clinic was founded by brothers Charles and William Mayo, who are credited with recommending the cure you are referring to. The ingredients for the “black ball” recipe include olive oil, charcoal, glycerin, senna, slippery elm, dried raisins and figs, and whether or not they truly recommended it.

We don’t know whether or not this might lessen joint inflammation. Actually, since the senna it contains is a strong laxative that should not be used frequently, we do not advise it.

But our “eGuide to Alternatives for Arthritis” has some at-home treatments for joint pain. You can access this online resource at PeoplesPharmacy.com by clicking on the Health eGuides page.