What's the worst health advice youve been given by your relatives?

[-]

Dismal-Task-4938@reddit

My Aunty’s mantra “If your body craves it, you must need it”! Her children are all massive!

[-]

TimedDelivery@reddit

My mum’s into alternative/natural medicine and I have an autistic child, how long have you got? 😂

The top two though have got to be “don’t wear a mask, it will give you cold sores” during the Covid pandemic and “raw milk is better for you than pasteurised milk”.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

I have a good friend who is one of those naturey people. God love her.

I do like that she praised me for having a copper gas pipe, since copper is so beneficial for healing (not sure what else gas pipe can be made from).

[-]

bill_end@reddit

Are you consuming the gas direct from the copper gas main? Presumably it won't have the proper healing benefits if you just use it for trivial things like cooking and heating.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

I am absorbing the gas pipe's positive vibe aura within my magnetic field.

[-]

TotallyTapping@reddit

Aged 6, I had to stand over a drum of hot tar/bitumin and inhale the fumes as a "cure" for whooping cough, so I could be a bridesmaid at my uncles wedding. This was early 1970's rural Ireland.

[-]

I’m from rural Ireland and had three bouts of whooping cough in the 80s, I have to say the worst “cure” I had was the priest coming to pray for me. And while they surely saved my life those awful banana antibiotics

[-]

OneRandomTeaDrinker@reddit

I had it in 2023, turns out the vaccine lasts about 18-20 years, just in time to come down with it at uni. Most people don’t get it as adults due to herd immunity but I must have been unlucky. Sicker than I’ve ever been, and they didn’t catch it quick enough to give me antibiotics. Worse than any of my 3 rounds with Covid, even the one before I was vaccinated, although I admit I got off “lightly” as I was lucky to have no long covid.

[-]

-myeyeshaveseenyou-@reddit

The vaccine is also only about 80% effective and I am lucky enough to fall into the 20% it doesn’t protect. The time the priest came round I had missed two months of school and I ended up with PTSD, it sounds mental but I had coughed so much and had three separate bouts of it every cough for years after put genuine fear into me that it was whooping cough again. I also got chicken pix twice so I don’t think my immune system is terribly good at learning. Been sick with infections a few times a year my whole life, and was convinced I’d get Covid as I catch everything. But somehow I avoided Covid, even when both of my children had it at different times to each other.

I can only imagine how horrific it would be to get whooping cough as an adult as at least as a child I was able to do nothing for the months I was sick with it.

[-]

pafrac@reddit

Eh, putting booze in a baby's bottle to shut the little darling up is an old trick used by nannies since time immemorial. It was much more common back when it wasn't actually illegal, though.

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

Eh, putting booze in a baby's bottle to shut the little darling up is an old trick used by nannies since time immemorial. It was much more common back when it wasn't actually illegal, though.

i was born in '89...

was a thing when i was a kid too lol

[-]

Extra-Sound-1714@reddit

Colic water sold in chemists apparently had alcohol in it.

[-]

TillyTeckel@reddit

Woodwards Gripe Water had alcohol in it until 1992!

[-]

qpwoeiruty00@reddit

Expected form somebody born in the 19's😂

[-]

bhamnz@reddit

Why did you word for word steal someone elses comment?

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

it was a quote, looks fine my end as a quote.

[-]

HoggleSnarf@reddit

They're trying to quote them, it's a reply.

The option to quote a comment has vanished on the Reddit app with recent updates on some Android phones (mine included) and they probably don't know how to format it otherwise.

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

I don’t think they were stealing the comment, they copied it and put their comment as a reply, basically saying they were born in 1989 & it was still a thing then.

[-]

Juuudes@reddit

Mid-1960s, the health visitor recommended a teaspoon of brandy in my bottle of milk to help me sleep.

[-]

pafrac@reddit

A traditionalist!

I wonder if that went on her report?

[-]

spellbookwanda@reddit

A little glucose powder in an ounce or two of cooled boiled water can help colic. I’m also Irish, but never saw the whiskey remedy IRL, haha!

[-]

Innogen@reddit

My Nan swore she knew of a man whose asthma was cured by breathing in creosote fumes.

[-]

InkedDoll1@reddit

I had whisky in my bottle too apparently!

[-]

Mischeese@reddit

My Nan used to make me do the same thing in London in the 70s. WTF was that all about??

[-]

rictay44@reddit

A hot teaspoon over a mosquito bite.

[-]

rictay44@reddit

I never found the hot treatment worked. Antihistamine cream seemed to be the only remedy that worked.

[-]

Polythene_pams_bag@reddit

Or hot teabag!

[-]

CatOverlordsWelcome@reddit

This does, in fact, help.

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

My parents used to dab toothpaste on them.

[-]

goshawk_grenade@reddit

Stop taking your antidepressant medications as you don't need them. They make you feel worse, you need to think positively. My reply was, do you tell people with diabetes to stop taking their medication? No? I didn't think so. This came from my sister, and is unbelievably stupid and dangerous. I suffer from recurring depression and the medications, combined with management strategies, help keep it at arm's length. Or when it does recur it isn't as bad.

[-]

Lego-105@reddit

My man, I'm more interested in what the fuck is going on in your life that a surgical would to the bone and a knife would you're casually showing to your father in law are footnotes. You can't just up my curiosity like that and leave me at a dead end.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

The surgical wound to the bone was a pilonidal sinus surgery. Those type of surgeries have to heal from the bottom of the wound upwards, which is why they cant be stitched.

The knife wound was actually my husband and it wasnt a knife really. He put his hand in some shap tractor machinery implement to unblock it I think – can't remember what exactly. But it was sharp and pointy and near enough sliced his thumb off. He used a diesel rag to stop the bleeding... That went from black to red very quickly. Then he decided to go to the pharmacy. His father in law said to the pharmacist "wont some germolene do the job?". But the pharmacist insisted he'd get stitches.

[-]

HeavenDraven@reddit

Honestly, the teabag one has some merit - they're mildly antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, so it's not quite as WTF? as you'd initially think. They're often still suggested by doctors as part of a treatment fir a stye.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

This was an open wound going down to the bone, not a knee scrape. Literally blood everywhere, and in later stages there was a lot of wound exudate. It was grim.

[-]

HeavenDraven@reddit

I've had quite a few pilonidal sinus abcesses, I'm honestly far too familiar with the evil things.

The teabag suggestion honestly sounds like a genuine effort to help.

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

If you leave the teabag, in the teapot, with the leftover tea (obviously once it’s gone cold), it’s fab to dab over sunburnt skin.

[-]

ilovezombiemovie@reddit

A cold wet teabag is also wonderful for temporarily helping tooth infections

[-]

Polythene_pams_bag@reddit

Also hot teabag on a mosquito bite stops the itch

[-]

Antlorn@reddit

You've just reminded me of when I accidentally sliced my finger open with a wood carving knife, near the start of covid. This was before access to vaccines or decent masks, and when a lot of people were dying in hospital. I did not want to go into hospital, so I bought some steristrips from a pharmacy and had my friend meet me outdoors on a train platform at night, to help me tape my finger back together.

I still have nerve damage in that finger 🙃

But at least I didn't catch covid!

[-]

vcockle@reddit

Your in-laws look at germolene how I see Sudacrem. It's a cure all

[-]

anonredstar@reddit

Thing is Germolene has a local anaesthetic which is normally great for mosquito bites to stop them itching.

[-]

fatcakesabz@reddit

It was milk of magnesia for my school nurse.

Headache- milk of magnesia

Broken arm - milk of magnesia and back to class

Traumatic amputation - milk of magnesia and an hour resting on the bed

[-]

Bride-of-wire@reddit

At my school a damp paper towel was the nurse’s panacea. With one paracetamol tablet if it was really serious.

My old school was built in the 1950s and waiting for registration one afternoon I was leaning with my head against a window (round ones with a split in the middle) when a friend gave me a playful nudge… My head went straight through the window, glass everywhere, I’m completely unscathed, somehow. Until an hour afterwards when I developed a belting headache. Told the teacher in the lesson what had happened and he sent me to the nurse. Dizziness and nausea kicked in, I was very obviously concussed and should have had an X-ray. The nurse gave me a paracetamol and a damp paper towel to hold against my ear. Ah, the 80s.

[-]

TillyTeckel@reddit

I've told my 11 year old son so many stories of how things were in the 80s growing up; he's amazed I'm still alive!

[-]

Sharks_and_Bones@reddit

There was a bed? We were lucky if we got to sit on a non plastic chair with damp paper towel. Now that I come to think of it, we didn't have a permanent nurse. They only showed up for vaccinations and the odd health lesson. Teachers dealt with everything else.

[-]

CottonfreshCatMum@reddit

Scottish mammies know it fixes everything from a grazed knee to a compound fracture. Even my vet has recommended it for a wound out cat had. Literally is ‘magic cream’

[-]

Sharks_and_Bones@reddit

As long as the cat/dog doesn't lick it.

[-]

rumade@reddit

We used to use it on minor chicken injuries. If the other hens in the flock see a bloodied wound, they will continuously attack it. Sudocrem hangs on very well and masks the redness.

[-]

arfur_narmful@reddit

With you all the way. I bloody love Sudacrem. That or a colloid plaster.

[-]

Ohtherewearethen@reddit

Sudacrem is literally the 'magic cream' of our childhoods. It solves almost everything.

Got a nappy rash? Sudacrem. Got an ouchie? Sudacrem. Got spots? Sudacrem. Got sunburnt? Sudacrem. Broken your arm? Sudacrem and stop making a fuss.

I still keep a pot in the house now, even though my daughter is no longer a baby. My husband doesn't trust it and swears by savlon. I was raised in a home that swore by Dettol, germoline and antihistamines. It's sudacrem for the win every time for me.

[-]

thatlldopig90@reddit

I always have the trinity in my house.

Some situations are better served by Sudocrem, others Savlon and Germolene is the only tube for the job for some ailments!

[-]

Ohtherewearethen@reddit

Oh did you have germoline in a tube? We had it in a little metal thing, like vaseline/lip balm comes in now. I'd bet my house that my parents still have that same little metal tin of germoline in their cupboard now, 45 years later! What I love is that each of these magic creams have a smell that is unforgettable and instantly take you back to your childhood.

[-]

thatlldopig90@reddit

Sadly, as others have commented, Germolene is no longer the thick salmon pink ointment found it the tin that was a bugger to open; it is now in a tube and is a very pale pink. It still smells similar (not as strong, but same scent) and the added bonus now, is that it contains a local anaesthetic which is great for relieving pain.

[-]

thecatsothermother@reddit

Yeah, Germolene has changed, it used to be bright pink and oily, and yes, it came in a little blue tin that was a swine to open!

[-]

Channianni@reddit

It's still pink, although I think there are a few versions now.

[-]

DominikWilde1@reddit

The 'put a wet paper towel on it' of skin creams

[-]

Broken_Sky@reddit

Cat had a sore bum, guess what the vet told us to put on it?!

[-]

Consistent_Rich_153@reddit

Our daughter knows sudocrem as 'magic cream'. It's a cure-all in our house.

[-]

No_Recording_369@reddit

It's Savlon on my house, everyone needs a cure for every occasion right?

[-]

New_journey868@reddit

In our house its tcp. Sore throat, cut, mosquito bite etc

[-]

AdaandFred@reddit

TCP gargle on a sore throat is absolute magic.

[-]

StunnedinTheSuburbs@reddit

In my house it’s wine

[-]

Terrible_Bluebird540@reddit

Same 🤣

[-]

Great-Ad-632@reddit

As an adult I now find the smell of TCP quite comforting, apart from its obvious miracle propertirs

[-]

kittysparkled@reddit

It's no good as toothpaste, I can tell you that much.

[-]

JurassicM4rc@reddit

Toothpaste, in this economy? You'd have to be minted!

[-]

SunJay333@reddit

Ahhh it's Savlon in mine too

[-]

Alternative_Dream_12@reddit

My grandad always said vaseline was the one

[-]

Celestial_Light_@reddit

Sudacreme works amazing for sunburn. Rub some on overnight and by morning it's already reduced the redness by several shades (even after being absorbed).

[-]

Anonimoose15@reddit

Just yesterday a family member suggested Sudocrem for an ingrown toenail (mildly ingrown, no infection), I mean I doubt it’ll do any harm but I’m dubious that it’ll do any good, any experience with sudocrem for this use? 😅

[-]

PrintSad6452@reddit

It's mildly antiseptic and anaesthetic so it will help soothe the ouchiness and stop it becoming infected. Sounds sensible.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

Id suggest the opposite. An ingrown toenail should be kept dry.

[-]

winebookscats@reddit

I use the cream to soften the nail sufficiently to allow for easy trimming, then it's very simple to cut right into the corner to remove the part that's ingrowing. Only if it's mild though.

[-]

ribenarockstar@reddit

Sudocrem is? I knew Germolene was, which is why it’s my Windex (put some Windex on it…)

[-]

Anonimoose15@reddit

Good point, won’t fix the nail but soothing and preventing infection makes sense

[-]

winebookscats@reddit

If it's only mildly ingrowing, putting Sudocrem on will help soften the nail and provide a slight antiseptic and anaesthetic effect. Keep applying regularly until the nail is easy to cut, then you should be able to clip right into the corner to dig out the ingrowing bit without any problem - and without any pain.

I do this regularly with my 'susceptible to ingrowing but also hard as a rock' big toenails. Works like a charm.

[-]

vcockle@reddit

Stir it in with some tea, drink while hot

[-]

Anonimoose15@reddit

😂 Instructions unclear, taking a mug of sudocrem-y tea into a sauna tomorrow

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

🤣😂🤣

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

I put germolene on my ingrown…not sure it gets rid of it, but definitely stops the pain!

[-]

0-starlight-0@reddit

Always helps my child. Rub some in the affected area then put a bigger blob on and a plaster to seal in it. Next day the redness and soreness is gone, but obviously do treat the nail

[-]

TakimaDeraighdin@reddit

I'm extremely prone to them, so speaking from experience: a moisturising antiseptic cream is the wrong pick.

Ingrown toenails won't heal properly until the bit of nail that's digging in grows out, or is removed (by an appropriately qualified medical practitioner). Preventing/combatting infection is definitely useful, but the place where it's at risk of it isn't generally exposed on the surface. You want something liquid that can run into the wound along the nail bed - iodine, TCP or similar. (TCP can have limiting effects on wound healing, but for this kind of thing, it doesn't matter, because it's not healing now, and won't until it grows out.)

Also, it's really, really important - particularly if an infection starts - to keep the area as dry as possible, so you don't want a cream antiseptic for that reason either.

[-]

Inside-Trouble185@reddit

I do actually! Sudocrem is the cure all in our house so naturally gave it a go on my sore toe- didn’t realise it was an ingrown toenail at the time as I’ve never had one before. It didn’t work, nor did germoline. Needed antibiotics and the removal of the nail.

[-]

Amazing_Goal_8003@reddit

If TCP can’t cure it, you need to go to hospital

[-]

Alternative_Bit_3445@reddit

Drapolenee aka Magic Cream when we were kids, and for my kids too.

[-]

kateykatey@reddit

We had been calling Sudacrem magic cream for a while already after having two kids, but my third was a c section and the wound was a beast to heal. Midwives told me not to put anything on it for weeks until eventually I was just pissed off with it and put a strip of Sudacrem on after a shower.

Healed by my next appointment 🥳

Fun fact: it’s Irish in origin and gets its name from the way “soothing cream” sounds in an Irish accent.

[-]

Alone_Coast@reddit

I'm buying some today!

[-]

LzzrdWzzrd@reddit

Okay, but... Windex!! 🇬🇷

[-]

fivebyfive12@reddit

Iaaaan!!

[-]

FustyFossil@reddit

Wire brush and dettol!

[-]

Srddrs@reddit

I get eczema inside my ears and my aunt suggested sudocrem last night, after a few days of hellish itching. Stopped it overnight.

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

I’ve been putting olive oil in mine, it works a treat.

[-]

Lonelysock2@reddit

Mine is eat a banana 😄

[-]

Estrellathestarfish@reddit

With my ex-MIL it was tiger balm and "have you had poo?" for any GI issues.

[-]

loranlily@reddit

My friend is a school nurse (in the US where that is still a thing), and her first question is always that if a kid complains of any tummy trouble.

[-]

spellbookwanda@reddit

Sudocrem is truly fantastic for any skin stuff, spots, rashes, sore dry skin, etc. good for healing cuts too, but not in place of stitches!

[-]

DarkDragoness1965@reddit

Bepanthen works better.

[-]

DoubleXFemale@reddit

Whenever a kid bumps their head around my mum, she takes off her ring to “cross the bump with gold” as she believes it helps with swelling.

[-]

Polythene_pams_bag@reddit

Uve just unlocked a memory with the gold ring! Mum used to give us her gold ring to rub the styes we’d get! Apparently rubbing a gold ring on a stye really did work?!

[-]

Roanmor@reddit

Lol I still do this! It does work (or its a coincidence)

[-]

Successful-Tune2225@reddit

Most of the health advice I've been given is from relatives after having a baby.

"You need to start giving your baby real food, my son was just on solids at 3 months"..but actually they aren't supposed to even be trying food until 6 months.

"Your baby must wear a hat at all times so their head doesn't get cold"...luckily I asked a midwife and was told that's not true at all. They should never wear hats at night as they can overheat and it increases the risk for cot death.

I could go on and on...

[-]

Background_Bug1102@reddit

When I was a kid (born ‘72) my mum had a jar of “Whitfield’s Ointment) that had a handwritten pharmacy label from 1968. It was a fucking cure-all though, looked like Vaseline but smelled slightly medicinal. Now I use Sudocrem on everything for my kids.

[-]

gentletonberry@reddit

I wish I was making this up but my MIL believes that if you’ve thrown up and still feel nauseous after, swallowing a small amount of the vomit back down again will send signals your body to stop throwing up.

I do not know the logic, or how she came to this conclusion, or indeed how she lives among us. She’s one weird lady.

[-]

No-Extension-2378@reddit

I hate this with every fibre of my being. Brings back a memory of a night out with a guy who threw up on the pavement and then picked the chunks out to "sober up"

[-]

Renie_roo@reddit

Well today is a bad day to be able to read...

[-]

Fungus_Mungus46@reddit

What an awful day to have eyes. How do I unread something. Christ on a bike. EEEEUUUOOOOGGGGHHH.

[-]

Obvious_Reporter_235@reddit

That just brought back a memory from 25 years ago of a lad at college who had a few too many at lunch in the pub, threw up, and tried to scoop up as much as he could and put it in his shirt pocket.

[-]

Firm_Doughnut_1@reddit

You didn't have to share that

[-]

Wooden_Adeptness_136@reddit

you've just reminded me of a night out with an old mate in Copenhagen, we were at Tivoli and she vomited mid-ride, but being too embarrassed to vomit in public, she caught and swallowed it again.

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

Brings back a memory of a night out with a guy who threw up on the pavement and then picked the chunks out to "sober up"

you've never seen a squaddie throw up in a pint glass and then down it have you? lol

made me nearly chunder watching it happen lol

[-]

batty_61@reddit

I've seen a member of the Bloodhound Gang do this on stage... urp

[-]

Loukie-@reddit

Knew a group of guys in uni who would do a dirty pint for their birthday, bday boi didnt get to decide what went into it but his friends certainly made sure they had... fun? As they reached the midway point some would start to throw up into the pint slightly but yet they would keep going

Made for a fascinating watch

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

Nearly???

[-]

No-Extension-2378@reddit

I've seen a guy throw up in a pint glass and leave it on the table though!

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

so close! haha

[-]

UnIntelligent-Idea@reddit

Reminds me of teenage years where someone downed their pint, threw it back up into their pint glass, looked surprised to have another drink in front of them and downed it again.

Thankfully I didn't witness it but he became locally famous for it.

[-]

Background-End2272@reddit

Regretting I'm literate at 6am. Check

[-]

LazySilverSquid@reddit

Thank you for that grotesque imagery. The visual that I got from that made me nearby throw up.

[-]

cheddawood@reddit

what the fuck man

[-]

BattlestarFaptastula@reddit

NOOOOOOOOOOO OAAOOOSOAODJFJOD NO. no.

no.

[-]

Active_Definition_57@reddit

That makes no sense. As a child I was once sick just from seeing someone else vomit.

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

Noooooooooo…I’m actually retching even thinking about it 🤮

[-]

spellbookwanda@reddit

Jeeesus.

[-]

Estrellathestarfish@reddit

This nearly made me vomit out of nowhere unprompted, this seems like the most counterproductive advice ever

[-]

luluinTO@reddit

Licking tiny bit of salt does better and is less yucky

[-]

stripysweater@reddit

I can't explain it, but Vicks on your feet helps me sleep deeply when I have a cough. Could be a placebo effect but I don't care.

[-]

cloudsanddreams@reddit

When I’m sick and miserable and can’t breathe through my nose and just want to sleep I put a big dollop of Vicks on the soles of my feet, put socks on and next thing it’s morning. I’ve recommended it to others too who are always pleasantly surprised too. I’m willing to believe it’s magic.

[-]

Sharks_and_Bones@reddit

Put then you have to sleep in socks🤢

[-]

Cold_Raspberry520@reddit

Best feeling in the world after being on your feet all day

[-]

hdhxuxufxufufiffif@reddit

I often rub Vicks or Tiger Balm or similar on my feet in the evening. And I like picking up random Asian balms with similar menthol/camphor/eucalyptus recipes. I don't know if they work for colds but they're certainly very relaxing for my middle aged joints and bones.

[-]

nicrrrrrp@reddit

You'd love the Axe oil ointment! Our go to :p

[-]

Velvari@reddit

Same! It stops my cough from waking me up and actually lets me sleep. It definitely works!

[-]

Amazing_Goal_8003@reddit

I was about to comment saying that this does actually help

[-]

InternationalRich150@reddit

When My kids were little, I tried this after too many restless nights. I swear it works! They slept so well. Still as grotty as before bur that vicks did something....

Someone said something reflexology blah blah, idk. But I'm a believer.

[-]

TheMarvelMunchkin@reddit

Same here - I was too tired to question it!

Someone told me it was Vics getting the foot warm and then you put socks on- raised the temperature… I don’t know, I can confirm that worked

[-]

InternationalRich150@reddit

This was my thinking,about the warmth of the feet, but I couldn't work out the science of the heat rising the "wrong" way as heat rises but they're laid down.

Anyhow, it definitely worked and I'm very sceptical of these things! Whatever is behind it, I've no idea.

[-]

0-starlight-0@reddit

Said the exact same thing. It definitely works

[-]

Antlorn@reddit

Foot rubs are very relaxing! And kids are usually pretty short and Vicks is strong - they probably still get some of the nasal effects from having it on their feet!

[-]

spellbookwanda@reddit

It must get warm and waft up through the covers during the night.

[-]

Mesonychoteuthis@reddit

It also helps soothe athlete's foot! The camphor and eucalyptus in it are mildly anti-fungal too.

[-]

spellbookwanda@reddit

Vicks smells so good. I dab some behind my ears if I have a stuffy nose and it helps a lot without stinging my nose or making my eyes water. I never tried the foot thing but it’s definitely popular.

[-]

Cheese_Dinosaur@reddit

But Germolene has magic in it!

[-]

ChrisRR@reddit

Starve a fever

[-]

Background_Bug1102@reddit

But feed a cold!

[-]

Fungus_Mungus46@reddit

My granny (rest her wee soul) made me put BAKING SODA in my EYE for a stye. She was losing her marbles a bit by then to be fair, and we all laugh about it now. I can still feel my eyeball fizzing.

[-]

grazzac@reddit

My paternal grandparents would make me eat a teaspoon of English mustard if I had a blocked nose as a child. Absolutely hated the stuff till I was an adult as a consequence of that. My maternal grandma swore by kaolin and morphia for upset stomachs. As an adult I discovered this was basically morphine and white clay. Surprised I never became a crack addict.

[-]

bill_end@reddit

Morphine will work for diarrhoea if that's what you mean by upset stomach. It's an opioid like immodium/loperamide and causes constipation, which is what you want if you've got the shits.

[-]

Arramattic@reddit

Vicks on the soles of the feet & socks on before bed is good for a tickle cough after a virus. Worked for me, no idea how

[-]

LowkeyAcolyte@reddit

My grandma tells me off for washing my hair daily and believes it is a sign of mental illness.

I am actually mentally ill and washing your hair every day is bad for your hair, but those two things are not related.

[-]

Separate-Spinach4829@reddit

The Vicks on the bottom of babies feet is actually quite a common piece of advice amongst Mum groups on Facebook. I'm not sure if anyone knows why they should do it, or if it just gets shared around and people listen.

[-]

Xenozip3371Alpha@reddit

"Just run it under a cold tap, you'll be fine."

[-]

Original_Manner8214@reddit

When I was about 10 I had a cold and my nose was red raw and my grandmother told me to put some E45 cream on it. I think it would have hurt less pouring acid on to it.

[-]

CrazyWombat1998@reddit

Not sure if this counts as health advice but when I was signed off work with depression and anxiety my mother’s advice was ‘just don’t be stressed’

[-]

Emotional-Pin1649@reddit

Once had a THERAPIST tell me to not be so anxious by just “not taking things so seriously.” Thanks, hadn’t thought of that.

[-]

SilZXIII@reddit

Don’t worry.
Be happy!

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

I was signed off work with depression

just be happy!

thanks i'm CURED! why didn't i think of that?!

[-]

Whole_Routine_8941@reddit

When I was referred to a special dentist due to chronic teeth grinding, which was caused by anxiety, the dentist told me to think positively!

[-]

ProperComposer7949@reddit

I worked at a place that during the interview I told them I had severe ADHD but was medicated and they suggested that I just grow out of it

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

I think my family are the last people I'd tell about being signed off.

Id get a spiel about how they didnt get these luxuries back in the day, "we just got on with it!!"

[-]

CicadaSlight7603@reddit

Brilliant! Make that woman CMO. Does the same approach also work on cancer, heart failure and Ebola?

[-]

summerdog-@reddit

My grandad would lick his thumb and run it over my eye if I had something in my eye. He would also scrub a graze clean so my leg or arm wouldn’t get an infection and fall off. I loved my grandad very much, he was my favourite person as a child but all the grandchildren learned to go look for our gran when we hurt ourselves.

Not quite medical advice but my gran hung the washing out in any weather except rain. Because the fresh air killed all the bacteria, even if it was below freezing the clothes still went on the line for an hour or two, brought back in frozen solid and hung on the clothes pulley to defrost and dry

[-]

AdaandFred@reddit

I hang the washing out unless it's raining. If nothing else, it smells nicer for having been outside.

[-]

Extra-Sound-1714@reddit

Sun is a natural disinfectant

[-]

feralhog3050@reddit

And stain remover!

[-]

Extra-Sound-1714@reddit

Yep!

[-]

earthandanarchy@reddit

In Siberia they hang out washing in their -50 weather, it freezes very quickly then they whack the ice off and are left with dry clothes. My brain cannot comprehend how this works lol

[-]

Nimmyzed@reddit

I want to see a video of this!

[-]

earthandanarchy@reddit

https://youtu.be/n1TI2udDBl4?si=Ri4R4b7Y2E--pwgD

It's been a while since I watched this kind of content, they don't whack it in this one or explain what they do after taking it off the line. But I did watch another longer video like this where they sort of whacked and flicked it all. But yeah even in Siberia they hang their laundry outside!

[-]

rhirhirhirhirhi@reddit

That was absolutely fascinating, thank you! I could Never live that life, I get physically angry when I’m cold.

[-]

Nimmyzed@reddit

Thank you!

[-]

C2BK@reddit

I'm also struggling to understand how this works. When I was a kid in the '70s, my aunt hung a sheet out to dry in sub zero temperatures. It froze solid, and when she removed it from the washing line it cracked in half.

[-]

Alive-Accountant1917@reddit

It’s freeze drying by sublimation. I can’t remember exactly how it works but basically all the water freezes then condenses off.

[-]

gyroda@reddit

When it's that cold the air is very, very dry as any humidity basically freezes out of the air. Water evaporates and sublimates (going straight from solid to gas, without going through the liquid phase) faster when it's less humid.

That said, if the ice is still on the clothing (you can knock it off or the clothing "snaps" then it hasn't sublimated fully. What's probably happening is that the ice is easier to dislodge than the water.

[-]

Fantastic-Ad4936@reddit

If the pavement or slabs dry from morning dew/rain, your washing will dry - I am a big fan of getting it on the line whatever the time of year!

[-]

No_Application_8698@reddit

My mum still does this with her washing. I remember around Christmas one year when I was on the phone with her and she mentioned she had to get the washing in’!

[-]

Appropriate-Bad-9379@reddit

Dads cure all (60’s/70’s) was TCP ( we thought it stood for Tom Cats Pee). It actually smelled worse and dad used to gargle with it every day. Olbas oil/ pastilles- another creation of the devil… Andrew’s liver salts ( my late mum loved these- her liver was fine, though) Our local herbalist was fascinating- barley suger sticks for nausea ( good at ruining teeth too) little boxes of Imps - black pieces of licorice?, coltsfoot rock ( not a clue) , licorice woody stems and many more delights…

[-]

Obvious_Reporter_235@reddit

Fear. A childhood friend of mine swore that he’d be alright whenever he hurt himself because if his dad found out he’d “give him something to cry about”.

[-]

RebeccaCheeseburger@reddit

Washing my hands too much and being too clean actually makes me more likely to be unwell.

[-]

KawaiiBunBun097@reddit

I have seasonal eczema. My parents thought it was caused by washing my hands too much.

When obviously that wasn't the case because they were supervising my hand washing, they went the other way and decided it was because I am unclean and have bacteria on my hands. They made me use hibiscrub to wash my hands like I am prepping for surgery, followed by hibisol another hospital grade disinfectant for the hands. Needless to say this made my eczema even worse as it was drying my hands up. I could barely hold a pen or bend my fingers at this stage.

I went to the doctors who prescribed me some steroid cream and emollient. They threw the steroid cream away because they insist it was bad for me and wouldn't cure the eczema, and in fact would make it worse. 🤯

[-]

RebeccaCheeseburger@reddit

Wow 😮

[-]

theglamgardener@reddit

My mother believes eating raw garlic sandwiches cures a cold. The smell is something else

[-]

Pedantichrist@reddit

Both Germoline suggestions are sound.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

No, not an a deep and open wound. It needs to be kept clean and dry.

[-]

chuckiestealady@reddit

I spilled a hot cup of tea on my leg and burned through some skin. Retired ambulance tech relative said don’t go to A and E or Urgent Care as there’s nothing they can do that you can’t do at home. After a week of home care didn’t improve anything, I finally went to A and E where they asked why I’d left it so long. 🤦‍♀️

And that was the last time I took health advice from that relative.

[-]

CellaIRL@reddit

I have Cystic Fibrosis. I spend a lot of time coughing due to dodgy lungs. I also spent most of my life underweight and on tube feeding due to malabsorbtion.

Apparently I just needed a boiled egg and fruit smoothie every morning and I'd be fine. I needed to boil up nettles and I'd be fine. If I just ate more if be fine. My Cystic Fibrosis related liver disease which killed my liver and required a transplant was caused by all the drugs I was taking for my lungs and I'd need another transplant if I didn't come off them. Told to my family by a relative who was a medical professional so they took her very seriously. (she was half right, I would need another transplant if I came off the drugs for my lungs, but it would be a lung transplant, not liver). A glass of Guinness and blackcurrant once a week and I'd be fine. If I wasn't so spoiled by my parents, I'd be fine. If I took herbalife I'd be fine.

On and on. I listen to my consultants and I do pretty well by them!

[-]

Nipso@reddit

Christ that must be exhausting

[-]

LittleUglyBug@reddit

My nana used to put butter on burns and bumps on the head.

[-]

potatohedgehogs@reddit

Not a relative but there's a couple who walk past my house and pinch a few leaves off my bay tree (totally fine). She recommended I put a bay leaf in my sock/shoe and it'll help with my joint pain. I told her I'll be trimming the tree soon if she wanted more 😂

[-]

iloovehugecock@reddit

Wasn’t a relative but was my GP. I have an anal fistula. It’s quite a serious issue and has involved an untold number of infections and prescriptions for antibiotics. My practise got a new (I’m guessing Chinese) GP at some point and I went in with another infection needing antibiotics.

She refused to prescribe me anything (not even painkillers) and said to go home and eat some pineapple. No surprise to learn I complained and she was subsequently fired

[-]

Zepplinologist@reddit

My mum used to absolutely refuse to let us out of the house with wet hair when we were kids. She seemed to think we’d end up with a ‘paralysed head’ whatever that is.

[-]

KawaiiBunBun097@reddit

Are you Asian? My parents said the same thing that wet hair can trap wind in your brain, and that's how people have a stroke.

[-]

VeterinarianSolid669@reddit

My Grandma insisted that if you went to sleep with wet hair you would go deaf overnight. Happened to her cousin's auntie's best friend's neighbour or something haha

[-]

EpponeeRae@reddit

I had a relative in a hot country tell me that if I went to bed with wet hair it would go mouldy.

[-]

FitYesterday7581@reddit

My gran used to say if you sit on a cold door step/ garden wall etc you would get piles!

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

I was expecting she'd sya you'd catch a cold. What the hell is a paralysed head

[-]

Islingtonian@reddit

My grandma once ate a dormouse to cure whooping cough.

She doesnt have whooping cough any more, so maybe it worked?

[-]

louiselovatic@reddit

My grandma said to let dogs lick your wounds because they have antibacterial saliva 😭 okay gam gam

[-]

ChallengingKumquat@reddit

I think there has been some (limited and contested) evidence that this can hold true. I feel like medicine is better than dog lick, but dog lick is probably better than nothing at all.

[-]

feralhog3050@reddit

Your own saliva can assist a little with wound healing, to a certain extent, which is probably why your first instinct if you cut your finger is to stick it in your mouth

[-]

InkedDoll1@reddit

Oh god, I work in a hospital and I read in a patient's notes that they'd been letting their dog lick their wound. Surprisingly, it was not helping.

[-]

milkandket@reddit

I’m a tattoo artist and have also had this one before

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

I’m a tattoo artist and have also had this one before

you do everything to make it as germ and infection free...

then people do that.

no doubt they end up blaming you when their tatt gets infected... lol

[-]

milkandket@reddit

Exactly! I’ve pretty much started saying to people ‘don’t come crying to me when it’s all fucked up’ when they reject aftercare advice

[-]

Efficient-Lab@reddit

I used to be a community nurse and I’ve seen this more than once 🤢

[-]

Lizbelizi@reddit

I heard that but cats instead of dogs. Always seemed strange to me that scientists would go to such lengths creating medicines when we have ready antibacterial saliva made by cats.

[-]

Euffy@reddit

But cats' tongues are super rough?? That's crazy! At least dogs' tongues are soft..

[-]

Juuudes@reddit

My BiL ended up in hospital with sepsis after a cat bite: their saliva is very much not antibacterial!

[-]

-KansasCityShuffle@reddit

I saw this on an episode of Horrible Histories. Is your Gam Gam 320 years old?

[-]

Pinklady4128@reddit

TIL this isn’t true? I thought it was just puppies though not full grown dogs

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

You really thought this?

What do you think would happen if a dog licked a petri dish?

[-]

ab3lla@reddit

it is absolutely not true at all. allowing an animal to lick your wound will just introduce millions of bacteria to the wound and it can even get infected

[-]

C2BK@reddit

I'm genuinely horrified by the number of people thinking that this was real! 😮

[-]

Aromatic_Pea_4249@reddit

A wet blue paper cloth applied to any injury works wonders. Says any dinner lady circa 1980s.

Works on bruises, cuts, broken bones, dislocated elbows, you name it. Nora would pull out a damp blue paper cloth to put on it and tell you it's not that bad. The fact that your parents ran you to A&E the second you got home with your arm at a weird angle to your body was an overreaction.

[-]

ChallengingKumquat@reddit

Dinner ladies -- sorry, "Lunchtime Supervisors -- are still using this to this day. They call it a "cold compress" to make it sound fancy.

[-]

janiestiredshoes@reddit

As a parent of young children, this still carries on today.

Though often called a "cold compress".

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

A wet blue paper cloth applied to any injury works wonders. Says any dinner lady circa 1980s.

this carried on into the 90's mid 2000's as far as i know, i'll have to check with my nephews lol

[-]

NJellybean@reddit

Can confirm, happens today.

My six year old calls it a “cold compress”. I probed what that was “it’s blue paper towels wet and in a square, a compress”

[-]

Semele5183@reddit

Haha, my 5 year old asked me for a cold compress when he bumped his knee the other day! It sounded so archaic.

[-]

Consistent_Rich_153@reddit

My daughter's school sends home the accident/injury slips. She often receives a 'cold compress' and TLC (presumably a cuddle and soft words). I'm a teacher, and I knew it was a wet paper towel!

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

can't beat a classic tbf haha

it does work to a degree as cold on an area of bruising.

[-]

Sixforsilver7for@reddit

This was a thing well in to the 00s. It annoyed me until I worked in a cafe and genuinely the best way to deal with scalds and work was wrapping wet blue roll around if and leaving it for a bit.

[-]

Ipoopedinthefridge@reddit

Used to work as a night club bouncer who was also the trained first aider in site, my kit consisted of a few old sick buckets, a packet of plasters and so much blue roll

Blue fixing humans is the as duct tape to cars - if it isn’t working, you’ve just not used enough!

[-]

Hythy@reddit

I used to work in a warehouse where the supervisor removed all the plasters from the first aid set because he thought that if someone was allergic to the adhesive he might get sued. As a result I literally had to patch my hands up with electrical tape after injuring myself. Same guy suggested I ride the tines of a forklift up to the ceiling to change the lights.

[-]

CommissionUnlucky525@reddit

My grandmother had two doozy’s. First. A laxative will fix anything. Second, douche nonstop.

[-]

acabxox@reddit

My grandma refused to brush her teeth before bed and would instead slowly chew on a wedge of cheddar cheese.

Crazy thing was she got to 92 with the healthiest teeth ever 😂 no fillings, no cavities, nothing. So maybe it’s not the worst advice?

[-]

Practical-Poetry7221@reddit

Glycerin suppositories for everything. My mother. Sheesh

[-]

Lizbelizi@reddit

Other than the mandatory vaccines I remember visiting the doctor exactly once during my childhood. Everything else you can imagine was treated with herbs and spices and things you can find in the kitchen.

My mother's home remedies:

Insect bites are treated by rubbing them with a garlic clove.

Foot pain caused by long standing/walking is treated by soaking your socks in vinegar.

A red eye caused by irritation or infection or whatever is treated by chamomile tea drops. This is the act of dipping a tissue in chamomile tea and squeezing it directly into the eye.

Burns were treated with toothpaste. It made the pain much worse of course, but thats good because healing correlates with pain, so the worse the pain the better the healing! Medicine isn't supposed to be fun or comfortable after all.

Any disease related to your respiratory system is treated by gargling and snorting salt water. So even if you're coughing up mucus from your lungs, you must snort the salt water. It was very uncomfortable because its the same sensation as drowning in the sea, but of course as always discomfort correlates with healing.

She insisted that salt water has antibacterial properties and will kill the bacteria causing the infection. When I pointed out they are almost always viral infections, not bacterial, she insisted it kills something and i am just arguing semantics.

Similarly my aunt (her sister) said that sea water will treat foot fungus, due to the aforementioned antibacterial properties of salt water.

A special mention goes to the universal "wear a coat and hat or you will catch a cold". This is especially true if you have wet hair. Viruses love wet hair in the cold.

Another good one was if you touch any citrus fruit with your hand then touch your hair, you will surely get head lice. This wasn't a blanket rule for all food, head lice just really liked oranges and tangerines.

[-]

ChrisRR@reddit

Maybe insect bites would be helped by cloves, not garlic cloves seeing as they're an anaesthetic

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

What about taking your coat off indoors…cos you won’t feel the benefit when you go outside!

[-]

liltrex94@reddit

Visit a chiropractor

[-]

ChrisRR@reddit

This one especially annoys me because my partner's mum proudly states that she's been seeing a chiropractor for 20 years and feels so much better after

Maybe if she saw an actual medical professional she wouldn't have had to keep going for 20 years

[-]

anonynonnymoose@reddit

My mother in law told me to put slices of raw white onions in my socks every night when covid was going on. Said if I caught anything the toxins would be drawn out of my feet and into the onions. She loves a bit of that nonsense, bless her. Puts conkers in all corners of the house "to keep spiders from coming in". Babies shouldn't wear any green or yellow clothes or "illness will come for them". Keeps a bottle of cow urine in the house for "luck" or something. Told me to never buy my husband (her son) shoes because it means that he'll run away from me 😂

[-]

Broken_Sky@reddit

My mum said the same thing about the onions for flu. I expect your MIL heard the same thing back in the day and assumed they were similar enough the onion would work on both. Which is sweet, and at least with flu/covid you probably can't smell the onion feet unlike those around you!

[-]

Zestyclose_Key_6964@reddit

Conkers does work for spiders and I was a sceptic.

[-]

anonynonnymoose@reddit

I personally have not seen it be effective yet, she gets a lot of spiders. She's shit scared of them. She has this little brush that picks them up so you can put them outside.

[-]

Polythene_pams_bag@reddit

A few drops of Peppermint essential oil in a spray bottle of water sprayed around all doors and windows stops spiders coming in! I didn’t believe it till I tried it!

[-]

pafrac@reddit

How does that work? Does the spider think "woah, whoever has the power to place that enormous brown thing in my way must be someone I don't want to deal with, I'm out of here!"

[-]

Squeak_Stormborn@reddit

They don't like horse chestnut oil.

[-]

WullieUK@reddit

Yes my Mum would put them at a spot where the air vents would be on the outside. Never saw any arachnids.

[-]

re_Claire@reddit

Where the hell is she getting the cow urine from?

[-]

anonynonnymoose@reddit

The Hare Krishna temple. Our temple sells little bottles of cow urine in the gift shop. If they are given a cooker that once cooked meats, they will genuinely clean and bless the cooker with cow urine before using it. Cow urine is used quite a lot in aryuvedic medicine.

Indians really, really like cows.

[-]

re_Claire@reddit

Aww ok that's really nice. I was worried she was collecting it from wild cows!

[-]

MouseEmotional813@reddit

Are there many wild cows in your region?

[-]

re_Claire@reddit

I'm in the UK so no there aren't wild cows but the vast majority of our cows live out in fields (some dairy farmers sadly keep them inside but it's not the majority) and if you live in the countryside you'll come across them.

[-]

anonynonnymoose@reddit

Haha, I feel like cows wouldn't be very cooperative 😂 The temple has it's own cow sanctuary, it comes straight from there.

[-]

C2BK@reddit

Cows?

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

won't be chickens would it? :P

[-]

Exotic_Progress_3973@reddit

Cows.

[-]

Historical_Heron4801@reddit

Spiders like to hang out in corners (I assume it's a good defence/attack strategy). Putting anything in the corner blocks them from their favourite spot so they go elsewhere. Conkers are the convenient size at the right time of year.

[-]

No-Extension-2378@reddit

This is all quite cute 🥰

[-]

anonynonnymoose@reddit

Oh it is, she just wants everything to be good for us, bless her. It might be nonsense but if it makes her happy, I see no harm.

[-]

Fatbeau@reddit

I fell off the toilet when I was nine, had a huge bump to my forehead and my auntie put margarine on it!

[-]

chocklityclair@reddit

I think you may not have tried the Vicks thing, though....

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

It doesnt draw out toxins and your feet aren't better than other body parts at absorbing anything.

It's the menthol you're breathing that feels like it helps. But it doesn't, else it'd be prescribed.

[-]

chocklityclair@reddit

That's a No, then 😊

[-]

Polythene_pams_bag@reddit

Vicks on the feet stops a cough! No joke it really does work! Couldn’t tell u why but it does! Try it with ur next cold!

[-]

janiestiredshoes@reddit

Absolutely agree, but I think the feet thing is also the feeling of menthol on your skin and especially on feet.

[-]

kladoink@reddit

I was suffering from hyperemesis during my pregnancy (although I just told my mother it was morning sickness). She said she was prescribed thalidomide when pregnant with me and I should ask for it as it didn't do her any harm.

[-]

Foundation_Wrong@reddit

The old advice about putting butter on burns! And fasting for a day before chemotherapy are probably the worst. I try to be prepared and keep a meds box for most common problems. We have Sudacrem, Vaseline, germaline, and benpathem. I also have ibuprofen gel and betnovate. We are old and disabled and have family with oily skin. I’m lucky to have a great complexion, but husbands side have allergies and acne. So different creams for different bits! I also keep dressings, things for bites and stings etc. The ibuprofen gel is great on burns. The dressings and creams for scrapes and cuts.

[-]

Roxygen1@reddit

My mother told me I should get pregnant to cure my acne.

[-]

HugsandHate@reddit

Same! But I was like... Mum, I'm a straight dude.

Lol, she totally bought it. Got me off the hook.

[-]

lizzie_knits@reddit

More than one GP told me to get pregnant to cure my endometriosis. First time I was 16.

[-]

Ordinated@reddit

Went to the GP for heavy periods (made my iron so low I started fainting and blood wouldn't clot) and they very helpfully told me that my periods would get lighter after pregnancy.

I was 11.

[-]

yedhead@reddit

As someone who has heavy periods and has also had a child, my periods did not get lighter or any less painful when they came back. But so many older women told me they would!

[-]

Clear-Butterfly-9609@reddit

I was told the exact same thing when I was 12 .

[-]

lizzie_knits@reddit

Christ almighty

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

😱😱

[-]

AdorableHoney0@reddit

I was told to get pregnant to fix my endometriosis 🫠

[-]

janiestiredshoes@reddit

I mean...

A lot of women do see improvements in their skin during pregnancy...

But, also, just as many see their skin get worse!

Hormonal changes and all that.

[-]

Least_Temperature_23@reddit

Mine told me that too. Unfortunately acne was caused by PCOS, so getting pregnant wasn’t as easy as she suggested …

[-]

pocahontasjane@reddit

Every doctor I've ever seen told me to get pregnant and cure my menorrhagia.

[-]

SyrupMoney4237@reddit

She may be on to something. I miss my pregnancy skin so much. 14 weeks postpartum and my face looks like braille. Sigh

[-]

sampoo92@reddit

I’m also 14w pp and the chin spots are back and I’m so sad !

[-]

pafrac@reddit

I suppose she might have been thinking the hormone changes would prevent the acne, but honestly you'd have so much more to worry about that the acne would be pale into insignificance. So win-win, I guess.

[-]

SpiderLight97@reddit

That… Yeah, that takes the cake.

[-]

Dolphin_Spotter@reddit

Drinking Guinness whilst pregnant for the iron. Apart from the fact it has very little iron, there's always the fetal alcohol syndrome.

[-]

CicadaSlight7603@reddit

When I was a kid my parents tried to cure my acute asthma attack (that ultimately put me in hospital for a week) by giving me essential oils to inhale.

[-]

PersonalityExact7891@reddit

That is certainly a choice

[-]

Some_Ad6507@reddit

Don’t drink tap water but also don’t boil and cool water to drink

[-]

Spontanudity@reddit

Half an onion by the fireplace.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

For what ailment is this onion?

[-]

Polythene_pams_bag@reddit

Everything

[-]

FlorianTheLynx@reddit

My wife’s grandma recommended putting a cough sweet against her urethra to cure a UTI.

[-]

Polythene_pams_bag@reddit

No but cranberry juice will cure it

[-]

AdorableHoney0@reddit

Idk I'm not going to argue about the vicks trick because it does somehow work lol

[-]

Polythene_pams_bag@reddit

Fully agree Vicks on the soles of the feet stops a cough! Always used it for my kids

[-]

AdorableHoney0@reddit

My grandma would rub it on our necks and put a light scarf around, our chest our back and on our feet with socks on. Not sure the science behind it but it bloody worked😂!

[-]

OkRefrigerator107@reddit

Vicks on my feet does stop a tickly cough for some reason

[-]

marsarefromspiders@reddit

Cabbage leaves for mastitis. 100% bullshit!

[-]

Polythene_pams_bag@reddit

And yet I still used them when I had it! Anything for relief tbh 😂

[-]

CicadaSlight7603@reddit

NCT were telling us this in the 2010s

[-]

janiestiredshoes@reddit

I had this advice - sons born in 2019/2023.

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

Yep, had my daughter late 2010…this was advice I was given too

[-]

NJellybean@reddit

Dead on that It’s actually bullshit because protocol changed and now we need cooling pads or cool compress, and ibuprofen.

Inconclusive evidence and there is some speculation that this dries your milk up

[-]

buzyapple@reddit

Cold from the fridge, they cool the painful hot boob down wonderfully. Mighty not cure it, but those cold leaves are the perfect fit.

[-]

ProgrammerJunior8983@reddit

If you stopped eating chocolate you wouldn't have lung disease/kidney stones/any illness I was suffering with

[-]

twentyone_cats@reddit

I have ME/CFS. It's brutal. My mum is convinced if I just take a multivitamin everyday I'll be fine.

[-]

_FreddieLovesDelilah@reddit

To take vitamin supplements to cure my genetic disorder.

[-]

batty_61@reddit

My Gran told me I should stop letting the dog lick my feet because "the bad will get through the skin into your blood stream and give you spots".

[-]

Clear-Butterfly-9609@reddit

With my mother , witch hazel cured all . Whatever skin ailment , the response was ’get the witch hazel off the top of the cupboard in the bathroom ’

[-]

Outside_Cap_6092@reddit

This thread reminds me of being at school; the san was run by Matron and Sister Bridget, neither of whom had so much as a first aid certificate. What you got given when you went up there depended on who was on duty - if it was Matron, it was kaolin and morphine (an antidiarrhoeal) and if it was Sister Bridget, it was a cherry Tune (she had an entire cupboard full of the fucking things).

Didn’t matter what you went up there for, you always got one or the other.

You can still buy kaolin & morphine (I should hope so, I’m not THAT old); kaolin is also known as China clay, so you can imagine that it’s horribly gritty, I remember it tasting sort of minty, but it was horrible stuff, especially when you didn’t need it.

[-]

Affectionate_Leg_339@reddit

Sudocreammmmm 🥳👏🥳

[-]

sar_tr@reddit

That if you get diarrhea you shouldn't take any medicine for it as the body is purging the thing that made you ill.

[-]

Yorkshire_Roast@reddit

My dad once suggested I try magic mushrooms to help with my anxiety. Needless to say, I haven't followed his advice.

[-]

ladylots2@reddit

Just drink garlic water for your cough - little did I know it was interstitial lung disease. Apparently I just wasn’t trying enough natural remedies.

[-]

TwoValuable@reddit

My partners not all there nan 80 something year old man was adamant when my newborn cried to leave him as it was good for his lungs. Obviously I was quite oh that's interesting he is hungry though so I'll feed him first and we'll see.if he's still crying after.

There is no scientific evidence that babies crying is good for their lungs.

[-]

Bungles_Balls@reddit

When my dad was a child in the early 1950s, he swallowed his chewing gum one day. His horrified Nan promptly made him eat a cotton wool sandwich, her theory being that the cotton wool would stick to the chewing gum and thus prevent the gum sticking to his heart and killing him.

[-]

Veenkoira00@reddit

Vicks on your feet is probably harmless – no horror points.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

It just winds me up because she blames me for having a cold longer than a couple days because I'm not putting vicks on my feet.

[-]

Veenkoira00@reddit

Ha ha – you cannot help her 🤷

[-]

LeftCat6512@reddit

In my teens I had cut the palm of my hand coming off a pushbike about the size of the old 50p coin. My dad told me I needed to keep it open to the air to scab, I'm sure there was something about pressing it into a slice of bread mentioned at one point too. I was told to leave it alone after that.

Anyway, when I had a red angry line going up my arm, it turned out what I actually needed was antibiotics, it being cleaned by a nurse, to be kept covered and daily trips to get dressings changed and recleaned.

I'm almost 50 now and still have the scar on my hand.

[-]

StrikingTonight150@reddit

My grandma bless her used to prescribe to sit over a pot of freshly boiled leaks and the water to steam the bum for haemorrhoids. I think of this every time I cook leaks.

[-]

RedRamblerUK@reddit

Generally the same.

Dropped a box on my foot whilst working with my dad. Rest it elevated and rub x cream onto it. Foot was broke mate.

Mother reckons colds are brought about by the weather and insists at my big age of 25 I wear a coat to avoid a cold when it dips below 18.

[-]

phatboi23@reddit

Mother reckons colds are brought about by the weather and insists at my big age of 25 I wear a coat to avoid a cold when it dips below 18.

technically, cold weather can lower the immune systems response...

but it's not a "being cold gives you a cold" kind of deal.

[-]

20dogs@reddit

I'm still amazed by how many people believe it does

[-]

Dry_Yogurt2458@reddit

Rest it elevated and rub x cream onto it. Foot was broke mate.

Rest, Ice and Elevation is the standard treatment even for a broken foot

[-]

RedRamblerUK@reddit

The focus was on the cream part. I think it was germolene or savalon. Absolutely no help for a fucked bone!

[-]

Shaking-a-tlfthr@reddit

But Vick’s on the feet does help with congestion. And the tea bag(herbal is best)does help stop bleeding. It’s got coagulating factors.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

Not on an open tennis ball sized surgical wound that goes down to the bone, thats bonkers and begging for an infection.

[-]

Weird_Scallion_1595@reddit

That alcohol is not bad for you

[-]

Ohtherewearethen@reddit

My dad used to make us have a spoonful of honey every night before bed. I don't think he ever changed a single nappy on any of us, but one thing he insisted upon was us all having a spoonful of honey before bed. No idea why, then or now.

[-]

EpponeeRae@reddit

Honey is antibacterial, and some people believe that having local honey can reduce hay fever symptoms from local plants, so it could be one of those?

[-]

0-starlight-0@reddit

Mother in law sounds like a pro. I swear by Vicks on the feet, it helps eliminate a cold/flu and helps you sleep when you are congested. Germolene is great for healing skin. I will also add there is nothing Sudocrem won't fix

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

Germolene is terrible for any wounds that aren't superficial. It's important to keep a wound clean and dry. It also wont do anything for infections that aren't on the surface.

[-]

12Eerc@reddit

Clover oil on an infected adult molar when I was about 13, thanks parents for teaching no dental hygiene and no dental visits until I was in my teens.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

Tbf clove oil is good at numbing you but does nothing for healing.

[-]

StatementSea9410@reddit

My Grandma insisted that an apple before bed, after you had brushed your teeth was good for your teeth...

[-]

laura_1988@reddit

My nan used to say rubbing a snail on a wart would get rid of it.

Don't sit on concrete, you'll get piles.

Got a stye? Rub a gold wedding ring on it.

Have a hot toddy for any aliment and you'll be right as rain.

[-]

Gold-Collection2636@reddit

Had to be drinking a pint of Guinness because my iron levels dropped in pregnancy

[-]

kbwe1@reddit

My great grandma used to say you should let a dog lick a cut because their mouths have antibacterial properties…I mean…can you imagine the germs! 🤢

[-]

DoubleXFemale@reddit

I’m sure I read a news story about someone whose dog licked his fresh tattoo and he ended up in hospital with an infection, can’t remember if he died or just got really ill.

[-]

ClericalRogue@reddit

I accidentally dropped a pan of boiling chicken fat on my foot few years ago. My dad attempted first aid by peeling off my sock (and taking half my skin with it), then decided it needed vaseline to protect the wound. A&e were not impressed 😂

[-]

Alternative-Bad-3752@reddit

Vicks does cure a fungal toenail though.

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

I’ll tell my dad

[-]

mamabear003@reddit

My grandad used to swear that butter was the best thing to put on a burn 😳 so glad she wasn't a nurse

[-]

Rachieash@reddit

I tried that years ago….if anything it made it worse 😬

[-]

18usernameslater@reddit

When I got burned the A and E nurse gave me some tubes of something like vaseline to put on it. Butter doesn't seem that far off in the scheme of things.

[-]

MsDragonPogo@reddit

No no no, soap on a burn, butter is for a bump on your head (source, my mum)

Amazing we survived really ...

[-]

Fickle-River3984@reddit

We just had a small mason jar of some mysterious black goo. Drawin' salve. Pine tar, oil and charcoal mostly.

[-]

Lady-Callipygian@reddit

MIL said “you’re too young to be taking all that medication. You should just stop it and see what happens” I have a condition and require daily medication to literally stop me going into a coma 🤦‍♀️

[-]

sea_urchin22@reddit

Ours was a scalding hot bread poultice followed by pine disinfectant!

[-]

coffeesoakedpickles@reddit

okay well MY personal health advice is that shaking your ass in any type of nature cured any kind of mental discomfort/anxiety and many physical ailments as well. The hips store trauma!

[-]

earthandanarchy@reddit

The Vicks on your feet is great advice, I assume it works for whatever reason reflexology works.

[-]

Defiant_Put_7542@reddit

There's no scientific evidence to suggest that reflexology works...

[-]

earthandanarchy@reddit

There is, there isn't strong evidence and they haven't figured out the details of how it works but there is evidence. They managed to show that there was a significant increase of blood flow to the kidneys when the kidney pressure points were touched. https://scienceinsights.org/what-does-reflexology-do-benefits-and-evidence/

[-]

Defiant_Put_7542@reddit

There is not an anatomical connection between the kidneys and any particular region of the feet.

[-]

earthandanarchy@reddit

Science really doesn't know everything yet and people knew stuff worked long before science worked things out. Lots of people finding putting Vicks on their feet helps and lots of people have success with reflexology, if reflexology works I'd assume that it's for the same reason that Vicks on the feet works. That reason could very well be placebo, but I'm just saying it's the same mechanism and I'm personally not going to dismiss something just because science isn't there yet. Traditional Chinese medicine is very old and so much of it is being proven to work but people already knew it worked. Plus, I'm not sure that everything that happens in the world can even be picked up by science, there may always be things that we can't quite prove or disprove.

[-]

ac0rn5@reddit

Is reflexology the same 'family' as acupuncture?

[-]

earthandanarchy@reddit

I don't know exactly, I just pulled this from abcapuncture1.com. it sounds like they aren't related. Somatotopy appears to be a legit scientific thing.

Acupuncture is a therapeutic system used in traditional Chinese medicine, while reflexology uses the idea of somatotopy, with each organ corresponding to different reflex points. Reflexology has an entire reflex map of the body on the feet, a second complete reflex map of the body on the hands, and a third complete reflex.

In conclusion, reflexology and acupuncture share the concept of using pressure points to relieve stress and promote healing. The choice between these healing methods depends on factors such as comfort, technique, and approach.

[-]

ac0rn5@reddit

Thank you for a detailed reply - I was too lazy to look for myself!

[-]

ellis__D@reddit

Ivermectin for cancer

[-]

The_Little_Squidge@reddit

“I’ve got some antibiotics left over, do you want them?” - firstly, I’ve got a cold, and secondly, why didn’t you finish them!?

[-]

Dog_Apoc@reddit

Lucozade was a miracle cureall.

And tbf I still think it is. Whenever I have a cough or cold one of those definitely helps.

[-]

sampoo92@reddit

When I was a child I had a few warts. My mother strapped raw beef or onion round them for the night for weeks. Surprisingly it didn’t remove them and had to get them removed the normal non painful way with nitrogen…

[-]

No_Application_8698@reddit

My nan told my mum to put sugar in your baby’s water bottle to ‘help settle them down’.

The result being that my sister and I have an exceptionally high sugar threshold. I’d say I don’t have a sweet tooth; ALL my teeth are sweet! Dessert is my favourite part of a meal. Not surprisingly, I have struggled with my weight for most (all) of my adult life!

[-]

One-Willingness-3681@reddit

When my baby was in NICU they gave him sugar water because they said “it’s like baby crack” sends them on a high for a little while, whilst they’re being poked with needles etc so although I wouldn’t do it, it might be true 🤣

[-]

Dudette66@reddit

My mother used to lie my sister on her back (holding the bridge of her nose) if she had a nosebleed, and we were always told to wrap up warm if we had a temperature

[-]

heartyu@reddit

Don't eat strawberries when pregnant as your baby will be born spotty. Umm ok

[-]

Adventurous_Ad3451@reddit

In the 1930s my gran used to take my dad to smell the road menders tarmac to cure his asthma. Apparently she swore by the hot tar fumes to clear his chest. To be fair they were poor as church mice and they didn’t have many options pre NHS.

[-]

metal_maxine@reddit

They wouldn't have had many options even if they had the NHS.

I have a book from the 1920s where the only asthma advice is a spoonful of a weird cod-liver oil mixture every night.

(The book is a late edition of the classic Enquire Within Upon Everything and includes advice for people who want to make their own pharmaceuticals as if poisoning your friends and family is a perfectly normal hobby. That the only asthma "treatment" is a benign placebo is surprising as heck)

[-]

MsDragonPogo@reddit

Mum insisted on rubbing soap onto a burn. Not lots of sudsy bubbles that would make some sense but a dry bar of soap.

If you banged your head, well then, obviously, you rubbed butter onto it.

I learned early to either stand up for myself or not to admit to injuries, but I've seen her treat herself with those "remedies", though thankfully never serious damage.

[-]

MiniCale@reddit

My families full of people that only believe in certain medicine / vaccinations.

Some favourites are

Cloves for a chest infection Chocolate milk and orange juice for depression Concentrates of berries for the flu Garlic for worms

[-]

pencloud@reddit

Anyone recall "yellow basilicon ointment" as the remedy for all cuts and bruises. Wonder what happened to that?

[-]

favoritasx@reddit

My mum read in the Express that Greek yoghurt was a remedy for sun burn. So when I was a kid in the 80s and got toasted like kids did back then she marinated my back in yoghurt and left it to go DRY. Imagine the horror of having that chiselled off along with your peeling skin.

[-]

Jazzlike_Math_8350@reddit

My ex mil assured my ex that when his cold sore was leaking fluid it wasnt transmissible anymore...

[-]

lawn19@reddit

My Gran used to put butter on our cuts and grazes! Oh, and Milk of Magnesia was a cure all!

[-]

Commercial-Bat-4534@reddit

My mum, who is 60 and struggles to get out of a chair if she's been sat in it longer than a minute and loses breath walking up and down stairs, tells me lifting weights is bad for my health and will break my body.

Yeah sure that's why not doing any exercises for your entire life means at 60 years old you refuse to walk across a carpark because it's too difficult.

I know lifting weights comes with risks but I'm not a powerlifter or an ego lifter, I just want to do some squats

[-]

DrKnackerator@reddit

my mum's BF used to EAT vicks vaporub. i'd say "look it says rub right there on the name" didn't stop him. he was as thick as pigshit though.

[-]

Bloatville@reddit

Has nobody brought up bread poultices yet?

If you've got an infection, you get a little bit of brown bread, saturate it with boiling water and hold it in place with a plaster or a bandage or whatever.
My mum says it draws the infection out.

It does actually seem to work for when I've stabbed myself behind a fingernail 🤷‍♀️

[-]

ZombieGash@reddit

Not relative. But I got told to smoke weed with my mental health issues. 😌 won’t go into what i have but it would be a disaster lol

[-]

Icy-Belt-8519@reddit

My nan told me to put butter on my head when I bumped my head as a kid? Wtf?

[-]

Ipoopedinthefridge@reddit

Yes! I split my head open and my grandma tried filling the hole with butter - thankfully my grandad wouldn’t let her and actually took me to A&E where they stitched it up!

[-]

Foreign_Mouse6636@reddit

Don't eat bogie's!

[-]

VeterinarianSolid669@reddit

Sugar mashed with soap to draw out infection on cuts. Vegemite on mouth ulcers (this stings like the clap). Rum in babies bottles for colic. Brown paper down your shirt to cure nausea. Methylated spirits on pretty much anything. Eucalyptus oil in a warm bath for coughs and colds. Molasses daily on an empty stomach because it's 'good for your blood's.

Lots of these do work in a way and to be fair they didn't have access to anything else. At least we felt cared for. Not the rum though - that was actually harmful.

[-]

Terrible_Bluebird540@reddit

My own mother was a hard nut & ex nurse with no empathy. Whenever I had period pains, that were incredibly painful, that sometimes the pain was so awful I used to feel faint & couldn't walk. Used to tell me go for a walk & stop fussing. Turned out I had massive fibroids on both ovaries & had to have hysterectomy in my 20's. Not much sympathy after either.

[-]

PhyllisPearce@reddit

Regards colic & rusks in the bottle: some colic is due to silent reflux so thicker fluid can solve it.

Not everything old women talk about us bollocks.

[-]

Yermawsyerdaisntit@reddit

My granny used to eat the bacon fat that i left on the plate because, and i quote, it “oils your tubes”.

Add glasgow accent for effect.

[-]

death-by-milk@reddit

My gran was insistent that taking ginger tablets and going to a chiropractor would cure my endometriosis. It didn't, funnily enough

[-]

FormalAd604@reddit

I once cracked my head open badly enough to need staples and my Dad, in an attempt to avoid too much fuss and A&E on bonfire night (plus my mother was newly pregnant with my brother, so avoiding the stress of hospital), suggested we just stick a tea towel on my head and it should stop.

[-]

hocfutuis@reddit

We had,amongst others things, don't sit on a the steps outside, because you'd get piles. Wearing crop tops instead of full vests was a guaranteed way we'd get cold in our kidneys. Don't wash your hair on your period, because you'll get pnuemonia.

My late husband's family decided that borax and molasses would somehow cure his oesophageal cancer, so would send us packages of the stuff, and pester us incessantly about it. Let's just say, they realised I'm not always quiet and on the shy side, because I was not putting up with that nonsense.

[-]

CarminaBananas@reddit

How have your family survived? Too much chlorine in that gene pool.

[-]

No_Pea-1@reddit (OP)

They havent, all died young and Im an orphan lol

[-]

Historical_Heron4801@reddit

It doesn't get rid of flu but it really eases a night time cough.

[-]

Mawdster@reddit

And this is why boomers have such a bad name. Because they are stupid. 67f

[-]

bunnyswan@reddit

A friend of mine drunk fell down some stairs and split her head open, you could see her scull, 3am she was super sleepy so hard to know if it was a concussion or drunk and tired. My friend said germoline and duct tape!? Needless to say I called an ambulance and kept her awake till they came.

[-]

louilou96@reddit

That if I have a more plant based diet I'll cure my arthritis.

I'm vegetarian and have always been more plant based than any of my family.

[-]

LumpyCheeseyCustard@reddit

Drink fresh lemon ade for heart burn.

Yeah don't. A pinch of baking soda does a better job.

[-]

When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!

Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.