Folk Remedies And Natural Cures
Aug 26, 2008 Suzy Cohen, R. Ph., is a licensed pharmacist with nearly 20 years of clinical experience. The author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist
(HarperCollins, July '07), she is "America's Most Trusted Pharmacist,"
and has helped millions of patients in various clinical settings, such
as retail, hospital, nursing home pharmacies, and through her 
nationally
syndicated column, "Dear Pharmacist." A former spokesperson for the
National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Suzy Cohen is a member of
the Institute of Functional Medicine, The Association of Natural
Medicine Pharmacists and The American Pharmacists Association. You can
subscribe to Suzy's free weekly newsletter or ask her a question at her
DearPharmacist website.
It
wasn’t passed down from my grandma, but I hope you’ll print this anyway because
it works. I had severe arthritis and now the pain is almost completely gone. I
do two things: The first thing is, I wash a potato and slice it up (keep the
skin on); then I soak the potato overnight in a bowl of fresh cold water. In
the morning, I drink a cup of the potato juice. I also take baths in sea salt,
about a half cup of sea salt added to my bath water. Amazing! – P.E., Lodi,
California
I
had the worst case of smelly feet until someone told me to soak my feet in warm
water with some apple cider vinegar. I do that twice a week, and I sprinkle
baking soda in my shoes; no more odor. – E.P., Gainesville, Florida
This
is cheap and easy. When you feel a cold sore coming on, rub an ice cube on the
area for 15 minutes. Afterwards, dip your finger in table salt and press the
spot for a few more minutes. – K.T., Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
If
you get a nagging wet cough and have to spit a lot, drink Hyssop tea. Squeeze a
little lemon into it, and some honey. This will loosen all the phlegm. – S.C.,
Decatur, Illinois
I
used to have warts and my sister recently got rid of them with marigolds. She
had a garden of these plants (I don’t know all their names) and she cut the
stems, squeezed out the sap and applied it to my warts. Like magic, they
eventually disappeared. – N.G., Dallas, Texas
As
a teenager, I had acne. Mom made me rub peeled garlic cloves right on the
pimples three times a day. This worked very well, but people thought I had bad
breath! – Y.D., Tulsa, Oklahoma
I
had carpal tunnel pain and I found some relief from you! In a recent column,
you gave a recipe for ginger tea (for stomach upset and nausea) and I began
drinking this because I had chronic bowel problems. It worked for that, and
interestingly, I noticed that I could type again, and even reduce my ibuprofen
dosage. Then I started wearing a magnetic bracelet that I bought at the health
food store, and now I am 100% better!
Here’s
the recipe for tea: Grate a teaspoon of fresh ginger into hot water with lemon
and honey, add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder spice. Steep it, strain it then
drink. – J.P., New York City
For
bad breath, eat one avocado every day. It’s better with salt and lemon on it,
if you can’t eat it straight. I believe it cleans the liver and stomach. –
B.W., Sanibel, Florida
Editor
Choose The Right Hearing Aid
Aug 5, 2008 Jim is frequently quoted in articles about issues affecting senior citizens and has been featured in numerous high profile publications, including Time magazine, USA Today and The New York Times. In addition, he has made multiple appearances on CNBC, CNN, Retirement Living Television and national public television.
Jim Miller-- If you’re struggling to make out what people are saying, you’re not alone. About one-third of Americans over the age 60, and half of those over age 85, have some degree of hearing loss. But the good news is that hearing aids have improved dramatically in recent years, and there’s even a new program that may be able to help you purchase one. 
Hearing Aid Help
Finding the right hearing aid starts with an evaluation from an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist (otolaryngologist) and an audiologist. The otolaryngologist will first take a medical history and examine your ears for any obstructions (such as wax) that can be removed, and the audiologist will give you a hearing assessment. This involves putting you in a soundproof booth to test your ability to hear different sounds, words and frequencies.
Lots of Choices
Your audiologist will help you choose the right kind of hearing aid based on the degree and severity of your hearing loss, the shape of your ears, and your hearing preferences. Most hearing aids today are digital, which incorporates the latest and greatest technology (some even come with remote controls, Bluetooth cell phone capability and more), providing far better sound quality than the old analog versions, which mostly just made things louder. The different styles of hearing aids available include the:
Behind-the-ear (BTE): This is the biggest, most powerful and most noticeable model that fits behind the ear, along with a mold that fits in the ear canal. It helps with all types of hearing loss.
In-the-ear (ITE): This style fills most of the bowl-shaped area of your outer ear, and works well for people with mild to severe hearing loss. The large size makes them powerful and easy to adjust. The negatives, however, are they are very noticeable and more vulnerable to picking up wind noise.
In-the-canal (ITC): Smaller than ITEs, this style fits in the outer portion of the ear canal, and is suited for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The small size makes them barely visible – but disadvantages include possible feedback, a need for frequent cleaning and hard-to-replace batteries.
Completely-in-the-canal (CIC): For people with mild to moderate hearing loss, this is the smallest and least conspicuous hearing aid – it fits completely inside your ear canal. The downside is tiny batteries that are hard to change and have a shorter life. CICs are also more susceptible to causing a plugged-up feeling (as if wearing earplugs) and they’re generally more expensive.
Open fit (“mini” BTE): Only for people with high-frequency hearing loss (the most common type), these are a popular, relatively new BTE style, that is barely noticeable, and their design avoids that plugged-up feeling that small in-canal models can cause.
Savvy Tips: Before purchasing a hearing aid, ask for a 30-day trial period to make sure you’re happy with it. And for information on the different kinds of hearing aids and new technologies, get a copy of the “Consumer’s Guide to Hearing Aids” for $4.25 at www.hearingloss.org or call 301-657-2248.
Cost Alert
You can expect to pay from $1,000 to $3,000 or more out of pocket for each hearing aid, and be aware that most health insurers nor Medicare cover them. If this doesn’t fit into your budget, check out “Audient” ( www.audientalliance.org ; 877-283-4368), a nonprofit service that helps people purchase new behind-the-ear hearing aids at prices discounted between 30 and 75 percent. To be eligible, your income must be no higher than two-and-a-half times the national poverty level - $24,500 for an individual, plus $8,500 for each additional family member.
Another way to save money is to buy online, but be careful. While the savings can be enticing, purchasing this way may mean bypassing the audiological evaluation process, and other important services that can be very helpful. To locate dozens of companies that sell hearing aids online, try a Google search at www.google.com .
Social Security--Making Sure Your Benefits Add Up
Nothing Much Matches "Matcha" When It Comes To Health
Aug 3, 2008 Suzy Cohen, R. Ph., is a licensed pharmacist with nearly 20 years of clinical experience. The author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist
(HarperCollins, July '07), she is "America's Most Trusted Pharmacist,"
and has helped millions of patients in various clinical settings, such
as retail, hospital, nursing home pharmacies, and through her nationally
syndicated column, "Dear Pharmacist." A former spokesperson for the
National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Suzy Cohen is a member of
the Institute of Functional Medicine, The Association of Natural
Medicine Pharmacists and The American Pharmacists Association. You can
subscribe to Suzy's free weekly newsletter or ask her a question at her
DearPharmacist website.
QUESTION: My Japanese neighbor drinks green matcha tea every day. She runs around like a 30-year-old, even though she’s in her 70s. I’m watching her mow her lawn as I email you! What the heck is she drinking?! Does it have more health benefits than regular green tea? – C.E., Silver Springs, Florida
ANSWER: Matcha was introduced to Japan by a monk in the 12th century. Allow me to introduce it to you. Matcha is a drink best described as green tea leaves that have been ground up into a fine powder. You froth the powder with water to create a magnificent bright green tea. With regular green tea, you steep the leaves into hot water for a few minutes, then drink the brewed water. With matcha, you’re literally drinking the plant. So what? It tastes better and the health benefits skyrocket with matcha compared to regular green tea. Think about why. You are drinking the entire tea leaf, not water that has been momentarily laced with a tea bag of crushed leaves. Don’t get me wrong: regular green tea is good for you, plus it’s very affordable, but matcha is better for you. Tea connoisseurs like myself love it.
Matcha has a little caffeine but the stimulating effect is counteracted this relaxing ingredient, “theanine.” Tea contains antioxidants which are substances that neutralize bad guys in your body. One of these powerful antioxidants is called EGCG. English teachers, put this on your next spelling bee: Epigallocatechin gallate. One cup of matcha contains about as much antioxidant power as 8-10 cups of regular green tea!
Studies can’t agree on this, but drinking too much green or black tea may form kidney stones because of the “oxalates.” Adding calcium-rich almond milk might minimize the risk. If you’re prone to stones, tea is not your worst offender, spinach is. It’s so loaded with oxalates that it clogs up processing equipment!
Anyway, matcha has been researched and it embarrasses vitamins C and E because its antioxidant levels of EGCG are 25 -100 times more potent than C and E. Mind you, these are test tube studies but human studies concur that something great is going on. Green teas heighten your awareness while flooding your body with a sense of peace and calm. Deal or no deal? EGCG translates to lower risk for skin, breast, lung, prostate, colon, esophageal and bladder cancer. Deal! Other nutrients in matcha include B6, C, E and natural beta carotene.
The Japanese drink a lot of matcha. No wonder they have the third-highest life expectancy in the world! The United States slides in at a whopping #29. Super-size that.
Readers: Send me your favorite folk remedy. It’s time for me to print YOUR grandma’s health tips. Click on the FOLK REMEDY box at my homepage, www.DearPharmacist.com
Could Green Tea Save Your Life?
Over The Counter Statins --A Public Health Issue
Jul 31, 2008 
In the 20 years since they were introduced in the United States, the
cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have revolutionized the treatment of
heart disease. Study after study has shown these drugs prevent heart attacks and
prolong lives, with very few side effects. They have rapidly become the
best-selling prescriptions in this country.
The latest research indicates that even more people should be on statins,
not only those who already have heart disease—or a strong propensity for
developing it, like diabetics or smokers—but many who do not, including,
perhaps, young people with high cholesterol levels.
Earlier this year, an FDA advisory
panel met to consider whether Mevacor, a
statin made by Merck Pharmaceuticals, should be sold over the counter. They decided against it.
Though cholesterol is essential for life, when its concentration gets too
high in the blood, it can be a killer. At high concentrations, cholesterol
burrows into blood vessel walls where it attracts immune cells that feed on it.
The cells, fattened on the cholesterol, turn into ''foam'' cells, which pad the
wall, resulting in atherosclerosis, the leading killer in the Western world and
a rapidly rising killer in the developing world as well.
Previous FDA advisory panels also
recommended against OTC statins. The drugs can cause liver and muscle
toxicity in up to 1 percent of patients. Some early studies showed a small
increase in violent deaths, including suicides. Though subsequent studies did
not confirm this result, the potential exists, as with any drugs, for toxic side
effects in the future.
OTC statins are a public health issue. It will be interesting to see on which side panels in the future come down: reducing the societal burden of heart disease or protecting the public from unrecognized toxicity.
Statins For 8-Year-Olds?
A Doctor Shortage In The United States?
Editor
Iron Fights Fatigue From The Inside Out
Jul 30, 2008 Suzy Cohen, R. Ph., is a licensed pharmacist with nearly 20 years of clinical experience. The author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist
(HarperCollins, July '07), she is "America's Most Trusted Pharmacist,"
and has helped millions of patients in various clinical settings, such
as retail, hospital, nursing home pharmacies, and through her nationally
syndicated column, "Dear Pharmacist." A former spokesperson for the
National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Suzy Cohen is a member of
the Institute of Functional Medicine, The Association of Natural
Medicine Pharmacists and The American Pharmacists Association. You can
subscribe to Suzy's free weekly newsletter or ask her a question at her
DearPharmacist website.
Suzy Cohen--
QUESTION: I’ve been really tired lately and my doctor thinks I’m iron-deficient. I’m in my 60s and I haven’t lost any blood, so how can this be? Should I take the iron supplement he recommended? – R.D., Jackson, New Jersey
ANSWER: Iron is sold over-the-counter in supplement form, but it’s a naturally-occurring mineral that’s made in the body. Even though the World Health Organization considers iron deficiency the number one nutritional disorder in the world, I don’t frequently recommend iron supplements for people complaining of fatigue. It’s because most U.S. citizens have an adequate supply. Iron can be hard on the gut, causing nausea, cramping and constipation.
Iron is necessary to make a protein called hemoglobin, which acts like a tow truck and lugs oxygen all over the body. It’s amazing that humans can stash some iron away until it’s needed again, so you might say it’s recyclable. And speaking of ‘going green,’ your stool can turn this color when you take iron. It’s easy to overdo iron since it accumulates, and because it’s dangerous to tots, always lock up your medicine cabinets.
You said you were tired in your letter to me, but there are other symptoms that could alert one to an iron deficiency. For example, you may have trouble concentrating, or feel cranky and depressed. Having pale skin and a sore tongue are dead giveaways. You might have brittle nails or be prone to infections because your immune system is weak. And your heart may beat like crazy with very little exertion. Other conditions and nutritional deficiencies paint the same ‘picture,’ so teasing out iron deficiency from other problems is not easy. If appropriate blood testing finds that you are legitimately deficient in iron, then of course, this nutrient will breathe life back into you, very quickly...in about 2 or 3 months. Doctors utilize many tests to determine iron levels. Two fairly reliable blood tests include “serum ferritin” or “transferrin saturation ratio.” Eating iron-rich foods such as clams, oysters, mussels, animal liver, beans, lentils and pumpkin seeds can improve levels, especially