# Common cure-alls? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 22, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571 "2011-03-22T04:42:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/1 "2011-03-22T04:42:03Z")
Whenever I have some random aches or illnesses, I check out web md or wikipedia etc. and I often find the same advice: 1. Exercise. 2. Fiber. While I’m sure there are some diseases where exercise and fiber might be harmful to you, what else would helpful to a huge range of disorders/diseases? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/2 "2011-03-22T10:42:44Z")
I have rarely been too sick to want ice water, as much ice as can be crammed into a cup and water. I will grudgingly accept ice chips, but it isn’t as good. Chicken Consomme, sometimes when I had a pretty nasty run in with an unidentified virus that tanked me for almost 4 months back in the early 80s [we kept testing me and it kept coming up negative for everything =(] it was the only thing I could keep down, along with unsweetened hot tea and ice water. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/3 "2011-03-22T11:47:05Z")
Get to and/or maintain an ideal body weight. Get adequate sleep. Choose your genes carefully. 😉 But the number one answer: Stop smoking. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/4 "2011-03-22T12:20:35Z")
Eat healthy. Not too much. Mostly plants. Get adequate sleep. Try to minimize stressors. Avoid smoking. Drink in moderation. As much as possible, lay off drugs and supplements that may damage the liver. Stay away from cure-alls. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/5 "2011-03-22T13:13:06Z")
From my dad: put Topicort on it. He’s a general family doctor, and used to get these sample tubes of some sort of ointment (maybe it’s antibacterial? I dunno. OK, just looked it up: it’s a topical corticosteroid that reduces swelling, redness, and itching. So that makes sense then.) Any time you’d come to him with something on your skin, the answer was “Put Topicort on it.” Bug bite? Put Topicort on it. Poison ivy? Put Topicort on it. Sunburn? Put Topicort on it. Nettle sting? Put Topicort on it. Generally itchy, rashy thing that you don’t know where it came from? Put Topicort on it. Fever? Put Topicort on it. (OK, maybe not this last one.) Seriously - he’s like the Dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, except with Topicort. I used to think that medical doctors didn’t really bother with too much diagnosis, they just put Topicort on it. So there you go: Put Topicort on it. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/6 "2011-03-22T13:20:03Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Bug bite? Put Topicort on it. > Poison ivy? Put Topicort on it. > Sunburn? Put Topicort on it. > Nettle sting? Put Topicort on it. > Generally itchy, rashy thing that you don’t know where it came from? Put Topicort on it. > Fever? Put Topicort on it. (OK, maybe not this last one.) 😃 That’s how I am with lavender essential oil. We’ve had a rough week with skin insults this week at Casa Not…several mild burns, some cuts, a mysterious “thing” in a knuckle and a raw, slightly infected heel blister (yay, spring sandals! :rolleyes:). The house smells like a field in France because we’ve been dipping into the lavender e.o. so much. My son claims my headstone is going to read, “Put some lavender on it…it’ll be fine.” ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/7 "2011-03-22T13:27:09Z")
My grandma always swore by Vicks Vapor Rub, or as she called it, “Vicksave”. For everything! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/8 "2011-03-22T13:40:22Z")
Get some fresh air, you’ll feel better. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/9 "2011-03-22T14:21:19Z")
Walk it off. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/10 "2011-03-22T14:25:00Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > From my dad: put Topicort on it. > > He’s a general family doctor, and used to get these sample tubes of some sort of ointment (maybe it’s antibacterial? I dunno. OK, just looked it up: it’s a topical corticosteroid that reduces swelling, redness, and itching. So that makes sense then.) Any time you’d come to him with something on your skin, the answer was “Put Topicort on it.” > > Bug bite? Put Topicort on it. > Poison ivy? Put Topicort on it. > Sunburn? Put Topicort on it. > Nettle sting? Put Topicort on it. > Generally itchy, rashy thing that you don’t know where it came from? Put Topicort on it. > Fever? Put Topicort on it. (OK, maybe not this last one.) > > Seriously - he’s like the Dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, except with Topicort. I used to think that medical doctors didn’t really bother with too much diagnosis, they just put Topicort on it. > > So there you go: Put Topicort on it. Yeah, I was going to say steroids. A wonder cure for so many things! My BFF just spritzes her nasal spray on skin things, too- steroids! ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/11 "2011-03-22T14:25:10Z")
Slivovice or whisk(e)y or any other spirit really. Cures almost anything (and this from my grandma who is a pharmacist). ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/12 "2011-03-22T14:27:11Z")
> [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](#): > > Slivovice or whisk(e)y or any other spirit really. **Cures almost anything** (and this from my grandma who is a pharmacist). Except liver failure. ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/13 "2011-03-22T14:58:26Z")
According to my father, the cure for any type of scratch or scrape or cut or skin complaint is simple: swab it with alcohol, then Polysporin will fix it. For other complaints, vodka (applied internally) will either fix what ails you, or will at least fix it so you don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/14 "2011-03-22T15:23:09Z")
Drink more water. No, not coffee. Not Coke. Drink some water. If you still feel poorly, have a Gatorade too. ---
**Author:** ![RedBloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@RedBloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedBloom)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/15 "2011-03-22T16:12:36Z")
yoga, a walk, hot tea, vicodin. ---
**Author:** ![cromulent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b4bc9f/32.png) [@cromulent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cromulent)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/16 "2011-03-23T02:26:12Z")
What about fish oil? It’s anti-inflammatory, and it’s been shown useful for: heart disease alzheimers depression/mood disorders age-related macular degeneration dry eye syndrome and probably a bunch of other things i’m forgetting. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/17 "2011-03-24T09:39:09Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > But the number one answer: > > **Stop smoking**. Sigh. Is there any condition smoking helps? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/18 "2011-03-24T12:25:12Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Sigh. > > Is there any condition smoking helps? Honestly? It appears that smoking for many years (but not the more cigarettes you smoke per day) is linked to [lower incidence of Parkinson’s](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310162823.htm). That’s about it, as far as I can tell. And since your chances of developing Parkinson’s \*without \*smoking is far, far less than your chance of developing all the bad things that smoking does cause (cancers, of course, but also atherosclerosis, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, strokes, etc. etc.)…the rational decision is to quit smoking. Sorry. Wish I had better news for ya. (It’s become a running joke in the nursing program that if one of the multiple choice answers mentions the EEEEEVIL smoking, it’s the right answer. It’s always worked except on the question about Parkinson’s. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/19 "2011-03-24T15:27:40Z")
> [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](#): > > Slivovice or whisk(e)y or any other spirit really. Cures almost anything (and this from my grandma who is a pharmacist). Bulgarians say this a lot. (In Bulgaria it’s called rakia, though.) I once went to a witch doctor who had me cure my insomnia by massaging my feet with rakia. Also, yogurt. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571/20 "2011-03-24T15:41:39Z")
I had one doctor who would always prescribe veganism, reading the Bible daily, and losing weight for ANY complaint. I switched doctors. I find that chocolate will help me feel better in almost any situation. It won’t cure me, usually, just help me feel better. It’s got to be good quality chocolate, mind you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-cure-alls/575571.md?page=2)