# Home Remedies

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-remedies/46855>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 22, 2000, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-remedies/46855 "2000-12-22T15:36:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drollman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@drollman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drollman)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-remedies/46855/1 "2000-12-22T15:36:06Z")

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Any “Home Remedies” out there for chapped lips or a head cold?

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**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-remedies/46855/2 "2000-12-22T17:24:20Z")

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My roomate in college had a home remedy book and for sinus congestion and runny nose it recommended putting warm salt water up your nose. When I had a cold and no money for sudafed I tried this and it felt very weird but worked for a short time. I dont know if this counts as a home remedy for chapped lips but I think vaseline works.

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**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-remedies/46855/3 "2000-12-22T17:26:37Z")

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Mr. Athena agrees with Puddleglum on the salt water thing. He had a homeopathic doctor tell him about it, and he’s actually got a specializied ceramic thingamajig that he fills with warm salt water and uses to pour it into his sinuses. He swears by it - says it’s the best thing to clear 'em out.

So far, I’ve been too chicken to try it. But I bet it works.

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**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-remedies/46855/4 "2000-12-22T17:45:17Z")

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The Merck Manual mentions saline washes to treat sinus infections, so it must be fairly mainstream 🙂 It’s in the Treatment section:

[http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/section7/chapter86/86j.htm](http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/section7/chapter86/86j.htm)

Arjuna34

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**Author:** ![jrishaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5fc32e/32.png) [@jrishaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrishaw)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-remedies/46855/5 "2000-12-22T18:12:40Z")

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Re your chapped lips question:  
There’s one good thing that came out of my last relationship: He introduced me to “Aquaphor”.

It’s so good. I will never again have dry or chapped lips.

This stuff makes the best chap-stik, blistex, etc, look like water.

It’s really, really good.

imho. ianal. ymmv. etc.