[snipped: treating allergy-type itching with hot soak] [summary: heat gets several hours of itching over with in a few minutes.]
Hot water is also a good treatment for bruises. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation is the proper treatment for *fresh* bruises, but once they've turned blue and there is no more danger of swelling, there's nothing like a good long soak in a hot tub to take the soreness out. While in the water, the bruises will turn bright red; when they cool off, the blue marks will be significantly smaller. (OB fiber: rice bags work on small bruises.) A hot bath also prevents over-use injuries from stiffening up and keeping you awake, but with experience one learns not to need this hint. An acquaintance with arthritis of the spine relies on hot baths to keep mobile. The vapors of a hot bath loosen up clogged sinuses -- and lying in water for an hour breaks up the monotony of lying in bed. Yes, hot water is hard on the skin -- if you think you'll need more than one treatment, it's a good idea to rub yourself with hand lotion all over after toweling. It's also a good idea not to use any soap until after you've opened the drain, and then shower in lukewarm water to make sure you've got all the soap off. If really sensitive, use a vinegar rinse. (A few drops of vinegar, rubbed into the hands after washing and before putting on hand lotion, help to combat dishpan hands.) -- Joy Beeson http://home.earthlink.net/~joybeeson/ http://home.earthlink.net/~dbeeson594/ROUGHSEW/ROUGH.HTM http://home.earthlink.net/~beeson_n3f/ west of Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.A. where the second snow and first significant accumulation is falling. To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
