Vinegar has had a long history of helping a number of ailments — scurvy, cholera, diphtheria, high fever, dysentery, urinary infections, scarlatina, tonsillitis, hoarseness, external inflammations, contusions, joint injuries, apathy, obesity, hay fever, asthma, rashes, food poisoning, heartburn, bad eyesight, brittle nails, and bad breath…to name a few.
Modern science doesn’t endorse all of the traditional uses of vinegar, but this article offers a picture of the seemingly endless healing qualities vinegar may have. We’ll start with those stubborn aches and pains:
Backaches: Soaking in a bathtub of hot water and 2 cups vinegar for 30 minutes will help relieve a minor backache and soothe sore muscles.
Bursitis: Boil 1 cup apple cider vinegar, and add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper during the boil. Cool this mixture, then apply it in a compress to affected area. Make sure the cayenne doesn’t irritate the skin. The compress should make the area feel warm but not burning.
Headache: To ease a headache, lie down and apply a compress dipped in a mixture of half warm water and half vinegar to the temples. Also try an herbal vinegar such as lavender to provide aromatic relief.
Leg Cramps: Ease the pain of a leg cramp or other cramp in the body by using a soft cloth soaked in full-strength vinegar as a compress.
Muscle Sprain: Apply a paste of white wine, vinegar, and bran to a recent sprain.
Use a towel soaked in hot vinegar as a compress to ease the pain of a recent muscle strain or sprain. Apply for 20 minutes at a time. If the pain persists, consult a physician.
Cough: Sprinkle your pillowcase with apple cider vinegar to control nighttime coughing.
Respiratory Congestion: To treat head or chest congestion, add 1/4 cup vinegar to a vaporizer, and run it for an hour or more.
Sinus Congestion: Breathing in steam from a vaporizer can be beneficial in treating the facial pain of a sinus infection. Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a vaporizer and breathe in deeply.
Sore Throat: Vinegar can be used for a sore throat. Use 1 teaspoon per 8 ounces of water, and gargle.
Bee Stings and Bug Bites: Use vinegar mixed with cornstarch to make a paste. Apply the paste to a bee sting or bug bite, and let it dry.
Poison Ivy and Poison Oak: Soothe the rash from poison oak or poison ivy by using a vinegar compress. Mix 1/2 cup vinegar in a 1-pint container, then add enough water to fill the container. Chill the container in the refrigerator. When it is cool, dampen a cloth or gauze with the solution, and apply to the rash.
Sunburn: Vinegar has a cooling effect on sunburn. Splash it over the sunburned area, then lightly rub into the skin. Or simply cool sunburn with diluted vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray on the affected area.
As you’ve seen, vinegar can be versatile cure for a variety of home remedies. Give it a try next time you are feeling not-so-good.
Source: health.howstuffworks.com
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