Brain Freeze
Next time you’re eagerly slurping down an Icee in a movie theater and a brain freeze hits so hard, your senses go numb and you miss five minutes of the film, try this: press your thumb or your tongue against the roof of your mouth. This warms the palate—which is about as close to the brain as you can get—and relieves the pain.
Song stuck in your head
At best, the song is one you just don’t like and don’t want in your head. At worst it’s actually interfering with your regular thought processes, keeping you from getting reading or work done. Take five or 10 minutes to do a puzzle. This gives your brain something else to fixate on and will usually shake the song out.
Full bladder
Next time you turn the corner to the bathroom at a bar only to find a long line of other people doing the, “I need to pee” dance, try this: think of sex. Thinking of sex makes a switch in your brain as to how you’re thinking of the affected region of the body, and if you think hard enough, other sensations will take over.
Anxiety
Next time anxiety strikes and you’re not in a situation where a panic attack would be convenient (when is it ever?) blow on your thumb. Concentrated blowing tells your heart that it’s time to slow down. Rapid heart rate is one of the instigators of anxiety.
Toothache
Next time you give in and drink something really hot or eat something really cold, letting that one sensitive tooth take a hit, try this: rub ice on the back of your hand and on the skin between your thumb and pointer finger. This area contains nerve pathways that block pain signals from the face and hands.
Post-nap grogginess
Do you wake up from naps feeling more tired than when you passed out? This is often because we don’t allot ourselves enough time for a nap to complete a REM cycle, and wake up in the middle of our deepest sleep. But, if that’s what your schedule dictates, try this: drink coffee right before the nap. The caffeine will kick in when you wake up.
Headache
If you don’t have or don’t like pain relievers for the common headache, try this: press a cool cloth over your forehead. This can help blood vessels constrict, which could ease some of the pain. This works best if the problem is mostly in the temples or sinuses.
The orange juice-after-toothpaste effect
Have you ever had a glass of orange juice after brushing your teeth, and felt like you were biting on a lime? Cringing with every sip? That’s because most toothpaste brands have sodium lauryl sulfate (or SLS) to give their product that foaminess you like. But what SLS also does is numb the taste buds for sweetness and erode the shield that tempers the taste of bitterness. This is a simple fix: just buy toothpaste brands that don’t add SLS to their product.
Itching
Non-bug bite related itches, like those caused by irritants in the air, can be treated without any creams. Just squirt fresh lemon juice on the offending area. Lemon juice contains anesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties. Plus chemicals in lemon juice turn to alkaline in the body, reducing swelling.
Charlie horse
If you’ve ever had one, you know it’s one of the most painful malfunctions the body is capable of. Next time you feel one coming on, immediately extend your heel away from you and keep it extended. The muscles in the back of your leg want to constrict during a Charlie horse, and if you hold your leg bent, they’ll do so even more. Once your heel is extended, massage the muscle. The heat from the massage will relax it.
