To shower with stitches on your back, wait the 24 to 48 hours your clinician advises, then take a short lukewarm shower with your back angled away from the spray. Let soapy water run over the stitches without scrubbing, pat dry, re-dress if instructed, and never soak in a bath or pool.
To tape a sprained pinky toe, buddy tape it to the fourth toe: put gauze or felt between the toes, then wrap thin medical tape around both toes in two loops, snug but not tight. Change the tape daily and keep it on for about 2 to 4 weeks.
To tape a bunion with kinesiology tape, clean the foot, anchor a strip with no stretch on top of the big toe, guide the toe gently toward straight, and lay the strip along the inner foot with 15 to 25 percent stretch. Add a short strip over the bump. Tape eases pain but does not reverse a bunion.
To sleep with a neck hump, lie on your back with one thin or contoured cervical pillow, or on your side with a pillow that keeps your nose in line with your breastbone. Avoid stacked pillows and stomach sleeping, and use a wedge if a rounded upper back makes lying flat painful.
To reduce back pain from a bad mattress, fix the sag with plywood under the mattress or a 2 to 3 inch medium-firm topper, use pillows to keep your spine neutral, stretch for 5 minutes each morning, and replace a mattress that is very old or visibly sagging.
To reduce knee swelling after a long walk, rest the knee, ice it with a cloth barrier for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours, wear a snug compression sleeve, and elevate the leg above heart level. Mild swelling usually improves in 1 to 3 days; a hot, red, or locking knee needs a doctor.
To reduce foot swelling after a flight, walk 10 to 20 minutes after landing, then elevate your feet above heart level for 15 to 20 minutes and do ankle pumps. Drink water and limit salt. Mild swelling in both feet usually fades in 24 to 48 hours; one-sided swelling with pain needs a doctor.
To reduce leg pain after standing all day, elevate your legs above heart level for 15 to 20 minutes, then do ankle pumps and calf stretches. Wear supportive shoes and light compression socks on long shifts, and see a doctor for one-sided swelling, warmth, or redness.
To make homemade yogurt thicker without gelatin, heat milk to 180°F and hold 10 to 20 minutes, whisk in 2 to 4 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk powder per quart, incubate undisturbed at 105°F to 112°F for 8 to 12 hours, then strain 1 to 4 hours.
Unpeeled hard-boiled eggs last up to 1 week in the fridge when refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking and kept at 40°F or below. Store them covered on an inside shelf and throw out any egg with a slimy shell, sour smell, or one left out longer than 2 hours.