1.Ifyourthroattickles,scratchyourear!

Whenyouwere9,playingyourarmpitwasacooltrick.Now,asanadult,youcanstill
appreciateagoodbodybasedfeat,butyou'remorediscriminating.Takethattickleinyour
throatit'snotworthgaggingover.Here'sabetterwaytoscratchyouritch:"Whenthe
nervesintheeararestimulated,itcreatesareflexinthethroatthatcancauseamuscle
spasm,"saysScottSchaffer,M.D.,presidentofanear,nose,andthroatspecialtycenter
inGibbsboro,NewJersey."Thisspasmrelievesthetickle."
2.Experiencesupersonichearing!
Ifyou'restuckchattingupamumbleratacocktailparty,leaninwithyourrightear.It's
betterthanyourleftatfollowingtherapidrhythmsofspeech,accordingtoresearchersat
theUCLADavidGeffenSchoolofMedicine.If,ontheotherhand,you'retryingtoidentify
thatsongplayingsoftlyintheelevator,turnyourlefteartowardthesound.Theleftearis
betteratpickingupmusictones.
3.Overcomeyourmostprimalurge!
Needtopee?Nobathroomnearby?FantasizeaboutJessicaSimpson.Thinkingabout
sexpreoccupiesyourbrain,soyouwon'tfeelasmuchdiscomfort,saysLarryLipshultz,
M.D.,chiefofmalereproductivemedicineattheBaylorCollegeofMedicine.Forbest
results,trySimpson's"TheseBootsAreMadeforWalking"video.
4.Feelnopain!
Germanresearchershavediscoveredthatcoughingduringaninjectioncanlessenthe
painoftheneedlestick.AccordingtoTarasUsichenko,authorofastudyonthe
phenomenon,thetrickcausesasudden,temporaryriseinpressureinthechestand
spinalcanal,inhibitingthepainconductingstructuresofthespinalcord.
5.Clearyourstuffednose!
ForgetSudafed.Aneasier,quicker,andcheaperwaytorelievesinuspressureisby
alternatelythrustingyourtongueagainsttheroofofyourmouth,thenpressingbetween
youreyebrowswithonefinger.Thiscausesthevomerbone,whichrunsthroughthenasal
passagestothemouth,torockbackandforth,saysLisaDeStefano,D.O.,anassistant
professorattheMichiganStateUniversitycollegeofosteopathicmedicine.Themotion
loosenscongestionafter20seconds,you'llfeelyoursinusesstarttodrain.
6.Fightfirewithoutwater!
Worriedthosewingswillrepeatonyoutonight?"Sleeponyourleftside,"saysAnthonyA.
Starpoli,M.D.,aNewYorkCitygastroenterologistandassistantprofessorofmedicineat
NewYorkMedicalCollege.Studieshaveshownthatpatientswhosleepontheirleftsides
arelesslikelytosufferfromacidreflux.Theesophagusandstomachconnectatanangle.
Whenyousleeponyourright,thestomachishigherthantheesophagus,allowingfood
andstomachacidtoslideupyourthroat.Whenyou'reonyourleft,thestomachislower
thantheesophagus,sogravity'sinyourfavor.
7.Cureyourtoothachewithoutopeningyourmouth!
Justrubiceonthebackofyourhand,ontheVshapedwebbedareabetweenyourthumb
andindexfinger.ACanadianstudyfoundthatthistechniquereducestoothachepainby
asmuchas50percentcomparedwithusingnoice.Thenervepathwaysatthebaseof
thatVstimulateanareaofthebrainthatblockspainsignalsfromthefaceandhands.
8.Makeburnsdisappear!
Whenyouaccidentallysingeyourfingeronthestove,cleantheskinandapplylight
pressurewiththefingerpadsofyourunmarredhand.Icewillrelieveyourpainmore
quickly,Dr.DeStefanosays,butsincethenatualmethodbringstheburnedskinbacktoa
normaltemperature,theskinislesslikelytoblister.
9.Stoptheworldfromspinning!
Onetoomanydrinksleftyoudizzy?Putyourhandonsomethingstable.Thepartofyour
earresponsibleforbalancethecupulafloatsinafluidofthesamedensityasblood.
"Asalcoholdilutesbloodinthecupula,thecupulabecomeslessdenseandrises,"says
Dr.Schaffer.Thisconfusesyourbrain.Thetactileinputfromastableobjectgivesthe
brainasecondopinion,andyoufeelmoreinbalance.Becausethenervesinthehandare
sosensitive,thisworksbetterthantheconventionalfootonthefloorwisdom.
10.Unstitchyourside!
Ifyou'relikemostpeople,whenyourun,youexhaleasyourrightfoothitstheground.
Thisputsdownwardpressureonyourliver(whichlivesonyourrightside),whichthen
tugsatthediaphragmandcreatesasidestitch,accordingtoTheDoctorsBookofHome
RemediesforMen.Thefix:Exhaleasyourleftfootstrikestheground.
11.Stanchbloodwithasinglefinger!
Pinchingyournoseandleaningbackisagreatwaytostopanosebleedifyoudon't
mindchokingonyourownOpositive.Amorecivilapproach:Putsomecottononyour
uppergumsjustbehindthatsmalldentbelowyournoseandpressagainstit,hard.
"Mostbleedscomefromthefrontoftheseptum,thecartilagewallthatdividesthenose,"
saysPeterDesmarais,M.D.,anear,nose,andthroatspecialistatEntabeniHospital,in
Durban,SouthAfrica."Pressingherehelpsstopthem."
12.Makeyourheartstandstill!
Tryingtoquellfirstdatejitters?Blowonyourthumb.Thevagusnerve,whichgoverns
heartrate,canbecontrolledthroughbreathing,saysBenAbo,anemergencymedical
servicesspecialistattheUniversityofPittsburgh.It'llgetyourheartratebacktonormal.
13.Thawyourbrain!
ToomuchChipwichtoofastwillfreezethebrainsoflessermen.Asforyou,pressyour
tongueflatagainsttheroofofyourmouth,coveringasmuchasyoucan."Sincethe
nervesintheroofofyourmouthgetextremelycold,yourbodythinksyourbrainisfreezing,
too,"saysAbo."Incompensating,itoverheats,causinganicecreamheadache."The
morepressureyouapplytotheroofofyourmouth,thefasteryourheadachewillsubside.
14.Preventnearsightedness!
Poordistancevisionisrarelycausedbygenetics,saysAnneBarber,O.D.,anoptometrist
inTacoma,Washington."It'susuallycausedbynearpointstress."Inotherwords,staring
atyourcomputerscreenfortoolong.Soflexyourwayto20/20vision.Everyfewhours
duringtheday,closeyoureyes,tenseyourbody,takeadeepbreath,and,afterafew
seconds,releaseyourbreathandmusclesatthesametime.Tighteningandreleasing
musclessuchasthebicepsandglutescantrickinvoluntarymusclesliketheeyesinto
relaxingaswell.
15.Wakethedead!
Ifyourhandfallsasleepwhileyou'redrivingorsittinginanoddposition,rockyourhead
fromsidetoside.It'llpainlesslybanishyourpinsandneedlesinlessthanaminute,says
Dr.DeStefano.Atinglyhandorarmisoftentheresultofcompressioninthebundleof
nervesinyournecklooseningyourneckmusclesreleasesthepressure.Compressed
nerveslowerinthebodygovernthefeet,sodon'tletyoursleepingdogslie.Standupand
walkaround.
16.Impressyourfriends!
Nexttimeyou'reataparty,trythistrick:Haveapersonholdonearmstraightouttothe
side,palmdown,andinstructhimtomaintainthisposition.Thenplacetwofingersonhis
wristandpushdown.He'llresist.Nowhavehimputonefootonasurfacethat'sahalfinch
higher(afewmagazines)andrepeat.ThistimehisarmwillcaveliketheFrench.By
misaligninghiships,you'veoffsethisspine,saysRachelCosgrove,C.S.C.S.,coownerof
ResultsFitness,inSantaClarita,California.Yourbrainsensesthatthespineisvulnerable,
soitshutsdownthebody'sabilitytoresist.
17.Breatheunderwater!
Ifyou'redyingtoretrievethatquarterfromthebottomofthepool,takeseveralshort
breathsfirstessentially,hyperventilate.Whenyou'reunderwater,it'snotalackof
oxygenthatmakesyoudesperateforabreathit'sthebuildupofcarbondioxide,which
makesyourbloodacidic,whichsignalsyourbrainthatsomethin'ain'tright."Whenyou
hyperventilate,theinfluxofoxygenlowersbloodacidity,"saysJonathanArmbruster,
Ph.D.,anassociateprofessorofbiologyatAuburnUniversity."Thistricksyourbraininto
thinkingithasmoreoxygen."It'llbuyyouupto10seconds.
18.Readminds!
Yourown!"Ifyou'regivingaspeechthenextday,reviewitbeforefallingasleep,"says
CandiHeimgartner,aninstructorofbiologicalsciencesattheUniversityofIdaho.Since
mostmemoryconsolidationhappensduringsleep,anythingyoureadrightbeforebedis
morelikelytobeencodedaslongtermmemory.