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.

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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.