Your taste buds only recognize five tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and savory ("Umami"). The rest is in the nose. If you can avoid smelling the food, you'll avoid a large part of the flavor. Pinch your nose as you eat or drink anything to neutralize a significant portion of the taste involved.  When the taste is truly to be avoided, take a sip of a drink before un-pinching your nose to avoid any taste left on the tongue. Slosh the liquid around your mouth for good measure. If you're eating in public or anywhere where you can't politely pinch your nose, exhale immediately before taking a bit/drink to avoid the taste. Be sure to take a small bite if doing this to avoid choking when trying to breathe again. Your taste is all about saliva. You taste different things depending on how that food reacts with the saliva in your mouth. Take a paper towel and complete dry out your mouth and tongue; this will eliminate nearly all of the taste. But remember, the saliva in your mouth is replenished every few seconds, so eat quickly after drying your mouth.  Cotton swabs such as Q-Tips are a discreet alternative to a paper towel, though you'll most likely need more than one. If you know just when you'll need to eat something unpleasant, try to refrain from having any water beforehand during the day. Drink caffeinated drinks like soda or coffee to dehydrate yourself; your mouth should be reasonably dry come time to eat. You might have noticed that any food might taste a little different depending on its temperature. Why is that? It's the same food, after all. The fact is that generally, cooling numbs your palate, toning down flavors. If you can drink a glass of cold water right before eating or drinking something unpleasant, you'll be better off. If you can chill the unpleasant food or drink, that's even better. For a more uncomfortable alternative (though preferable perhaps if you have teeth which are sensitive to cold), you can scald your tongue with a hot drink like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. The heat will make your taste buds much less sensitive in the moments after sipping something really hot. A drink with a high alcohol concentration (such as whiskey) has the effect of a mild anesthetic on your taste centers in your mouth and nose. Try to eat or drink whatever is unpleasant quickly after drinking the alcohol for the best possible effect. If you're underage or have no access to hard alcohol, try a hygienic mouthwash which contains disinfecting alcohol such as Listerine. This too will help to numb your taste as well as distract with (usually) a strong mint flavor.

Summary: Plug your nostrils. Dry out your mouth. Drink cold water. Drink a strong alcoholic drink.


Treating a mild concussion requires both physical and mental rest. That is the single most important thing a person can do to recover as quickly as possible.  Physical rest means refraining from physical activity and exertion. A person should not get involved in any sports or any vigorous activity until their symptoms are gone or their physician clears them. Mental rest means not engaging in thinking, reading, using the computer, watching TV, texting, schoolwork, or any activities that require concentration. Do not drive or operate machinery or tools. In addition to resting while awake, a person with a concussion needs to get plenty of sleep at night. This is just as important as resting. Try to get at least seven to nine hours each night. When someone has a concussion, they should avoid mind-altering substances. Do not drink alcohol, and do not take any recreational drugs. If a person has headaches, they can take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain. Avoid ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), aspirin, and Naproxen (Aleve). These pain relievers can increase internal bleeding. If someone has a bump or a bruise that hurts, use an ice pack. Don't place the ice pack directly on the person's skin. Wrap it in a towel, and hold it on the bump or bruise for 10 to 30 minutes. Repeat every two to four hours for the first 48 hours.  If an ice pack is not available, a bag of frozen vegetables can be used. Ice packs can help with the inner headache as well. When someone has a concussion, they should not be alone for 48 hours after the injury. Someone needs to stay with them in case they start exhibiting serious symptoms.

Summary: Rest. Get plenty of sleep. Avoid mind-altering substances. Take pain reliever. Use an ice pack. Stay with someone for 48 hours.


Select 3 small 1-way valves used for bicycle tires and pick out a hot knife with a tip that matches the size of the valves. Also, get a 50-60mL needleless syringe and 12 inches (30 cm) or so of plastic tubing that matches the size of the valve.  Some valves are 6 millimeters while others are 8 millimeters. Either kind is fine, but your plastic tubing should match. Find these syringes at most drug stores. Pick the kind that doesn't have a needle coming out. Look for hot knives at craft stores or home improvement stores. Change the tip on the hot knife to the round tip that's the same size as your valves. Plug the knife in to heat up. Gently pull the plunger back on the syringe about 1 inch (2.5 cm). When the knife is hot, plunge it into the side of the syringe, making a hole in the space you've created by moving the plunger. The exact spot doesn't matter, but place it closer to the tip edge of the syringe than the plunger end. Try to keep the hole as small as possible, as you want the valve to fit in the syringe tightly. Unscrew the black cap off the top of the valve. Turn the threaded part of the valve into the hole. Keep turning it to the right (clockwise) until the valve is as far as it will go in the hole. You'll still have the top part of the valve sticking out of the syringe. At this point, it can help to squeeze a little superglue around the valve, as that will help seal the pump. The length doesn't need to be exact. After you cut it, wedge it onto the tip of the syringe so it fits over it tightly. It can help to add a dollop of superglue around the edges to keep it in place. Push it in as far as it will go. It will eventually hit the lip, and when it does, stop there. You may need to use pliers to help work the valve into the tubing. Some people skip the tubing altogether and just press the valve into the end of the syringe's tip. You can test both options to see which works best for you. Use any length of tubing but make sure it's long enough to reach your pressure chamber. Once it's threaded onto the tubing, attach it to a valve on your pressure chamber to complete the pump.  A simple way to make a pressure chamber for your vacuum pump is to drill a hole on the top of a canning jar and insert a bicycle valve thread-side down into the hole. Seal the edges with silicone gel or superglue. To use the vacuum, start with the plunger of the syringe nearly all the way in and then pull it out to the end of the syringe to create a vacuum.
Summary: Pick out a syringe, 3 1-way valves, a hot knife, and tubing. Burn a hole in the side of the syringe. Screw the valve into the hole you've just made. Cut a 1 in (2.5 cm) piece of plastic tubing and slip it on the syringe. Press the non-threaded side of another valve into the tubing. Attach tubing to the threaded end of the valve.