Natural Remedy Tips #5 - Vicks Vaporub
There are some strange remedies around that might surprise you, but few are as strange as using Vicks Vaporub for anything other than what it is meant for.
Such as rubbing onto your chest when you have a bad cold and congested sinuses, to help you breathe more easily at night when you go to bed.
OK, I can hear you thinking, "Hey, but Vicks Vaporub isn't natural at all. Is it?"
Well, that's true but this is such an off the wall use for the stuff, I just had to add this, because I have it on good authority (my partner!) that it works. And it is definitely alternative!
It is an alternative remedy for night-time coughs!
How Does it Work?
Well, let's just say that it works, just not the way you are probably thinking it works.
If you have ever suffered from this incredibly annoying complaint, you've probably consumed plenty of powerful so-called cough remedies and mixtures and then spent all night coughing away like a forty-a-day smoker regardless!
Well, my partner went through all the usual attempts at stopping the cough but nothing even came close until one night she was recommended by a friend to try the old cold remedy, "Vicks."
The way to use it is to rub the pungent eucalyptus-aroma gel liberally on the soles of your feet and then put on a pair of thick socks. Wool is best! Then go to bed as normal.
Yes, really!
Where before this, the cough started up as soon as my partner laid down and continued unabated until she finally got up in the middle of the night so sit drinking herbal tea, this time the cough lasted for about five minutes then stopped. For the whole night!
Repeat Proof it Works!
This alternative cure has been repeated since by members of my family and also some friends who wanted to give it a try. And it has worked every time.
The strange thing is that no one really knows quite why this works. But despite the complete defiance of sane logic, it does work and it's completely safe to use as instructed.
Of course, you can also try a hot drink made from freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey to soothe your throat and help you fight off whatever it is that is causing the cough in the first place.
Summary
Sometimes you just have to suspend logic and sensibility and try something that seems almost crazy to see if it really works, as long as it is safe.
From a safety aspect, smearing some of this gel compound on your feet is not really any different from rubbing it into your chest. So we know it doesn't irritate the skin or cause any skin problems, so the feet are as good to go as anywhere else not particularly sensitive on the body.
This is one of those remedies that is so much better for your children than giving them strong cough medicine that could contain dangerous chemicals. As a completely safe alternative fix for night coughs, Vicks is a winner!
So next time your child has a fit of the night coughs, rub some Vicks into the souls of their feet, put some socks on them and give them (and you) a sound night's sleep!
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Posted on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 in Remedies | 0 Comments