Rubbing the Vicks VapoRub on your feet can make the cough disappear immediately, it can also help you decongest much faster by applying it to the soles of your feet, read on to know all its advantages.
Some people rub Vicks VapoRub on their feet as a way to curb a cough. After applying the Vicks, it is required to wear socks to cover the feet. According to people who use this technique, applying Vicks VapoRub to the feet can curb a cough for several hours. According to other people, this technique is just a myth to them as it just doesn’t work at all. However, this process really works for children.
How does the Vicks VapoRub on the feet help to get rid of a cough?
There is a lot of viral information claiming that rubbing Vicks on the feet can help in the elevation of the cough. Even with numerous tests, there is still no scientific confirmation of this method of stopping colds. There is also no medical explanation as to why the application of Vicks VapoRub works on the feet to get rid of a cough.
According to pediatricians, the possible explanation could be because the child can inhale the Vicks VapoRub even when applied to the feet, which is why this method is said to work. Another explanation could be that the menthol in rub vapor dilates the blood vessels in the feet causing reflexes that relieve coughing.
The Vicks VapoRub against infections
According to this theory, internal morbid processes can be relieved of any external irritation thus created. Vicks VapoRub contains menthol, eucalyptus and camphor that stimulate blood flow to the skin causing anti-irritation.
It is clear that there is no clear indication why rubbing Vicks on the feet works. In fact, popular drugs worked in a similar way. Applying poultices and liniments containing mild irritants such as garlic and mustard to the soles of the feet and chest can relieve coughs and colds. The method has been used for hundreds of years.
Rubbing Vicks vapor rub is not harmful when used as directed. However, sometimes using Vicks on the feet can have negative effects. It can cause foot rash (juvenile plantar dermatosis) or athlete’s foot. The rash is common in children with sweaty feet or those who wear the same pair of socks several times without washing.
We have been talking about commercial Vicks here, but we recommend using the natural homemade Vicks VapoRub as it does not contain harmful ingredients such as turpentine which is a volatile liquid produced by distilling the resin of pine trees. See instructions on how to make Vicks VapoRub at home.