Ease a cough It's the obvious one - but Vicks VapoRub is great for easing coughs that are caused by colds. The chest rub is perfect for relieving the catarrh and phlegm that give you a chesty cough.
A: For cough suppression, rub a thick layer of Vicks VapoRub on your chest and throat. Cover with a warm, dry cloth, if desired. Keep clothing loose about your throat and chest to help the vapors to reach the nose and mouth.
A cough is a reflex action to clear your airways of mucus and irritants such as dust or smoke. It's rarely a sign of anything serious. Most coughs clear up within 3 weeks and don't require any treatment.
Vicks products cannot cure the cold or flu, but they can help relieve chest congestion symptoms so you can feel better while your body heals from the cold or flu virus.
VapoRub has drawbacks in addition to its ineffectiveness as a nasal decongestant. It's unsafe for any use in children under 2 years old. In adults and children age 2 and older, use it only on the neck and chest.
If Vicks vaporub is added to hot water to use as a steam inhalation, the warm moisture inhaled in the steam will also help liquify and loosen mucus, allowing the airways to be cleared more effectively. This can relieve a cough as well as a blocked nose.
While addiction isn't a concern of Vicks VapoInhaler abuse and VapoRub misuse, allergic reactions, irritation to the nose and airways, and possible intoxication in children can occur. Although Vicks VapoRub doesn't make you high, there's no telling what harm sniffing these chemicals can do in the long run.
VICKS VAPORUB (Generic for CHEST RUB)
Coughing often worsens at night because a person is lying flat in bed. Mucus can pool in the back of the throat and cause coughing. Sleeping with the head elevated can reduce the symptoms of postnasal drip and GERD. Both can cause coughing at night.
Gravity The No. 1 factor that makes your cough worse at night is simple: gravity. Mitchell Blass, MD, a physician with Georgia Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, says, “When we lie down, mucus automatically begins to pool.” The best way to counteract this gravitational pull is elevation.
There's no evidence that putting Vicks VapoRub on your feet will relieve a cold, congestion, or cough. But it might help moisturize your heels and relieve toenail fungus.
Dr. Rubin says the ingredients in Vicks can be irritants, causing the body to produce more mucus to protect the airway, and infants and young children have airways that are much narrower than those of adults, so any increase in mucus or inflammation can narrow them more severely.
Take a deep breath in through your nose then slowly exhale through your mouth. As you exhale place your hands on your stomach below your rib cage and push while leaning forward. As one exhales gently but firmly cough 3 to 4 times. Repeat three to four times then rest.
Hold your breath for 3 to 5 seconds. Then—as you let that breath out [coughing]— cough 2 or 3 times. Push on your belly with your arms as you cough. [coughing] Breathe in slowly and gently through your nose, and repeat the coughing if you need to.
If you have a bacterial chest infection, you should start to feel better 24 to 48 hours after starting on antibiotics. You may have a cough for days or weeks. For other types of chest infections, the recovery is more gradual. You may feel weak for some time and need a longer period of bed rest.
Non-bacterial or “walking pneumonia”
Walking pneumonia symptoms include: Dry cough that's persistent and typically gets worse at night.
Eucalyptus Oil or Vapor Rub
An over-the-counter vapor rub such as Vicks can provide immediate relief when massaged onto your chest. Eucalyptus oil, one of Vicks' active ingredients, can be pretty beneficial. Paired with hot water, eucalyptus oil can double your phlegm fighting force.
Treat a cough with Vaseline.
Make sure you apply enough to cover your entire chest. Wait for the Vaseline to dry before putting your shirt back on. This should help to clear your chest and allow you to breathe better.