Wellness

[qualitygal]

One time as a kid, (I was prone to bronchitis) a lot, it was so bad, the adults said, we'll sweat it out of her! So, an old uncle from the old country, got out some of his really strong "sauce" and I had to drink down the very bitter stuff. I don't know if that sweat the cold out of me, but I sure slept good that night. Don't even recall dozing off to sleep that night.

Usually Vicks Vapor Rub was slathered all over neck and chest and some old diaper was fastened on under the pj top. (Back then diapers were worn and washed, not disposable).  It was warm and soothing.

We had to gargle with fairly warm salt water for relief and that helped too.

[Moonchilde]

IMO the only thing that truly works on a keep-you-up-all-night cough is a prescription cough medicine with codeine. No OTC cough medicine does diddly for me - waste of $$.

For head and chest congestion, my mother did this for me as a child and it still works - boil water in teakettle and pour into mixing bowl. Put large dollop of Vicks into the bowl. Put a towel over your head that also covers the bowl, i.e. tent it, and just breathe, until it's no longer effective (15-20 min.). They also sell bomb-type tablets in the drugstore to put in your shower to do the same thing. 

For a ticklish throat - again when I was little, my mom would have a pea-sized bit of Vicks dissolve at the back of my throat, so it coated the mucous membranes, or gave me small bites of soft white bread (think Wonderbread) liberally buttered.

[Moonchilde]

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@qualitygal wrote:

Vicks Vapor Rub says it all.

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Very much so.

[Toppers3]

Hi @Moonchilde,

My Dad used to take a large Tablespoonful of Vick's and put it in a pot of water that had been boiling on the stove, and would have me inhale from it when I was really sick with bronchitis when I was young. 

I remember my parents using one of those heat steam vaporizers on me when I was really little, where you could put the Vick's in the top of it-it had a chamber in the top-so it would work through the steam from the top of the vaporizer. 

[house_cat]

Thank you for all the suggestions.

I went to the clinic yesterday, just to be sure it wasn't a strep infection, because many of my students have been sick with that recently.  It isn't strep and I'm much better today, though I decided to take the day off, mostly because I'm still coughing and sneezing and would rather not infect anyone else.

I'm intrigued by the Vicks on the feet technique that so many of you mentioned.  I simply don't understand how it would work, but since I don't see that it could hurt, I'm going to get some to try.

[Toppers3]

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@house_cat wrote:

Thank you for all the suggestions.

I went to the clinic yesterday, just to be sure it wasn't a strep infection, because many of my students have been sick with that recently.  It isn't strep and I'm much better today, though I decided to take the day off, mostly because I'm still coughing and sneezing and would rather not infect anyone else.

I'm intrigued by the Vicks on the feet technique that so many of you mentioned.  I simply don't understand how it would work, but since I don't see that it could hurt, I'm going to get some to try.

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Hello @house_cat,

I'm glad that you decided to go and get checked for strep.

I understand those kinds of icky pains that we can get when we're feeling quite sick.

I've had them too, and they're very uncomfortable.

I have had ear pain, throat pain and lung pain when I've been ill over the years, that made me feel so miserable that I've wanted to cry due to the intense pain. 

I hope that everything starts to turn around for you very soon, and that you will start to feel better again in no time. 

[sophiamarie]

Now I am really confused.

Is it Vicks VAPO Rub or

Vicks VAPOR Rub

When I google Vapor Rub - up comes Vapo Rub.....???????

[geezerette]

I hadn't used Vicks for years, since I was a kid in fact.  But it always worked wonders.  I just purchased some for a bad cold (which ended up as bronchitis) and I find it's not the same as it was back then.  It doesn't have that really strong smell it used to have.  And I see that it now uses "synthetic" camphor.  It was pleasing for a few minutes, but the smell dissipated and I found it really didn't help much at all.

[Moonchilde]

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@sophiamarie wrote:

Now I am really confused.

Is it Vicks VAPO Rub or

Vicks VAPOR Rub

When I google Vapor Rub - up comes Vapo Rub.....???????

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It's Vicks VapoRub.

[sophiamarie]

I gave my g/daughter the Vicks and told her to put it on her feet and then put socks on.   She was coughing so much, she couldn't catch her breath.  She did.  She stopped coughing.  I couldn't believe it.  Then, she said she had a headache.  I told her to put two dabs on her forehead and the headache went away.

She is still sick and had to go back to Urgent Care this evening.  Still has a low grade temp and they said she has acute sinusitis.  Gave her amoxicillin and told her to stop using the Z pak....

Hubby wonders if it's psychological with her (the Vicks phenom) or for real.  I said "whatever works"......

Anyway, thanks for the tip.  I learn something new every day.