FORGET rubbing Vicks on your chest next time you have a cough - the best way to relieve that pesky tickle is to rub the menthol ointment on your feet.
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| Take a step closer to getting rid of your cold |
Hundreds of people suffering from a winter cold have taken to social media to spread the word the century-old rub is better applied to feet than the chest and back, as advised.
For millions there is no better way of getting through the night when you have a cold than rubbing Vicks VapoRub on - but now many swear rubbing it on your feet then putting socks on is the way to beat it.
The mentholated ointment was developed in 1894 in South Carolina in the United States by Lunsford Richardson who created it for his children after a trip to France and named it after his physician brother-in-law, Dr Joshua Vick.
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| Despite it sounding a little strange many people have been amazed by the results |
He meant for it to be rubbed on the skin near people's heads but 21st Century cold-suffers are eschewing the traditional method and say if they do cough it makes their feet tingle.
When people have coughs they tense up and as a result they breathe in more shallowly which irritates the cough further
Cold-sufferer Hayley Barratt, 27, said: "I thought it was a barmy idea but thought there was nothing to lose so I tried it and I was so surprised it actually worked.
"I definitely coughed less in the night than when I've applied it on my chest and back before and the couple of times I did cough I could feel my feet tingling."
Another woman called Clare, wrote on MumsNet: "Agreed - I saw this tip on Facebook and tried it when baby had a bad cough.
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| People have used Vicks for over a hundred years |
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| But apparenlty it works even better if you rub it on your feet |
"Was amazed it worked - think I can say it is one of the best tips I've ever read."
Dr Lynne Jordan, a chartered psychologist, said it could be to do with reducing stress - something Vicks is often praised with helping.
She said: "By concentrating on something else, such as the process of putting Vicks on with the socks, you are reducing your stress levels.
"When people have coughs they tense up and as a result they breathe in more shallowly which irritates the cough further.
"Reduce the stress and in theory you would reduce the cough."
TV doctor Dr Ranj Singh, added: "There is no evidence to suggest it is more effective to put it on your feet so it could just be a placebo effect."
Procter and Gamble, which has been making Vicks VapoRub since 1985, said: "It is not in line with what the product is for so we would not endorse it being used in this way."
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