Mom to Mom
My 10 yr old dd has a bad cold and I'm thinking about putting Vicks on the bottom of her feet but I'm not sure what this is supposed to do. Does it help with a runny nose, cough, ...??? I've read about it several times but it's just that parents do it, not why they do it.
Replies
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Thank you.
Quoting Janet:
It is supposed to help with congestion. Make sure you put socks on her. -
Thank you!! I've done the vicks on a kleenex before. The onions sound interesting. I don't know if she would go for that though =)
Quoting MamaMoopsie:
Vicks has menthol in it and helps to open up the airways so they can get more oxygen and also helps loosen up the mucus in their chests.
I put it on my older children's chests, but my oldest who is almost ten says it stings her eyes, so I put it on her back and that seems to do the trick. Even with my youngest who just turned one I will put some vicks on a tissue and put it near her while she's sleeping. It really does help to ease their congestion.
Another trick we've used and that I learned from my mom is to boil sliced onions until they're mush then wrap them over and over in papertowel and lay it on their chest or stomach then bundle them up in blankets (they'll hate it, but I swear it works to help them de-congest!) it stinks, and they get really warm, but they'll start improving within 24 hours.
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I've never done it on my oldest but my poor two year old will get SO congested and it's scary to hear her breathe in the winter time, so when Vicks wasn't helping I called my mom and she reminded me that she used to do the onion poultice and it worked like a charm, so I tried it (she was about a year old then) and sure enough within 24 hours it was like she'd never been congested. I've used it ever since, but still prefer vicks if it'll do the job (I hate cutting and boiling onions!)
You're welcome! I hope DD starts feeling better!
Quoting goddess99:
Thank you!! I've done the vicks on a kleenex before. The onions sound interesting. I don't know if she would go for that though =)
Quoting MamaMoopsie:
Vicks has menthol in it and helps to open up the airways so they can get more oxygen and also helps loosen up the mucus in their chests.
I put it on my older children's chests, but my oldest who is almost ten says it stings her eyes, so I put it on her back and that seems to do the trick. Even with my youngest who just turned one I will put some vicks on a tissue and put it near her while she's sleeping. It really does help to ease their congestion.
Another trick we've used and that I learned from my mom is to boil sliced onions until they're mush then wrap them over and over in papertowel and lay it on their chest or stomach then bundle them up in blankets (they'll hate it, but I swear it works to help them de-congest!) it stinks, and they get really warm, but they'll start improving within 24 hours.
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When I was littel (long long ago) my mom put Vicks on my chest at night. I hated the smell and it didn't help at all. The menthol is disgusting and to this day I hate the smell of it. Today there are lots of products that will help congestion without turning to this nasty product. And on the bottom of feet? Sounds awful-the only thing it could do is keep your feet soft in the cold dry winter. It doesn't really help and it will not cause pneumonia; use somethign that is actually effective. Ask your pediatrician for his or her recommendation for cold meds to manage symptoms and use a humidifier in her room at night for moisture. Skip the Vicks. Just typing this cals up that horrible smell from my past.
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lol Thank you. Yeah the smell isn't great.
Quoting EarlGrayHot:
When I was littel (long long ago) my mom put Vicks on my chest at night. I hated the smell and it didn't help at all. The menthol is disgusting and to this day I hate the smell of it. Today there are lots of products that will help congestion without turning to this nasty product. And on the bottom of feet? Sounds awful-the only thing it could do is keep your feet soft in the cold dry winter. It doesn't really help and it will not cause pneumonia; use somethign that is actually effective. Ask your pediatrician for his or her recommendation for cold meds to manage symptoms and use a humidifier in her room at night for moisture. Skip the Vicks. Just typing this cals up that horrible smell from my past.
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Yeah, this.
Quoting Janet:
It is supposed to help with congestion. Make sure you put socks on her. -
I have never done it on our boys feet..
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I haven't either. DD doesn't want to try it.
Quoting auntangelofsix:
I have never done it on our boys feet..
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When DS has a cough we put Vicksburg on his chest and his feet and it seems to help. I was skeptical to try it because I can't fathom why it would work. It works for DS though so we keep doing it. -
Thank you.
Quoting SP_Mama:
When DS has a cough we put Vicksburg on his chest and his feet and it seems to help. I was skeptical to try it because I can't fathom why it would work. It works for DS though so we keep doing it.