The Potential Dangers of Vicks VapoRub
According to a study appearing in this month’s issue of Chest, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, products such as Vicks VapoRub may stimulate mucus production and airway inflammation, which can have serious negative effects on infants and young children.
The ingredients in Vicks can be irritants which cause the body to produce more mucus in order to protect the airway. In children, whose airways are much more narrower than adults, this could lead to severe respiratory distress.
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Vicks VapoRub has also been reported to cause inflammation in the eyes and lungs, liver damage, and allergic reactions.
If your little one is suffering from a cold and congestion, instead of using a potentially hazardous product like Vicks (which also happens to be petroleum based), try using a humidifier, saline nasal spray, warm herbal teas and soups, and plenty of rest. Also, to avoid spreading illness to other family members, sanitize areas where germs lurk, and make sure to encourage lots of hand washing.
Image credit: Bob Reck on flickr Creative Commons.
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In the perfect place we would to never get sick but unfortunately that’s not always possible. I was a vaporub baby and as an adult I still used it for a long time. I do however, believe, this information is very important as to the dangers it could have. Even though my mom used it on me every time I got sick I’m not big on using it on my daughter. I would much rather use a saline solution to wash out the mucus rather than just dry it up. Mixed with a humidifier I think saline solution is more effective anyways.
I remember eating the vick’s vaporub as a child. Not much, but I would stick in a finger and take a gob once in awhile.