Now that the cold and flu season has arrived, the smell of menthol is wafting through many homes. In a ritual that goes back more than a century, stuffed-up kids and adults are going to sleep with gobs of menthol ointments smeared over their chests. If all goes according to plan, the fumes from the ointment will seep into the nose and lungs to ease coughs and congestion. In addition to menthol, VapoRub contains camphor and eucalyptus oil, two other highly aromatic compounds.
It comes in both regular and lemon varieties and is sold in a range of sizes. Another popular option is Mentholatum Ointment, a rub containing a blend of menthol and camphor that has been in use since the McKinley administration at the turn of the last century. According to the directions, parents should ask a doctor before using the product on a child younger than 2.
According to the site, VapoRub is a cough suppressant that works for both children and adults. Many people believe VapoRub helps clear up congestion, and the company used to advertise it as a remedy for stuffy noses. Jennifer Hamberger, director of brand communication for the Mentholatum Co. Hamberger adds that the ointment has a strong psychological effect.
Respir Physiol , — Eccles R: Menthol: a spectrum of efficacy. Int Pharm J , 8 — J Physiol , Fang L, Clausen G, Fanger PO: Impact of temperature and humidity on perception of indoor air quality during immediate and longer whole-body exposures. Indoor Air , 8 — Nishino T, Tagaito Y, Sakurai Y: Nasal inhalation of 1-menthol reduces respiratory discomfort associated with loaded breathing.
Amer Rev Respir Dis , — Download references. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Reprints and Permissions. Eccles, R. Menthol: Effects on nasal sensation of airflow and the drive to breathe. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 3, — Download citation. Issue Date : May Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative.
Skip to main content. Search SpringerLink Search. Abstract Menthol, in lozenges, nasal sprays, vapo-rubs, inhalers, and cough syrups, is widely used as a treatment for rhinitis that is associated with acute upper respiratory tract infection and allergy.
References and Recommended Reading 1. Google Scholar 2. CAS Google Scholar 4. Google Scholar 6. Google Scholar 8. Google Scholar 9. Instead, your nose tricks your brain into thinking it does. Here's what happens, according to lead study author Kai Zhao, Ph. Your perception of how much air you're inhaling is based on receptors and nerve endings that line the inside of your nose. Blasts of cool air—and dry air, which causes a cooling sensation when water evaporates—stimulate these receptors.
And this sends a signal to your brain that everything's flowing freely when it really might not be, Zhao says. More from MensHealth. Zhao's study could eventually help doctors better diagnose and treat congestion, but it doesn't mean you should chuck your humidifier yet, he says.
In fact, until researchers better understand the lies that your nose tells your brain, using your humidifier is one of the tried-and-true tips that you can use to combat congestion this fall and winter.
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