Whether it is the first time or fifth time a woman is always conscious and protective throughout her pregnancy. Pregnancy is a special and tough journey, it becomes even hard when you experience a cough, cold, or flu. First-time mommies do not know much about which medications are safe to use. There are many otc medications we usually use for common cold symptoms but during pregnancy, a woman has many concerns regarding the safety of her child.
For cold and flu symptoms vicks is commonly used. But during pregnancy, a lot of people have questions such as whether can vicks cause miscarriage or if vicks is safe during pregnancy. Here, in this article, we will clear all your confusion regarding can vicks cause miscarriage or whether you can use it during pregnancy.
What is vicks vaporub
Vicks VapoRub is a mentholated ointment that was first time prepared by a pharmacist in North Carolina to treat his son’s croup. Since then people find it a very effective treatment against colds and flu. Vicks consist of the following constituents
⦁ 4.7% camphor
⦁ 2.6% menthol
⦁ 1.2% Eucalyptus oil
⦁ Petroleum
⦁ Thymol
⦁ Turpentine oil
⦁ Cedar leaf oil
⦁ Nutmeg oil
Use of Vicks
The following are the most common uses of vicks.
⦁ Although it is not a decongestant but it creates the following sensation that helps in clearing the nasal passage. So it provides relief from congestion.
⦁ It helps in relaxing and soothing sore muscles. It works as a topical analgesic or pain reliever when you apply it to the affected area.
⦁ It helps in treating toenail fungus. It has ingredients such as camphor, menthol, and Eucalyptus oil and has antifungal properties.
⦁ The constituent of vicks such as Eucalyptus oil, menthol, and camphor works as a cough suppressant. Therefore, vicks is used as an otc medicine to relieve symptoms of cold cough and flu.
Other uses
Apart from medicinal uses vicks also have the following uses
⦁ Helps in training pets because of its strong scent, it will stop the pets from urinating and scratching your furniture.
⦁ People also consider vicks helpful in removing stretch marks.
⦁ Vicks is also said to be effective on the rough skin of heels.
⦁ People say that vicks is helpful in treating blemishes and acne.
⦁ Vicks is helpful as a mosquito repellent due to their strong scent and the oil used in them.
⦁ The fragrance is relaxing which can help with headaches.
Is Vicks VapoRub Safe to Use During Pregnancy?
Most people considers VapoRub the only vicks product however it is not true. There are many formulations available for the treatment of colds and flu. You can use some of them during your pregnancy while you should avoid using the others.
You should avoid using products that consist of phenylephrine hydrochloride and ephedrine. Those people who have a previous history of preeclampsia should avoid using phenylEphrine hydrochloride. The vicks VapoRub consists of ingredients such as turpentine oil, Eucalyptus oil, camphor, and menthol. All these ingredients are absolutely safe to use topically during pregnancy. If you will eat camphor it can cause miscarriage. If you will use vicks properly and only externally then it is safe for you during pregnancy.
Following are the vicks products that are safe during pregnancy
⦁ Vicks first defense nasal spray
⦁ Vicks VapoRub
⦁ The vicks inhaler.
You can use the following products if your doctor approves it
⦁ Vicks Sinex nasal spray range
⦁ Vicks DayQuil or NyQuil syrups.
They consist of oxymetazoline as an active ingredient and there are no studies that tell whether a pregnant woman should be using this product or not.
Vicks products that are not saved during pregnancy
⦁ Vicks sinex decongestant capsule
These capsules have phenylephrine as an active ingredient which is not safe for pregnant women.
Can vicks cause miscarriage
No, if you are using Vicks topically it cannot cause miscarriage. However, if you are ingesting it, it consists of camphor which can cause miscarriage.
Home remedies for pregnant women instead of vicks
If you are pregnant it is always better to use home remedies rather than medication for cold symptoms. During pregnancy, if you suffer from a fever, cold, or flu you should drink a lot of fluids and keep yourself hydrated. You should also rest to recover from cold symptoms. Steam can also help you relieve congestion and irritation. You can also try out some soups and herbal teas to provide relief against cold and flu. You can also try steam and gargling with warm saltwater.
For congestion, you can try out the following remedy
⦁ saline nosed drops
⦁ Nasal strips
⦁ steam inhalation
You can also use natural cough and flu suppressant recipes such as
⦁ Ginger tea
⦁ Honey tea
⦁ Vegetable soup
⦁ Noodles soup
⦁ Chicken corn soup
Conclusion
We hope that you have found the answer is vicks safe during pregnancy or can vicks cause miscarriage. Vicks consists of ingredients such as camphor, menthol, and Eucalyptus oil as its API. If you are using it topically then there is no issue however ingestion of camphor can lead to miscarriage.
