Home remedies - some explanation of how they work would be great

I was looking up home remedies for Bronchitis, and it seems like everywhere I went, there'd be lists and lists of home remedies, but none of them offered any explanation for the theory on why the remedy supposedly worked, like how it helps with the problem. It was just like, "Mix WD-40, toothpaste, and olive oil into a slimey paste, and rub it on your face 3 times a day. Works wonders!" How do people come up with this stuff? Or are they just throwing random crap together just to see what happens? Surely some of these home remedies have some kind of theory behind them as to how they work? It would be most helpful to know what it is!

/rant

**BTW, the WD-40 example is NOT real, I made it up as a joke, don't try that!**

Mmmmmmmmm, a minty squeek free face.

I heard a good thing for stopping coughing, rub vix on your feet and put socks on when you go to bed.
Total bollox i think but the mum in law swears by it.

Breathing in strong menthol helps to open and clear the broncial passages.

For bronchitus or when I have bad asthma I lie in bed with a nice helping of Vick's rub globbed around my mouth and nose.

That's a good example of the kind of thing I'm talking about, lol

I mean, who knows, maybe it really works, but is there an explanation? Does the eucalyptus oil soak into the skin and clear your lungs from the inside out or something? I mean, surely the first person to rub Vicks on their feet to clear their cough had some kind of theory in mind when he or she did this, right? Or is it all just desperate insanity? lol

I don't think I would try that. Have you been searching just randomly online for these remedies? Try checking out homeopathy or is naturalist sites

My mom and grandmother do that too, (well for a cold with a fever) and i have to say I have felt better in the morning, but is the vicks or the medicine?

the strangest one I "heard" about involved a garlic clove as a suppository, and for the life of me I cant remember what it was supposed to "cure". and I didn't have a chance to ask my grandmother.


Lili, what types of search terms are you using, have you tried curanderos It a mexican/spanish thing, but I know that they do some research on it at the university, and it isn't just the spiritual part but on the herbal remedies... I know there are a few books on it. Not sure if that is what you are looking for though

maybe their feet were cold Vix does warm the bits you apply it to

This experience has given me an idea! A random home remedy generator script! I'll go do it right now! hehehe...

I'm hoping she made that one up!

I was searching for "bronchitis home remedies"

I've read that Turmeric is supposed to help. I already have that for other health benefits it has, but I hadn't opened it yet, so I decided to go with that one first, but I have still to find any explanation for why Turmeric would help bronchitis. There was some reference to it being anti-inflammatory, but so are a lot of things that weren't listed. Why Turmeric? Other than Ayurveda.

I did indeed make that up! No one try that, ok???

that's what I figure but,

I found this site...

https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NAH/is_6_33/ai_106224762/

Arghhhhh!!!!! Now that would be going nowhere near my feet never mind my face.

Oil tends to put an occlusive film over your skin which means nothing can get in, great you say? No, because nothing can get out either, so what ever is in your pores stays, and can get infected, hey presto a big ugly spot. You have anaerobic bacteria in your pores and their favorite food just happens to be sebum, the stuff that is now locked in your pores behind the oil. I guess the reason they put toothpaste in it is to counteract that as it has antibacterial properties but its way too harsh and too drying to be speading all over your skin.

damn and i was thinking if you have combination skin the toothpaste with dry out the pimples and the olive oil would help the dry spots and WD40 for the rest

ok I'm not sure the stuff Im thinking with the curanderos is going to be specific enough for your question on bronchits, its more a general look as are these healers using herbs in a way that has repeatable benefits, or is it all spiritual. (or in the peoples heads..not everyone believes.)