Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Put Heating Pad Under Butt to Quiet Troublesome Nighttime Cough

Q. Decades ago, I had one of those annoying, tickly, nonproductive coughs that kept me up ALL night. An old-timer I knew told me to put a heating pad under my butt. I went to bed convinced that it would not help, but I slept very soundly that night.

Recently, a friend of mine had a terrible cough from bronchitis. Cough syrup with codeine was useless. I told her about the heating pad remedy, and she had the same excellent results I did. Please tell your readers about this.

A. This is a very unusual cough remedy. It seems even stranger than putting Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet, a popular though peculiar approach to quelling nighttime coughs.

We can’t think of a scientific explanation for why a heating pad would stop a pesky cough, but it seems fairly benign and might be worth consideration.

For other remedies that can help against coughs and other symptoms of the viral infections so common at this time of year, we offer our Guide to Colds, Coughs & the Flu.

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
4.3- 103 ratings
About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.