VAPORUB CAN EASE POISON IVY ITCH

Q: I’d like to tell you about a new use for Vicks VapoRub. I got some poison ivy on my legs when I was mowing the lawn, and I just couldn’t get it to stop itching. When I slapped some Vicks on it, the rash stopped itching. The next morning, the redness had diminished.

A: Skin cells that encounter a stimulus like a mosquito bite or a poison ivy reaction use nerves to send the message (“it itches!”) to the brain. These nerves contain transient receptor potential (TRP) channels that are sensitive to itch (Neuron, May 2, 2018).

TRP channels respond to certain chemicals in addition to temperature and itch. Overwhelming them can shut down the sensation of itch for a while. That is why a short blast of hot water works so well to stop an itch. Capsaicin, the hot stuff in hot peppers, can do the same thing ( Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, online, Feb. 10, 2018). Other TRP channels respond to menthol and camphor, key ingredients in Vicks VapoRub (Neuropeptides, February 2010). This probably helps explain why Vicks eases the sensation of itch.

Q: As a former competitive swimmer who continues to log several miles in the pool each week, I’m familiar with swimmer’s ear and the treatments for it. None of the nonprescription solutions you have described is ideal, for a couple of reasons.

First, putting alcohol or vinegar into an inflamed ear can be excruciatingly painful. Second, adding more liquid to existing wetness doesn’t solve the problem but can actually exacerbate it — particularly if long hair covers the ears, preventing them from ever fully drying out.

The true remedy is simple: dry the external canal with a thin terrycloth towel, then use a hairdryer on a cool setting to dry the ear completely. This strategy works for people AND for long-eared dogs, like my Labrador, who swim and are vulnerable to ear infections.

A: Thank you for sharing your experience. We appreciate that long-distance swimmers and dogs with floppy ears may require the drying strategy you suggest.

For the average person who may spend far less time with their ears under water, the alcohol and vinegar solution may be helpful. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery recommends this approach to prevent swimmer’s ear.