The ancient garlic hack for coughs

In the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there is a well-known saying: "Even famous doctors struggle with coughs." Coughs are notoriously difficult to treat. Patients often spend money and take medications, yet the cough persists.

Today, I am sharing a zero-cost, highly effective remedy that once cured my bestie’s husband 2-month cough in just 2 days : applying garlic to the Yongquan acupoint.

Here is how to do it:

1. Peel a clove of garlic and chop them up or simply slice it into coin-thick pieces.

2. Locate the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot.

3. Place a garlic slice on the Yongquan acupoint of both feet and secure it with medical tape.

4. It usually takes effect within about 30 minutes.

5. Crucial Warning: Do not leave the garlic on for more than 2 hours for sensitive skin, as the strong stimulation may cause blisters on the soles. Additionally, children's skin is delicate and highly sensitive to garlic's stimulating properties, so the application time should be kept even shorter to prevent any skin irritation. Make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't blister.

6. If you feel a hot, burning sensation on the soles of your feet, remove the garlic immediately to prevent blistering. While some people can leave it on overnight without any issues, it is always better to be safe.

Indications for This Remedy:

This method applies to various types of coughs. It is especially effective in providing relief for coughs caused by wind-cold, wind-heat, and dry-heat, as well as for coughs resulting from whooping cough (pertussis), chronic bronchitis, and pulmonary emphysema.

Why does this work?

The Yongquan acupoint is the starting point of the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin and one of the top ten vital acupoints in the human body. The stimulating nature of garlic continuously activates this point to relieve symptoms.

Beyond treating severe coughs, stimulating the Yongquan acupoint can be also applied to several other conditions:

• Hot Soles (Burning Feet Syndrome)

As people age, an imbalance of Yin and Yang can cause the soles of the feet to feel hot. This can be treated by stimulating the Yongquan point. The ancient historian Sima Qian recorded this in the Records of the Grand Historian. He wrote that when the mother of the King of Qi Bei suffered from burning feet, the famous ancient physician Chunyu Yi diagnosed it as "heat syncope." He simply pricked her Yongquan acupoints three times with a needle, and the symptoms vanished instantly.

• Top-of-the-Head Pain

Acupuncture follows the principle of "treating the upper disease from below." Instead of just treating the head for a headache, doctors treat the feet, with Yongquan being the primary point. In TCM, stimulating the Yongquan acupoint is highly effective for treating headaches caused by "excess fire." This is because the point has the powerful property of drawing "excess fire" downwards, effectively relieving the heat and pain at the top of the head. Furthermore, conditions originating in the head, such as epilepsy, can also be treated by needling the Yongquan point, as documented in the classic Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion.

Nosebleeds and toothaches

Thanks to its powerful property of drawing excess heat downwards, applying garlic to the Yongquan acupoint is also highly effective for treating nosebleeds, toothaches caused by wind-heat.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice. Please consult with a healthcare professional before trying any home remedies.