system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How does vicks vaporub actually work?

Well i've been sick for a while, and ive been rubbing vaporub on my chest to get better (also drinking a lot of tea and some pills). My question is how does this sort of cream helps you relieve cough symptoms since its not something like a pill that you can swallow, or a tea that you can drink... I remember as a child i used to put it inside my nose because i thought thats how it worked, but now i know that you should just rub it on your chest, so how does this work?
gpt
The smell is a mild irritant to your nostrils. When irritated, your nostrils try to shrink back from the irritation in order to let air go past and clear it, and this loosens trapped mucous, allowing you to breathe.