The cold- and flu-season essential that's missing from your medicine cabinet: 'My nose can smell color now'

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Nobody likes being sick. The sneezing, coughing and runny nose are enough to drive anyone crazy. But having a blocked nose, whether it's from an illness or just plain ol' seasonal allergies is perhaps the worst symptom of all. When you have a stuffy nose, foods taste different, smells might as well not exist, and getting a good night's sleep is definitely out the window.

As someone who suffers from seasonal and everyday allergies, I have gotten used to a certain amount of nose blockage in my everyday life, despite a daily allergy tablet. That is, until I came down with a bad cold a few months ago that pushed even my tolerance for blocks nasal passageways over the limit. I went to my local pharmacy in search of options, and walked away with a nifty little essential that I will now always keep stocked in my medicine cabinet.

These Vicks VapoInhalers are designed to unblock stuffed noses without the use of medications. They're made with menthol, camphor and Siberian pine needle oil that powers through blocked sinuses and opens up nasal passageways with a refreshing burst of menthol.

To use, simply unscrew the cap, hold it up to your nostril, and breath deeply.

After using them to get me through my cold, I now keep one of these inhalers in my bedside table, ready to use whenever my sinuses are blocked or my allergies get the best of me. Because they're designed in a discrete, pocket-sized package that's about the same size as a tube of Chapstick, they're made to take with you and use as you need throughout the day. Toss one in your purse to use at the office, keep one in your gym bag when you need to breathe easier or just keep a few spare ones in your medicine cabinet for when cold and flu season strikes.

Plus, with a 4.7-star rating among nearly 16,000 reviewers, it's a product that practically speaks for itself. Here's what other reviewers have to say about it:

"Helps in clearing you nasal passages so you can breath without all the stuffiness," wrote one reviewer. "Great product to use at night before bed and pretty much stay clear all night."

"My nose can smell color now," wrote another cheeky five-star reviewer.

Many reviewers say the product takes them back to childhood, as it was staple in their medicine cabinet growing up:

"I've had these since my childhood," wrote one reviewer. "I've never had a nostril it couldn't set right. I'm surprised these aren't more common in households."

"I had a terrible stuffed nose and thought Amazon would have something," wrote a five-star reviewer. "When this came up took me immediately to childhood and mom giving this Vicks stick…. I ordered 2 to share with sibs!"

Of course, reviewers have found other uses for these inhaler sticks outside of cold- and flu-season, too. "One quick sniff and you are able to breathe again," wrote one reviewer who carries the sticks with them everywhere. "I like to have this with me when I run or cycle. It makes it easier to breathe."

Keep in mind that this product is not designed for children under the age of 12 and should be kept out of reach from children.

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