Amoreena McNally decided she would ‘trust the Amish people’ when she could not find a cure for her persistent cough, and turns out their traditional remedy was exactly what she needed
A woman who found a peculiar natural cough remedy claimed it cured her when nothing else could rid her of a nasty two-month cough. Amoreena Mcnally, a 36-year-old lab tech from Michigan, US, demonstrated the technique in a TikTok video that has since been viewed more than 18million times.
After finding no relief for her cough from conventional medical treatments, Amoreena turned to social media for alternative solutions. “I have been coughing since August, so I searched on TikTok ‘home remedies for cough’ and I saw this and decided to give it a try,” she explained. “I had been to the doctors twice before trying home remedies because everything the doctors were giving me was not working.”
The remedy that piqued her interest involved placing raw onions on her chest, covered by a hot plastic bag. Amoreena said in her video: “I might look silly, but I’m going to trust the Amish people. If you’ve had a cough that won’t go away, try this out. Because right now, I can breathe.”
Known as an onion poultice, this method has been shown to naturally alleviate stubborn coughs and chest congestion. While the trick initially helped Amoreena, it didn’t have noticeable long-term effects – though her doctors later found a mass on her thymus gland that required further medical help.
Amoreena added: “Naturally remedies can be amazing when there’s not something serious going on, so yes I would use this in the future for a chest cold. But if something’s lingering for a while you should definitely get checked out!”
The clip rapidly became a sensation, amassing thousands of likes and responses.
One viewer remarked: “I grew up Amish and this is how we take care of everything. The natural way.”
Another shared: “I have an onion sliced in half beside my bed every night. Slice a fresh onion every couple of days and throw the old one out. Not sick in 2 years.”
According to Dr Green Mom, an onion compress offers relief through multiple mechanisms, as onions “soothe overactive coughs by relaxing the smooth muscle in the trachea”, “clear chest congestion by thinning and loosening mucus allowing for better expectoration”, and “contain organosulfur compounds that possess potent antimicrobial properties, which help to fight chest infections.”
It’s important not to exclusively use this home remedy if you are ill, as it is not likely to be a long-term solution. If you have an ongoing cough, it’s important to see a GP to rule out more serious conditions.
For advice on how to deal with a cough check the NHS website.