Who likes the feeling of being sick, subjected to the confines of one’s bed because the doctor has advised bed rest? Being unable to perform day to day activities can dampen anybody’s spirits. Some ailments are more worrisome than others. While you can ignore a simple cold and cough or even fever, it can be a reason for worry if they do not go away with your honey and lemon treatment. The same holds true with bronchitis, which is caused by the production of sputum in excess, leading to a difficulty in breathing and uncontrollable bouts of rough cough.
If you wake up one morning, hopeful that you have fought that dreadful cough, only to find yourself coughing up a cupful of phlegm, you may have developed bronchitis – a rather painful infection that makes you feel that someone has tap danced the night away on your chest!
What Is Bronchitis?
Before we go on to tell you some easy remedies that can help you with acute bronchitis, let us tell you a little more about the infection itself. Armed with this information, you will stand a better chance at fighting it off!
Acute bronchitis is a rather common infection afflicting at least 1 out of 10 persons you meet on your way to work! Most often caused by the same virus that brings to you colds and coughs, bronchitis can also be caused by bacteria or even fungus! Bronchitis often follows a common cold when your resistance is at a low. If left unattended, bronchitis can lead to pneumonia that can be life threatening.
When Do You Know You Have Bronchitis?
If you can relate to the above symptoms, you may be down with bronchitis, and it is time you paid your family doctor a visit. In tandem with an antibiotic course to reduce the phlegm, the following remedies are sure to speed up your recovery.
Bronchitis Home Remedies:
Here are a few simple home remedies for bronchitis that you may never have thought could come in handy to treat bronchitis.
1. Gargle:
Spit it out every time you cough and get rid of that sputum! Better out than in. Inhale steam at home, but exercise caution when doing so. Scalding hot water can leave you with burns if you are not careful! Gargle with warm water and remember to add salt to the concoction. A pinch of turmeric added to the water will help decongest the phlegm in your airways.
2. Eucalyptus Oil:
The very fragrance of eucalyptus oil can chase the most nagging and persistent cold or headache! Keep eucalyptus oil handy. Put a few drops on your handkerchief and sniff it often. The oil is said to have germ-fighting capabilities and helps fight the cough by killing germs. Breathing in this oil will also help clear your constricted airways.
3. Hot Drinks:
Unlike the common slang in many local Indian languages, by hot drinks we do not mean alcohol! Ensure that you keep your respiratory system a little moist to avoid too much pain due to cough. Have lots of warm liquids, water, tea, coffee, soup, hot chocolate etc to keep your throat from going dry and feeling parched as this often leads to irritation and a feeling of itchiness.
4. Almond Delight:
Soak almonds and have them on an empty stomach with a glass of warm milk. Remember to chew them properly. Alternatively, crush a few almonds in a glass of orange juice for quick results. Almonds are rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium, and help fight germs and bacteria that cause bronchitis.
5. The ‘oh so spicy’ chillies:
Eat chillies as this will help thin the thick and tenacious mucus, and expel it from your system. Chile peppers, spicy salsa or dishes made of thick cayenne pepper are a great treat when you are in the dumps suffering from a bad bout of cold or even bronchitis. Fiery hot food will do more good than you can think of, if you are suffering from a persistent cough and cold.
6. Exotic Oregano:
Did you know that oregano is a great antibiotic? It has been used for decades to cure and fight bronchitis. It works as an anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agent, and helps reduce congestion in the chest due to swelling and halts the infection from progressing by curbing the growth of bacteria and microbes.
7. Pair up Garlic and Honey:
This is one of the best home remedy for bronchitis. Chop garlic and onion, and have them with honey. The combination has to be swallowed and not chewed and taken twice a day. Both, onion and garlic have antibiotic properties and will set you on the path to quick recovery. The honey also helps you down the mixture!
8. A Sweet Remedy:
Cinnamon and honey, both delectable food ingredients, are loaded with anti-oxidants and enzymes that send the body into activity by the production of disease-fighting white cells and strengthen the immune system. Honey will have a soothing effect on the throat as well.
9. Flavoured Tea:
There is nothing like a cup of steaming hot tea when you are down with bronchitis. Add to your tea some thyme and primrose, and you have readied the best home remedy that can help fight bronchitis.
10. Drink Plenty of Water:
Water is a natural mucolytic. Most of us swallow spoonfuls of expectorants (cough syrups) forgetting that drinking plenty of plain water will have the same effect! If your throat hurts, warm up some water and sip it throughout the day!
These aren’t remedies coughed up out of the blue; they are tried and tested and have helped alleviate the symptoms of several people who suffer from chronic and acute bronchitis! Try them; you will not regret it!
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