Bronchial congestion and cough
Bronchitis is an infection or inflammation of the bronchial airways that lead from the esophagus to the lungs. Caused usually by a virus, it is not treated with medication. If your doctor determines that your bronchitis is caused by, or has turned into, a bacterial infection, then antibiotics will be prescribed. Bronchitis, leading to bronchial congestion, can also be caused by environmental pollutants such as cigarette smoke and fumes, according to the doctors at the Mayo Clinic. The bronchial tubes become inflamed and produce mucous, which causes congestion.
Water Inside and Out
Bronchial congestion is more than a simple irritation, it affects everything from your breathing to your mood to the quality of your sleep, which we all know affects everything about your day. Whether you have acute bronchitis (comes on quick and leaves within a few days) or chronic bronchitis (suffer with bronchitis several days of the month, usually in smokers) there are home remedies that will help you relieve congestion.
The first thing to remember for treating bronchial congestion is to add water, both on the outside of the body and the inside. Increasing fluid intake keeps the linings of the bronchial tract moist and the mucous flowing so it can be expelled through coughing it up and out of the system. UMMC (The University of Maryland Medical Center) lists drinking more fluids, as well as using a humidifier as two of the top treatments for . If using a humidifier you will want warm, moist air, as cold air can aggravate a cough. If you do not have a warm mist humidifier or vaporizer, pour hot water into a large bowl, tent your head with a towel and breathe the moist air. Moist air also keeps the mucous loose and relieves the cough.
Other Home Remedies
When using the humidifier or breathing the moisture from a bowl, there are essential oils you can add to the water that will help with the breathing. In a report by UMMC, studies have found eucalyptus oil helps keep in the respiratory tract. Add several drops of 100% pure eucalyptus oil to the bowl of steaming water, or to the water in the humidifier or vaporizer. You can also boil 4 tablespoons of eucalyptus leaves and 2 tablespoons of peppermint leaves, then put the water and leaves in a bowl and tent your head to inhale the vapors.
Peppermint is another essential oil that keeps the mucous loose and can clear congestion. It can be a substitute for eucalyptus oil, or used along with it.
Another home remedy to add to the steam vapors from a bowl is chopped onion. Onion loosens the mucous and helps it flow, easing both nasal and bronchial tube congestion.
The best remedy for is rest. Your body needs time to repair itself instead of spending all of its energy on other functions.
Tags: bronchial congestion, mucous loose, using humidifier, , bowl tent, , Bronchial congestion
