10 Home Remedies For Bronchitis
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes that carry air into the lungs. The inflammation leads to a persistent cough that can go on for weeks or longer. The cough may be wet as mucus production increases as a result of the inflammation. Bronchitis usually develops after a bout of common cold. It can cause chest pain, breathing difficulty, and wheezing. Other symptoms of bronchitis include fever, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, and body aches. Bronchitis is one of the leading reasons for adults to visit doctors.
Although many patients think that antibiotics will help them, in many cases, they don’t because the condition is usually a result of a viral infection. Antibiotics are helpful in treating bacterial infections, but not inflammatory conditions like bronchitis.
You can help your body to recover from the condition using natural treatments, including the following 10 home remedies for bronchitis.
Home Remedy #1: Water
The human body is 80 percent water. It is, therefore, no wonder that water helps us to recover from many health conditions. Drinking water throughout the day is one of the easily accessible ways to get rid of bronchitis. Bronchitis causes inflammation of the airways. This leads to irritation, increased production of mucus, and persistent coughing.
When you keep sipping on water throughout the day, you provide a cooling effect on the throat by keeping it moistened. Water also provides your body with increased hydration, which helps to reduce the viscosity of the mucus so that it is easier to cough up. You can also take other fluids like fresh fruit juice for similar effects. Gargling with salt water can also help soothe the throat.
Home Remedy #2: Quit Smoking
Because bronchitis is an inflammatory condition, any source of inflammation can make it worse or even cause it to go on for longer. Tobacco smoking introduces many types of irritation-causing compounds like formaldehyde and acrolein. Smoking also causes irritation within the lungs and the nostrils.
If you have bronchitis, and you are a smoker, you could be suffering from more serious symptoms than if you didn’t smoke. Quitting smoking is among the important home remedies for bronchitis. Also note that tobacco smoke contains many other harmful compounds that can lead to other health problems including lung cancer and other cancers.
Home Remedy #3: Anti-Inflammatory and Probiotic Foods
Bronchitis is an inflammatory disease whose symptoms usually begin after an upper respiratory tract infection such as a common cold. And irrespective of whether the cause of the cold was a virus or bacteria, bronchitis develops when the bronchus becomes inflamed.
Including foods with anti-inflammatory properties and probiotics in your diet can boost your immune system so that it is better able to support recovery. Anti-inflammatory foods like raw fruits and vegetables are rich in micronutrients like vitamins and minerals. They also contain compounds that reduce inflammation and others that fight free radicals. Probiotic foods like yogurt, kombucha, kefir, and sauerkraut increase the numbers of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. Good gut bacteria are necessary for overall health including healing from bronchitis.
Home Remedy #4: Use a Humidifier
A humidifier makes air less dry by increasing humidity in a room. This helps to moisturize the airways because the air you breathe provides some lubrication. The moisture also helps to thin the mucus making it easier to cough out of the throat. As a result, you will find that having a working humidifier makes it easier to breathe. And similar to sipping on water throughout the day, a humidifier soothes your throat and reduces irritation.
By drinking water through the day and having a working humidifier in your bedroom while you sleep, you can help your airways to steadily heal. Studies have shown that humidifiers can work for both acute and chronic bronchitis.
Home Remedy #5: Eucalyptus Oil
For centuries, eucalyptus oil has been used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory problems. And until recently, it was not clear why it works. But studies have found that eucalyptus oil contains cineole, a compound that helps shortness of breath and improves lung function. Cineole can also reduce inflammation, which is the main characteristic of bronchitis. It is no wonder that eucalyptus oil is one of the main constituents of vapor rub balms.
To use eucalyptus oil as one of the home remedies for bronchitis, put one or two cups of boiling water into a bowl. Add 5 to 10 drops of eucalyptus oil, and, leaning over the bowl, cover your head with a large towel so you can inhale the steam containing the oil. Continue breathing the steam for about 10 minutes.
Home Remedy #6: Chicken Soup
Chicken soup has long been used to help in the recovery from many health problems, especially respiratory diseases. And tests in recent times have shown that eating chicken soup helps in the recovery from colds and even bronchitis. Chicken soup, as indeed other soups and broths such as bone broth, is rich in beneficial minerals like zinc and magnesium.
Studies indicate that chicken soup contains various amino acids including cysteine, which is similar to some compounds used in medication for bronchitis. Hot chicken soup provides water, micronutrients, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, which together soothe the throat and give a boost to the immune system. To amplify chicken soup benefits even further, add spices like garlic, hot peppers, ginger mustard, and curry powder. It is worth to note that these spices also have their own respiratory health benefits.
Home Remedy #7: Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an immunity boosting micronutrient. It helps to prevent diseases and to fight infections when they occur. While the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C is 75 mg to 90 mg for women and men respectively, when you have an infection, taking high amounts of vitamin C can hasten recovery.
You can increase your vitamin C intake by taking more vitamin C-rich foods like oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, guava, kiwi, red and green peppers, and broccoli. You can also get mega doses of vitamin C by taking vitamin C supplements. Studies show that taking as much as 4,000 mg of vitamin C daily for several days can safely rid your body of colds including those that lead to bronchitis.
Home Remedy #8: Spicy Food
Spicy foods like cayenne pepper, jalapenos, hot mustard, wasabi, and horseradish are great for a person with bronchitis. These foods help to loosen the phlegm in your airways so that you can cough it up easily. Spicy foods also help relieve congestion of the nose and the sinuses so that you can breathe easy. Spices also contain powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that help reduce inflammation in the bronchial tubes.
If you suffer from bronchitis and you are not sensitive or allergic to spices, make a point to regularly include them in your food. While they may not directly heal the infection, the spices help reduce the inflammation in your body, which is necessary for healing.
Home Remedy #9: Pursed-Lips Breathing
Breathing difficulty is one of the symptoms of bronchitis. This may also present with pain in the throat and chest. These symptoms are more pronounced in cases of chronic bronchitis. Besides other remedies like sipping on water, eucalyptus oil, and a humidifier, breathing exercises can help make breathing easier.
Pursed-lips breathing is a technique used to inhale through the nose and exhale through pursed lips. The technique is used to slow down the breathing rate and increase the time the airways remain open. This way, you can get more oxygen into your lungs and expel more carbon dioxide. To do pursed-lips breathing, you start by inhaling through the nose for a few seconds; then with pursed lips, blow out air from your lungs for twice or thrice the amount of time you breathed in.
Home Remedy #10: Rest
When you have bronchitis, you may feel tired and fatigued. This happens because of factors like persistent coughing and breathing difficulty. Besides being tiring, these factors may interfere with your appetite and your oxygen intake. Reduced oxygen and food intake can mean that your body is not producing as much energy as it needs.
Resting whenever possible can help alleviate the tiredness and aid your body to heal. Resting relaxes your airways by reducing your body’s demand for oxygen. And by taking water throughout the day, and using a humidifier in your bedroom, your throat is soothed for longer. Combining these home remedies for bronchitis reduces the inflammation of the bronchial tubes and allows your body to heal.
