Inhalations: recipes for seasonal colds

In autumn, rarely does anyone manage to avoid catching a cold. But before you run to the pharmacy for tablets and powders, try the old proven method - inhalation.

At the first sign of a cold, steam inhalations are ideal. According to statistics, if you immediately start taking inhalations, recovery occurs twice as fast. The secret of inhalation is quite simple - microparticles of drugs fall directly onto the inflamed mucous membrane, and not into the blood, as when using standard methods of treatment. Consequently, the child recovers faster and other organs do not suffer.

The following plants will relieve a runny nose and cough: eucalyptus leaves, black currant, chamomile, sage, pine needles, oak bark, linden blossom or juniper. Select several components and brew 1 tbsp per glass of water. l. mixtures. Breathe alternately through your mouth and nose.

If you have a dry cough, use this inhalation. Grind and mix 1 tbsp. l. eucalyptus leaves, 1 tbsp. l. calendula flowers and 1 tbsp. l. licorice root. 1 tbsp. l. collection, pour 200 ml of boiling water. Leave for 5-10 minutes, then inhale the steam.

During the cold season, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system, and inhalations with sage can help with this. Place a spoonful of sage or chamomile into a pan of boiling water. Inhale the steam while covering yourself with a towel.

Aromatherapy

The best form of aromatherapy cough treatment is steam inhalation. It soothes the throat and bronchi and dissolves excess mucus, after which it passes more easily.

Effective essential oils for sore throat: eucalyptus oil, fir oil, mint oil, pine oil, menthol oil.

Carrying out inhalation: 10-15 drops of one of the above oils should be added to a bowl with 100 ml of hot water, but not boiling. Next, cover your head and dishes with a towel, close your eyes and inhale the vapors for 5-10 minutes.

Essential oils used to treat cough: oil of anise, spruce, hyssop, cypress, mint, marjoram, frankincense, fir, rosemary, pine, thyme, fennel, thyme, sage, eucalyptus, sandalwood. The latter is especially useful for dry coughs, which persist long after the infection that caused it has been eliminated.

If the cough is caused by a bacterial infection, then you can choose essential oils that have antibacterial properties for treatment. Thyme is one of the strongest essential oils suitable for this purpose.

As an alternative to steam inhalation, you can massage your throat and chest with any of these essential oils. You can use both methods together. The use of aroma lamps will also be effective.

The aroma of the oil can be inhaled either directly from the bottle or after applying to a cloth. This treatment method is called cold inhalation. Breathing should be smooth and deep. Inhalation time is 3-10 minutes.

It is important to remember that steam inhalation is not recommended at high temperatures. In this case, nebulizers will come to the rescue.

Nebulizers

A nebulizer is a special technical device that transfers medicine into an aerosol cloud. Such inhalers have many advantages, the main one of which is that the drug reaches all parts of the bronchial tree, unlike steam inhalers, which are used to treat only the upper respiratory tract.

There are ultrasonic and compressor (pneumatic, jet) nebulizers that use certain methods of converting medicine into an aerosol. Compressor or jet inhalers are considered the most effective.

Rules for inhalation

1. Inhalations should be taken no earlier than 1-1.5 hours after meals. After inhalation, it is not recommended to eat or go outside for 1 hour (in cool weather).

2. For diseases of the upper respiratory tract (nose, paranasal sinuses and nasopharynx), inhalation and exhalation must be done through the nose.