Respiratory Diseases and Herbal Remedies

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When it comes to any respiratory disease always consult with your doctor first.

Respiratory disease has become one of the largest health threats the world has known. Right now our world as we once used to know it has changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a respiratory disease.

The following article covers the most common respiratory diseases that have been around for centuries. In no way should the information here be used without first consulting a doctor.

Many diseases and illnesses related to the throat and lungs are due to airborne pollution and germs. With any of the content below, the first thing to do is stop smoking. Any form of smoking, whether cigarettes, vapes, or marijuana, will aggravate the symptoms. Depending on where a person lives, a mask may be considered as a way to prevent pollution, smoke from large fires, or air-born germs from entering the lungs.

Common Cold and Flu

In this case, we will be talking about natural ways to relieve the nagging symptoms of colds and flu. The number one thing is to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, especially if any vomiting occurs. There are a wide variety of teas that can be consumed that are great for colds and flu-like symptoms. Try ginger tea to start. Cut up a piece of raw ginger and then chop it finely. Add the ginger to a pot of boiling water and then strain the tea to remove the bits of ginger. You can add a dash of honey or lemon if you like.

Ginger has amazing healing properties and if the taste does not bother you, chewing on a piece of raw ginger will release the gingerol. This can help with nausea and increase your appetite for starters.

In some circles, essential oils get a bad rap. However essential oils have been used for thousands of years and they shouldn’t be dismissed. The ancient Egyptian culture is known mostly for its amazing pyramids. In fact, many scholars believe the Egyptians were at the forefront of the use of essential oils for health and for beauty.

For colds, eucalyptus oil is considered the best to use because of its antiviral and antimicrobial healing properties. When the flu hits, grab some peppermint oil to reduce the congestion and aid in dropping your temperature. Most people are extremely happy with the scent once they apply the peppermint oil as the over-the-counter medicinal rubs, tend to be overpowering. Remember for all essential oils, you need to use a carrier oil like olive oil, to aid in diluting.

Laryngitis

A case of laryngitis can be really annoying, especially if your job requires a lot of speaking. Laryngitis can stick around for a week or more, so it is important to get on top of it with treatment.

Moisture is your friend here, so boil water and place it in a bowl. Grab the biggest towel you have and place it over your head as you lean over the bowl of steaming water. Close it off as much as possible so the steam can be inhaled. If you find that you suffer from frequent dry throat/nose and occasional laryngitis, consider purchasing a vaporizer. You can purchase vaporizers that will diffuse essential oils and that will help add moisture to the nose and throat area for relief.

Chewing on candy ginger or drinking homemade ginger tea is another method to work on getting rid of laryngitis. Candied ginger has a pleasant taste and is likely to be more effective than over-the-counter cough drops. Adding honey to our ginger tea gives it a pleasant taste and the honey also has antibacterial properties.

Sore throat

Plenty of liquids like water are essential to keep your throat moist. Try fenugreek tea as a method to help a sore throat. This herbal tea has been shown to be a pain reliever. It also may work to kill the bacteria in your throat. The pain and itching that you feel in the throat area, comes from bacteria, so fenugreek tea may be the go-to solution for you.

If the sore throat becomes extremely painful, especially when swallowing, then it may be time to hit the spice rack. Cayenne pepper can be used as a pain reliever due to the amount of capsaicin it contains. Capsaicin has been well-documented in quieting the pain receptors in the body and will work on the throat area. The recommended method of using cayenne pepper is to add some honey and warm water to a glass. You can gargle for a short time with this solution and then swallow. Gargling will help coat the throat with the solution.

Strep throat

This illness is always caused by a bacterial infection and unlike the common sore throat, you will likely see white spots on the tonsil area at the back of the throat for example. Gargling is the best method to work on strep throat as you need to coat the afflicted area.

Thyme oil has been used for centuries as a solution for this throat problem. You can add one or two drops of this oil to a cup of warm water and gargle 2-3 times a day.

Bone broth is something that is excellent for not only overall health but strep throat as well. When bones are boiled they release minerals and collagen. It is not hard to make bone broth but it takes some time, so it is best to prepare a batch and refrigerate it. When you are recovering from the flu or have that dreaded strep throat, reach for your bone broth.

In simple terms, you can boil five or six beef bones with a whole onion and a piece of ginger for about 8 hours. Then strain the mixture to capture the broth. If you are having difficulty eating due to the flu or strep throat, bone broth is going to keep your overall strength up.

Bronchitis

It is essential to stay away from items that may enter your lungs and make the condition worse, instead of allowing healing. This means staying out of dusty areas or away from smokers. If you smoke yourself, now is the time to put away whatever you are inhaling. Quitting altogether is the best strategy, yet some will find it difficult, so that means at least stopping until bronchitis has eased.

Drink as much clear fluid as possible, such as water or homemade chicken broth. This will help to loosen mucus and make it easier to expel. Making the throat and lungs moist is the optimum thing to do. You can use a humidifier or personal vaporizer to get moisture into your airway.

Always consult with your doctor first. All respiratory diseases should be taken seriously. While these herbal remedies may provide you with relief from your symptoms, in no way should they be used before seeing a doctor first.

Thank you for reading

Michael

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