Easy To Follow Home Remedies For Bronchitis

Below you will find a few dry cough remedies that will help you deal with nonproductive and productive cough and will help you relieve your inflamed throat. 

Warm saline gargling

Gargling with saltwater is another good method to provide some relief to the inflamed throat. It also helps in dislodging the mucus accumulated on the surface of the throat membranes and is thus useful in bronchitis.

You can gargle as many times as you like but should be careful to use only one teaspoon of salt each time as too much of salt can further irritate the membranes while too little of it is ineffective. Take care to spit out all the salty water after you have gargled.

Drink adequate amount of liquids

Liquids help in thinning of the mucus which facilitates in expelling it out. Although you can drink any liquid of your choice, drinking warm liquids like tea and soup help in soothing the throat.

Take painkillers

You can take painkillers like Aspirin or ibuprofen to get relief from the chest pain and body ache associated with bronchitis. Chest pain is usually because of the frequent bouts of coughing.

Medication for cough

Cough syrups containing guaifenesin are good for bronchitis as they help in coughing out the sputum. But syrups containing dextromethorphan would suit you better if you are sick and tired of coughing and your sleep is disturbed because of it. Such syrups suppress your cough and should be taken only when absolutely necessary. Avoid cough syrups containing antihistamines, decongestants and alcohol as such medications play no role in relieving bronchitis. On the contrary, they may increase your discomfort due to their side-effects.

Almonds

Almonds are loaded with potassium, magnesium and calcium and are said to cure all sorts of respiratory diseases.

Lemons

Lemons are believed to act as good mucolytic agents. Drinking a cup of lemon tea helps in getting rid of the mucus accumulated in the respiratory tract. Similarly, gargling with a cup of warm water containing lemon juice is soothing for the throat and helps in expelling the phlegm.

Bay Leaf

Boil some bay leaf in a cup of water and drink the concoction. Bay leaf acts as a natural expectorant and helps provide relief from bronchitis. Bay leaves soaked in warm water for some time and then used as a poultice to the chest also help in bronchitis.

Savory

When added to a cup of boiling water and drunk once a day, savory helps in getting rid of the mucus collected in the lungs.

Thyme

Another herb, thyme is effective as a mucolytic in many respiratory diseases. It is also supposed to increase the body’s resistance against invading bacteria. You can have it as tea by adding ¼ teaspoon of thyme to a cup of boiling water and sweetening it with honey, or you can rub thyme oil along with olive oil (in the ratio of 1:2) and rub it on the chest wall to get relief from congestion.

Ginger

A concoction of ginger, along with cloves and cinnamon is an effective expectorant. Many demulcents used for soothing the throat contain ginger and lemon because of this property. Ginger is also believed to boost the immunity and prevent subsequent infections.

Turmeric

Turmeric is rich in antioxidants and is well known for its medicinal properties. When taken with a glass of milk on an empty stomach, turmeric is said to be very effective in treating bronchitis.

Adequate Rest

Although you may try any of these above mentioned remedies for getting relief from bronchitis, nothing works better than adequate amount of rest.

What not to do

Always remember that though the symptoms of bronchitis may take some time to subside, antibiotics do not have any role to play in this condition. Bronchitis is usually caused by a virus and taking unnecessary antibiotics will only increase bacterial resistance in case of subsequent infections. Antibiotics should be taken only when there is some underlying bacterial disease like pneumonia.

Go easy on exercise when you are suffering from bronchitis. Overdoing it may aggravate the symptoms and worsen your condition.