how to treat bronchitis naturally

Please note that I am not a physician and cannot diagnose nor treat any medical condition.

My first recommendation for you is that you look at our page here on GrannyMed.com dedicated to bronchitis. There you can read about various remedies including sleep, mustard poultices, and natural teas which may help as you recover from this condition.

My second recommendation is that you confirm that what you are experiencing is indeed bronchitis, and to find the particular type of bronchitis you have.

The term bronchitis is a non-specific word that simply means "inflammation of the bronchi." Bronchi are the larger airways in the lungs. Bronchi may become inflamed from various causes, including viral or bacterial infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or chemical irritation.

Bronchitis caused by a virus may dissapate on its own over time with rest as your immune system kills the viral invaders.

Bacterial bronchitis generally presents as feeling very ill, having a high fever, abundant mucous production, cough, aches, pains, and chills. Antibiotics may be necessary to treat this type of bronchitis.

Asthma is an entirely different animal, but can present with a chronic cough as well as difficulty breathing.

Or perhaps you've contracted one of the recent cases of Whooping Cough. You may think you have bronchitis with this condition as well.

COPD is usually caused by smoking. Are you a smoker? Do you live with one? Smoke irritates the lungs, increases mucous production, decreases the lungs' ability to clear themselves of debris and microbes, and leads to increased elasticity of the airway tissue making breathing difficult.

Treatment for each of these conditions would be different, and this list is by no means exhaustive.

In terms of specific herbal remedies people have used for cough, congestion, upper respiratory infections and "bronchitis," I will list a few, but only with the caution that you get checked out by a competent healthcare professional to determine a diagnosis ad to discuss possible herbal therapies before using them. All herbs and medications pose a potential risk and benefit. Natural does not always equate to "better."

Licorice has commonly been used to thin mucous secretions and make it easier to cough. Marshmallow is purported to decrease cough and soothe the lining of the lungs. Other people suggest eating raw cloves of garlic. Although the seasoning does have antimicrobial activity, garlic can cause upset stomach as well as halitosis (bad breath). Peppermint tea is recommended as well.

Some easy things you can do that are safe include drinking plenty of fluids to remain hydrated, getting plenty of sleep, using heat or cold packs for aches or pains, and using steam to loosen phlem and make coughs more productive.

Thank you! I noticed that by making the tea recommended on this site adding ginger, cinnamon, honey was helpful.