Bronchitis

Now as the winter has set in, those who are prone to cold and cough or suffer from bronchitis should be extra careful. Because this is the time one can fall sick due to the change of weather and pollution. In spite of wearing woolens, often you catch cold and suffer from cough, chest congestion etc. If the cough is accompanied by mucus and low fever it could be bronchitis. Another major symptom of bronchitis is wheezing and feeling very low and tired. If the cough does not subside in a fortnight one should consult a doctor. Bronchitis should never be neglected as this may lead to pneumonia or repeated episodes of severe bronchitis. Symptoms and causes apart I am going to give some natural remedies that can keep you protected in winters.

REMEDIES AS FOLLOWS

Food: Include almonds, onion, lemon, bay leaf, honey in your diet as these foods are capable of cutting the mucus.

Drink Tea: Drink tea rather than coffee, added with cinnamon, ginger, or tulsi (holy basil) as these have medicinal properties to cure cough and cold.

Ayurvedic tea to cut mucus: Boil one glass of water and add ¼ spoon sonth (dry ginger) powder, ¾ spoon of clove powder, ¾ saunf (fennel seed) powder, ¼ spoon of methi (fenugreek seeds) powder. strain and drink. You can add sugar candy for sweetening the drink. This will relieve you from mucous, heaviness, cold, cough, respiratory problems, acts as appetizer and gives good sleep.

Turmeric powder: Add turmeric powder to a cup of boiling milk, reduce it to half and drink when lukewarm. This is a very effective remedy.

An ayurvedic drink to cut mucus: Saindha lavan (rock salt), misri (sugar candy) and vibhooti one pinch each, lemon juice three spoons, edible camphor one pinch, jeera powder, cinnamon powder, clove powder, jaiphal powder, one almond crushed and powdered. Mix all these powders and add them to a glass of chhach (much diluted buttermilk) and drink this ½ an hour before food. This relieves you of respiratory ailments and mucus-related problems.

Gargling salt water: Gargling with warm water may give some relief by soothing the inflammation in the throat. This helps cut the mucus that may be coating and irritating the throat membrane. Take one spoon of salt in a glass of warm water and spit the salt water out after gargling. You may gargle as many times as possible.

Honey: Take three to four spoons of honey, add to a cup of warm water and drink. Honey too gives you relief from cough and cold.

Sarangadhara churnam as told by Pt. Elchuri: Take leaves of tulsi (holy basil), neem, bael patra, bogunvilia, all dried and powdered about 50g each or about five spoon full each. Add 50g of powder of roasted pepper. Now mix all the powders thoroughly and store in a bottle. Mix ½ spoon of this powder in previously boiled and cooled water in a glass add honey and drink ½ an hour before food.

Mustard oil: For severe cold and nose block in children warm mustard oil can be applied to throat, chest and back. Or heat coconut oil and add camphor (kapoor ) to it. After melting let it cool and then apply to nose, throat and chest of the child. This will give relief from blocked nose and the child will go to sleep.

Take rest: By walking around with bronchitis you will feel weak and slow down your body’s ability to fight the infection. At the same time you will spread the germs (Infection) to the people around you. So be at home and take rest till you recover completely.

Neem and pepper: Take 100g of neem leaves 50g of pepper powder (roasted and powdered). Mix both of them and grind them. Make pea size balls and dry them in shade. Take one tablet with warm water before going to bed. If the problem is severe in nature then one can even take one each in morning, afternoon and evening.

In case of acute bronchitis: If there are signs of pneumonia or sinus infection, you need to consult a doctor and take a course of antibiotics as prescribed by him. Severe cough may be followed by breathlessness and high fever is the symptoms that can not be ignored.

By Nibhanapudi Suguna