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Bronchitis is the condition in which the lining of the bronchi becomes irritated (either by an infection or an irritant) and gets inflamed.
Reaction to which – the bronchi’s lining releases large amounts of mucus. The patient suffers a hacking cough and also symptoms of common cold or flu as most of the time bronchitis is caused by a virus (same as the one which causes flu or common cold). This causes lots of discomforts and pain if it’s severe.
Although bronchitis can get pretty serious! Acute bronchitis – as we call it, can be treated at home without (necessarily) any serious medical attention.
Good old home remedies combined with adequate rest and plenty of fluids will take care of that bronchitis in no time!
Addressing that, we understand it can be bothersome to search for a good set of remedies on your own. Luckily though, we got some in the back of our head which we would very much like to share! That’s why –
We present you here 8 best home remedies for bronchitis:
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Drink Lots and Lots of fluids
During bronchitis, your respiratory tracks are full of mucus. And it’s very essential that the mucus stays loose and does not harden up. So that it’s relatively easy to excrete the phlegm out. Tracks filled with hardened mucus will make it difficult for the patient to breath. Not to mention the discomfort it will cause as the result of increased inflammation and chest pain!
To counter that, the patient is required to take in as much fluid as possible to stay hydrated. And we’re not talking about coffee or alcohol here which will make the condition worse (they will dehydrate the body). We’re referring to clear fluids, like water, light soups, and plain fruit juice.
An amount that is recommended by the doctors is – 12 glasses of water/fluid per day. We encourage the patient to drink warm fluids if possible. This will not only help in the loosening of the mucus but will also help to soothe the tracks.
And moreover staying hydrated is really crucial for the immune system as it’s fighting with the cold or flu (for acute bronchitis).
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Rest
This is very obvious. Rest is an essential element in the healing process for any illness there is.
Rest and proper sleep will allow your body to fight against inner infections and viruses more efficiently. And it’s also crucial to cope up with that feeling of tiredness. Needless to say, it will ultimately give your immune system a boost.
We understand it can be really difficult sometimes to take your time off of your work. But you also have to listen to your body and fulfill what it demands. It’s always better to take a day or two off and feel better, than dragging yourself to work and feeling like crap throughout the day.
This also increases the total recovery time, and can even make the condition worse as you get exposed to all the irritants or viruses/bacteria present in the environment.
Oh, and yes, it does not get more natural than this!
Also, read what is Bronchitis? Know its symptoms and cause 
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Steam
Breathing in steam is very helpful in the loosening of that mucus and clearing of the chest.
Moreover, this will also help in the soothing of the tract and relieve the inflammation.
Take a container, preferably a bowl. And pour hot water into it, but be careful not get any of it on your face accidentally. Then take a cloth, like a towel and while bending down towards the bowl, cover the area with the cloth. So that, the steam does not bleed away and stays inside.
Then slowly breathe in and out (deeply) for about 10-15 minutes. And you will slowly start to notice the effects. But again, always be careful, hot steam hitting your face directly can cause burns. So if it’s too much, take a break and let some of the steam out.
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Saltwater Gargle
We all have gargled with salt water when we had a sore throat.
Saltwater gargles help reduce the inflammation and also soothes the area. Basically, it helps the patient with the symptoms.
But mainly, repeated gargling will help clear that mucus present on the patient’s throat. A sore throat which is also one of the symptoms of bronchitis (though it’s more from the actual cold or flu than bronchitis itself) – doing this frequently will tremendously help relieve the discomfort caused by a sore throat.
Just take a glass of warm to hot water (remember not too hot). And drop about a teaspoon of salt into it and stir it (wait for it to dissolve properly). Then gargle with that solution for a while and make sure it is reaching deep down the throat. Then spit the solution out. Repeat the process until the glass is emptied.
Do this throughout the day as you please for maximum results. We will recommend 3 times a day.
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Ginger (and other spicy food)
Ginger has wonderful anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it a wonderful candidate to help you with your symptoms.
Apart from ginger, garlic is also another piece of spicy substance that you can take. It contains similar properties as to ginger – that will help reduce the inflammation and soothe the area. A good warm ginger soup with a squeeze of a bit of lemon (which is also great for the inflammation) can do the trick.
Other spicy foods like chili peppers, wasabi helps in thinning of the mucus secretion thus makes it easier for the patient to bring out the mucus.
A thing to be considered is – if the patient is allergic to spicy food. If the patient is allergic then this will do more harm than good. But if not, then no need to worry.
So go on the internet and search from some healthy and mouth-watering recipes that have these spicy items in it. Then fill your belly with it!
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Stay away from irritants
Smokes, fumes, dust, and pollution can make your condition worse.
They bring tiny particles with them which can cause irritation in the bronchi’s lining that leads to the mucus production.
That’s why it is very much recommended to stay away from polluted environments as much as possible, at least during the first few days. And always wear masks before leaving indoors.
If the patient smokes. He/she should try to quit or at least limit the amount. A cause is – tobacco smoking is one of the main reasons for chronic bronchitis (not to mention other illnesses and diseases).
And moreover, one should always strive to adopt a healthy life in general! Remember prevention is always better than cure.
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Honey
Honey is apparently the jack of all trades. Having anti-bacterial as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Honey can help the patient in relieving the much hated hacking cough.
Honey also helps soothe the throat, which in turns improve the condition of a sore throat.
Just take a tablespoon of honey and slurp it right in, you know what’s the best part? It’s delicious! Apart from that you can also add honey to your favorite plain herbal tea, and enjoy its benefits (which also includes the increase in taste).
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Onion juice
Extract the juice from the onion and take in the early morning, It helps to thin out phlegm and in excretion. Onion is one of the powerful natural expectorants.
Apart from the remedies
Always remember that, if you are experiencing severe symptoms like
Dark colored cough, wheezing, blood in cough, shortness of breath, cough lasting for a long duration (more than 3 weeks).
Then please seek for medical assistance as soon as possible. As those could be signs of chronic bronchitis or other underlying respiratory illness.
Acute bronchitis, on the other hand, is relatively less serious. And will not necessarily require help from a professional. A patient can use these remedies. Combined with a good amount of fluid intake and adequate rest, it will work wonders. And also help the patient with the symptoms hence providing relief!
Summary: Bronchitis is a respiratory illness in which the patient faces discomfort due to a hacking cough which is accompanied by secretion of mucus in a large amount.
A patient is required to take an adequate amount of rest and limit his/her contact with irritants spread across polluted environments i.e. dust, smoke, fumes, tobacco smoking etc.
A good intake of clear fluid is also crucial to keep the body hydrated and the immune system boosted. Along with that the patient can breathe in the steam, gargle with salt water, and also eat some spicy food and honey for maximizing the benefits!