Bronchitis is a serious but common inflammatory condition of the lungs. Inflammation of the lungs causes redness, swelling, mucus production, and pain. There are two types of bronchitis: acute and chronic. In acute bronchitis, inflammation occurs as a result of a cold, sore throat, or viral infection. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a dry cough that progressively becomes productive. Prolonged acute bronchitis that continues for several weeks often develops into pneumonia. In chronic bronchitis, inflammation occurs as a result of exposure to tobacco smoke or other irritants. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, severe coughing, and phlem. Prolonged chronic bronchitis with coughing that lasts over many years can lead to permanent damage of lung tissue causing disability or even death.
There are several natural products, herbal teas and syrups that can be of some help if the bronchitis fever is mild too. The herbal preparations for treating a mild case of bronchitis fever are too many to name here but they contain things like peppermint to open up nasal passages and help chest congestion, eucalyptus for chest and nasal congestion, preparations with this are generally for the vaporizer steam or chest rubs. Things like willow bark in pill form for a fever reducer but if you are under 16 or allergic to asprin you need to avoid it.
During the day you can do an herbal steam that will help you to cough up any mucous. Bring a pot of water to a boil, adding herbs that are expectorants. Good expectorants include eucalyptus, thyme, peppermint, and rosemary. Take the pot to a table and put it on a trivet or pot holder. Using a big, heavy towel, lean over the pot and put the towel over your head and the pot, breathe in the steam. This is a very effective bronchitis cure, and will help with a cold too.
The symptoms for acute and chronic bronchitis are similar. People who suffer from either form experience coughing fits. They may also see increased production of phlegm, discomfort in the chest, wheezing, elevated body temperature and occasional chills. The phlegm produced due to this condition may be clear, gray, white, or yellowish-green in color. The color may help a doctor determine what the bronchitis cause for a given patient is.
There are many natural solutions to this problem that you can try. The first thing you should do is to try to loosen up the thickened mucous by drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. Next, you may want to turn on a humidifier in your bedroom to keep your airways moist. You can use natural anti-viral products such as oil of oregano or garlic. If you use oregano, one of the best products is Oreganol by North American Herb & Spice. You can eat one clove of crushed garlic three times a day if you wish to try that method. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, you may be able to assist your immune system in fighting off upper respiratory illnesses by drinking baking soda. He advises that if you drink one fourth of a teaspoon in cool water several times a day it may cure your illness. You can find complete details at www.mercola.com.
Pelargonium sidoides is a plant found in South Africa. The root from this plant has been proven to be a complete bronchitis treatment, alleviating all the symptoms that go along with chronic bronchitis. Bronovil has the purest form of pelargonium extract in it. This bronchitis treatment comes in pill form and will not only ease the coughing and aching of bronchitis, it will also strengthen your immune system and actually help your body to fight the infection. You can read more about Bronovil at http://bronovil.com/. If you are suffering, or have a tendency to get, bronchitis, you will be very surprised and happy at how fast you recover if you use Bronovil.