Acute Bronchitis Treatment
Acute bronchitis can easily be treated from a number of remedies. These remedies can include:
- Drinking copious amounts of water and other fluids
- Getting adequate rest and sleep preferably for at least 8 hours a day
- Using cough expectorants that enable you to cough out mucus – Take cough expectorant syrups instead of a cough suppressant.
- Using analgesics (pain killers) like acetaminophen for symptom discomfort and pain
- Availing of a humidifier to help moisturize the air in your room
If you smoke and have bronchitis you need to completely stop smoking as your bronchitis will never become better if you keep on smoking. If you want to quit but don’t know how, talk to your doctor about the steps and procedures on how you can quit smoking completely. You also need to avoid any secondhand smoke as much as you can.
If you suffer from bronchitis, you may need to talk to your doctor for the following issues you experience:
- Bloody green or yellow phlegm that you cough up
- Cough that prevents you from getting sleep at night
- Fever reaching 101 degrees Fahrenheit or over
- Frequent bouts of bronchitis
- Fever that does not get better lasting for more than a few days
If your symptoms of bronchitis do not go away for more than a few days, this may be a sign of a secondary infection that may require you to visit your doctor for treatment of both the bronchitis and the secondary infection.
If your physician suspects that you have bacterial bronchitis or have secondary infection, he may prescribe antibiotics for you. When you go through antibiotic therapy, it is important to take every pill the doctor prescribes and to follow all of his directions as ordered even if you think all your bronchitis symptoms have all disappeared.
Chronic Bronchitis Treatment
The treatment for chronic bronchitis is quite different and more complicated compared to acute bronchitis treatments. Chronic bronchitis treatments are based on the seriousness of your chronic bronchitis as well as on your overall health. Chronic bronchitis treatments can include:
- Steroids – For the reduction of inflammation
- Exercises
- Bronchodilators and other medicines that causes the bronchial tube muscles to relax and allow more air in
If you smoke your physician will surely advice to stop smoking entirely and will also require you not to expose yourself to second hand smoke.
There are physicians who may advice their patients to change their diet in order to see if some of the foods they are eating like diary products (milk, ice cream, butter etc.) may be causing their body to produce more than enough mucus than is required by the body.
Alternative Treatments for Bronchitis
There are some sufferers of bronchitis who have used herbs either as a sole treatment or combined with medicines or other therapies for treatment of their condition. Before using any herbs, however, consult with an herbalist who can select herbs that will not interfere with your ongoing medications or cause you any allergies. There are some herbs that like medicines do have side effects. So before trying out herbal remedies consult first with your doctor to see if they are good for your condition.
Below is a list of a few herbs used to address bronchitis:
- Stinging nettle – This plant is used to help a person easily cough out mucus
- Slippery elm – An herb for treating coughs and sore throats
- Bayberry – This is a plant that has antibiotic properties and is used to help ward off infections
Aromatherapy – This is another natural form of bronchitis treatment. Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils added to the water in a humidifier. Some of the essential oils used for bronchitis treatment are:
- Marjoram
- Lavender
- Jasmine
- Eucalyptus
Acupuncture – This is a safe and natural form of Chinese medicine dating back up to 4000 years. Acupuncture involves the use of ultra thin needles inserted at certain points in the body to treat health imbalances. Steps in diagnosing your bronchitis begin when the acupuncturist asks you a series of questions about your lifestyle, family and medical histories, your symptoms and current complaint. He may then observe your tongue and feel your pulse in order to get a diagnosis following the traditional Chinese medicine way of thinking. The acupuncturist then allows you to lie in a relaxed manner and afterwards inserts the acupuncture needles at strategic points on your body that may include your chest area, feet, hands legs and arms. The acupuncturist may also avail of procedures like cupping therapy, Chinese massage or gua sha for a more effective therapy. The needles are inserted in the body for about 20 minutes to an hour and you probably may fall asleep during these times due to the relaxing effect of this therapy.
DeJongh Acupuncture Clinic
2929 SW 3rd Ave #610
Miami, FL 33129
(305) 677-3214
https://www.miamiacupunctureclinic.com/