Herbal Therapy,Herbal Health Care

Herbal Therapy for Bronchitis

Numerous herbs have anti-inflammatory and expectorant capabilities and are helpful in fighting bronchitis. A handful of common remedies follow.
To soothe a dry bronchial cough, drink a hot mullein-coltsfoot tea several times a day
To make the tea, steep 1 teaspoon each of dried mullein, coltsfoot, and anise seed in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes; strain.

For bronchial spasms, drink thyme 3 three times daily. To prepare the tea, steep 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes; strain through cheesecloth.
To quiet a cough, try echinacea tincture. Take 15 to 30 drops 2 to 5 times daily.
To loosen phlegm and open clogged bronchial tubes, drink coltsfoot tea daily. To make the tea, steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of the herb in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes; strain.
To soothe inflamed bronchial tubes, sip plain mullein tea. To make the tea, steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of the herb in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes; strain.
For an expectorant, try aniseed and garlic.
Other therapeutic herbs include horehound, goldeneal, and ginseng. Herbal products are available in health food stores and in some pharmacies and supermarkets. Follow package for specific directions.
Homeopathy
Bronchitis may respond to homeopathic treatment. However, the selection of a remedy-more than one is available depends on your symptoms and the stage of the Condition. Don't try treating this disorder yourself. See a homeopathic professional.
Hydrotherapy
Use steam inhalation to help clear congestion. See "Aromatherapy" in "Introduction to Complementary Therapies" section for directions. Adding aromatic oils is optional. A mustard plaster can be applied to the chest to loosen deep congestion.

Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture Acupuncture is useful in opening up congested bronchial tubes and lessening inflammation, which can ease breathing. and relieve the chronic cough that plagues many bronchitis sufferers.
Using auricular therapy, an acupuncturist targets the bronchi, heart, lung, and adrenal gland points. In performing full-body acupuncture, various lung, liver, stomach, and bronchial points are manipulated. If additional symptoms are present (coughing, phlegm, or fever) other points are targeted, as necessary.
Acupressure To relieve bronchial spasms, acupressure targets the lung, spleen, stomach, kidney, bladder, conception vessel, and adrenal points on the forearm, front of the calf, back of the neck, chest, ankles, and upper back (between the shoulder blades and the spine).

Chinese Herbal Therapy Chinese doctors blame internal damp-heat conditions for bronchitis, and thus will most often treat this condition by using herbs to expel the damp-heat and fortify the lungs and bronchial tubes.
For centuries, apricot seed has been used in formulas to treat the coughs and wheezing associated with bronchitis. Use caution with this herb, as apricot seed alone can be toxic in high doses.
Joint fir, or ephedra, is a well-known herbal bronchial dilator, but like apricot seed, is best used in combination. Multi-ingredient formulas commonly used to treat bronchitis symptoms are Rehmannia Six, Bronchitis Pills (compound), Ginseng and Astragalus, Fritillaria Extract Pills, and Mahuang and Ginkgo Formula.

How Do You Choose the Right Complementary Therapy?

Choosing the right complementary therapy is always a challenge as there is no right or wrong way doing it. The guideline is to look at nature of illness to be treated and what is effective complementary therapy available with success rate details including side effects. Normally we go with suggestions from the near and dear ones or from practitioner or Internet or TV advertisements.
Here are some tips or guidelines,

• If you have painful joints, stiffness or sports injuries consider acupuncture or massage therapy.
• If you are tired all time or menstrual or menopausal problems or memory or concentration problems consider nutritional therapy.
• If you feel sluggish, bowel or urinary or skin problems then consider naturopathy or herbal medicine.
• If you have respiratory problems like asthma or hay fever, migraines or headaches or childhood ailments consider homeopathy or herbal remedies or traditional Chinese medicines.
• If you are stressed out, irritable, anxious and not sleeping well consider relaxation, healing,aroma therapy and breathing therapies.
• If you have digestive problems, blood sugar imbalance, type two diabetes, gall bladder problems consider Japanese or Tibetan or Nutritional therapies.

Before you go for any complementary therapy check out the price and whether your health insurance covers it or not. As few therapies might cost a lot if your insurance is not going to cover it.And the following probing questions might help you,

• What is the success rate of your treatment?
• How many treatments are needed before seeing the results?
• What are reasonable improvements which I can expect?
• What is the total cost of the treatment?
• What are supplemental costs associated with the treatment like drugs, herbs or other goods?
• How much experience do you have with my medical condition?
• Is there any discount for block booking for treatment?

Even though you can get complementary therapy to help you, staying healthy is dependent on you also. Here are few tips for that,

• Get regular exercise 20 minutes every day at least for five or six days a week, walking is more effective than jogging
• Have a positive frame of mind every day
• Eight hours of sleep is necessary every day
• Avoid junk food and stay with healthy foods like green vegetables (not frozen), fruits, cereals, nuts.
• Drink plenty of water daily eight glasses per day
• Breathing effectively as many do a shallow breathing when they are stressed out or forget to breathe. So take deep breaths regularly and give some time for that during your busy day
• Limit your alcohol and cigarettes