Steam inhalation for coughs, runny nose and bronchitis

Viral and cold diseases affecting the upper respiratory tract are usually treated with medications and folk methods. Steam inhalation is a common household method of fighting flu and colds. As a result, the disease recedes faster, and the patient feels much better after the procedure.

But not everyone knows how to properly organize and carry out the steam inhalation procedure, so our article will tell you exactly about this.

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Indications for the procedure

Doctors recommend steam inhalations against the background of complex treatment of inflammatory processes in the respiratory system, and especially with frequently recurring bronchitis. Professionally, but at home, inhalations are done using a steam inhaler: this device can be “filled” with special medicinal solutions, mineral waters, herbal infusions. There is also a simpler method, known to many: who among us has not inhaled steam, covered with a towel?

Steam inhalation is an excellent remedy used for chronic respiratory diseases, including bronchial asthma. The procedure warms up tissues perfectly and facilitates the removal of phlegm.

To increase the effectiveness, medicinal solutions, alkaline liquids can be supplemented with herbal infusions or decoctions, as well as essential oils. Such complex treatment will help to cope with cough, runny nose faster, and restore mucous membranes damaged by inflammation.

Steam inhalations for dry cough have a therapeutic effect due to the fact that hot steam gets directly into the bronchi. Penetrating the respiratory tract, steam removes signs of an inflammatory reaction, improves blood flow, facilitates the formation and removal of sputum mucus. It can be said that dry cough is one of the main indications for the use of steam inhalations.

Steam inhalation for bronchitis can be performed in acute and chronic cases of the disease, excluding periods of elevated body temperature. Steam will help relieve swelling of the bronchi, slow down the development of the inflammatory reaction, and speed up the removal of sputum. If the inflammatory process descends to the lower parts of the respiratory system, it is preferable to use ultrasonic or compressor nebulizers, since the effect of steam in such a situation is not enough for correct treatment.

Steam inhalations for a runny nose are done with nasal congestion, with abundant mucus secretion. The exception is purulent processes in the nasal sinuses, which serve as a contraindication to the procedure. Steam inhalations for sinusitis are allowed to be carried out only in the chronic course of the disease and only outside the exacerbation stage. Sinusitis of fungal origin should not be treated with inhalations.

As a medicinal inhalation solution for a runny nose, it is allowed to use non-carbonated mineral water, calendula infusion, honey water, salt and soda solution. The peculiarity of this treatment is that the steam should be inhaled through the nose and exhaled through the mouth.

Steam inhalations for laryngitis help to get rid of hoarseness faster, make breathing easier and improve the patient's well-being. However, doctors do not recommend using this method in the acute period of the disease: you should wait a few days and only then start the procedure, otherwise you can aggravate the painful situation - up to the development of pneumonia. All kinds of herbal remedies are allowed to be used as medicinal liquids. For example, onion or garlic juice, chamomile flowers, calendula, sage are often added to water. Procedures with essential oils are also no less effective.

It is important to remember that steam inhalation should not be performed at temperatures above 37.5°C! Inhalation of steam at high temperatures contributes to the generalization of the infection and its further spread, and also increases the degree of intoxication of the body.

Steam inhalations for pharyngitis against the background of viral diseases or acute respiratory infections are used quite often. Steam should be inhaled with the mouth and exhaled through the nose. This allows you to achieve the most positive result. For optimal effect, use solutions of sea salt or garlic juice, infusions of eucalyptus leaves or pine needles.

Steam inhalations for tonsillitis are not performed at the height of the inflammatory process, when there is an increase in temperature and the formation of pus in the tonsils. Inhalation treatment is possible only after the temperature has normalized and only against the background of traditional drug therapy. Purulent tonsillitis is a categorical contraindication to the use of steam exposure.

Steam inhalations for adenoids are quite indicated if the pediatrician or pediatric otolaryngologist does not see any contraindications for a particular child. Inhalation treatment is repeated from one to four times a year, and before each course of treatment, it is necessary to consult a doctor so as not to harm the fragile child's health. Most often, an infusion of the ivy-leaved ground ivy plant is used as a medicinal liquid for adenoids (to prepare the infusion, 15 g of the plant is poured with 200 ml of boiling water and kept in a thermos for half an hour). Also, an infusion of eucalyptus leaves, a soda solution, and Kalanchoe juice can be used for treatment.

Inhalation procedures can be used not only for medical purposes, but also for cosmetic purposes. For example, steam inhalation for the face is especially common among the fair sex: holding a salt-soda solution over steam is considered a good way to cleanse and saturate the skin with moisture. If the skin is prone to acne, then 1-2 drops of bergamot, lime, pine, chamomile, and eucalyptus oils can be added to the water for inhalation. No less useful are decoctions of linden, fennel, mint, rose hips, and birch buds. In case of excessively dry skin, procedures with sea buckthorn, nettle, and grapefruit oil are effective. The duration of one session can be 20 minutes.

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Preparation

Before you begin steam inhalation treatment, you need to know a few simple preparatory rules.

1. The time for inhalation should be chosen between meals (approximately 1-1.5 hours after a meal, or 1-1.5 hours before a meal).
2. If the patient has had any active physical activity, then after it they should rest for 1-1.5 hours, and only then proceed with the procedure.
3. You should not start inhaling immediately after waking up.
4. The place for inhalation should be comfortable, without drafts.

The treatment solution should be thought out and prepared before the inhalation. In addition, you need to prepare a wide towel, a teapot with a spout, a paper cone (funnel), a napkin. It is also advisable to think about where the patient will rest after the procedure: you can prepare the bed in advance. It is better for children to read a book or turn on a cartoon.

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Technique steam inhalation

How to do steam inhalation in normal conditions - at home - should be known by every person who monitors their health. If there is no special steam inhaler, then the procedure is done in a proven "old-fashioned" way: fill the teapot with the necessary solution, heat it to the desired temperature, then insert a thick paper cone into the spout, through which the steam will be inhaled. In addition, you should prepare a towel of the right size in advance, choose a comfortable place so that the patient can sit safely during the procedure.

The patient bends slightly over the cone and begins to breathe in the steam, having previously covered himself with a towel (with his head). If it is supposed to treat rhinitis, then it is necessary to breathe over the steam using nasal breathing. When treating a sore throat, breathe through the mouth.

Doctors do not recommend repeating inhalations too often: two or three procedures per day are enough. The duration of each approach depends on the patient's well-being: for children, the session should not last more than five minutes, and for adult patients - no more than fifteen minutes.

If you have a special device in the house in the form of a steam inhaler, this greatly simplifies the treatment. Inhalations with a steam inhaler are simple and accessible: the principle of the device is the targeted supply of steam with medicinal additives to the upper respiratory tract.

How to use such an inhaler correctly?

• A medicinal solution (decoction, infusion, etc.) is poured into a special compartment of the device.
• After heating the water, inhale the vapors for 5-10 minutes.
• After the session is completed, the device is washed and dried.

Today, three basic types of inhalation devices are offered for home use: steam, ultrasonic and compressor inhalers. Ultrasonic and compressor devices are called "nebulizers": they do not produce steam, but an aerosol flow (a medicinal solution broken down into tiny particles).

The technique of steam and ultrasound inhalations differs significantly. Thus, the effect of the steam procedure is based on the evaporation of the medicinal liquid, which occurs at a certain temperature. Accordingly, a steam inhaler can "work" only with volatile solutions that have a boiling point of less than 100°C.

An ultrasonic inhaler converts the medicinal liquid into a fine aerosol, so such microparticles can penetrate even into the lower parts of the respiratory system. Which of the devices to choose, or use the usual household method of steam inhalation, the doctor will tell you.

Solutions for steam inhalation

The simplest inhalation liquids can be single-, two-component, or mixed. The simplest liquid that can be used for treatment is still medicinal mineral water (this is important!).

The simplest two-component solution is boiled water and baking soda. Steam inhalation with soda accelerates the liquefaction, formation and removal of mucus. To prepare the solution, mix 200 ml of water and 1 teaspoon of soda powder.

Treatments with herbs and plant components have an additional therapeutic effect on the inflamed respiratory system. As a filler, patients successfully use infusions of mint leaves, chamomile flowers, as well as sage leaves, wormwood, black currant. It is allowed to add decoctions of fresh pine needles, oak leaves, birch, eucalyptus.

Steam inhalations with eucalyptus have a special disinfecting and healing effect. For therapeutic effect, you can use the leaves of the plant or essential oil. In the first case, insist 1 teaspoon of dried and crushed eucalyptus leaves in 200 ml of water, and in the second case, it is enough to add one drop of eucalyptus oil to 150 ml of water.

In general, steam inhalations with oil, with essential oils are quite common. Most often, for respiratory diseases, eucalyptus, anise, fir, rosemary, mint, sea buckthorn, peach oils are used. Sea buckthorn and peach oils have a pronounced restorative effect: they are added in the amount of 1 teaspoon per 200 ml of water. Inhalation use of oils is not recommended for treating small children.

Steam inhalation with chamomile is perhaps the simplest and most inexpensive way to treat acute respiratory diseases. To properly prepare the medicinal liquid, you need to brew 1 teaspoon of chamomile flowers in 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 20-30 minutes, then filter and pour into a steam inhaler. The recipe can be used for both adults and children.

Instead of soda, many patients do steam inhalations with salt (preferably sea salt). The solution is prepared as follows. Mix 1 liter of water with 1 tbsp. of salt and stir until completely dissolved, place the pan with the solution on the fire to boil (or pour into a steam inhaler). You can also make a more complex solution - with salt and soda. It is easy to prepare, mix one tablespoon of salt and soda in one liter of water.

Often, methods that are not quite standard at first glance are used to relieve dry cough. For example, a Validol tablet for home steam inhalations is used to relieve swelling, to soften and calm severe coughing fits. Experts say that correct and regular implementation of the procedure helps to completely stop paroxysmal coughing after three days. Preparing an inhalation solution is quite simple: to treat adults, bring 400 ml of water to a boil, dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 Validol tablet and 5-7 drops of iodine solution in it. Pour the solution into a teapot with a paper cone, or into a steam inhaler, and perform the procedure daily, twice a day. If you are treating a child, then soda and iodine are not added to the solution: it is enough to prepare a solution of one Validol tablet and one liter of water. The duration of one approach is 1-2 minutes.

Steam inhalation during pregnancy

All women know that during pregnancy, one should choose the methods of treating any disease as carefully as possible. The overwhelming majority of medications are contraindicated. Folk remedies are also not always welcomed. How to treat colds and coughs?

Steam inhalation can be called one of the safest methods of getting rid of cough. Such treatment does not burden internal organs, is not accompanied by side symptoms, does not harm the unborn child.

It is optimal to start treatment with steam inhalations at the first signs of the disease. The procedures help to cope with a runny nose, dry cough with poor mucus separation.

What can pregnant women use as a medicinal solution for inhalation? If a dry cough bothers you, you should choose an infusion of chamomile and linden flowers, sage, plantain, lemon balm, St. John's wort, marshmallow. Wet cough is treated with eucalyptus, plantain, wild rosemary, string, yarrow, lingonberry leaf or coltsfoot. Soda steam inhalations and inhalation of potato steam are also allowed. Essential oils can also be added to hot water: sage, lime, eucalyptus, fir, pine, cedar, and myrtle oil.

During pregnancy, one steam inhalation procedure should not last longer than ten minutes, and if essential oil is added to the water, then no more than five minutes.

Steam inhalation for a child

Steam inhalation is a useful procedure that has a positive effect on the upper respiratory tract. In case of uncomplicated respiratory diseases - rhinitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis, it is quite possible to do steam inhalations for a child. But on condition that the baby does not have a fever, there is no otitis, and his age is not less than two or three years. Experts advise to be extremely careful when inhaling children under six years old, so this issue should be approached very responsibly, and consult a doctor in advance. For small children, for a therapeutic effect, it is sometimes enough to sit for some time in a bath filled with warm steam: such a simple method will help soften mucus and quickly remove it from the respiratory system.

Steam inhalation for children is carried out between meals, and one procedure should not last more than five minutes. The water for inhalation should never be hot and especially not boiling: it is optimal to heat it up to 40° and let the child inhale warm air through a funnel. It is recommended to add a few drops of essential oil, soda, mineral water to the water.

Contraindications to the procedure

Steam inhalation should not be performed:

• if body temperature exceeds 37.5°C;
• in acute pneumonia;
• in case of pulmonary edema;
• in case of purulent inflammation (for example, in case of pulmonary abscess);
• in case of pneumothorax, hemoptysis, pulmonary hemorrhage;
• in acute otitis;
• in case of nosebleeds, or if such bleeding occurs frequently (for example, in case of atrophy of the nasal mucosa, in case of superficial location of the capillary network, etc.);
• in case of fungal etiology of respiratory disease;
• in decompensated conditions, acute cardiac pathologies, hypertension.

Steam inhalations are not recommended for children under 2-3 years of age, and are strictly prohibited for children under 1 year of age.

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Consequences after the procedure

Steam inhalation is a useful procedure that helps the body cope with inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract faster. However, if the patient's health does not improve after inhalation, or even worsens (for example, there is an increase in coughing, nausea, discomfort in the heart area, dizziness and headache, etc.), then the procedure should be stopped and a doctor should be consulted. Medical assistance is especially urgent if there is a sharp pain behind the breastbone, difficulty breathing, or impaired consciousness.

Complications after the procedure may arise if its implementation was associated with certain errors, for example:

• if steam inhalation was performed for a disease of the deep respiratory system;
• if the procedure lasted too long (more than 15 minutes) or too often (more than three times a day);
• if the patient used the medicine for inhalation at his own discretion, without prior advice from a doctor;
• if the patient inhaled steam immediately after eating;
• if immediately after the procedure the patient ate, or went outside, or spoke loudly, ran, or shouted;
• if steam inhalation was performed against a background of high temperature;
• if the procedure was performed by several people one after another, without changing the inhalation medium;
• if after inhalation the patient immediately went to smoke;
• if steam inhalation was the only method used to treat a respiratory condition.

If you don't make the mistakes listed above, then no complications should arise.

Separately, it is necessary to point out such a frequent unpleasant consequence as a burn of the mucous membranes: such an injury can easily be obtained by using boiling water for steam inhalation. This should absolutely not be done, otherwise serious problems may arise, and this especially concerns children. Water for steam inhalation should have a temperature of 40-45 ° C, but not higher (for treating adults, the maximum permissible water temperature is up to 55 ° C).

If mineral water is used as an inhalation liquid (for example, Borjomi, Essentuki), then it should first be freed from gas bubbles by unscrewing the cap and leaving it for about a day. If this is not done, then you can get serious irritation of the mucous tissues and even spasms, which occur under the influence of heated carbon dioxide.

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Care after the procedure

There are a few simple rules that you need to follow after the steam inhalation procedure. The essence of these rules is as follows:

• After inhalation, the patient should remain at rest for at least 1.5 hours (it is best to lie down, covered with a blanket);
• you can’t shout, run, it’s not even advisable to talk for 30-60 minutes;
• you can’t immediately go outside, onto the balcony, etc.;
• You must not drink or eat for 1.5 hours after inhalation.

The room where the patient is located should have a certain microclimate, with a humidity level of about 50-70% and a temperature of about 20°C. The room should be regularly ventilated (in the absence of the patient), and wet cleaning should be done. During the day, the patient should drink a sufficient amount of warm liquid: this will help soften the mucus and remove it faster.

If steam inhalation was performed using a steam inhaler, it must be disassembled, washed and dried. It is prohibited to use the device again without cleaning.

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Reviews

With the onset of rainy autumn days, acute respiratory diseases are no longer a rarity: both children and adults suffer from them. Many people have mucous discharge from the nose, a sore throat, and a cough. With such symptoms, steam inhalations can provide real and quick help - after all, this method of treatment has been tested for years. However, doctors do not advise self-medication: even such a banal procedure should be prescribed by a doctor, after a preliminary examination, since there is a risk of developing serious health problems.

As patients themselves claim, if steam inhalations are performed at the earliest stages of a respiratory disease, strictly following all the recommendations, then it is really possible to speed up recovery. Against the background of the development of an inflammatory reaction in the respiratory organs, some painful changes occur, complicating normal blood circulation and the breathing process itself. Steam inhalations warm and moisturize the mucous membranes, sputum becomes softer, and its removal is facilitated. But if you delay the procedures, you can cause harm: bacteria that begin to multiply in the warm and loose environment between the inflamed tissues, during the inhalation of steam get deeper into the lower parts of the respiratory tract. To avoid this, before using steam procedures, it is better to consult a doctor. He will help and tell you how to carry out treatment and not harm your own health.