Ayurvedic Medicines & Home Remedies for Treatment of Bronchitis (Shwasa Pranali Shoth)

What is Bronchitis?

Bronchitis is a serious variety of kasa roga, which is nothing but the inflammation of the bronchi (air passages that lie beyond the windpipe and has cartilage and mucus glands in its wall).The disease can occur at any particular time, but damp and cold climate is often the contributory cause. The disease can occur at any time and at any place, but damp and cold climate are often favourable conditions.

Causes of Bronchitis

Bronchitis is mainly caused due to certain germs, the susceptibility of certain constitutions cannot be denied. Ayurveda ascribes its onset to impairment of the digestive process, where anyone or all digestive organs could be at fault. According to the theory of ayurveda, if digestive process is cured to normal then boronchits can also be cured to normal.

Acute bronchitis is caused by certain bacteria or viruses, and is characterised by coughing, production of muco-purulent sputum, narrowing of the bronchi because of spasmodic contraction. It may also result in a rise of temperature, breathlessness, and loss of appetite.

If proper care of bronchitis is not taken and then the disease may lead to chronic bronchitis and may deteriorate into continuous breathlessness. In chronic stage, the patient coughs up enormously, secreted by enlarged bronchal mucus glands. Even broncho-dialotors cannot provide any relief in bronchospasm. When fresh air fails to reach the lungs, the patient has to exert a lot so as to ease expectoration but various spasms fail to bring up mucus. In this situation the patient's face or even whole body turns blue.

Symptoms of Bronchits

Some symptoms have been detailed earlier but most prominent symptoms include -

• Inflammation of mucus membrane of the bronchi to which phlegm adheres, and a lot of difficulty is experienced by the person in expelling it.
• Difficulty in expelling phlegm, and when expelled, is found to be viscid and may be purulent (full of pus).
• Successive attacks of cough may turn the patient's appearance to blue look (colour).
• The tendency of this viscid phlegm is to stick to the bronchi, and therefore difficulty is experienced in breathing and the lungs get starved of air.
• Breathlessness (Pulmonary dyspnoea), loss of appetite and rise in temperature may ensue in acute stage of bronchitis.
• Patients suffering from bronchitis are normally thin and emaciated.
• A lot of coughing due to bronchitis may turn the face of the patient blue.

Some Home Remedies for Bronchitis

Some common home remedies for the treatment of bronchitis are:

• Most common home remedy for bronchitis is administration of one teaspoonful of turmeric powder (haridra) can be given with a glass full of milk, twice or thrice daily. It acts best when taken early in the morning, empty stomach.
• Take equal amounts of dried ginger, black pepper, and long pepper (pippali). Now powder them all and their mixture can be given thrice daily.
• Even a teaspoonful of honey and ginger juice dissolved in 150 ml of hot water will cause expectoration of trapped phlegm.
• Juice of vasa (Adhatoda vasica) may be taken thrice daily, in two teaspoonful doses. Two teaspoonfuls of honey taken daily are also helpful for the treatment of bronchitis.

Some Ayurvedic Medicines & Prescriptions for treatment of Bronchitis

Some well-known Ayurvedic preparations for bronchitis, both acute and chronic, are given belew :

In case of a congested throat which accompanies bronchitis in many cases, Khadiradi Vati should be sucked as a lozenge (small medicated candy) five times a day. The main ingredient of the drug, catechu, helps relieve the congestion.

Infusions of Hyssop, Marshmallow, Thyme or use white Hore hound (Marribium Vulgare) may also be taken to soothe harsh and painful coughs. Garlic is the most powerful anti-infective agent which will facilitate expectoration of excessive mucus and help to build up resistance in all respiratory infections.

Diet and Other Regimen

Here are some tips for your diet and other regimens to be followed while you are undergoing treatment of bronchits:

• Curd and sour substances shoud be strickly avoided if you want to cure bronchitis fast. Fruits like banana, guava, potato, rice should also be avoided.
• Avoid smoking and consumption of liquor should be reduced to the minimum, rather should not be taken at all.
• Take care not to strain your already weak body by vigorous physical activity and exercises.
• Avoid exposure to cold and damp weather.
• You should avoid all the cold beverages.
• If the patient is a child, then extra care must be taken as children are very sensitive.

Some oils for Bronchitis

Gently rub eucalyptus oil on the chest or use olive oil to it. Take a bowl of hot water, add 2-3 drops of lavender/ Eucalyptus/Thyme or Tea tree essential oil and inhale the medicated steam but make sure, the boiling water does not fall on your body.