Steam Inhalation – effective home remedy for a cold

Suffering from a cold? Steam your troubles away.

By: Shruti Sawant | | Updated: July 21, 2015 3:00 pm

For people living and working in the city, respiratory problems are as common as potholes. Recently, New Delhi has overtaken Beijing as the most air-polluted city in the world. After a while, it seems unaffordable to run to the doctors every time a cold catches hold of you. Ultimately, we resort to home remedies. Among these, steam inhalation continues to be the most effective against cold, cough, flu and irritable sinuses. Reinforce it with an essential oil for additional relief and therapeutic benefit.

Steam inhalation is a method of introducing warm, moist air into the lungs via the nose & throat for therapeutic benefit. The hot steam moistens the nasal passages, thus clearing your blocked nose and opens up congested sinuses allowing you to breathe more easily.

The hot steam circulating through your body causes the temperature to rise and consequently blood vessels to dilate. This causes an improvement in blood circulation, opens up the pores of your skin and restores colour. Also, your immune system notices this rise in temperature and increases the production and action of WBCs leading to a stronger resistance against bacteria and germs.

The ailments of the upper respiratory tract can be satisfactorily healed by steam inhalation. Combined with specific herbs or oils, your respiratory problems will soon be a thing of the past.

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of lung disease.

Here’s a list of herbs you can use to battle a particular ailment:

Breathing Difficulties: Eucalyptus, Pine

Bronchitis: Basil, Clove, Eucalyptus, Rosemary

Cold: Ginger, Bay, Cloves, Rosemary

Cough: Cardamom, Peppermint, Rosemary

Inflamed Sinuses: Basil, Tea tree, Eucalyptus, Peppermint

To induce Relaxation: Chamomile, Lavender, Lemongrass

How to do a safe steam inhalation? Heat ample amount of water until it boils. Transfer into a bowl add a few drops of essential oil or herbs you need according to the ailment you are suffering from. Maintain a distance of 30cms from the bowl and cover your head with a thick towel such that it forms a tent around the bowl and your head. Breathe through your nose for a minute or two. Take a break until you feel relatively cooler and repeat.

If, at any point in the treatment, you experience discomfort or a burning sensation, take off the towel immediately and release the steam. Do not inhale the steam until you feel relieved. If irritation persists, discontinue treatment.

Take precautionary measures and special care when subjecting children, pregnant women or asthma patients to steam inhalation. You can also try steaming to reap in its beauty benefits.

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Published : January 27, 2014 6:04 pm | Updated:July 21, 2015 3:00 pm

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