Bronchitis is one of the most common infections you can get during winter. When you have bronchitis, your bronchial tubes responsible for carrying air to your lungs get infected and swollen. This can lead to a bad cough, a buildup of mucus, and symptoms such as aches and chills. Since most bronchitis is caused by different types of viruses, the treatment may vary from one person to another. However, people have to sit this one out in most cases. As you wait for it to settle, you can try some age-old home remedies for bronchitis to help you feel better.

What is bronchitis?

Bronchitis is a type of inflammatory disease that affects the respiratory tract. The term “bronchi” refers to the tubes that transport air from the trachea to the lungs. This occurs when infection and inflammation cause the bronchial walls to become unduly weak, giving the bronchi the appearance of a balloon. Mucus accumulates in these walls because of the inflammation, which causes more mucus to be produced than usual. Consequently, a significant build-up of thick mucus occurs within the respiratory tubes, leading to blockage within the tubes.

The lung organ attached to the tubes becomes severely damaged and destroyed as a result of this blockage, and it either shrinks or expands like a balloon, explains Ayurveda expert Dr Chanchal Sharma.

What are the symptoms of bronchitis?

Here are the symptoms of Bronchitis as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

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• Coughing with or without mucus
• Chest soreness
• Feeling tired
• Fatigue
• Body ache
• Mild headache
• Sore throat
• Watery eyes

Best home remedies for bronchitis

Here are some natural home remedies for bronchitis that might make you feel better and shoo away the cold.

1. Turmeric

Turmeric contains a component called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties that help with phlegm, the main cause of bronchitis. A study published in the journal Inflammation found that the anti-inflammation properties and antioxidants in turmeric can help you get rid of bronchitis.

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Dr Sharma recommends a quick remedy to get rid of bronchitis: Mix one-fourth spoonful of turmeric in a glass of boiling milk. Drink it twice a day before bed to ease the symptoms.

2. Gargle with salt water

This one should not come as a surprise as we all have, at some point in time, tried this home remedy to get rid of a bad throat. If you haven’t, you must try it as recommended by the expert as well. All you need to do is gargle four to five times a day with salt water to prevent the symptoms of bronchitis.

Grind some ginger, a tablespoon of cinnamon, and 2-3 cloves. Add these to a cup of boiling water and mix well. Gargle using the water. Make sure you drink it at least once a day to get rid of the symptoms.

3. Ginger

Ginger contains anti-inflammatory properties that can help you get rid of respiratory infections, says the expert. A study in Psychotherapy Research has found that ginger may help people suffering from bronchitis. You can drink ginger tea as it helps you get rid of several health problems.

For this, you need to boil one cup of water. Add some sugar, tea leaves, and ginger, and bring it to a boil. Sip it after filtering it. Drinking this might help you relieve bronchitis symptoms.

4. Honey

Honey is another soothing herbal remedy that will help you get rid of dry cough and sore throat. It contains antibacterial and antifungal properties that can help relieve swelling due to bronchitis.

Add one spoonful of honey to a cup of tea and sip it every day to relieve the symptoms.

5. Eucalyptus oil

You could also use eucalyptus oil in bronchitis. She says it helps relieve swelling in the throat. A study published in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine found that eucalyptus products such as an oil or ointment are safe for use in cough-related respiratory diseases such as bronchitis.

Add 2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil to boiling water and take a steam bath with it. It might help subside symptoms such as cough and throat infections. It might help in getting rid of the mucus as well.