A Russian bath for bronchitis, just like a sauna, can be useful. These popular and beneficial procedures are used both to treat respiratory diseases and to prevent them. Natural warming promotes the removal of mucus, reduces inflammation, thins and removes mucus from the bronchi, restores damaged tissue, softens dry cough and helps relieve bronchospasm. Staying in a bathhouse with inhalation of essential oils helps strengthen the body's defenses, promotes the regeneration of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, and has anti-infective activity.
Visiting a bathhouse or sauna can be useful during the recovery stage after bronchitis
However, the method is not universal - visiting the bathhouse is contraindicated in the acute phase of the disease, with elevated body temperature, as well as severe shortness of breath. The bath is also not recommended if you have arterial hypertension, a history of myocardial infarction or stroke.
To treat bronchitis and prevent the development of the disease, it is recommended to visit a bathhouse or sauna once a week.
You can add a few drops of essential oil of eucalyptus, tea tree, and pine - plants with antimicrobial activity - to water or on hot stones.
Briefly about the main thing
According to statistics, this is one of the most common diseases, caused by infection (but doctors have also recorded non-infectious cases) and affects the bronchi.
The bronchi are one of the most important parts in the respiratory system. The inhaled air first passes through the larynx and trachea, and then through branched tubes of various sizes (bronchi) into the lungs. When you exhale, carbon dioxide moves in the opposite direction.
The bronchi are covered with mucus and small cilia with high sensitivity, ensuring the release of various substances trapped in the bronchi. Thus, bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane, which causes the walls of the bronchi to become thicker, mucus is released when coughing, the temperature rises, and there is a feeling of lack of air.
Researchers have found that bronchitis is caused by various microorganisms that enter the lungs through airborne droplets. They stimulate infection, causing irritation and fever. The development of bronchitis can be provoked not only by unfavorable external factors, for example, weather or hypothermia, but also by a predisposition and addiction to nicotine.
Medicine knows two forms of the disease, each with its own recommendations regarding baths for bronchitis.
About medicinal herbs and aromatherapy
Properly selected aromatic oils will enhance the healing effect of the bath.
Herbs and essential oils will help enhance the healing effect of a bath for bronchitis.
Herbs suitable for treating bronchitis:
- Mint. It improves airway patency and has antiseptic properties. Vitamin C and carotene improve immunity. For bronchitis, it is useful to drink tea with the addition of mint leaves.
- Chamomile. This plant has antiviral and antibacterial properties. During bronchitis, chamomile helps remove mucus from the bronchi.
- Juniper. The plant belongs to the conifer family and has anti-inflammatory properties. It will effectively help with headaches and fill the room with a pleasant smell.
- St. John's wort. It contains natural antibacterial components. St. John's wort does not have a strong odor.
- Thyme. It has expectorant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is recommended to add to the tea for coughs and bronchitis.
Essential oils promote healing of irritated bronchial mucosa. Since they are concentrated, they need to be diluted in water - 4-5 drops per 2 liters of water.
For the treatment of bronchitis, preference should be given to the following essential oils:
- Bergamot. It has antiviral, antibacterial and restorative properties, helps normalize blood pressure.
- Lemon. The combination of antiviral and immune-strengthening components will help improve overall well-being during bronchitis.
- Mint and eucalyptus. These oils are usually used to treat upper respiratory tract diseases, but they will also be useful for treating bronchitis. They have a strengthening effect on the entire body.
- Lavender. Fights germs and promotes a speedy recovery.
- Tea tree. Used for colds, flu and bronchitis.
When choosing essential oils to treat bronchitis in a bath, you need to remember about a possible allergic reaction. In order to check this, before going to the bathhouse you need to apply a few drops to your wrist or elbow. If redness or irritation does not appear within 10 minutes, there is a high probability that everything will be fine during your visit to the sauna.
Bronchitis in acute form
In this form, the disease occurs with characteristic pain in the abdominal area and sternum, as well as a runny nose, weakness and dizziness. Acute bronchitis is accompanied by a severe chest cough with sputum and high fever. At the beginning of the disease, the cough is dry; with proper treatment, after a couple of days, phlegm and mucus will begin to come out along with the cough.
The signs of acute bronchitis can be confused with acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections; at the onset of the disease they have common features.
Chronic bronchitis – “smoker’s bronchitis”
The chronic form is characterized by a sluggish nature, in this case the inflammation progresses, and the tube cleaning mechanism, that is, the work of sensitive cilia, fails. The bronchi become clogged with mucus and phlegm. The debilitating cough that accompanies the disease can torment the patient for several months. As well as a runny nose and general malaise, often headaches and dizziness, a feeling of lack of air.
The most common cause of chronic bronchitis is smoking; smoke and tars negatively affect the functioning of eyelashes and mucus production. Chronic bronchitis is also called a smoker's disease and its symptoms include:
- Frequent cough;
- Sputum production;
- Dyspnea;
- Characteristic difficulty breathing.
- Symptoms of chronic bronchitis can be compared to a cold or flu: cough, deterioration of health, runny nose, headache and dizziness.
What beneficial properties of heat are noted?
- Dilatation of blood vessels.
- Increased heart rate.
- Improved breathing. It allows you to quickly remove decay products from the respiratory tract.
- Opening of capillaries and pores. This promotes better oxygen supply to tissues, as well as cell restoration and reproduction.
- Removing toxins and waste.
- Acceleration of metabolic processes.
Why should you pay attention to the bath when treating bronchitis? Since the disease mainly occurs during cold weather. The bathhouse creates a kind of summer, when warmth (even heat) and steamy air reign. Bacteria simply die in such conditions, unable to withstand high temperatures.
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Is it possible to wash in a bathhouse if you have bronchitis?
So, if for acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections and common colds, bath procedures are even recommended, because under the influence of high temperatures and moisture, basic physiological processes are enhanced, ensuring a speedy recovery, then is it possible to visit a bathhouse with bronchitis?
In the acute form of the disease, even if there is a slight increase in body temperature and slight malaise, you cannot visit the steam room, warm up or simply wash in the bathhouse! This can only worsen the patient's condition.
The high temperature in the bath will cause an increase in body temperature, and the heat of the bath will cause further development and progression of the infection.
Due to a visit to the bathhouse during acute bronchitis, the disease may take on a different form, for example, bilateral pneumonia.
Therefore, the answer to the question “Is it possible to go to the bathhouse with bronchitis?” - an unequivocal and firm no.
The benefits of bath procedures
The benefits of the bath are beyond doubt. Visiting it brings a lot of pleasure, fills the body with lightness, improves mood, and also allows you to forget about the crazy rhythm of modern life, pressing problems, and have a wonderful rest after everyday work. The bathhouse provides a unique opportunity:
- • strengthen the immune system;
- • harden the body and successfully resist colds and viral diseases;
- • remove toxins, waste;
- • improve the condition of the skin;
- • normalize metabolic processes in the body.
Fans of bath procedures know how to treat a cold when its first signs appear and prevent the development of serious diseases of the respiratory system. The classic method of heat therapy makes it possible to prevent the development of bronchitis after hypothermia. Diagnosis of inflammatory processes in the respiratory system will be kept to a minimum.
Drinking tea with raspberries, honey, linden, lemon, ginger followed by a visit to the steam room will help eliminate a runny nose, improve well-being, and eliminate cold symptoms. In such cases, the question of whether it is possible to take a steam bath when the first signs of a cold appear will always be given a positive answer.
Bath after bronchitis
Is it possible to go to the bathhouse if you have bronchitis without fever? After an illness, it will be a useful addition to the treatment complex. If allergic reactions are not observed, and the body temperature has returned to normal, but a cough and slight sputum production remain, then the bath will only be beneficial, significantly alleviating discomfort, warming up the lungs and bronchi.
Is it possible to take a steam bath if you have bronchitis? With caution, without fanaticism and additional contrasting procedures, such as diving into an ice hole, wiping with snow or dousing with cold water. And also, after the steam room, you should not go into a cold room; when going out to the dressing room to cool down, it is recommended to wrap yourself in a towel or sheet. Temperature contrast can lead to complications.
To get rid of a cough faster, it is recommended to steam with linden or pine brooms. The optimal procedure time is no more than 10 minutes.
As for the chronic form, you can go to the bathhouse with bronchitis without fear. Elevated temperature affects the smoker’s disease differently than the acute form: blood circulation increases, along with the blood oxygen enters the bronchi, which has a positive effect on the resorption of adhesions and the dilution of accumulated sputum.
After the procedures, it is much easier to breathe, because warm steam and increased temperature in the bathhouse affect the respiratory tract better than inhalation, clearing the bronchi of mucus.
Aromatherapy in a bathhouse is one way to enhance the effect. It is recommended to pour boiling water over pine, juniper, fir and leave. During bath procedures, the concentrate is poured onto the heater: the result is an aromatic, therapeutic inhalation to cleanse the bronchi.
A wet steam bath for bronchitis without fever will bring significant benefits in the fight against the disease, but it is recommended not to overdo it when trying to get better quickly and before visiting, make sure that the inflammatory process has gone away and the body temperature does not exceed normal values.
Rules for visiting the bathhouse
In order for a visit to the bathhouse to bring only benefits to the body, you need to follow simple recommendations before, during and after your visit.
Before the bath
- Don't overeat . It is best to have a light meal of fruits or vegetables about an hour before the event.
- Drink warm herbal tea or raisin decoction before going to the bathhouse . Such drinks promote sweating and increase the effectiveness of the procedure. Decoctions of chamomile, raisins, sage, thyme, linden, and elderberry work well.
- Warm drinks can be taken with you and drunk while warming up . For chronic bronchitis, it would be advisable to use cough herbs: licorice, thyme, marshmallow, coltsfoot.
In the bath
- Do not drink alcoholic beverages . This significantly reduces the effectiveness of the procedure, and increases the load on the heart.
- Protect your head from overheating and your hair from drying out . To do this, you can wear a special cap or any headdress.
- Steam while lying down - this way the heat acts evenly on the whole body.
- Start with the shelves where the temperature is lowest. The first entry into the steam room should also be short (about 5 minutes).
- It is better to wipe off the sweat that is released so as not to slow down the elimination of toxins.
- Remove metal jewelry . They get very hot in the steam room, and you can get burned.
Brooms and massage are a good addition to thermal procedures.
After the bath
- Take a contrast shower or just rinse off.
- Dry yourself and dress warmly.
- At home, drink warm herbal tea again.
Sauna
Doctors have a different opinion about the sauna: despite the fact that the bathhouse and the sauna are “close relatives,” the principle of operation is completely different. In a sauna the air is hot and dry, while in a bathhouse hot, wet steam dominates. Even in its chronic form, a sauna will cause painful sensations: the inhaled dry and hot air will provoke severe coughing attacks and pain in the chest; such procedures will not bring relief.
Of course, the bronchi will warm up quite well, but the healing effect comes from the damp bath steam. Is it possible to go to the sauna if you have bronchitis? – Yes, but you shouldn’t expect a therapeutic effect. However, after recovery, you should not deny yourself the pleasure of visiting the sauna - this is an excellent prevention of bronchial disease.
Chronic diseases
Sharp temperature fluctuations, rubbing with snow, dousing with ice water, jumping into a pool or ice hole are strictly prohibited.
Treatment of chronic diseases requires an integrated approach - taking antibiotics and other medications, and a variety of physiotherapeutic procedures. One of these procedures may be a visit to the steam room.
According to urologist, andrologist, urological oncologist Victoria Shaderkina, taking antibiotics for prostatitis in itself is not a contraindication to visiting the sauna. “You should visit the steam room only in the remission stage, this will eliminate the possibility of developing edema,” says the doctor, reminding that sudden temperature fluctuations, wiping with snow, dousing with ice water, jumping into a pool or ice hole are strictly prohibited.
The permissible maximum is to change the water in the shower from warm to slightly cooler 10-15 times within 5 minutes.
Is it possible to go to the steam room, are bath procedures compatible with this disease - only the attending physician can give recommendations to the patient.
In case of a chronic illness without an exacerbation, steaming in a sauna or bathhouse is even useful, but provided that remission has begun at the time of visiting the steam room. You just can’t get too cold and get carried away with contrasting procedures - this can make you even sicker, and all the treatment will go down the drain.
Bath for bronchitis in a child
Just like adults, children can go to the bathhouse after their temperature returns to normal. To combat a cough, damp bath steam is what you need. You should not be afraid of a light massage with a broom. However, it is recommended to reduce the soaring time and not lie on the top shelves. You can’t even harden yourself; it’s best to do this after complete recovery. You can let your child go outside or into a cold room completely dry. The bathhouse is an ancient Russian procedure against most ailments: warming up and aromatherapy based on medicinal herbs can relieve coughs and warm up the lungs, however, you should not be zealous, otherwise the acute form will turn into dangerous bilateral pneumonia. It is impossible to answer clearly whether a bath is good or bad for bronchitis; if you want to visit a bath, you need to make sure that your body temperature has returned to normal and that inflammation has passed.
To enhance the effect after the bath, it is recommended to drink an aromatic infusion of linden flowers or black currants.
Respiratory system diseases
If the illness has already subsided, you can go to the bathhouse.
Typically, the course of taking antibacterial drugs is 7-10 days. If the disease has already subsided (there is no fever or other negative symptoms), you can go to the bathhouse. But not to take a steam bath, but simply to sweat.
Sit in the dressing room, breathe in inhalation decoctions of chamomile, aloe, St. John's wort, lavender, coltsfoot, eucalyptus - they are suitable for bronchitis or sinusitis (decoctions of bay leaves and horse chestnut also help with sinusitis).
Do not miss the time of taking the pills, especially if you need to take them not in the morning and evening, but 3-4 times a day.
It is best to take the medicine an hour before the bath or 2 hours after it.
If you feel weak while taking antibiotics, refrain from visiting the bathhouse for a few days.
Has the doctor prescribed you treatment in the form of intramuscular injections? In this case, the sauna will not harm - again, in the absence of the contraindications described above.
Also keep in mind that when treating with potent drugs, there is a risk of catching an even worse cold after the bath: the body is already weakened, and the steam room is accompanied by drafts everywhere.
