The benefits of essential oils for cough, cold and congestion are immense for men and women of all age groups.
They provide instant relief from the blockages of nasal and food pipes, generate heat in the chest area, clear the fluid and congestion and restore the normal breathing within few minutes. You can use them to provide long term solutions to your lung related problems.
Essential oils are available in the forms of fumes, oil and syrup. You can also combine them with other herbal ingredients and carrier oils to ease their penetration through skin layers when used externally.
Causes, Symptoms, Treatments And Prevention
Cough
Cough normally starts when the windpipe gets blocked with mucus and fluids. There is another type of dry cough which starts when the moisture content in the breathing organs gets depleted completely. Ouch often results in chest pain, nausea, headache and many other cardiovascular disorders.
- Causes: Infections from foods, water and air can cause the deposition and growth of mucus within the windpipes and the lungs. This can lead to mild, moderate and severe cough within the next few hours.
- Symptoms: Consistent irritation in the throat, with mucus and fluid deposition. Constant coughing can lead to pain in the chest and rib cage. Uneasiness in eating with loss of smell and taste.
- Treatment: Add one spoon of peppermint oil, one spoon of lavender oil and one spoon of coconut oil (carrier) in one bowl. Stir well and heat it to moderate temperature. Cool to lukewarm heat and apply on your entire chest and back areas, throat, nose and forehead.
- Prevention: You can reduce the intensity of pain and damage from couth, but you might not be able to eliminate it. Wear facial mask covering nose and mouth when you go into dense traffic areas. Avoid exposure to harmful chemical fumes. Drink plenty of pure water. This can dilute the deposition of mucus and fluid within your windpipe and lungs.
- Alternate: Apart from the essential oils specified above, you can find other oils like tee tree oil, eucalyptus oil, oregano oil and thyme oil. Eucalyptus oil is among the strongest of essential oils. It can release fumes when you mix with hot or boiling water in a bowl. You can inhale the fumes from by covering your head and neck with a cotton cloth. You can experience the elimination of mucus through nose and mouth as you start inhaling the fumes. Sometimes the fumes could cause mild irritation to your eyes, filling them with water. Don’t worry this is the clear sign of healing. Some of the other oils I can suggest for cough are neem oil, clove oil, cypress oil and Hyssop oil. You may opt for fumes of hot press after applying them onto your chest and back areas. You can also consume the essential oils in the form of natural capsules, cough syrup and diet.
Note: Essential oils like eucalyptus could be for external application (chest and back massaging) and fume inhalation only. You may not use them for internal consumption. You need to know about such details from the reviews and blogs.
Cold
- Causes: Cold is a common phenomenon to affect the lungs, windpipes, throat, nasal cavity and the entire forehead interiors. It is mostly caused by environmental changes, bacteria and infectious elements. Cold can also be caused by many types of pathogens carried by the wind. The typical characteristic of cold is lack of permanent cure. The medicines you consume can provide temporary relief and suppress the pathogens for a long time. However, the pathogens can relapse when the immunity of the body goes down.
- Symptoms: Blocked nose and throat, running nose, irritation and pain within the ear, nose and throat and sneezing are the common symptoms. Severe cold can result in headache and nausea. Inability to relish the aroma and taste of food and beverages is another common symptom.
- Treatment: Add half spoon of eucalyptus oil tone spoon of coconut oil. Mix well and massage on the chest and back areas. Let the oil soak the skin for 3 to 4 minutes. Then apply the oil on the temple, nose (this might cause irritation in the eyes and nose, but it will soon go away) and throat. Add half spoon of peppermint oil and eucalyptus oil in half cup of water. Boil and inhale the fumes. Add one drop of essential oil from lemon, lavender and peppermint with one spoon of honey in a bowl. Mix well and consume it. The ingredients can give you instant relief from cold. It can also clear the mucus and fluid depositions within the nose and throat areas.
- Prevention: Practically it is not possible to prevent cold. However, it is possible to reduce the intensity and suppress the symptoms for an extended period with proper preventive care. You have to keep your chest and head warm during winter and fall. Wear warm and clean clothes to cover your ears and chest. Drink chamomile or neem tea once a day. This will help you stay away from infections. You could add one spoon of Aloe Vera and honey to the tea to make it stronger in nature. It provides with the required immunity from common infections and bacterial elements. Drink plenty of pure water. This helps in the elimination of toxic elements from your liver, intestine, pancreas and the cardiovascular organs.
Congestion
- Causes: Congestion can be caused by accumulation of mucus and fluids due to cold and infections to the lungs, windpipes, nasal cavities and throat.
- Symptoms: Inability to breathe, cough and sever cold with chest pain is the common symptom.
- Treatment: Hot massage with lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, lemon oil or peppermint oil mixed with carrier like the coconut oil is known to work effectively.
- Prevention: Protective clothing winter is the first protective layer. Regular chest and back massage with eucalyptus oil can help to a great extent. Adding Aloe Vera and neem oil to tea and juices can help in the elimination of infectious bacteria from cardiovascular organs.
