Natural Relief Nasal Congestion

Natural relief nasal congestion

Nasal congestion is a respiratory disorder when mucus is excessive, and it produces problems with breathing through the nose. Nasal congestion or stuffy nose is often caused by a viral infection aka the common cold.

To be able to recover from this nasal infection one must be strong enough to fight the infection. When someone does not have sufficient energy, their defence mechanism is depleted.

Natural relief for nasal congestion

Having a lot of rest, drinking a lot of fluids, and taking vitamin C is recommended to allow the body eliminate infections naturally.

However, extensive research and clinical trials have shown that essential oils may assist by accelerating the healing process, they are very effective for treating respiratory problems including nasal congestion.

The most effective method of application of essential oils to naturally relief nasal congestion is through inhalation by using steam or diffusing the oils.

Essential oils that can be effective for fighting nasal congestion

Essential oils obtained from the trees: leaves, resin, and woods, are used in treating respiratory problems. The wood and resin oils are more drying and soothing and can be of help for chronic conditions. Leaf oils are stimulating and fight bacteria. Leaves have affinity to the function of the lungs, as they are the breathing organs for the plants.

Essential oils properties effective for the respiratory system

Antimicrobial

Many essential oils have antimicrobial property. The most helpful for the treatment of respiratory tract infections are the essential oils of cajeput, cinnamon, clove bud, lavender, lemon, manuka, pine, rosemary, tea tree, and thyme.

Demulcents

Demulcents soothe and relieve inflamed mucus membranes. Sandalwood is an effective demulcent essential oil.

Expectorants

They promote the expulsion of mucus. Expectorant is a substance which increases the output of demulcent respiratory tract fluid, mucus. Stimulating and warming expectorants are essential oils that have circulatory stimulant properties. Best known are helichrysum, sweet fennel, and ginger essential oil.

Other expectorant essential oils are cedarwood atlas, cajeput, frankincense and myrrh.

Immunostimulants

Essential oils can directly inhibit the threatening micro-organisms or stimulate the immune system. The essential oils that act against a wide variety of bacteria and viruses and increasing the immune response are cajeput, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, rosemary, tea tree, and thyme.

Upper respiratory tract infection

URT includes nose and nasal sinuses. The respiratory tract may become infected as the organisms travel along the lining membrane. Nasal discomfort is an unpleasant symptom of the common cold.

Natural relief through aromatherapy

For immediate relief of nasal congestion, a steam inhalation with essential oils is very effective. Steam itself is a hostile environment for viruses. The steam inhalation with the essential oils will ease congestion and help to fight the infection that has caused it. The essential oils to use in inhalation are tea tree, cajeput, lemon, eucalyptus, lavender, and sandalwood.

Do the inhalation before going to bed. Add a few drops of the essential oil/s acting against respiratory tract infections to a bowl with hot water and inhale.

Use a diffuser to reduce nasal congestion. Add 4 to 6 drops of one or three of tea tree, cajeput, lemon, eucalyptus, lavender, and sandalwood essential oils, with have antiseptic properties, to the water of the diffuser.

Take a hot shower. Close the doors and windows. Drop a few drops of essential oil/s acting against respiratory tract infections on the floor.

Natural relief bronchitis

Bronchitis symptoms are deep, chesty cough.

The aim of bronchitis treatment is to loosen mucus in the bronchial passages and to stimulate its elimination with mucolytic essential oils. This should be followed up with expectorant oils such as Eucalyptus globulus which is also effective against the viruses, causing bronchitis. Diluted essential oil can be applied to the chest, or pure be inhaled. Aromatherapy treatment stimulates sustained improvement by preventing bacterial secondary infection caused by viruses.

Acute and chronic bronchitis natural relief

Bronchitis indicates inflammation of the bronchial tubes. It will be helpful to distinguish between acute and chronic bronchitis. Acute bronchitis is a feverish condition with a painful cough which is first dry, but as the lungs produce additional mucus in response to the infection, the cough becomes less painful as the mucus lubricates the bronchi. Acute bronchitis usually comes with viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, such as cold, spreading to the lungs.

Aromatherapy treatment can help fight the infection, reduce fever, ease the cough, and expel mucus. In the stages when the cough is very dry, inhalation with the essential oils of Benzoin, Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Lavender, or Sandalwood will be relieving.

Bergamot and Eucalyptus oils are also helpful in reducing fever, and all the mentioned oils will help reinforce the body’s defence mechanism. In the later stages, it is important to clear all the mucus from the lungs. Essential oils with expectorant properties like basil, benzoin, bergamot, marjoram, myrrh, sandalwood or thyme will be helpful.

Inhalations, baths and local massage to chest and throat with diluted expectorant oils will make the recovery faster. It is important to stay in bed. To make breathing better diffuse a few drops of expectorant essential oil/s.

Make sure that people with heart condition or lung infection, frail, and elderly have qualified supervision.

Chronic bronchitis is a long-term condition without fever. It is characterised by a permanent cough due to overproduction of mucus caused by a bacterial infection.

Essential oils with detoxing properties are advised to be used to help to reduce the amount of mucus produced such as cedarwood, frankincense, juniper berry, myrrh, and rosemary, also one or more of the expectorant oils will need to be used to help clear it from the lungs, such as benzoin. resinous oils such as benzoin, myrrh and frankincense could be effective in bath and inhalation.

In traditional Chinese medicine ginger oil is used for any condition where body is not coping with moisture and bronchitis is an example of such a condition. Damp housing, smoking and a bad diet can aggravate the condition.

We have a very effective essential oil blend called breathe easy, I use every time I get a stuffed or runny nose and I feel relief right away by just sniffing the bottle.

Breathe easy has just the right composition of Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Pine needle and Tea Tree essential oils.

If you have any questions just put them in the comment box below and we’ll get back to you.