Pneumonia is an infection that one gets in the lungs when the air sacs become inflamed. The air sacs are commonly filled with fluid. In most cases, pneumonia is not fatal, but it can raise alarm if it is a young child, an elderly person, or someone with a weak immune system that has the infection. Luckily, our home remedies for pneumonia can help to treat the illness with ease.

What are the Symptoms?

There are a couple of symptoms that you should keep an eye on. The symptoms that are most clearly related to pneumonia include. shortness of breath, coughing up phlegm, and pain the chest when you breathe. Other symptoms that can come with pneumonia are fever, nausea, the chills, fatigue, diarrhea, and vomiting.

 

What Causes Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is often caused by bacteria, a virus, or fungi. It is not uncommon to have a cold and for the cold to escalate into something worse. This can also happen with the flu. The people who get pneumonia are usually the people that suffer from weak immune systems.  

Pneumonia can become life-threatening because of the fluid or pus that builds up in the air sacs of the lung. If you think that there is even a chance that you have pneumonia, if hurt or feels sore to breathe, talk to your doctor. These tips are here to help provide furth comfort and to assist what the doctor gave you for this infection. Make sure to talk to your doctor.

 

Home Remedies for Pneumonia

1. Do Not Smoke

This is the most obvious prevention step. If you know that colds and flu are going around, try to quit smoking. Smoking is already terrible for your lungs and body, and it is not going to help you from contracting pneumonia.

Smoking actually increases your chances of getting pneumonia because it can damage your lungs and immune system. If you smoke, you are at a much higher risk of getting a plethora of different lung infections.

 

2. Hygiene

Hygiene is very important when flus and colds are blowing around. Good hygiene includes showering daily, washing your hands regularly, using hand sanitizer- is one of the best ways to kills germs and other things that can make you sick and lead further to different infections and illnesses. When going shopping, use hand sanitizer when entering and leaving the store, wash your hands before you eat and after using the bathroom.

3. Gargle Saltwater

A sore throat often comes with pneumonia because of all the coughing and coughing up phlegm. Gargling some saltwater might be able to the help with that because the mixture breaks up mucus that is stuck in your throat and calms some swelling.

To make the mixture, you need to mix half of a teaspoon with a glass of warm water. Gargle a sip of this for thirty seconds before spitting out and rinsing your mouth. To get the best results, you should do this at least three times a day and you can do it as you feel the need to.

 

4. Soup

Any kind of soup can help to relieve your sore throat. The warmth of the liquid helps to break up mucus in the throat and some soups (like chicken noodle) have different antioxidants and things that can help to fight off the virus or illness so that you can heal that much faster.

5. Peppermint Tea

Making peppermint tea is quite easy to use. If you have tea bags, all you have to do is heat up the water and put the tea bag in. Making loose leaf is pretty easy too. Take the dried leaves, place them in a tea ball or other diffuser, and place it in the heated water. You can even make tea from fresh peppermint leaves if you are feeling up to it. You are going to need to cut the leaves or mash them a little with a mortar and pestle and put the leaves in a cup, teapot, tea ball, whatever you have and let it sit for five minutes before straining the leaves out after adding the hot water. Once the tea is done, you can add honey, milk, and or lemon.

Peppermint tea can help so much because it can unclog your nose, ease pain, calm swelling, help to get mucus out of the body, and stops the irritation that comes with all of this.    

 

6. Calm the Fever

Fevers are fairly common with pneumonia, but they can be lifted. You can apply a cloth dipped in room temperature water to help your body cool down from the outside. Using cold water might be tempting, but keep in mind that water that is too cold can spike the chills.

You can also use over the counter medication that is labeled as something that can cure fevers. These over the counter pills may be able to calm other symptoms as well, such pain from swelling.

It should be noted that a fever on its own can be dangerous and that you should talk to your doctor if the fever remains for longer than two days or goes over 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

7. Warm Water

This can have an effect similar to that of the peppermint tea but without all of the other benefits. The warm water will still help to break up mucus and it can warm up your body a bit from inside if you have the chills.

It is important to drink water when fighting any illness because the body needs to stay hydrated as a to protect itself from other illnesses and to keep things running properly.  

 

8. Coffee

Coffee is warm and has a caffeine content. Caffeine is actually a good way to open the airways. You want to be careful with this though. If you take in too much caffeine, it is going to be too hard for you to get the sleep that you need to fight off the illness. So have maybe a cup a day. Just make sure that you do not overdo it.

9. Turmeric Tea

It is not rare for chest pains to come with pneumonia. Turmeric tea has been found to help with the chest pains because the turmeric in the tea is good for fighting down inflammation. The turmeric can also help to fight the cold or illness because of the antimicrobial and antioxidants.

To make the tea, you need a teaspoon of turmeric powder and a couple cups of water to boil. You need to boil the water and turmeric powder for about 10 minutes before you strain it. You can in honey and lemon if you want to- the honey can help to ease a sore throat too. If you really want the reap the benefits of the tea, you add just a little of black pepper so that the pepper can help your body to absorb the help from the tea.

10. Fanning

Having trouble breathing can be both worrisome and annoying. In some cases, sitting in front of a fan has actually been found to help. Slightly cooler than room temperature can be easier to breathe in. Try sitting in front of the fan for a couple of minutes. This can also help to calm a fever if you are having trouble with one. Make sure not sit in front of the fan for more than 10 minutes or so at a time because sitting in front of it for too long can trigger the chills.

 

11. Ginger Tea

Ginger has been used to fight illness, inflammation, and pain for ages. The chest pain you may have can be combated with this tea. If you are not wanting to make the tea from scratch, you can get the tea in preset bags. If you are willing or wanting to make the tea yourself, you can make it pretty easily. You need a couple slices of fresh ginger and a pot of water. Boil the water and the ginger for 20 minutes before taking the slices out and serving the tea with lemon and honey.

 

12. Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important things you need to fight off a virus, cold, or even pneumonia. Getting enough sleep- more than what you would likely aim to get when healthy- helps your body to heal itself more quickly and better. Getting enough also builds up your immunity against whatever illness you are fighting so that are you less likely to get it again.

13. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has antibacterials, anti-inflammatories, antifungals, and antivirals. That knocks out just about every cause of pneumonia out there. The apple cider vinegar can also help your sore throat while helping your body to fight off the illness.

To make the drink, you need to warm a half cup of water and add in a tablespoon of the apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey. You can sip this throughout the day. Just make sure that you do not just pound it back because that can upset the stomach.

14. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most important antibacterials and antioxidants that you could possibly take in order to fight a cold. You can get vitamin C in supplement pills, or you can get it from your food by increasing the amounts of nuts, citrus fruits, and leafy greens that you eat.

 

15. Garlic

Garlic contains allicin, which fights fungi and bacteria while lightening the phlegm in both the throat and the lungs. You can make a make a paste with the garlic and rub it into your chest, you can chew on the cloves, or you can just add the garlic to your food. You can also take garlic through little gel capsules.

 

16. Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is amazing for fighting off illnesses because of the analgesic and antimicrobial powers it has. It also helps to calm your nerves so that your stress levels are down and you can sleep better. You can follow the instructions on an oil diffuser, use an oil diffusing necklace or bracelet, or you can make a kind of rub using a teaspoon of olive or almond oil and two or three drops of the peppermint oil. Once you make the rub, you can apply it to your neck, back, and chest.

 

17. Eucalyptus Oil

This links into the advice of inhaling steam to make it easier for you to breath and to help battle your fever. You can add four or five drops of the eucalyptus oil to the hot water. The oil fights congestion, inflammation, and bacteria.

18. Veggie Juice or Smoothies

You can get pre-made veggie juice or you can make it on your own with a blender or food processor. The best veggies to use are carrots, cucumber, parsnip,  beets, or spinach. These are so important because they help to fight off pneumonia while building your immune system.

 

19. VapoRub

This works like the peppermint rub you can make, but it is already made for you. It works with the same idea. You rub it on your neck, back, and chest before going to sleep. With some kinds of VapoRub, you might feel a slight burning or hot tingly feeling. Do not panic, this is normal because of the ingredients. Simply take it as a sign that it is working.

20. Basil

Basil is a herb that you can make tea out of or you just chew on the leaves. Take make the tea, you need a few leaves, whether they are dried or they are fresh and sliced a little to let the juices out. You want to boil the leaves in water, strain the water, and enjoy. Basil helps you fight pneumonia because of the antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that are in it.        

Which of these home remedies for pneumonia will you use to treat your symptoms? Comment below!

 

Sources

https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/effective-home-remedies-for-pneumonia/#20BestHomeRemediesToTreatPneumonia

https://www.healthline.com/health/home-remedies-for-pneumonia#if-you-have-a-fever

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pneumonia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354204