5 effective home remedies for treating COPD patients
Bad lifestyle choices have more impact on our health than we think. Bad eating habits, smoking, and chewing tobacco might seem cool when we are young, but these factors play a major role in bringing about deterioration before the process of aging even sets in. One such disease that is brought upon us due to our negligence is the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, more commonly known as COPD.
COPD is the result of smoking for a long period and leaving the damage to the lungs unchecked. It is a combination of two diseases, Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema, each of these are known to cause immense misery individually, so imagine the damage the combination of these can do.
Treatment of COPD patients is long-term since it is quite difficult to reverse the effects of prolonged smoking. However, various natural methods can help in treating COPD patients, without the usual side-effects that medications come with. These home treatment methods for COPD patients are as follows-
- The water therapy – This is the simplest method of treating patients with COPD. All the individual has to do is keep themselves hydrated. One of the reasons why people suffer from a chronic cough is due to the accumulation of mucus in the lungs, and drinking lots of water can help clear the mucus. Also, using a humidifier can ease the breathing difficulties as well.
- Eucalyptus Oil – Eucalyptus Oil is known to possess medicinal properties and comes in handy for treating COPD patients. It has been proven that eucalyptus oil is instrumental in reducing exacerbations in COPD patients and reduces the inflammation that has affected the air sacs, which is a common symptom in people suffering from COPD.
- Ginseng – People often dismiss the use of herbal medicine in curing ailments believing it to be a part of the ancient apothecary. However, these facts stand corrected since ginseng; a herbal supplement has proven to be quite effective in the treatment of COPD patients. Ginseng can relieve the COPD patients from their breathing issues since it works wonders on the respiratory system.
- Antioxidant Vitamins – It is advisable to add foods rich in antioxidants to the diet of COPD patients, or else they can directly consume supplements of the same. Antioxidants are instrumental in utilizing oxygen effectively, and this proves to quite helpful when one experiences difficulty in breathing.
- Quit Smoking – One might wonder how quitting smoking qualifies as a treatment method for COPD patients. But, smoking is what caused this disease in the first place. It is difficult to reverse the effects of smoking on the lungs, but one can surely quit smoking when the slightest symptoms of COPD surfaces. It’s better to nip the disease in the bud.