COPD means Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease that makes normal breathing an uphill task. Breathing is something that the body keeps functioning. Normally people don’t realize the importance of breathing, unless they are stuck with COPD or asthma.
COPD affects our respiratory tracts and mucus start multiplying, making normal breathing an arduous task. Around 300 million people suffer from this disease of COPD. It is spreading at a fast pace because of the man-made reasons.
Air pollution is rising all over the globe; smoking is another form that is enhancing COPD, as smoke destroys the healthy functioning of lungs, causing irritation.
Due to the blocked airways, you begin coughing, your chest feels tightened, wheezing starts, there is lack of energy to do your routine chores and giving a chance to be more prone to catch a cold or fever.
If you ignore these symptoms, it can cause further damage to your heart, High blood pressure, depression and can also lead to lung cancer.
But don’t worry, now we are going to pay a look at some of the home remedies that can prevent COPD and if it is affecting you, to treat it in a natural way.
Home Remedies for COPD
Ginger
Ginger is such an herb that has plenty of benefits for our body as it has anti-oxidant properties that support the health of the lungs.
This herb also has anti-biotic properties that combat with the infection, which is the big cause of COPD. It thwarts the growth of the mucus, cools down the inflammation, and improves the blood circulation.
You can have fresh chopped ginger in water and drink it to avail the benefits. You can also add ginger in hot water, add a bit of honey to sweeten the taste and sip it when it is still hot. This is called ginger tea that is immensely beneficial in reducing the symptoms of COPD.
Turmeric
Turmeric has a main ingredient called curcumin that has a vital role in improving the condition of your body as it is anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-viral.
Turmeric is almost added to all dishes cooked in Indian kitchens, due to its unique flavor and health benefits. It hampers the production of kappa B (NFkB), which is stimulated when we smoke, it regulates the production of inflammatory proteins.
This herb regulates the inflammation in the airways and it can take care of stress which is caused due to deficiency of oxygen in the body. These days turmeric is available all over the globe, thus taking care of your COPD has become a simple task after using this herb.
Peppermint
Have you ever inhaled the smell from a bottle of peppermint and let your respiratory tracts feel the fresh air, going from your nostrils to your chest.
You can feel the air flowing in your airways. This herb has an ingredient called menthol that relaxes the muscles around respiratory tract and make the air flow in an easy way.
Red Sage
Red sage is an effective anti-oxidant herb, which protects the lining of blood vessels when they start getting injured due to the deficiency of oxygen reaching them. Thus it protects against a situation that is similar to COPD.
Melatonin
It is typically famous as a sleeping aid. Recently a study was done to tell us, melatonin has anti-oxidant properties, which reduce the oxidative stress, the patients of COPD are feeling.
So they can go to sleep in a peaceful manner without worrying that their airways might get blocked due to COPD and they are going to die after being suffocated.
Ginseng
It is such an herb that provides relief to the patients of COPD. It makes them breath easily and they can also tolerate exercising.
Eucalyptus
It also has plenty of health benefits as it loosens the congestion and pulls out the phlegm from the chest, making breathing normal.
It also uplifts the health of our lungs. Eucalyptus oil can also be used to remove congestion from the chest by massaging oil for a few moments. Keep lying for half an hour before rinsing it away with plain water.
Oregano
Oregano possesses carvacrol and rosmarinic acid that are natural decongestants and are anti-histamines. If you want to enjoy your daily meals, add some fresh oregano with your meals for a unique flavor and enjoy the health benefits like it certainly reduces the symptoms of COPD.
Thyme
This herb is prized for its herbal qualities that it contains for its aromatic oils. Generally it has anti-oxidant properties. First of all when consumed it reduces the quantity of mucus present in your respiratory tracts.
It may also make the airways relax, when mucus is destroyed, making the airways feel easier, thus making the air flow freely. But this experiment is still under study and nothing concrete can be said about it.
English Ivy
This is also herbal & a natural remedy that clears all the blockings in the air tracts and repairs lung infection that has happened due to COPD.
But better be aware, if you already have some allergy with the plants, and then don’t use it as it may cause a skin irritation or a tingling sensation on your skin texture.
There are various other things one can do at home such as exercising, play an outdoor game that you love or do any physical activity along with these remedies, it accelerates your progress to normalcy. You can also try to do Yoga or meditation to find a cure from COPD.
All you need to do is keep an alerts eye on the diet recommended by some expert, which should come from organically grown trees and herbs & keep an alert eye on the patient.
He/she will definitely find the cure very soon as anything done by natural remedies doesn’t have any side effects and has proven its worth since ages.
Author Bio:
Dr. Vikram Chauhan, MD – AYURVEDA is an expert Ayurvedic practitioner based in Chandigarh, India and doing his practice in Mohali, India. He is spreading the knowledge of Ayurveda Ancient healing treatment, not only in India but also abroad. He is the CEO and Founder of Planet Ayurveda Products, Planet Ayurveda Clinic, and Krishna Herbal Company.
