| ||
| ||
Alternative Home |
Beauty Info |
All about Pregnancy |
|
Making Your Lungs Work Better With Water
All of us know when our lungs aren't quite working right. We feel sluggish, and our heads feel foggy. It may be that we're having an upper-respiratory infection, or some other problem. But whatever it is, water will make your system work better, and more quickly take care of whatever the problem is. You will also feel better. The other thing water will do is keep your mouth and throat well-hydrated, because if you have an infection like that, chances are you will be coughing a lot. Coughing is something we want to avoid. Like runny noses and sneezing, we think it's embarrassing. But remember that coughs are there to help the body get rid of something, and rather than try to make the body quit, we should help the body. I don't know about you, but I'd just as soon get over my coughing as quickly as I can. So start drinking water! (The one time I would encourage cough suppressants -- that is, medicine to suppress the coughing reflex -- is at night. If you are having trouble sleeping because of constant coughing, take a minimum dose of cough medicine just before going to bed. Sometimes there's a very small amount of drainage that's not even noticeable when we're awake. But as soon as we lay down, the "tickling" starts, and makes it hard to sleep. Your body also needs sleep. So feel free to take something for the cough in this circumstance. On the other hand, if you are coughing up large amounts of phlegm, don't do anything to suppress the cough. Your body is getting rid of some garbage, and you don't want to stop that). Begin by drinking more water whenever you feel chest congestion coming on. Remember, drinking water cannot hurt you. And it will usually help get rid of the nasty viruses that give us the crud feeling. So you might want to begin doubling up on the amount of water you normally drink. If you normally drink 10 glasses a day, go to 20. Even 20 is not all that much, and you will be surprised at how much better you feel. Another water tactic that helps a lot is steam. Most of us don't have a sauna in our house, but you can easily create a sauna-like atmosphere, with no special equipment or preparation. This is the way to do it: go into the bathroom, and tightly shut the door. Plug the drain in the bathtub, and turn on the bath water full blast, and make sure the temperature is as hot as you can get it. (Don't worry ... you're not going to be bathing in this!) If you can, plug the sink drain as well, and turn the water on there as well. Make sure you don't have a fan going ... you want the steam to accumulate. The inside of the bathroom should be as humid as a tropical rainforest! Now sit down, and breathe deep. Keep breathing until the steam has subsided. What you are doing is getting your lungs full of moist, humid air, and coating the insides of your lungs with the water. This is also a good tactic with a child who is having trouble breathing due to a croupy cough. Get the bathroom nice and steamy, and carry them in there (if a young child) or take them in there with you (if older) and let them breathe deep. Don't be afraid to stay in for 15 or 20 minutes or more. This will help you (or your child) to breathe better, feel better, and your body will be the better able to loosen the congestion that makes them feel like someone's standing on their chest. Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is 'Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,' and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers. His website is http://www.NetworkForNurses.com and his health blog is at http://www.shababa.blogspot.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Buyer Beware: Is That Ergonomic Chair Really Ergonomic? Not everybody knows exactly what ergonomic means, but it's getting to the point where everybody knows an "ergonomic chair" is better than just some plain old chair. Thus even Joe Newbie is more likely to buy the ergonomic chair than the chair that is not advertised as ergonomic. Natural Alternatives vs. Prescription Drugs Natural Alternatives: A growing phenomenon across this world which is a very diverse concept yet very divine and instrumental in healing health diseases. It might be thought as any health care which is not a part of the mainstream medical establishment. Ganoderma the Miracle Herb - Can It Help You? Let us see if Ganoderma which has been discribed as the "miracle herb" can help you with your health regime.Ganoderma is a type of mushroom that has been know to the far east for thousands of years for its meraculous medicinal properties. Acupressure Developed in Asia over 5,000 years ago, acupressure is an ancient healing therapy that utilizes fingers to depress key locations on the skin's surface to prompt healing withing the body. Similar to acupuncture, acupressure uses the same reference points on the body that release muscular stress; thus encouraging better blood circulation. Citronnelle Remember the last Dumpling Festival? Did your mother or grandmother hang a pair of small bundle of sweet-scented grass in the morning on top of the door? Did they claim that the grass has the power to dispel evil when you use the water boiled with the leave for bathing? Did you remember the distinct, unmistakable lemon-like fragrance that left you feeling very invigorated? That leaf is none other than Citronnelle.Description of CitronnelleLike lemongrass and rosemary, citronnelle also belongs to the grass family, which is rich in essential oil. How Pain Relief Visualization Statements Work Visualization statements represent the specific language that your subconscious wants you to read back to it to help ease your pain. They're simple and are targeted directly at the main factors that could bring you relief. Using Asian Herbal Combinations for Treating Hemorrhoids Asian HerbsI have found Chinese herb formulations quite effective in treating hemorrhoid symptoms. It is now easy to find these herbs, since there are Chinese herb store in most cities. Drug Addiction Treatment Centers: A Fresh Start Half a decade ago, I started working on a hotline to help addicts and their families find drug addiction treatment centers. Thousands of calls later, I still remember the first time I picked up the line. Air Fresheners, Or Are They? For years I've prided myself on believing that I take a very natural approach to the wellness of me and my family. However, I recently ventured into the aromatherapy market and found out, much to my dismay, that I was wrong. The Benefits of Swedish Massage Swedish massage is the most common form of relaxation massage offering many relaxing as well as healing properties to your body. Swedish massage combines the use of long strokes, kneading and friction techniques to manipulate the soft tissues of the body causing a variety of benefits to your body to help it to heal itself. Herbal Therapy Herbal Therapy, also referred to as Herbalism, is one of the oldest healthcare means known to mankind. Herbal therapy is the utilization of herbs for various therapies, remedies or medicinal purposes. Kokoro no Kaze: Does Your Soul Have a Cold? Feeling sad? Have you lost interest in things you used to enjoy? Perhaps you're suffering from a cold of the soul.That's the concept that has taken Japan by storm in the last five years, thanks to a culturally savvy marketing campaign launched by pharmaceutical companies to turn mild depression into an acceptable malady that a simple prescription can cure. Smoking-Quit with Whispers and Acupuncture Do you want to stop smoking badly enough to try? If you do, start now. Don't wait for what happened to my friend Waleed. Powerful Essential Oils Kill Nail Fungus Fungal infection of the nails is the one of the most difficult of all disorders to cure. Both fingernails and toenails may be affected, although toenail fungal infection is the most common type. Homeopathy: A Natural Health 101 Article What It IsIn Homeopathy, extremely dilute preparations are given to a patient to spur the patient's immune system into action and re-balance the body's "vital force". The preparations are extremely dilute--often going well beyond Avogadro's Limit--but are "succussed" or rapped firmly onto a padded surface to, as Homeopaths believe, send healing vibrationationl energy throughout the remedy. You Don't Have to Live With Stiff Neck Pain Getting quality sleep has, for many, become an elusive goal in the modern day. We work longer hours, take less time off, and try to overcompensate by micromanaging what little free time is available to in order to enjoy all facets of our lives. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Symptoms Urinary tract infection is caused by bacteria in one of the tracts through which urine passes. The infection can occur in the urethra, ureters, or the urinary bladder. Ethical Guidelines For Hypnotherapy The study of ethics concerns moral choices, generally in the areas of relationships, agreements between parties, intentions, and possible outcomes. In practice this starts as the observation of the moral choices people make and the reasons given for these choices. Iridology: A Natural Health 101 Article What It IsIridology is the art of discovering weaknesses in the body through examination of the iris of the eye. Apparently based on an ancient Egyptian diagnostic method, modern iridology as we know it dates only to the mid-19th century. Do Magnets Work? The scientific explanation behind magnet therapy is that the magnetic fields produced by magnets (generating electromagnetic current) penetrates the human body thereby affecting the functioning of individual cells and improve the various disorders by taking care of the entire body system. Precisely how the magnetic fields do this remains a mystery, but there are several hypotheses.
|
| Alternative home | site map | Beauty | Massage oils | Essential Oils | Health and Pregnancy | Alternative medicine Courses |
| Alternative medicine © 2006 |