With the changing weather we can already see an increase in the number of bugs going around – the last week in August brought a sharp rise in the numbers of people looking for Echinacea and Ivy Thyme (a good cough remedy), as well as Vitamin C and Garlic. But a home remedy I am very fond of (and have been trying out a lot this week!) is simple Steam Inhalation – I use A.Vogel’s Po Ho Oil Inhaler (for sale in most healthfood shops €15.99 including a bottle of oil that will last you for years) but you can also simply use a towel and a bowel of water.
You can use inhalation to help with nasal congestion, coughs, and sore throats. If you are too congested to breathe in through your nose then use your mouth but purse your lips – the steam will moisturise and looses the congestion in your nose.
The main thing I find is not to have the water too hot. Too cold clearly doesn’t work – no steam – but too hot means your nostrils (and eyes and face if you are using the towel method) get burned and it’s hard to breath the steam deep into your lungs. If you get the right temperature you find you can inhale deeply and it’s not too uncomfortable.
You can add all kinds of things to the water to increase the effectiveness of steaming. Olbas Oil is the most well-known oil, and it is pretty good, but the oils it is made with are not actually natural oils. I actually prefer A.Vogel’s Po Ho Oil because they use pure essential oils (including peppermint which is very good for clearing the head – also for nausea). You could also make up a blend of what you have at home, just be very aware not to use too many drops as essential oils are very strong! Two or three drops in total is actually enough. Tea tree oil is good, as is Eucalyptus and Peppermint. You can also use fresh or dried thyme leaves as an inhalation for chesty coughs and for sore throats you can make Sage leaf and honey tea…it’s very soothing. I’ve written before about Carrageen Moss drink for colds, and don’t forget cider vinegar and honey – if it appeals to you it can be an excellent disinfectant and detoxing remedy when you have a cold.
I find steaming particularly good just before bed. If you have a little one and you want to improve their breathing, you can put some oils one the shower floor and run the shower hot and bring them into the room for 5 minutes. You can also use an oil burner or candle (add drops of oil to the melted wax of a natural wax candle) and just take the candle or burner out of their room before you leave.
If someone else in the house has a cold and you want to minimise your risk of catching it, you can do steam and oil inhalations to disinfect your nasal passages and keep the germs from getting a hold of you. You can also breath in sea salty water – but that’s another whole article! Look up Neti Pots and how to use them on Google if you are interested.
Stay well! Hannah Dare
