How can you treat bronchitis at home? Bronchitis - treatment with folk remedies and medications. Treatment of bronchitis in children at home

Chronic bronchitis is a common pathology of the respiratory system. Like any other chronic disease, bronchitis affects adults (up to 10% of the population). Since the disease is associated with slowly progressive changes in the bronchial wall and tissue, most often this diagnosis is made to people after 40 years of age.

In the past, men suffered from bronchitis several times more often. However, the spread of smoking among women has led to an increase in the incidence of the disease in this category. The question of whether chronic bronchitis can be cured forever, and what methods are the most effective, is becoming increasingly relevant.

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What is chronic bronchitis

Bronchitis in the chronic stage is a pathology in which the bronchial mucosa undergoes a functional and irreversible change:

• The mechanism of bronchial mucus secretion is damaged;
• the mechanism for clearing mucus from the bronchi is deformed;
• bronchial immunity is suppressed;
• the walls of the bronchi become inflamed, thickened and sclerotized.

As a result of these changes, the bronchopulmonary system becomes easily accessible to infections, which is manifested by periodic exacerbations of the disease. Over time, the walls of the bronchi thicken, scars appear on them, and the mucous membrane swells more and more. As a result, the ability of the bronchi to conduct air decreases.

Why does the disease occur?

There are 2 factors in the development of the disease:

• Systematic inhalation of aggressive substances leading to damage to the mucous membrane;
• hereditary predisposition.

Studies have found that those who have relatives with chronic bronchitis suffer from this disease 3 times more often than those who do not have a hereditary predisposition. At the same time, the hereditary factor does not have a significant effect on the frequency of relapses of bronchitis and its chronicity in smokers.

Smoking is the main and unconditional factor leading to chronic bronchitis. It is no coincidence that this disease is common in countries with a large percentage of the smoking population.

The main signs of the disease

Symptoms in remission phase:

• Cough;
• sputum production;
• shortness of breath ("smoker's bronchitis");
• sweating (with little physical activity, at night).

The severity of symptoms is individual, depending on the degree of change in the walls of the bronchi and the age of the patient.

Coughing attacks are most intense in the morning. Sputum production is variable: it can be very scanty or completely absent, or it can reach half a standard glass in a day. The determining factor for the patient’s well-being is not so much the amount of sputum coughed up, but rather the degree of its viscosity. Very viscous bronchial secretions give rise to long and tiresome coughing attacks.

Types and features of the chronic form

During periods of exacerbation, the disease can develop variably. It can take a catarrhal or purulent form.

Catarrhal

Catarrhal is called ordinary bronchitis in the acute phase, characterized by inflammation and swelling of the bronchial mucosa. Catarrhal exacerbation is usually provoked by viruses or irritating factors of a non-infectious nature (smoking, cold air, severe air pollution).

Symptoms:

• Increased cough;
• increased sputum production;
• sputum is mucous in nature, but may have small purulent inclusions;
• slight increase in temperature (within 37.5 degrees);
• dyspnea;
• wheezing when exhaling;
• increased sweating.

Despite the fact that bronchial obstruction is observed to some extent in all cases of exacerbation, the appearance of symptoms such as shortness of breath and wheezing when exhaling indicates an unstable course of the disease.

The appearance of shortness of breath during an exacerbation indicates a high probability of developing obstructive changes in the bronchi in the future.

Purulent

Bacteria play a leading role in the development of purulent exacerbation.

Symptoms of purulent bronchitis in the acute phase:

• Increased cough;
• increased sputum production;
• purulent contents in sputum;
• degrees and above;
• dyspnea;
• wheezing when exhaling;
• increased sweating;
• weakness.

Purulent chronic bronchitis always occurs more severely and longer than catarrhal bronchitis.

Mixed

Mixed refers to an exacerbation caused by a complex of various factors: viruses, bacteria, non-infectious irritants.

Unspecified bronchitis

In accordance with the medical classification, unspecified bronchitis includes those bronchitis whose cause cannot be clearly established. As a rule, this type of bronchitis occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to negative factors. For example: unfinished or improper treatment of acute bronchitis + often recurrent bronchitis due to smoking and infectious respiratory diseases.

Is it possible to permanently cure the chronic form?

Like any chronic disease, bronchitis is associated with functional changes in the functioning of organs and tissues, which are irreversible.

These changes include:

• Increased size of bronchial secretory cells;
• production of large amounts of mucus by secretory cells;
• the mucus produced becomes more viscous;
• decrease in the number of ciliated cells in the bronchial epithelium.

Taken together, these changes do not allow for effective cleansing of the bronchi, creating favorable conditions for the development of a bacterial infection, which provokes an exacerbation, which, in turn, impairs the drainage of the bronchi, and so on.

However, stable remission (up to the complete absence of symptoms) can be achieved.

How to cure chronic bronchitis forever

Despite the fact that it is not possible to cure the chronic form of bronchitis, proper treatment of exacerbations and preventive measures during periods of remission can slow down the progression of the disease.

Treatment with drugs

Chronic bronchitis should be treated with medication only during periods of exacerbation, unless otherwise indicated by the attending physician.

Bronchodilators

Bronchodilators are prescribed for severe bronchospasm and decreased air flow until shortness of breath and wheezing appear when exhaling.

Commonly used bronchodilators:

• Eufillin;
• Theophylline;
• Salbutamol (also in combination with theophylline).

Expectorants

Mucolytic drugs for the treatment of chronic bronchitis in adults:

• Acetylcysteine;
• Ambroxol;
• Ascoril (with a bronchodilator effect);
• Erespal (with anti-inflammatory effect).

Antibacterial drugs

During an exacerbation, chronic bronchitis should be treated with antibiotics, regardless of the amount of purulent content in the sputum. In accordance with the sensitivity of microorganisms, they use a choice of: penicillin drugs, macrolides, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones.

Inhalation treatment

In the case of bronchodilators, inhalation is usually preferable to taking tablet medications. Clinical guidelines for the treatment of chronic bronchitis mention drugs based on:

• Salbutamol (Salbutamon, Ventolin, etc.);
• fenoterol (Fenoterol, Berotek, etc.).

Expectorant inhalations performed using a nebulizer are very effective with drugs such as:

• Ambroxol;
• (including with an antibiotic).

Halotherapy for bronchitis

For many patients, visiting a salt cave is one of the ways to prevent exacerbations. A special halogenerator saturates the air in the room with salt particles. They penetrate deep into the respiratory tract and settle on the bronchial mucosa. Salt has beneficial effects, in particular:

• Has an antiseptic effect;
• stimulates local immunity;
• helps normalize the functioning of secretory cells.

There are 2 restrictions on the use of halotherapy:

• Individual intolerance - in some people, the mucous membrane reacts poorly to contact with salt, irritation and swelling occur;
• period of exacerbation of bronchitis.

Treatment with folk remedies

In the treatment of chronic bronchitis in adults, herbal remedies with an expectorant effect have a positive effect:

• Thermopsis lanceolata (herb);
• thyme (herb);
• oregano (herb);
• coltsfoot (leaves);
• wild rosemary (shoots);
• elecampane (roots);
• marshmallow (roots).

Chronic bronchitis can be treated with folk remedies, either using one type of plant material or a mixture of several of the above-mentioned herbal remedies.

1. Place 1-3 tablespoons of vegetable raw materials into the pan.
2. Pour in 1 glass of hot boiled water (not boiling water).
3. Place the lid on the pan and carefully place it in another pan of boiling water (“water bath”).
4. Leave in a water bath for 15 minutes.
5. Cool at room temperature.
6. Drain the liquid and squeeze out the resulting pulp.
7. Take 1/3 glass between meals.

Please note: to preserve the beneficial properties of herbs, they should not be infused or boiled. They must be subjected to gentle heating at a temperature not exceeding 100 degrees C.

It should be noted that it is impossible to cure chronic bronchitis forever with folk remedies.

Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises are the main physiotherapeutic procedure shown to help permanently cure chronic bronchitis. It can consist not only of passive breathing exercises, but also involve the whole body.

One of the most famous breathing exercises complexes was developed in the USSR by A.N. Strelnikova and bears her name. For example, it involves the use of arms, legs, tension in the shoulder and abdominal girdle. Due to complex physical activity, tissue respiration is enhanced, the respiratory organs are toned, and a cascade of reactions is launched that stimulate the immune system and improve mood.

In general, for bronchitis in the chronic stage, any moderate physical activity is useful: walking, climbing stairs, exercise, swimming.

Advice on how to treat chronic bronchitis with breathing exercises: it should be done consciously, enjoy it and understand that it helps improve health.

Breathing exercises are more important in treatment.

Massage for bronchitis

Massage can be useful for bronchitis, which is accompanied by difficult to separate sputum or a large amount of it. They use a vibration massage technique: tapping on the back creates impulses that penetrate the tissues and organs of the body, including the bronchi. This helps the secretion to be better separated from the bronchial walls and contributes to its more successful removal to the outside.

Treatment of chronic bronchitis in children

Chronization is an exceptional phenomenon. Frequent relapses of bronchitis, especially accompanied by shortness of breath, may indicate the allergic nature of the disease, i.e. O .

Symptoms of exacerbation of bronchitis in children are pronounced, with general intoxication. Inhalations play a leading role in the treatment of chronic bronchitis in children. The treatment method does not differ from that used in adults.

Is chronic bronchitis contagious or not?

The disease in remission is not contagious, even if catarrhal symptoms (cough, cough) occur.

During an exacerbation, the patient is a carrier of a viral or bacterial infection, to the same extent as a person with any other acute respiratory disease (,).

It should be noted that bronchitis is not caused by any specific microorganism. A person suffering from bronchitis in the acute phase, when sneezing and coughing, releases bacteria and viruses into the environment, which can cause acute respiratory infections, flu or any other respiratory infection in another person.

Why is chronic bronchitis dangerous?

Without supportive treatment (primarily, without breathing exercises) and with the persistence of destructive factors (mainly smoking), the disease will progress with an increase in bronchial obstruction and a decrease in their capacity.

What are the most dangerous consequences of chronic bronchitis?

• respiratory failure;
• heart failure.

Prevention methods

1. Vaccination against influenza and pneumonia.
2. Periodic intake of immunostimulants during the cold half of the year.
3. To give up smoking.
4. Daily moderate physical activity.
5. Don't get too cold.
6. Avoid contact with people with respiratory infections.
7. Wash your hands frequently to prevent infection from entering the respiratory tract.

Chronic bronchitis can be treated at home using traditional methods in combination with drug therapy.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that it is impossible to cure chronic bronchitis forever, there are a large number of examples where adequate treatment and the right lifestyle helped achieve stable remission. The absence of exacerbations leads to a slowdown in the progression of the disease and to a better state of health for the patient.

Quitting smoking and moderate physical activity are key factors to improve the prognosis for the course of the disease. A neglectful attitude leads to complications of chronic bronchitis.

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Many people are interested in how to treat bronchitis at home, which is understandable. After all, this is a very common disease that often occurs along with influenza, ARVI, or occurs as a complication of them. As a result of this, in addition to a high fever and runny nose, the patient experiences a constant and severe cough, during which he cannot clear his throat. If you come to the patient’s aid in time and treat acute bronchitis at home, you can significantly improve the patient’s well-being by eliminating the unpleasant and often painful symptoms of the disease. If you do not do this, constantly violating bed rest, then the acute form of inflammation will quickly turn into chronic, which will significantly increase the duration of recovery and worsen the patient’s well-being.

To speed up recovery during bronchitis, it is important to follow certain rules:

• immediately after the onset of the disease, it is recommended to carry out bed rest for 2-3 days, which after this time can be slightly weakened by replacing it with semi-bed rest, which must be observed for another couple of days;
• It will be possible to make the patient’s breathing easier during the treatment of bronchitis in adults by using air humidifiers or by constantly moistening the battery with water;
• You can clean the air in the room and destroy harmful bacteria in it by observing frequent wet cleaning;
• as soon as the body temperature is restored and does not exceed the permissible norm, the patient will be able to take a walk outside to breathe fresh air, while choosing places for walking away from highways.

It must be remembered that treatment of bronchitis at home should be carried out while following a diet, which will fill the body with vitamins. You also need to stop smoking at least for a while.

To cure bronchitis at home in a short time, you need to drink a lot, which will ensure a quick recovery for the patient. In addition to the fact that drinking plenty of fluids helps cleanse the body of toxins, it also helps to better liquefy mucus. You can drink anything during the course of inflammation, but the greatest benefits are found in decoctions made from healing herbal infusions - chamomile, mint, linden, raspberries and rose hips. Honey cocktails based on sparkling water and milk, made from Borjomi or Narzan, also provide great health benefits. At the same time, those who are interested in how to properly treat bronchitis should remember that it is undesirable to drink coffee during it, since caffeine contributes to dehydration of the body.

In severe cases of the disease, the patient requires mandatory hospitalization, where he undergoes intensive therapeutic measures aimed at facilitating breathing, restoring the respiratory organs, and also at promptly releasing sputum when coughing. If the patient has a mild degree of pathology, then it is quite possible to get rid of bronchitis at home, strictly following the advice and treatment prescribed by the doctor. This can be done using certain medicinal compounds prescribed by the doctor. It is also worth using traditional methods of treating bronchitis, which quite often help cure bronchial inflammation forever.

During the treatment of acute and chronic bronchitis in adults, the prescription of antibiotics will be inappropriate, since a strong immune system can successfully defeat the pathology on its own.

If there are no changes in the blood flow, and the patient has no sputum with pus, the use of antimicrobial drugs is prohibited for the treatment of bronchitis.

After all, such drugs will not be able to cause an antiviral and anti-inflammatory effect, but they can worsen the course of the disease and the general condition of the victim.

The patient may have the following symptoms:

• increased temperature that lasts for a long time;
• sputum with pus, which leaves the bronchi with a cough;
• deterioration of the condition that occurs 5 days after the acute stage of the disease has passed.

In this case, you must once again visit a specialist who will conduct an additional medical examination. To do this, he will give the patient a referral for some important tests and x-rays, and then prescribe him a course of antibiotics that can cure the bacterial infection associated with the inflammation of the bronchi.

Only the attending physician must prescribe medications. Before determining bronchitis and identifying this diagnosis, the doctor will conduct a diagnostic examination of the patient, send him for a chest x-ray and decipher the test results. As these manipulations are completed, the doctor is allowed to establish a diagnosis and prescribe the most effective medications for the treatment of bronchitis to the victim.

You must always remember that during the course of the disease you should not use antibiotics, especially if the disease attacked a person against the background of influenza or ARVI. Antibiotics are prescribed to the victim only if the patient’s condition deteriorates significantly, and bronchitis is accompanied by a bacterial infection that causes considerable harm to human health.

When carrying out traditional medicine methods, the following drugs are used:

1. Antiviral compounds. If the disease has attacked the human body as a result of damage to the body by viruses, to treat it it is necessary to take antiviral medications, for example, Interferon or its analogues.
2. Expectorant compounds. To relieve dry cough, patients drink an infusion of licorice, linden or coltsfoot. When sputum appears, the above herbs need to be replaced with expectorants - marshmallow, anise drops, thyme, ivy leaves, as well as any type of chest tea. They promote increased mucus removal and improve the victim’s breathing. In addition, taking such medications speeds up recovery.
3. Inhalations. Inhalations can successfully combat bronchial inflammation at home in adults, but they can only be carried out when the victim has a normal temperature.

There are a large number of recipes for carrying out such a procedure, which are considered effective and efficient for bronchitis - solutions based on salt and soda, pine buds, pine oil, mint and herbal preparations.

No less beneficial in treatment are oils based on rosemary and garlic, which facilitate coughing.

It is possible to cope with the disease more quickly with the help of inhalations based on sea salt. To make them, you need to take 1 kg of salt, then heat it in a saucepan, and then add coltsfoot leaves, strawberries or thyme. When carrying out the procedure, you need to throw a towel over your head, and then inhale the vapor of sea salt or any other medicinal composition under it. You can also pour or pour everything into a teapot and inhale warm steam through its spout. Usually 4-5 such treatment procedures are enough to significantly improve your health. After all, as soon as the first inhalation is completed, the bronchi expand, sputum is cleared better, and the cough is relieved.

Hot wraps with simultaneous inhalation using potato decoction are also effective. If you drop a couple of drops of fir oil into it, this will promote better removal of phlegm from the body.

1. Carrying out massage and special breathing exercises. Massage, like inhalations, is done only if the victim does not have a fever. It is also allowed to carry out self-massage at home, using any devices for this - hand-held massagers and vibration devices, powered by batteries or from the mains.

Upon completion of the acute stage of the disease, it is allowed to perform gymnastics, which is considered the best way to strengthen the respiratory system.

1. Sorbents. To relieve symptoms of intoxication when infectious and viral pathologies develop in the body, you need to take pharmaceuticals for treatment - sorbents, namely Polyphepan, Enterosgel, Filtrum, Polysorb. It is best to take them once a day at night. In this case, the medicine will be completely absorbed into the blood and begin its therapeutic effect. The duration of taking sorbents should be determined by the doctor.

You should always remember that self-medication is dangerous to health - only a qualified doctor can prescribe treatment to the patient, which consists of taking medications that will help normalize the person’s condition and alleviate the symptoms of the disease.

Bronchitis is a disease that can be successfully treated with folk remedies at home. There are a large number of different recipes that help to carry out effective and “complete” treatment of chronic bronchitis with folk remedies in adults.

The most famous and easy of them are the following recipes:

1. Collection based on medicinal herbs. Folk remedies for chronic bronchitis involve the use of herbs such as calendula, sage, calamus and chamomile as treatment. These herbs have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, so they can be safely used as a treatment if the victim is not allergic to them. To make a medicinal infusion, you need to take a spoonful of the herb and then fill it with water (one glass). Infuse the liquid with the lid closed for an hour. Doctors recommend drinking the healing infusion 3 times a day.
2. Honey and radish. This is an old but effective method of combating bronchial inflammation. To prepare it, you need to squeeze the juice out of the radish, then mix it with honey in equal proportions. After this, this mass is used to treat chronic bronchitis. If the patient is not allergic to honey, this recipe will greatly ease the course of a dry cough, and will also allow you to cure chronic bronchitis in a short time.
3. Dill, butter and garlic cloves. How to treat chronic bronchitis? An excellent folk expectorant for bronchitis is a sandwich on which butter will be spread, as well as garlic and dill sprigs. To prepare it, you need to chop 5 cloves of garlic, and also take 100 g of butter. It is recommended to eat such a sandwich 3 times a day until the disease is completely cured. Among other methods of treating the disease, this is considered the easiest and most accessible. It is important to note that this method of treatment can be prescribed by the attending physician, as it helps to quickly get rid of inflammation, having only a positive effect on the human body.

Even with traditional treatment of bronchitis, it is important to observe the dosage of products and medicinal plants, since otherwise this will worsen the patient’s condition and cause complications of the pathology.

1. Juice therapy. Traditional recipes for bronchitis involve treating the disease with fruits and vegetables. Those who do not know how to cure bronchitis at home should know that juice therapy is a powerful option for complete recovery of the body, with which you can quickly help with bronchitis in adults.

Vegetable juices such as beetroot and carrot are considered the most beneficial.

Such drinks can cleanse the body of harmful elements, as well as cleanse the bronchial cavity. It is better to prepare juices at home so that they are more natural and healthy. To do this, you need to grate the vegetables and then squeeze out all the juice from them. They should be drunk without sugar or other additives. It is allowed to store the medicine in the refrigerator.

1. Positive attitude of the patient at the psychological level. Traditional medicine claims that the positive attitude of the victim is of considerable importance - this is especially true for people with chronic diseases. In this case, the brain receives a strong impetus to optimize all human powers for healing.

The above folk remedies for bronchitis successfully fight the disease, especially if such treatment is combined with traditional medicine.

Non-traditional treatment of acute bronchitis in adults

How to treat bronchitis in an adult at home? Bronchitis, the treatment of which with folk remedies has proven itself, is considered a quick option for getting rid of inflammation of the bronchial cavity.

It is important to coordinate the treatment of bronchitis with folk remedies with your doctor, as otherwise the health condition can be greatly aggravated.

The most proven methods of treating pathology include:

1. Honey with radish. This recipe is ancient and widely known today. To carry it out, you need to make a hole in the radish using a sharp knife, where you put a little honey. After a couple of hours, the vegetable will give juice, after which this mixture can be drunk several times a day. However, one should not forget about the traditional treatment of the disease, since radish can only alleviate the symptoms of the disease, but is not able to completely protect the patient from bronchitis.
2. Aloe juice. It is known that aloe is a useful flower, with which it is possible to treat acute bronchitis without side effects. To do this, the patient will need to combine the plant juice with any animal fat, and then add a piece of butter to the mass. If desired, cocoa can be added to the mixture for taste. To cure bronchitis with folk remedies, eat the mixture, one spoon at a time, which can be quickly dissolved in a glass of milk. You should drink this medicinal drink a couple of times a day.
3. Milk mixed with lard. Another useful folk remedy for the treatment of bronchitis, which can be taken not only during the course of the disease, but also at a time when the pathology has already receded. Lard helps to perfectly restore the patient’s strength, as well as normalize his general condition. It is recommended to drink milk 4-5 times a day, as there is no harm from such a drink.
4. Onions mixed with honey. Mix 0.5 kilograms of onion with 400 grams of sugar, then add 2 tablespoons of honey to the mixture. Fill the food with water (1 liter) and boil for 3 hours. Folk remedies for treating bronchitis based on onions should be strained, poured into a container, and then placed in a cold place. Before taking the liquid, you need to warm it up a little so as not to aggravate the course of the disease. You should drink this decoction one sip 6 times a day.

How to treat the disease in acute form? You can also use the most common method of treating bronchial inflammation - milk with soda and honey. We treat bronchitis with this composition for 2-3 weeks, without missing a single day.

It is not difficult to get rid of bronchitis in adults using folk remedies - the main thing is to follow the treatment regimen prescribed by the doctor.

You can also cure acute bronchitis at home in other ways. These include the use of traditional plant-based recipes and heating. When using a specific treatment method, you need to consult your doctor about it.

Warming up. How to quickly overcome bronchitis? Warming is an important method of treating bronchial inflammation. After all, heat allows you to restore damaged mucous membranes, as well as normalize your overall health.

The scheme will be like this:

1. Boil some potatoes, then mash them with a potato masher, add a spoonful of oil and a couple of drops of iodine.
2. After this, mix the mixture thoroughly, put it in a bag or rag, and then apply it to the chest or back.
3. Then we wrap ourselves in a blanket or a scarf to enhance the effect of the treatment.

Such warming up should be done at night, since during sleep a person will certainly not be exposed to a draft.

To avoid burning the skin, this folk remedy for bronchitis is applied to skin greased with any animal fat.

After rubbing, you should wear a warm jacket and drink warm milk to enhance the thermal effect. If desired, mustard plasters are applied to the calves during warming up.

After cured bronchitis, you can warm your chest for a few more days to avoid relapses.

Treatment with herbs.

To quickly overcome bronchitis and its unpleasant symptoms, you should prepare an infusion based on one of the herbs, such as:

• calendula;
• St. John's wort;
• sage;

Take one spoon of any herb and pour it with a glass of water. Let it sit for a short time until the water acquires a brighter shade.

You need to drink this infusion throughout the day in small doses. You should not leave the liquid the next day, as it will lose all its healing properties.

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Bronchitis is an inflammatory disease of the bronchial mucosa. Most often it develops against the background of respiratory infections, but it can also have other causes. To understand how to treat bronchitis in a particular case, it is important to identify these causes. Competent therapeutic tactics will help eliminate the main symptoms of the disease in a few days.

Treatment of bronchitis is the sphere of competence of a pulmonologist, but in mild forms this disease is treated by general specialists - therapists.

What drugs and antibiotics help with the disease?

Before prescribing any drug, the doctor determines the cause of the disease. Bronchitis of a viral, bacterial and allergic nature requires a different approach.

Therefore, the list of drugs for the treatment of bronchitis includes drugs from different groups:

Drug group	Name	Application	Contraindications
Mucolytics	"Bromhexine"	1-2 tablets with a dosage of 8 mg 3 times a day	exacerbation of gastrointestinal ulcers; I trimester of pregnancy; lactation.
	"Ambrohexal"	1 tablet with a dosage of 30 mg 3 times a day	I trimester of pregnancy;
	"Fluimucil"	1 effervescent tablet dissolved in a glass of water, 1 time per day	peptic ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute phase; lactation; individual intolerance.
Bronchodilators	"Salbutamol"	1 tablet with a dosage of 4 mg 2-4 times a day	heart rhythm disturbances; heart diseases; epilepsy; diabetes; thyroid disease; pregnancy.
	"Theotard"	Orally in capsules. The dosage is determined individually.	epilepsy; gastritis and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract; heart diseases; bleeding and hemorrhage; prostate hypertrophy; pregnancy.
Antiviral	"Viferon"	Rectally, 1 suppository with a dosage of 500,000 IU 2 times a day	individual intolerance.
	"Tamiflu"	1 tablet with a dosage of 75 mg 2 times a day	individual intolerance; pregnancy and lactation - with caution.
Antibiotics	"Flemoxin Solutab"	1 tablet 500 mg 2 times a day	pregnancy and lactation; kidney and liver dysfunction; pathology of the gastrointestinal tract; lymphocytic leukemia and mononucleosis.
	Ofloxacin	1-3 tablets 2 times a day. The dosage is calculated individually.	pregnancy and lactation; epilepsy and neuropathy; individual intolerance.

Antibiotics for bronchitis are prescribed only if an infection of bacterial origin is detected. Antiviral drugs are recommended for the treatment of viral infectious bronchitis. Bronchodilators - with the development of bronchospasms or in cases where hypersecretion of mucus is observed in the bronchi and they cannot get rid of mucus on their own.

Therapy for bronchitis of various origins also involves the use of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory drugs: Timogen, Aflubin, Immunal. Antihistamines - Suprastin, Zyrtec - can also be prescribed.

Inhalations as a treatment method

Inhalations are a mandatory procedure included in the bronchitis treatment program.

Direct delivery of the drug to the bronchi helps achieve the following effects:

• thinning thick sputum;
• moisturizing the mucous membrane;
• reduction of inflammation;
• relieving bronchospasm.

You can carry out inhalation at home using the “old-fashioned” method - breathe over a hot solution, covered with a towel. But it is much more convenient and safer to perform this procedure using a nebulizer.

The nebulizer allows you to use pharmaceutical drugs for bronchitis for inhalation - “Fluimucil”, “Lazolvan”, “Gensalbutamol”, “Berodual”. In the absence of a device, steam inhalations are carried out with homemade solutions, which will be discussed below.

Also, this procedure is contraindicated in case of cardiovascular diseases, a history of heart attacks and strokes, severe pathologies of the respiratory system (emphysema, pneumothorax, etc.).

Folk remedies

In the collection of folk remedies there are many useful recipes that can be used as aids in the treatment of bronchitis:

• Infusion for inhalation of chamomile and pine buds. Place 30 grams of chamomile flowers and 30 grams of pine buds in a thermos and brew 0.5 liters of boiling water. Screw on the lid and leave for 1 hour.
• Expectorant and anti-inflammatory infusion for inhalation. Make an herbal mixture: 1 tablespoon each of eucalyptus leaf, licorice root, calendula and chamomile flowers, sage herb. Place everything in a thermos, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water and screw on the lid. Leave for 2 hours.
• Propolis solution for inhalation. Pour 1 tablespoon of propolis alcohol tincture into 1 glass of hot water and use for steam inhalation.
• Expectorant with honey and aloe. Mix 120 ml of honey, 150 grams of butter and 20 ml of aloe juice and store in the refrigerator. For bronchitis, dilute 2 teaspoons of the product in 1 glass of hot milk 2 times a day.
• Marshmallow root decoction. Add 2 tablespoons of dry crushed marshmallow root to 1 glass of hot water and place in a water bath. Keep covered for 30 minutes, cool, filter and consume 0.5 cups 4 times a day.

For bronchitis, it is useful to drink a lot of warm vitamin drinks. For this purpose, restorative infusions of rose hips and dried fruit compotes will be useful. At this temperature, you can prepare fruit drinks from cranberries, lingonberries, and black currants. Raspberry tea is another universal traditional medicine for the treatment of many respiratory diseases.

Massage and therapeutic exercises

Auxiliary methods for the treatment of bronchial inflammation are massage and breathing exercises.

The goals of these manipulations are as follows:

• improve local blood circulation in the bronchi area;
• improve lymph flow in the bronchi area;
• activate bronchial muscle contractions and epithelial motility;
• normalize oxygen metabolism.

For bronchitis, percussion, drainage and vibration massage is performed:

Type of massage	Execution technique
percussion	1. The chest is vigorously rubbed in the direction of the lymph flow - from bottom to top. 2. The areas where the ribs attach to the vertebrae are rubbed. 3. The intercostal spaces are rubbed from the periphery to the center. 4. Warm up the neck muscles. 5. Symmetrical sequential tapping of the chest is performed through the open palm of one hand.
Drainage	Performed from the back: 1.The chest is vigorously rubbed in the direction of the lymph flow. 2. Using the fingertips, a targeted effect is applied to the intercostal spaces from bottom to top. 3. As you exhale, the patient’s chest is forcibly compressed from the sides several times.
Vibrating	Performed from the back and then from the chest: 1. The chest is rubbed in the direction of the lymph flow. 2. Consecutive symmetrical tapping of the chest is performed directly with a hand clenched into a fist.

Massage is contraindicated for neoplasms in the massage area, epilepsy, hypertension, skin inflammation and elevated body temperature.

Breathing exercises are especially indicated for improving gas exchange in tissues and clearing phlegm from the bronchi.

The Strelnikova complex is especially popular:

• Exercise "Pump". It is done while standing. On a sharp, noisy inhalation, the body leans forward, and on a smooth, long exhalation, it returns to its original position.
• Exercise "Hug your shoulders." Performed sitting. The arms are bent at the elbows, with a sharp noisy inhalation the elbows move energetically towards each other, and with a smooth exhalation they spread apart. This is done alternately with the mouth and nose.
• Exercise “Palms”. Take 100 sharp, noisy breaths through the nose while clenching your palms into fists. Exhalations are smooth. The intervals between breaths are 5 seconds.

Breathing exercises are contraindicated at elevated body temperature, pulmonary tuberculosis, oncological processes, thrombophlebitis.

Treatment depending on the form of bronchitis

Depending on the form of bronchitis, the approach to therapy may have a number of nuances.

Chronic

Chronic bronchitis is diagnosed if the inflammatory process becomes sluggish. A wet cough accompanies a person constantly and is painful. The temperature rises occasionally, to subfebrile levels; no other symptoms of respiratory organ damage are observed.

A pulmonologist deals with the treatment of chronic bronchitis.

Usually he prescribes individual courses, selecting drugs based on the nature of the disease:

• simple chronic bronchitis - antiviral, antimicrobial, mucolytic, anti-inflammatory and restorative agents;
• complicated chronic bronchitis - antibiotics, bronchodilators, mucolytics, anti-inflammatory, tonic agents;
• purulent mucous chronic bronchitis - antibiotics, mucolytics and expectorants, anti-inflammatory, tonic agents.

If chronic bronchitis is complicated by other pathologies (hypoxemia, hypercapnia, cor pulmonale), other specialized specialists are involved in the treatment and the list of drugs is expanded.

Spicy

Acute bronchitis has a pronounced clinical picture and is accompanied by high fever, general intoxication and severe cough. The cough can be either dry or wet. At the early stage, very little sputum is released, it is thick and viscous. Subsequently, it liquefies and its quantity increases.

Treatment of acute bronchitis is carried out according to general principles. Drugs are selected based on the nature of the disease.

Obstructive

In medicine, obstruction is a pathological process in which the lumens of hollow organs close. Accordingly, obstructive bronchitis is characterized by swelling and narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi, accumulation of mucus in them and difficulty breathing.

To treat this form of the disease, the following groups of drugs are prescribed:

• bronchodilators - to relieve spasm and expand the lumen of the bronchi;
• mucolytic - to thin sputum;
• anticholinergic - to reduce the tone of the respiratory muscles;
• anti-inflammatory - to restore the bronchial mucosa.

Obstructive bronchitis can lead to the development of respiratory failure, emphysema, and complications from the cardiovascular system. Treatment must be carried out under strict medical supervision.

Smoker's bronchitis

Often, to make a diagnosis of “smoker’s bronchitis”, other than cough, no other symptoms are needed.

Depending on the stage of the disease, the cough can be of a different nature:

• Stage 1 - mostly in the morning, mild, without sputum;
• Stage 2 - wet, with yellow-brown sputum, at any time of the day;
• Stage 3 - constant, strong, with thick brown sputum.

In parallel with the intensification and change in the nature of the cough, shortness of breath develops with smoker's bronchitis.

In the initial stages, the disease is treated with mucolytic and anti-inflammatory drugs. If pus appears in the sputum, antibiotics are added to the list. In the later stages of the disease, bronchodilators may be required.

Treatment of smoker's bronchitis is promising only if the patient quits smoking.

Allergic

Allergic bronchitis develops in response to the penetration of an allergen into the bronchi - pollen, dust, wool, mold, chemical fumes, etc. The difference between this form of the disease is that the person’s general condition does not suffer, but the cough can be very strong, painful, accompanied by bronchospasm.

How to relieve cough with bronchitis?

You can relieve cough with the drugs listed above from the group of mucolytics.

They help increase mucus secretion and improve its discharge. When the cough becomes wet and productive, the condition improves significantly.

How to cure bronchitis during pregnancy?

Treatment of this disease during pregnancy is carried out in the same way as the usual treatment of bronchitis in adults. The difference lies in the careful and strict selection of drugs - especially from the group of antibiotics. The emphasis in the treatment of bronchial inflammation during pregnancy is on immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory drugs, antiseptic inhalations and physiotherapy.

Since bronchitis tends to be complicated by pneumonia and other severe pathologies, self-medication is unacceptable. The course of the disease and the progress of therapy should be monitored by a doctor.

Bronchitis is an inflammatory lesion of the bronchial mucosa, as a result of which the drainage function of the bronchial tree is disrupted.

If not properly treated, it becomes chronic and can be complicated by pneumonia, so it is important to know the causes of its occurrence, the first symptoms and the basics of treating bronchitis at home in adults.

Damage and inflammation of the bronchial tree can occur as an independent, isolated process (primary bronchitis) or develop as a complication against the background of existing chronic diseases and previous infections (secondary bronchitis).

Damage to the mucous epithelium of the bronchi disrupts the production of secretions, the motor activity of the cilia and the process of cleansing the bronchi. There are acute and chronic bronchitis, which differ in etiology, pathogenesis and treatment.

Among them the most popular are:

1. Viral, bacterial and fungal diseases of the respiratory system (influenza, parainfluenza, laryngitis, pharyngitis).
2. Damage to the bronchi from toxins, for example from smoking or working with chemicals.
3. Dust pollution of the bronchi (most often found among miners).
4. Exposure to allergens contained in the inhaled air (for example, wool, pollen and others).

The main mechanism for the development of bronchitis caused by infectious pathogens is the spread of the pathogen with air or sputum deep into the respiratory system. Infectious diseases most often cause an acute form of bronchitis.

Acute and chronic

Acute bronchitis is an inflammatory process of the bronchial mucosa that occurs due to a variety of reasons. These include infectious agents, viruses, chemical, physical or allergic factors. With bronchitis, the tissues along the walls of the airways swell and produce large amounts of mucus.

Chronic bronchitis is a progressive inflammation of the bronchi, manifested by a cough. It is customary to speak of the chronic nature of the process if the cough continues for at least 3 months. per year for 2 years in a row. Chronic bronchitis is the most common form of chronic nonspecific lung diseases, which tends to become more frequent.

Signs

The most important sign of bronchitis in adults has always been and remains a cough. In addition, there are other symptoms:

• temperature increase: significant or insignificant;
• throat spasms, painful sensations;
• wheezing, difficulty breathing.

If these signs are detected, you need to decide how to treat bronchitis so that it does not cause complications.

Bronchitis symptoms

When bronchitis occurs, cough is the main symptom. It is important to understand that coughing is actually a protective function of the body. In essence, this is an increased exhalation, with the help of which the body tries to get rid of pathogenic agents that have entered the respiratory tract (in this case, viruses, bacteria).

In addition, an adult feels general malaise, loss of appetite, fatigue, and fever. All these are manifestations of general intoxication of the body caused by inflammation of the bronchi. The temperature usually reaches high values ​​- 38 -39⁰С. But sometimes it can be lower, it depends on the individual reactivity of the body.

As a rule, the cough is initially dry, but after a few days it becomes productive (wet), in which sputum is released. The expectorated mucus when coughing may be clear or have a yellowish-gray or greenish tint.

With significant damage to the respiratory tract, small vessels of the lungs may be damaged, as a result of which blood may be present in the sputum. The period of acute symptoms for bronchitis usually lasts 3-4 days. Severe pain behind the chest is also possible. This is especially true during coughing periods. Patients often complain of increased sweating. When the first symptoms appear, it is important to think about how to treat bronchitis and what medications to use.

Symptoms of chronic bronchitis

In chronic bronchitis, cough with scanty sputum, shortness of breath during exercise can be constant symptoms that accompany the patient throughout life.

In this case, an exacerbation of bronchitis is said to occur if there is a significant increase in the above symptoms: increased cough, increased volume of sputum, increased shortness of breath, the appearance of fever, etc.

Bronchitis in adults, especially acute, rarely occurs in isolation. Most often it is combined with the phenomena of rhinitis (cold), tracheitis. This certainly has an impact on the overall clinical picture.

Symptoms of obstructive bronchitis

It is characterized by prolonged exhalation, accompanied by whistling, dry rales and the need to use auxiliary muscles during breathing. Periodically, an intense cough gives way to a weak one. Body temperature values ​​may fluctuate.

Obstructive bronchitis in adults is especially physically tiring, since the act of breathing involves auxiliary muscles, there is constant tension in the muscles of the chest, back, neck, etc.

Treatment of bronchitis in adults

First of all, this is bed rest and drinking plenty of fluids. Acute bronchitis is well treated by maintaining sufficient humidity (60%) and temperature (18-20˚C) in the room where the patient is, regularly drinking warm drinks (up to 4 liters per day), and preventing changes in the temperature of inhaled air.

How and with what to treat bronchitis in adults is a very serious question, because the outcome and prevention of complications depend on the effectiveness of treatment.

1. Initially, you need to quit smoking, get rid of bad habits, and stop being in conditions with harmful environmental factors. All this will maximize the effectiveness of treatment.
2. At the second stage, medications are prescribed that dilate the bronchi, stimulating the receptors: “Salbutamol”, “Bromide”, “Ipratropium Bromide”, “Terbutaline”, “Fenoterol” or others. This stage is primarily intended to solve breathing problems and acute states. If necessary, use antipyretic drugs (ibuprofen, paracetamol).
3. The third stage is the prescription of mucolytics and expectorants, which help make the sputum less thick and viscous. These drugs help to quickly clear it from the respiratory tract. Preparations of plant origin can be used - Thermopsis, Doctor Mom, marshmallow root, licorice, etc., or synthetic - Lazolvan, Ambrobene, Bromhexine, Acetylcysteine, etc.
4. At the fourth stage of treatment, only antibiotics remain. They become necessary in the event of a bacterial infection of the bronchi or the development of complications.

Treatment of acute bronchitis should be started as soon as the diagnosis is made. The earlier treatment measures are taken, the less chance of complications developing. To cure bronchitis, you should consult a specialist. The choice of appropriate drugs depends on the severity of the process and the duration of the disease.

How to treat bronchitis at home

Inhalations for bronchitis at home are a good and effective way to treat the disease and alleviate its symptoms, especially when it is not possible to constantly visit a physiotherapy room.

1. Steam inhalation is a very affordable treatment method at home. To carry it out, you need to take a container, put suitable herbs on the bottom, for example, raspberries, linden and coltsfoot, fill everything with water and bring to a boil. You need to breathe through a funnel made of thick paper.
2. Inhalation with propolis - bring water in a saucepan to a boil, add 3-5 ml of alcohol tincture with propolis and breathe over the steam for 5-15 minutes. You can do inhalation with pure propolis - to do this, you need to heat water in a large container, put a metal bowl with carefully crushed propolis in it - a small piece, 50 grams - and breathe over the steam.
3. For severe pain in the chest area and dry cough, it is very useful to do inhalation based on sea salt, 1 tablespoon of which should be dissolved in 1 liter of water. If salt is not available, you can replace it with an artificial analogue, which is prepared from 1 teaspoon of table salt, the same amount of soda and 4-5 drops of iodine per 1 liter of water.
4. Collection of herbs for inhalation. 50 g each of chamomile herb, sage, eucalyptus leaf, licorice, calendula. pour a liter of boiling water over the string, leave in a thermos for 2 hours, strain.

For inhalation, special devices (inhalers) and devices (nebulizers) are often used, which have a special nozzle through which, in fact, medicinal vapors and aerosols are inhaled. But in the absence of such special equipment, at home you can use improvised kitchen utensils - a kettle, a saucepan or any other container and a towel.

Antibiotics

The question of the advisability of prescribing antibiotics for bronchitis still remains controversial. Many indicate that these drugs destroy the intestinal microflora and suppress the immune system. But in the absence of antibacterial therapy, the infection from the bronchi will spread to the lung tissue and pleura with the development of pneumonia and pleurisy. Prolonged fever - 3 days or more, accompanied by cough, shortness of breath, requires antibiotics.

For the treatment of bronchitis in adults, antibiotics of choice are:

• penicillins (Amoxicillin, Flemoxin, Augmentin),
• cephalosporins (Cefixime, Cefazolin, Claforan, Cefuroxime, Cefaclor),
• macrolides (Vilpramen, Clarithromycin, Azithromycin, Erythromycin, Macropen, Rovamycin),
• fluoroquinolones (Levofloxacin, Sparfloxacin, Moxifloxacin), etc.

You can use a drug with antibiotics for local use - Bioparox. Antibiotics can be administered orally, parenterally, or by inhalation, such as a nebulizer.

Please note that antibacterial agents are not prescribed in all cases. Therefore, the selection of a specific drug must be approached carefully, based on the spectrum of action and the doctor’s recommendations.

How to quickly cure bronchitis and cough in an adult at home?

Bronchitis - diffuse inflammatory disease of the bronchi, the focus of which can be the mucous membrane, and in more complex cases, the entire thickness of the bronchial wall. According to the international classification of diseases, bronchitis is divided into two types: acute and chronic.

Spicy– an inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the tracheobronchial tree, which is characterized by an increase in the volume of bronchial secretion, with the presence of cough with sputum production.

Chronic – a diffuse, progressive process of damage to the bronchial tree with restructuring of the secretory apparatus of the mucous membrane with the development of an inflammatory process, accompanied by hypersecretion of sputum, disruption of the cleansing and protective function of the bronchi.

Bronchitis symptoms

The symptoms will be similar to all acute respiratory infections. Dry, lingering cough, which becomes milder as treatment progresses, fever, weakness, chills, increased sweating. Increased sweating mainly in the back, neck, and face areas.

Certain differences should be highlighted, depending on the type of bronchitis:

• Dry or painful wheezing cough;
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath up to suffocation;
• General weakening of the body or increasing headache up to an obsessive migraine.

Cough is the main symptom of bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is acquired mainly by working in hazardous work, or by the influence of a bad habit such as smoking, as a result of exposure to various external factors on the body.

Diagnosis of bronchitis

Modern diagnosis of bronchitis is varied, objective and very informative. In addition to the patient’s complaints and external signs of the disease, X-ray examinations and relevant laboratory tests are taken into account.

• Clinical examination– collection of patient complaints. In addition to the symptoms, the statute of limitations and the nature of the course of the disease are important at this stage.
• Auscultation– general examination of the patient. Using a phonendoscope (a device for listening to the work of the heart and lungs), the type and nature of breathing (hardness, presence of wheezing) is determined. A general examination of the chest and the presence of pain in this area is also carried out.
• General blood analysis– research to determine the cause of a possible infection, the presence of an inflammatory process in the body
• Sputum analysis occurs when determining the pathogen and its resistance to certain groups of antibiotics.
• Chest X-ray– an image that definitely excludes suspicion of pneumonia (pneumonia)
• Spirometry (spirography)- study of air patency of the respiratory tract.
  A method for excluding bronchial asthma and chronic lung disease (an abnormal inflammatory response of lung tissue to irritation by various pathogenic particles or gases).
• Computed tomography of the chest- a study that determines with high accuracy diseases of the lungs and heart. The method most accurately diagnoses possible pathology.
• Bronchoscopy- examination of the respiratory tract: throat, trachea, larynx, lower respiratory tract, direct examination of the condition and assessment of mucous membranes.

Folk remedies in the treatment of adults

At home, if you follow the general instructions, it is quite possible not only to improve the patient’s condition, but also to completely cure it.

• Bed rest
• Drink plenty of warm drinks
• Comprehensive adherence to medication: antiviral, expectorant, according to doctor’s prescriptions
• Alternating inhalations, breathing exercises, massage

For wet cough

All remedies aimed at treating wet cough are aimed at helping the body separate and remove mucus.

The simplest and most affordable universal ones at home are mustard plasters and compresses.

To treat with mustard plasters you should:

• In a deep bowl, filled with warm water, immerse pre-prepared mustard packets for ten minutes.
• These packages are stacked on the chest, upper back
• Wrapped in a warm blanket, Covering the mustard plasters with a warm towel, leave for about ten to twenty minutes. At the same time, a burning sensation may occur in places where it touches the skin, this indicates the process of warming up.

It consists of several layers, which are characterized by the following features:

• The first layer soaked directly in a substance (ointment, honey, fat, water)
• Second layer a barrier (oilcloth, polyethylene) that tightly holds the substance used to prevent leakage
• The third, fixing layer, A scarf, warm handkerchief or diaper may be suitable.

For dry cough

Very often, the cause of a dry cough is irritation of the upper respiratory tract. The very first remedy will be a systemic gargling.

At home, the most commonly used remedy is baking soda; you can add a decoction or essential oil of chamomile. Drinking plenty of tea throughout the day will help reduce a sore throat.

The most common drinking options for a dry cough:

• Alkaline mineral water, slightly preheated
• Warm herbal breast preparations(plantain, chamomile, rosehip)
• A teaspoon oil solution in a glass of warm milk, with the addition of a teaspoon of honey. Consume one glass twenty minutes before meals.
• Elecampane grass- an excellent remedy for coughs, particularly dry ones. You need to boil 20 g of crushed dry roots of elecampane in 250 g of water for 10 minutes, leave for 4 hours, you can take 1 tbsp. l. 4 times 20 minutes before meals. This is an excellent expectorant.

Juices for bronchitis

To treat bronchitis at home, black radish juice is most often used - an excellent expectorant. Combine a liter of root vegetable juice with two glasses of melted honey. Use in the form of syrup, two tablespoons at night, before bed.

Juice of indoor aloe and lingonberry plants combine one to one with bee honey. The use of carrot, beet, apple, pomegranate, and orange juices will be an excellent therapy for improving immunity and improving the general condition of the body.

The effectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of bronchitis depends on the course and type of the disease:

• In case of viral etiology disease, in case of acute bronchitis, basic general recommendations for treating the disease without including antibiotic treatment are sufficient.
• For chronic bronchitis It is permissible to use groups of antibiotics, taking into account the patient’s age, the severity of the disease, the presence of associated complications and inflammatory processes, and the frequency for a particular period.

In fact, when it comes to acute bronchitis, if the patient has not previously had a respiratory tract disease, the symptoms quickly go away, although they may be accompanied by a lingering cough, as a residual phenomenon of a past infection. You should not immediately resort to using antibiotics. Home treatments are enough.

How to quickly cure bronchitis at home?

By diagnosing the disease at an early stage, from the first day of symptoms, unquestionably adhering to basic recommendations, using comprehensive treatment, it is possible to recover in an average of ten days.

If no improvement is observed, and the condition tends to worsen and become more complicated, the necessary additional examinations should be carried out, and it is possible to apply more aggressive methods of influencing the disease (adding a course of antibiotics), and possibly reconsider the entire treatment process.

Antiviral agents are effective at the very early stage of treatment, because if more than two days have passed since the onset of the first symptoms, these drugs can be considered useless. An example of the most common antiviral agents would be: interferon, geneferon, viferon, deoxyribonuclease, kipferon and others.

Expectorants

To improve the discharge of sputum, expectorants are used, these include various syrups, herbal breast infusions, infusions of thermopsis, licorice, and coltsfoot will be effective.

When sputum has already been discharged, the above-mentioned herbs must be replaced with plantain, ivy leaves, marshmallow, thyme, and anise drops.

Inhalations– a complementary and highly effective treatment for any form of bronchitis, in which medications (herbs, oils, various natural ingredients) enter the respiratory tract using heated steam when inhaled.

The simplest medicines for inhalation are a decoction of chamomile (one tablespoon of dry herbs per glass of boiling water) or pine needles. Essential oils of cedar, pine, and spruce are also suitable.

At home, initially it is enough:

• Place medicinal liquid in a container (an ordinary saucepan or kettle will do)
• Inhale the vapors having previously wrapped yourself in a thick towel, creating a closed space above the container, protecting the lip area and around the eyes with a nourishing cream

It is necessary to take into account the presence of rules and contraindications when using thermal procedures:

• body temperature above normal (over 37.5 C)
• presence of interruptions in the functioning of the cardiovascular system (arrhythmia, hypertension)
• presence of bleeding
• allergenic manifestation
• age restrictions (children under 2 years old, not recommended)

Be sure to follow the rules for inhalation procedures:

• no earlier than an hour after eating
• limit any food intake after the procedure for 30-40 minutes
• after the procedure, stay in a warm room
• inhalations and exhalations during the procedure should be smooth

Massage and breathing exercises are accompanying, auxiliary procedures. These include medical cups, rubbing, mustard plasters. Improving blood circulation in the chest is a complementary remedy in the complex treatment of bronchitis.

As a result of improved blood circulation, muscle contraction of the walls occurs, and the movements of the bronchial epithelium improve. Previously accumulated sputum comes off easier and does not stagnate.

The most common types of massage:

dotted- massage with fingertips on certain points of influence.

Canning– a vacuum stimulator, formed in a special massage jar, enhancing the flow of lymph and blood, improving tissue nutrition.

The use of breathing exercises in combination contributes to positive dynamics in the treatment of respiratory failure. Moreover, positive dynamics are characteristic of both the respiratory and cardiovascular systems of the body.

A simple exercise using a container filled with water and a tube. Having taken in enough air while inhaling, you should exhale through a tube lowered into a container of water, which requires a small effort, which should also be normalized, and in no case should you overdo it.

Prevention of bronchitis

Prevention of bronchitis involves a set of actions aimed at strengthening the immune system, which, if necessary, can actively resist a viral infection, prevent the development of acute bronchitis or relapses of chronic bronchitis.

These actions include:

• Maintaining daily routine and diet
• Sufficient walks in the fresh air
• hardening,
• Healthy lifestyle
• Optimal temperature and humidity conditions in the room.

Prognosis for bronchitis

If we are talking about acute bronchitis, which has an uncomplicated form with an optimally quick reaction and active inclusion in the process of diagnosis and treatment, complete recovery occurs after two weeks.

Longer treatment process This will be typical in the presence of concomitant diseases, including chronic ones, which complicates the recovery process. The chronic form of the disease has foci of inflammation and remission, which is associated with its long course.

How to treat bronchitis at home in adults?

Bronchitis is the most common disease of the respiratory system. It often occurs as a result of people not taking the appearance of a runny nose or redness of the throat seriously. Pathology refers to inflammatory lesions of the mucous membrane of large and medium-sized bronchi.

normal bronchi and bronchitis

Types of bronchitis

For proper therapy, it is important to find out exactly what form of the disease it belongs to and from this make a decision on further treatment.

According to the symptoms of the disease, bronchitis is divided into chronic and acute.

• According to the presence of bronchospasm: obstructive or non-obstructive.

Due to the reason they occur, they are distinguished:

• Infectious, caused by a virus, bacteria or fungus,
• Non-infectious - allergic, asthmatic, smoker's bronchitis.

Depending on the type of disease, the doctor selects the necessary treatment regimen.

Bronchitis symptoms

The symptoms of the disease are striking, so it is difficult to confuse the pathology with an acute respiratory infection or the flu. The main symptoms are:

• general weakness,
• sweating,
• wheezing,
• chest pain,
• increased body temperature, sometimes up to 40 0 ​​C;
• dry cough becomes wet over time,
• labored breathing,
• shortness of breath,
• Coughing attacks can last 15-30 minutes,

Bronchitis is dangerous for infants: due to its rapid development, the disease can develop into pneumonia in a matter of hours.

How to treat

It is impossible to cure bronchitis in one day, since the causes of the disease are varied, and it is impossible to choose a “magic pill” that can cope with such a pathology. Even if the immune system is strong enough, the disease will last at least 4-5 days, and it will take four to seven days to cope with a bacterial infection.

To determine a treatment regimen, first of all, the doctor needs to determine acute or chronic bronchitis, and what its nature is - infectious or bacterial. After diagnosis, home treatment is prescribed: medications, physiotherapy, massage, inhalations, and the use of folk remedies.

Treatment of chronic bronchitis

The chronic form is characterized by prolonged inflammation of the bronchi, which is not associated with local or general lesions of the lungs and is manifested by a cough. A similar diagnosis is indicated if an adult has a cough for more than 3 months a year for 2 or more years.

In children, a similar pathology occurs due to many untreated acute bronchitis; in adults, it is often caused by smoking - this pathology is called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Smoker's bronchitis requires a long course of treatment, so during the period of exacerbation it is necessary to take bronchodilators - mucolytics and expectorants. If an infection occurs, the doctor may add antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs. Patients are prescribed inhalations with alkaline solutions or herbal infusions or chest massage. In addition, taking vitamins, following a diet and drinking regime are mandatory. In severe cases of the disease, bronchoscopy may be prescribed (assessment of the condition of the mucous membranes of the tracheobronchial tree using a special device). If smoker's bronchitis is not treated promptly, it can lead to emphysema and chronic respiratory failure.

A smoker's cough can lead to emphysema

In the treatment of chronic disease in children and adults, the stage of the disease plays an important role. At the acute stage, therapeutic measures are aimed at eliminating inflammatory processes in the bronchi, improving ventilation of the upper respiratory tract, and eliminating spasms. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to completely cure chronic bronchitis in adults. However, with the right therapeutic measures, periods of exacerbation can be minimized.

Obstructive bronchitis

Sometimes, due to the viral nature of the disease, obstructive syndrome may occur, in which case they speak of obstructive bronchitis. It is characterized by continuous, prolonged bouts of coughing, suffocation, and severe shortness of breath. This pathology significantly complicates treatment, so the patient is prescribed therapy to relieve obstruction. To do this, the following activities are carried out:

• alkaline and medicinal inhalations;
• bronchodilator inhalations (Salbutamol, Hydrobromide) - 3 times a day;
• etiotropic antiviral therapy (Interferon);
• antispasmodic therapy (Papaverine, Drotaverine);
• percussion and vibration massage;
• bronchodilators (Eufillin, Ventolin).

What antibiotics to take

The use of antibiotics to treat bronchitis is advisable if its causative agent was a bacterial infection, but if the cause of the pathology was a virus, then this therapy will not bring the expected effect. However, as a rule, the viral form of pathology is characterized by a decrease in temperature within 3-4 days; if this does not happen, it means that a bacterial infection has occurred and antibiotics cannot be avoided.

You can take an antibiotic only after a doctor’s prescription, since if it is chosen incorrectly, the therapeutic effect will not be obtained. For the treatment of the acute form, antibiotics such as:

• Macrolides - Zomax, Macropen, Klamed;
• Panicillins - Amoxicillin, Augmentin;
• Cephalosporins - Zinnat, Ketotsef, Klaforan.

The drugs are prescribed in the form of tablets or suspensions for children. For adults with severe disease, antibiotics are administered intramuscularly or intravenously.

Antiviral therapy

The issue of using antiviral therapy for the treatment of bronchitis of viral etiology remains controversial. Most doctors believe that the effectiveness of drugs in this group has not been proven and the main thing is to create the right conditions to fight the virus and the body can cope on its own. However, some doctors still disagree with them.

For viral infections, drugs with interferon or oseltamivir are most often prescribed, although these drugs are over-the-counter, we do not recommend taking them without consulting a doctor.

It is difficult to say for sure whether their use is necessary, but it is important to remember that if the body is strong, it will be able to cope with bronchitis, both without antiviral agents and without antibiotics.

Expectorants

The main symptom of the disease is a debilitating dry cough, so in order to get rid of bronchitis and cough, expectorants should be used. There are two groups of these drugs:

1. Means for stimulating expectoration,
2. Medicines to thin sputum.

Drugs of the first group are also called secretomotor drugs, their action is aimed at causing irritation of the gastric mucosa, which provokes the work of the cough center of the brain. The consequence of this is increased production of liquid secretion in the bronchi and increased coughing. Thermopsis, ammonium chloride and others have a similar effect.

Sputum thinners or mucolytics help thin the sputum, but do not increase its volume. The most popular drugs in this group are:

• Bromhexine – promotes the separation of sputum when coughing;
• Trypsin – also has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• Ambroxol – reduces the viscosity of sputum and prevents it from sticking together;
• Marshmallow root is a herbal preparation that is strictly prohibited for dry coughs.

If an adult has a non-productive dry cough, then it is necessary to use drugs that will suppress it:

You can also use combination drugs, for example Sinekod or Bronholitin. As a rule, after 3-4 days of taking these drugs, the cough becomes wet, and it is advisable to start taking mucolytics - acetylcysteine ​​(Asibrox, Eucabal), carbocysteine ​​(Mucosol, Rinatiol).

It is also advisable to use expectorants that improve reflex cough - syrups with ivy, Alteyka, anise drops

Physiotherapy procedures

Physiotherapy combined with medication helps speed up recovery. The most effective procedures for bronchitis are:

1. Massage, the advantage of the procedure is that it can be carried out both in a hospital setting and at home. The main manipulations are tapping the chest with fingertips, followed by stroking. The procedure should last 5-10 minutes, the course should be at least 5 procedures.
2. UHF– the method is based on the radiation of thermal electromagnetic waves; when exposed to them, blood circulation and lymph outflow increase, due to which the inflammatory process is reduced and tissues are restored. Minimum 6 procedures.
3. electrophoresis, is used to improve bronchial drainage and sputum removal.
4. Paraffin therapy also can be done at home. During the procedure, capillary blood flow in the bronchi is activated, and tissue metabolism increases.

The most popular physiotherapy is inhalation. The best effect is if they are carried out using special devices - nebulizers; steam inhalations are also allowed, but when performing them you need to be careful to prevent burns to the mucous membrane.

For inhalation with bronchitis, the following agents can be used:

• soda and saline solutions;
• essential oils of eucalyptus, cedar, lemon, rosemary;
• Lazolvan, Ambrobene.

If obstructive bronchitis has been diagnosed, then inhalations with bronchodilators, such as Berodual, are indicated.

Folk remedies

A good effect in treating the disease is achieved using traditional medicine methods, but it should be used only after consultation with a doctor.

For the treatment of chronic bronchitis, effective folk recipes are:

• Black radish with honey - wash the vegetable, make a small hole and put a teaspoon of honey there. After some time, juice will begin to be released, which should be consumed three times a day.
• Infusion of chamomile, St. John's wort, calamus and calendula -1 tbsp. l of the mixture, pour 250 ml of water and insist, drink 100 ml three times a day.
• Plantain – 2 tbsp. Pour a spoonful of leaves into a glass of boiling water and leave for 2 hours, consume 500 ml of infusion throughout the day.

In order to help liquefy and remove mucus from the bronchi, ease breathing and suppress the inflammatory process, you can use the following recipes:

1. Aloe with honey– grind the leaves in a meat grinder (you need to get 250 ml), add the same amount of rendered lard, 500 grams of honey and 250 grams of dark chocolate. Put the mixture on fire and simmer at a temperature of 45 0 C until a paste-like consistency forms. Take 1-2 tbsp. spoons 30 minutes before meals (children no more than 1 tsp.).
2. Propolis tincture treatment is effective for bronchitis; you can use both water (for children) and alcohol. The recipe is simple - add the tincture 3 times a day to any of the drinks (30 drops of water or 15 drops of alcohol).
3. Goat milk is a good remedy for the quick treatment of cough, acute and chronic. To do this, bring 250 ml of milk to a boil, cool, add one tablespoon of goat fat and honey, then drink it all and immediately lie down under the blanket. This procedure can be repeated up to 3-4 times a day. This recipe is effective even for chronic forms of chronic pathology. You can also use only one goat's milk with honey, without adding fat.
4. A good effect is also achieved in the treatment of bronchitis. carrot juice, especially at the beginning of the disease with a dry cough. Juice diluted with water 1:1 and take 1 tsp. four times a day.
5. « onion jam is a quick treatment for bronchitis and cough. Mince 0.5 onions, add a liter of water and 400 g of sugar, boil for 3 hours. Cool add 100 g of honey. Use 1 tbsp. spoon of the mixture 4-6 times a day.
6. For the treatment of acute bronchitis You can use a mixture of horseradish and lemon - 50 g of horseradish and chop 1 lemon, take 1 tsp up to 3 times a day.
7. An effective, folk method of treatment is taking badger fat. It can be consumed in its pure form, washed down with tea or mixed with honey.

You should not self-medicate, if only because the use of antibiotics for fungal or allergic forms of pathology will not give any effect.

Treatment of bronchitis at home: acute, chronic, folk remedies

Bronchitis most often begins as part of the flu or acute respiratory viral infection or as a complication of them, when a runny nose and red throat is accompanied by a dry, debilitating or wet cough, and if you help your body in time, quickly transform the dry cough into a wet one, then bronchitis can be cured faster than in 10 days.

Any treatment must be comprehensive:

• Active fight against virus and infection
• Improving bronchial patency, thinning mucus and removing it as quickly as possible
• Elimination of provoking factors

Regimen for bronchitis

At the very beginning of the disease, it is simply necessary to remain in bed for 2-3 days, then you can remain in semi-bed rest for another 3-4 days, when it becomes easier, the temperature is normal, you can go out and take small walks in the fresh air, preferably in the park, and not along the highway.

You should follow a predominantly plant-based - cereal, dairy diet; during illness, the body especially needs vitamins, it is better if these are natural vitamins - fruits and vegetables.

If a person smokes, quitting smoking should happen as if by itself, since smoking increases and provokes a dry cough so much, and delays the day of recovery that it’s not even worth talking about. Many heavy smokers who care about their health quit smoking precisely after acute bronchitis, pneumonia or obstructive bronchitis!

One of the options for a quick recovery from bronchitis is to quickly liquefy mucus and remove it from the body, and this is very easily achieved by drinking plenty of warm drinks. This is trivial advice, but the most correct and true: the more liquid a patient with bronchitis drinks, the faster the sputum is liquefied, and therefore the bronchi are released.

Also, during inflammation during intoxication, a mass of harmful toxic substances is formed that poison the body, and drinking plenty of water up to 2-3 liters per day is the path to cleansing of toxins and a speedy recovery.

You can drink any drinks, it is best if they are fortified with natural vitamins - a decoction of rose hips, raspberries, linden, mint, chamomile tea, milk-mineral honey cocktails (mineral water without gases Borjomi, Narzan + milk + honey). And you should avoid strong tea and coffee, since caffeine dehydrates the body, which is not advisable for any illness.

When the air is dry, the cough is much stronger, so try to humidify the air in the room where the patient is. It is best to use an air purifier and humidifier for this purpose. It is also advisable to carry out daily wet cleaning of the patient’s room to purify the air.

Are antibiotics needed for bronchitis?

There are cases of very severe bronchitis with obstructive syndrome and respiratory failure; in such a situation, hospitalization in the pulmonology department is indicated. In case of a mild form of bronchitis, uncomplicated by other pathologies, after consulting a doctor, acute bronchitis can be treated at home, using various medications or traditional medicine.

Usually, it is not advisable to use antibiotics for bronchitis if it is caused by the influenza virus or a cold. A strong immune system copes well with bronchial inflammation. Antimicrobial agents, in the absence of corresponding changes in the blood and in the absence of purulent sputum, cannot be used for bronchitis, since they not only do not have an anti-inflammatory and antiviral effect, but also increase allergenicity and can provoke broncho-obstructive syndrome. But in case:

• high fever lasts for a long time, purulent sputum is released when coughing
• or after an acute period of illness, after 4-5 days, the condition suddenly worsens, a new jump in high temperature appears, purulent sputum (yellow or green) is released when coughing, the general condition of the patient worsens

You should once again consult a doctor who will examine, listen to the patient, refer you for tests and x-rays, and then recommend a course of antibiotics aimed at destroying the attached bacterial infection. Antibiotics should never be started without a doctor's recommendation. 11 rules - how to take antibiotics correctly.

How to quickly cure bronchitis at home

Antivirals

If bronchitis occurs against the background of influenza, then antiviral drugs can be used for therapy. Interferon preparations can be used intranasally, that is, instilled into the nose for both children and adults; the use of other antiviral drugs for acute respiratory viral infections and influenza is today widely advertised and recommended, however, there are no convincing studies and evidence of their effect and safety, so the decision to use them - everyone's personal business.

Expectorants

To improve sputum discharge, the doctor prescribes expectorants, mucolytic drugs, there are many of them in the pharmacy network - the most popular and effective among them are: Lazolvan, Ambrohexol, Bromhexine, Herbion, herbal breast infusions (which can be used in the absence of allergies to medicinal herbs). For a prolonged cough and elements of bronchial obstruction, Ascoril (Joset, Cashnol) containing salbutamol is prescribed.

At the very beginning of bronchitis, the patient usually experiences a prolonged, dry, nonproductive cough. Therefore, to alleviate the condition, you should take drugs such as Glaucin, Libexin, Tusuprex, Levopront, which suppress dry cough, and expectorants are taken later, when the cough turns into a wet one. You can also use combination drugs, such as Sinecode - instructions, Bronchicum, Broncholitin. To treat bronchitis with folk remedies, for dry coughs, thermopsis, licorice, and coltsfoot are used.

After 4 days, as a rule, sputum begins to disappear, so cough suppressants should be discontinued and sputum thinners should be taken:

• Mucolytics - these include acetylcysteine ​​- ACC, Muconex, Fluimucil, as well as carbocysteine ​​- Fluifort.
• Expectorants are means that improve coughing up sputum, that is, a reflex effect, these include the well-known plantain (Gerbion), ivy leaves (Prospan), marshmallow, thyme, anise drops, as well as Chest collection.
• Mucokinetics - agents that facilitate the movement of sputum, for example, Bromhexine. Such popular medicines as Lazolvan (in Ambroxol tablets), Ambrobene, in addition, have the property of thinning sputum, making it less viscous, and easily remove it from the body.

Inhalations

It is very effective to treat bronchitis with the help of various inhalations. If you want to quickly cure bronchitis, then you should definitely do inhalations. Just make sure first that there is no high temperature or palpitations.

There are many recipes for steam inhalations for bronchitis - these are saline and soda solutions, and essential oils of eucalyptus, pine, mymy, herbal preparations, inhalation of phytoncides, which are rich in essential oils of garlic, rosemary - reduce cough shocks and facilitate the process of coughing. However, it is not uncommon for allergic reactions to occur to essential oils and medicinal herbs, and therefore people prone to allergies (hay fever) are better off not taking risks and avoiding the use of various herbs and essential oils.

Also, for those who have a home inhaler, you can carry out inhalations for bronchitis with a nebulizer with Lazolvan, Ambrobene, etc. with special medicinal solutions designed to improve the release of phlegm from the bronchi.

In the case of obstructive bronchitis in children or adults, the drug Berodual is an effective bronchodilator; special solutions are produced for inhalation.

Massage, breathing exercises

Massage always effectively and quickly helps to cope with almost all diseases; for bronchitis, it can only be carried out if the body temperature is normalized; you can do it yourself, using various massagers, a Kuznetsov applicator, or vibration massage. Today there are many different types of massagers, so you can purchase any of them.

After the acute period of inflammation ends and there are only residual effects in the form of a rare cough, you can begin to do therapeutic breathing exercises, for example, according to Strelnikova. Women can try to perform simple exercises from the Bodyflex breathing exercises, which not only strengthens the respiratory system, but also normalizes metabolism and promotes weight loss.

Oddly enough, but old proven remedies are forgotten by modern people, and methods such as cupping, mustard plasters, and warm compresses are rarely used by people. But these are safe and very effective procedures.

Treatment of chronic bronchitis with folk remedies

Every family has grandmothers and great-grandmothers who used to treat all diseases exclusively with folk remedies. Among all the methods of treating chronic bronchitis with folk remedies, we will talk about the simplest and most accessible to everyone:

Radish, honey

A very old and effective recipe is a radish, a small depression is made in it, into which a teaspoon of honey is placed. After some time, the radish produces juice and can be consumed 3 times a day. This is a good way to relieve cough if you are not allergic to honey.

Chamomile, St. John's wort, sage, calendula, calamus

Medicinal herbs such as chamomile, St. John's wort, sage, calamus, calendula have anti-inflammatory properties and, in the absence of allergies, infusions can be made - 1 tbsp is enough. spoons in a glass of boiling water, insist for an hour and drink 3 r / day.

Garlic, dill, butter

Sandwiches with garlic, dill and butter - to prepare such a sandwich, take 5 cloves of garlic, squeeze through a garlic press, mix with 100 grams of butter, you can add finely chopped dill or parsley. Eat this sandwich 3 times a day.

medicinal plants

• Plantain has always been valued by traditional healers for its excellent expectorant properties. Therefore, for the treatment of bronchitis, you can buy plantain leaves, 4 tbsp. Grind spoons of leaves, pour half a glass of boiling water, let it brew for 4 hours, strain and drink this amount throughout the day.
• Medicinal plants such as thyme, eucalyptus, pine buds, cumin, St. John's wort, and fennel have an expectorant effect, so they can also be used to make infusions and inhalations.
• Medicinal plants such as decoctions of plantain, yarrow, violet, marshmallow roots, and coltsfoot help to increase immunity in chronic bronchitis.
• Taking natural mumiyo, echinacea tincture, and licorice root syrup also helps improve immunity.
• Decoctions of parsley, juniper, horsetail, birch, lingonberry leaves. These remedies are not direct methods of treating acute bronchitis at home, but they are very helpful in strengthening the body and speedy recovery.

Sorbents

To relieve symptoms of intoxication in viral and infectious diseases, in order to quickly remove toxins from the body, you can also use pharmaceutical sorbents - Polysorb, Enterosgel, Filtrum STI, Polyphepan, etc., but they should be taken in the intervals between taking medications and food, preferably 1 time a day at night, 2 hours after the last meal and medication, and for a short course.

Psychological attitude

It may seem strange and unacceptable to many, but a psychological, emotional, positive attitude towards recovery is always of great importance, especially with chronic diseases. Belief in healing gives the brain a very strong impetus to intensify the body’s own fight against the disease. Daily reading of positive attitudes that you can come up with for yourself, speaking affirmations, self-hypnosis, meditation can help more than some medications. The main thing is to believe that it works, to believe in the strength of your body and the disease will go away.

juice therapy

Juice therapy has long been considered the most powerful way to improve the whole body. Vegetable juices are especially useful:

• Beetroot juice is considered the most highly effective juice for cleansing the blood of toxins, it helps normalize blood composition, increases platelets especially well, the only condition for taking it is that you cannot drink freshly squeezed juice, first grate the raw beets, squeeze out the juice, and then put it in refrigerator, after 3-4 hours you can drink it.
• Carrot juice - it is not recommended to drink a lot of beet juice, no more than 100 ml. It is better to dilute it with healthy freshly squeezed carrot juice. It is both delicious and extremely healthy.
• Cowberry juice - helps very well for sputum discharge.
• Freshly squeezed cabbage juice is not very pleasant to drink, but if you add a little sugar, it is very effective as an expectorant. In addition, cabbage juice helps with stomach diseases.

Treatment of bronchitis at home in adults

Every adult has experienced a cough at least a few times in their life. This phenomenon is often a symptom of bronchitis. This is a dangerous inflammatory disease that requires immediate treatment. What should be a safe comprehensive treatment of bronchitis at home in adults is described below.

Basic principles of treating bronchitis at home

Cough is a key symptom of the disease under discussion. In addition, the patient may experience chest pain, severe headache, fever, and general weakness.

Only in the mildest forms of the disease is it possible to treat it exclusively with folk remedies. A doctor must give permission for this method of therapy. But it is better to combine folk remedies with high-quality modern medications.

What drugs and antibiotics help with the disease?

The action of any chosen drugs for bronchitis should be primarily aimed at eliminating phlegm from the bronchi, returning breathing to normal, fighting the causative agents of the disease and relieving inflammation. All medicines must be prescribed by a doctor after a preliminary examination.

Treatment of bronchitis with antibiotics is only relevant for bacterial bronchitis. In this case, the patient is most often prescribed Erythromycin or Amoxicillin. Amoxiclav and Erythromycin are also popular antibiotic options for bronchitis. Any of these medications must be taken in full to prevent relapse.

Bronchodilators are used to relieve coughing and speed up sputum excretion. These are Berodual and Teofedrin. They are prescribed to a patient with a severe illness that cannot be cured for a long time.

Mucolytics are also used to thin and remove sputum. They quickly improve the patient's condition. These are Ambroxol, Bromhexine, Fluditec. If there is no sputum in the bronchi, then you need to choose medications that effectively fight dry cough. This is Codelac or Sinekod.

Inhalation as a remedy for bronchitis

Inhalation of modern drugs for bronchitis using a nebulizer is a very effective therapy option. As a result, the drugs do not enter the blood and stomach, but immediately end up deep in the bronchi. Procedures are prescribed for acute or chronic illness. It is impossible to carry out inhalation during the period of exacerbation of the chronic form.

The procedure is repeated 1-2 times a day for 1-1.5 weeks. For an adult patient, the optimal duration of inhalation is 7-8 minutes (no more than 10). Medicines are combined with saline before use for inhalation. These are Lazolvan (mucolytic), Berodual (bronchodilator), Tonsilgon (homeopathic remedy), Fluimucil (anti-inflammatory drug that dilutes sputum).

Folk remedies

Among traditional medicine, you can also find many options for natural medicines and procedures against bronchitis. For example, this is inhalation with sea salt. Half a kilo of this ingredient is dissolved in 4 liters of filtered water. The mixture is brought to a boil, after which 1 teaspoon of dry raspberry and black elderberry extracts is added.

You can make a healing tincture from aloe. 4 leaves of the plant are cut in the middle, after which half a liter of high-quality dry white wine is poured. The mixture is infused for 3 days at room temperature. Take 1 teaspoon of tincture after meals 3 times a day.

Before going to bed, it is important to rub your chest with goose fat, and then put on warm pajamas. It is advisable to drink a glass of warm milk with butter and/or honey after the procedure.

An effective decoction against bronchitis is prepared from birch buds. To do this, combine a liter of clean water and 8-9 fresh buds. The mixture is brought to a boil and left on the fire for 3-4 minutes. Next, the product is cooled, filtered through 2-3 layers of clean gauze and applied 40 ml 3 times a day before meals. The full course of treatment is 5 days.

Massage and therapeutic exercises

A massage for a patient with bronchitis should be done by an experienced specialist to alleviate his condition. This procedure normalizes metabolism and blood circulation in the respiratory organs (including the lungs), and will also have an anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effect.

The massage will include several stages at once: stroking, rubbing, kneading and vibration. It is allowed to carry it out independently during the recovery period of the patient after an illness.

No less useful for the disease under discussion and exercise therapy. Special exercises improve the patient’s general condition, restore the elasticity of the bronchial tissue, promote liquefaction and active removal of mucus, and strengthen the patient’s body’s defenses.

Among the recommended exercises for bronchitis are the following:

• Starting position - lying on your left side. The body is slightly bent. Inhaling, the patient raises his right arm and straightens. Exhaling, the body bends again. The movements are repeated on the other side.
• Starting position – lying on your back with arms outstretched. As you inhale, raise your hands and place them behind your head (the back of your head). As you exhale, the patient returns to the starting position.

Treatment depending on the form of bronchitis

There are several forms of the disease under discussion. This characteristic must be taken into account when prescribing treatment for a patient. Therapy for various forms of the disease differs significantly.

Chronic

For chronic bronchitis, the patient is prescribed inhalations, diuretics (to lower blood pressure), hormonal bronchodilators (in the form of injections), as well as drugs that lower body temperature. Typically, comprehensive treatment includes antihistamines, antibiotics and vitamins.

To accelerate the recovery of the body after illness, the patient may be recommended chest massage, herbal medicine and healing exercises.

Spicy

It is imperative to treat acute bronchitis with a whole range of medications from different groups. Hospitalization is necessary if there is a threat of pneumonia.

Antibiotics for acute bronchitis are rarely prescribed - only in cases where the disease is characterized by a complicated course or when purulent sputum appears.

Obstructive

With this form of the disease, the patient is prescribed antibiotics (for example, Amoxicillin) or drugs from the cephalosporin group, which are administered intramuscularly and used during hospital therapy.

Obstructive bronchitis is also treated with bronchodilators. They can be combined with antibiotics. The medications are taken for at least a week. But a more precise period is determined by the doctor. If there is persistent narrowing of the bronchi, the patient is prescribed treatment with glucocorticosteroids. These are, for example, Decortin and Medopred.

Smoker's bronchitis

Therapy for smoker's bronchitis is always very long. It is carried out at home. For maximum effectiveness, it is worth combining medications with folk remedies.

Of course, the first thing you need to do is quit smoking. Otherwise, any therapy will be useless. At an early stage of the disease, giving up a bad habit is enough.

If the problem is advanced, then mucolytics should be used to remove accumulated mucus in the lumens of the bronchi. These are preparations based on thyme, marshmallow root and/or bromhexine. To relieve swelling of the organ, antihistamines are chosen. Bronchospasm will be eliminated by inhalation with salbutamol and various bronchodilators.

Allergic

To begin with, the factor that provokes the disease is eliminated. This action alone can help prevent complications and achieve remission.

In the acute period of the disease, mucolytics, antihistamines and enterosorbents are used in combination. Their task is to remove the allergen from the body.

You can also combine inhalations with physiotherapy. It is important to use laser therapy, electrophoresis and wave radiation.

How to relieve cough with bronchitis?

To improve the process of sputum discharge, the patient needs to drink plenty of fluids. If the mucus in the bronchi is not thin enough, expectorants can cause severe, painful coughing attacks. It is especially useful to drink warm teas, herbal decoctions and broths.

A humidifier will help relieve cough. If the air in the room is treated with an evaporator, it is easier to inhale and does not irritate the mucous membranes. This is especially true at night.

How to cure bronchitis during pregnancy?

Often, expectant mothers, whose immunity is greatly reduced as a result of active hormonal changes, suffer from bronchitis. Any infection can be complicated by inflammation of the bronchi.

If the disease is advanced, then antibiotics cannot be avoided. In this case, the infection itself is more dangerous for the baby than the medication. The following drugs have minimal effect on the fetus: Flemoxin Solutab and Amoxicillin.

Among antibacterial drugs, expectant mothers may be prescribed Bioparox, and among expectorants, Mucaltin. But Codeine is strictly prohibited for pregnant women.

Allowed for patients in an “interesting position” and inhalation. It is best to carry them out with mineral water and saline without drugs. They will relieve a cough attack, moisturize the mucous membrane, and speed up the removal of sputum.

Content

If this disease is taken lightly, it can develop into more serious pathologies. In advanced cases, treatment of bronchitis in adults can be carried out both in a hospital and at home. There is no single recipe that suits absolutely everyone. To answer the question of how to cure bronchial disease, you need to understand what it is. Doctors define it as inflammation of the bronchial mucosa caused by infection or exposure to external factors.

Symptoms

All types of disease in the first stages are characterized by common symptoms. The main ones are: severe cough, sweating, chest pain, general weakness, shortness of breath, body aches, elevated body temperature. Symptoms may bother the patient both day and night. This often leads to sleep disturbances and nervous system disorders. Depending on the causes of occurrence, there are several main types of pathology:

• spicy;
• chronic;
• smoker's bronchitis;
• obstructive;
• allergic.

Spicy

This type of disease develops against the background of influenza, ARVI or tonsillitis. It is difficult to recognize such a “transition” on your own. The symptoms of these diseases are similar (they can occur simultaneously):

• cough – paroxysmal, deep, accompanied by sputum production, sometimes “barking”;
• hoarseness;
• sore throat;
• weakness;
• elevated temperature (may last for several days);
• headache;
• difficulty breathing;
• runny nose;
• spasm in the chest.

With mild acute bronchitis, some symptoms may be absent. The duration of treatment directly depends on timely diagnosis and proper therapy. The recovery period for adults is 10-20 days. If treatment does not help and the disease does not subside, consult a doctor, he will prescribe the necessary procedures and suitable pills. The main difference between the acute form of pathology and other types of disease is that it is contagious.

Chronic

A distinctive feature of chronic bronchitis is its frequency and duration. Periods of exacerbation often occur during the cold season. It is more difficult to get rid of it than from the acute form, since in this case residual effects are characteristic, even after undergoing a course of treatment. Over the years, the disease can progress and take on more severe forms. This variety can be identified by its characteristic symptoms.

Doctors diagnose a chronic form of the disease if the cough is present for more than three months a year, for two years in a row. The chronic course is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Shortness of breath even with little physical activity. This is explained by deformation and blockage of the bronchi, which occurs with chronic bronchitis.
• Increased fatigue.
• Cough. With this form of the disease, it is persistent, continuous, with insignificant sputum production, and recurrent. It is very difficult to stop the attacks.
• Bronchospasms.
• The color of sputum can range from yellow to brown, depending on the stage of the disease.

Smoker

What smoker's bronchitis is is well known to people who have this bad habit. It occurs due to combustion products and harmful substances entering the lungs. This form of the disease is characterized by a continuous cough with sputum production. Attacks of prolonged morning cough begin immediately after waking up and are repeated throughout the day. Smoker's bronchitis begins as one-sided, but over time develops into two-sided. If left untreated, the disease progresses, leading to the development of pneumonia and persistent cough.

Obstructive

For any type of bronchial pathology, the main symptom is cough. In the obstructive form, attacks occur in the morning, after going out into the cold, or when starting physical activity after rest. Often the cough is accompanied by bronchospasms. With this form of the disease, difficulty breathing occurs after physical activity. At first, shortness of breath appears only after severe exertion, but over time it occurs during daily activities or at rest. The main causes of the obstructive form:

• Professional. The causative agent is harmful substances contained in the environment (for example, in hazardous industries). Once in the body, they become the main cause of obstructive bronchitis.
• Genetic. Determined by taking tests and undergoing examinations.

Allergic

Unlike chronic or acute bronchitis, it is not infectious in nature, so the use of antiviral drugs to treat the allergic form of the disease does not make sense. This type of pathology occurs due to the body’s acute sensitivity to any substance. A list of symptoms will help diagnose an allergic form:

• Increase in temperature during exacerbation.
• There is a relationship between external irritants (consuming certain foods, being near animals, taking medications) and coughing attacks.
• The manifestation of uncharacteristic symptoms, such as skin rashes.
• Cough in the pathology of the allergic form is continuous, paroxysmal during the daytime.
• Wheezing, whistling when exhaling.

Diagnosis of the disease

To make an accurate diagnosis, the patient must consult a pulmonologist. Only a specialist is able to prescribe the correct therapy in each individual case. Making a diagnosis on your own and self-medicating is highly discouraged. To accurately diagnose pathology, adults are prescribed the following examinations and tests:

• bronchoscopy;
• listening to the patient with a phonendoscope;
• sputum analysis;
• fluorography;
• computed tomography of the lungs (only for chronic bronchitis);
• general blood analysis.

How to treat bronchitis in adults

If you do not know which remedies are effective, you should not self-medicate. Lack of necessary assistance can lead to the disease remaining untreated. Bronchial therapy is not limited to drug therapy alone. Physiotherapy is successfully used in an integrated approach: UHF, inductothermy of the interscapular region and halotherapy. The generally accepted standard of treatment for bronchi includes 4 stages:

1. Quitting smoking, proper nutrition.
2. The use of bronchodilators (Salbutamol, Erespal), the mechanism of action of which is to stimulate receptors, which leads to dilation of the bronchi.
3. The use of expectorants and mucolytics to help remove phlegm.
4. The use of antibiotics (Augmentin, Biseptol) and antiviral drugs (Cycloferon).

Bronchodilators

Drugs in this group help relieve bronchospasms. Based on the type of action, these drugs are divided into three types: adrenomimetics, anticholinergics and combination drugs. They are worth considering in more detail:

1. Adrenergic agonists. Relaxes the muscles in the walls of the bronchi, relieving spasm. An example of such a drug is Salbutamol, which is used for asthmatic and chronic forms of pathology. It is contraindicated for children under 2 years of age and pregnant women. The drug is available in different forms; you have a choice - take it orally or inject it intramuscularly.
2. Anticholinergics. They have a pronounced bronchodilator ability. A prominent representative of such drugs is Erespal. This is an anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator drug. Children under 14 years of age are prescribed in the form of syrup. Contraindicated in case of intolerance to one of the components of the drug.
3. Combined drugs. They combine the actions of anticholinergics and adrenergic agonists. Example - Berodual (International nonproprietary name - Ipratropium bromide + Fenoterol). The actions of the components of the drug enhance each other, which leads to high effectiveness of treatment. The product alleviates the condition of a dry or productive cough and begins to act within 10-15 minutes.

Expectorant

The action of expectorants is aimed at removing mucus. This is a prerequisite for the treatment of bronchitis in adults. If the body cannot independently get rid of a large amount of sputum, it stagnates, and pathogenic bacteria begin to actively multiply in this environment. More often than other drugs, doctors prescribe the following expectorant drugs for adults:

• Mukaltin. Liquefies viscous mucus, facilitating its exit from the bronchi.
• Products based on the herb thermopsis - Thermopsol and Codelac Broncho.
• Gerbion syrup, Stoptussin phyto, Bronchicum, Pertusin, Gelomirtol are based on medicinal herbs.
• ACC (acetylcysteine). An effective, direct action product. Has a direct effect on sputum. If taken in the wrong dosage, it can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and heartburn.

Antibiotics

If bronchitis is bacterial in nature, then antibiotics are prescribed. In case of a viral infection, they are useless. To select effective antibiotics, it is necessary to conduct a sputum examination. It will show what bacteria caused the disease. The list of antibiotics is now very wide; a doctor must select them. Here are the main groups of such drugs:

• Aminopenicillins – Amoxiclav, Amoxicillin, Augmentin. The action of these drugs is aimed at suppressing harmful microorganisms, but they do not cause harm to the patient’s body.
• Macrolides – Macropen, Sumamed, Azithromycin, Klacid. Directly block the growth of bacteria.
• Fluoroquinolones – Moxifloxacin, Ofloxacin. Broad-spectrum antibiotics. Used for the treatment of bronchitis, chlamydial infections, etc.
• Cephalosporins – Cefazolin, Suprax, Ceftriaxone. Affect microorganisms resistant to penicillin.
• Flemoxin Solutab. Amoxicillin analogue. Quickly absorbed into the blood. Release form: tablets.

Inhalations

Therapy of bronchitis in adults using inhalation is carried out using the following groups of drugs:

• antiseptics,
• anti-inflammatory,
• vasoconstrictors,
• hormonal,
• mucolytics;
• expectorants,
• immunomodulators,
• antibiotics,
• bronchodilators.

The advantage of this method is the rapid absorption of the drug. Medicines for bronchitis have a very wide range of actions; only a doctor can choose the best option. The following devices are used for inhalation:

1. Steam inhalers. Inhalations with essential oils and medicinal herbs are considered effective for bronchitis.
2. Warm-moist inhalers. They are one of the most affordable devices for carrying out procedures at home. For such inhalations, alkaline solutions and herbal remedies are used.
3. Nebulizer. One of the most effective devices. It is used to treat any stage of bronchitis. The device transforms medicines into tiny particles that easily reach the site of the disease.

The range of drugs for inhalation using a nebulizer is very wide. The treatment regimen often uses Pulmicort or Ventolin (prevents and eliminates bronchospasms). The latter is contraindicated during pregnancy, children under 2 years of age and in case of individual intolerance to the components of the drug. Some drugs, such as Ambroxol, in addition to tablets and ampoules for intramuscular injection, are also available in the form of a solution for inhalation.

Ointments

Treatment of bronchi is also carried out with external use drugs. For this purpose, ointments based on animal fats are used. They are applied by rubbing over the skin in the bronchi area. The positive effect of treatment is achieved through a light massage when applying the product. The components have a warming effect, making the cough moist and relieving it. Ointments can be purchased or prepared independently at home. Before using any of them, you must do an allergy test.

Ready-made ointments are more convenient to use and more effective; they contain many more useful substances. One of these drugs is Doctor IOM, which has minimal contraindications and is approved for adults and children. Another popular remedy is bear fat. It is used both internally and externally. For exposure through the skin, Dr. Theiss, eucalyptus, “Star” balms, Bom-benge and boromenthol ointments, and badger fat can be used.

Treatment with folk remedies

In the treatment of bronchitis in adults, both pharmaceutical drugs and those prepared according to traditional medicine recipes can be successfully used. These drugs and procedures are less effective, and the course of treatment lasts much longer. Here are folk remedies that have proven their effectiveness:

• Aloe with honey. Use internally half an hour before meals. A mixture is made from aloe, honey, rendered lard and chocolate, taken in equal proportions.
• Propolis. An alcohol tincture of this product is made and added to tea and herbal infusions, 15 drops each. Has antibacterial properties.
• Milk with soda. It is successfully used for the chronic form of the disease and smoker's bronchitis.
• Potato inhalations. Proceed according to the scheme: boil the potatoes in their skins, remove from the stove, lean over the hot pan, inhale the vapors for 10 minutes. To keep the potatoes from cooling quickly, cover your head with a large towel.

• Cranberry syrup with vodka. Mash the berries (100 g), squeeze out the juice, mix them with sugar (50 g). After bringing the syrup to a boil, cool it and add a glass of vodka (200 ml). To remove phlegm, take 2 times a day before meals.
• Bath. Steam in it only after consulting a doctor.
• warming up. These procedures are carried out using a mixture of honey, mustard powder and flour (homemade mustard plaster) or castor oil and turpentine. The mixture is applied to the chest and back and left overnight. Pepper patches are also used as a warming agent.
• Compresses. For compresses, honey-oil, potato-soda mixtures are used. A honey compress is applied to the back, insulated with cotton wool and left on the patient’s body until the morning.

Treatment of pregnant women

Medicines prescribed for the treatment of bronchitis in adults (for example, Biseptol, Levomycetin) are strictly contraindicated in pregnant women. A complete lack of therapy can lead to fetal hypoxia, the threat of miscarriage, bleeding and other negative consequences. X-ray examinations prescribed to diagnose the disease are strictly contraindicated.

If you suspect inflammation of the bronchi, you should consult a doctor. After the examination, he will prescribe the necessary treatment, which may include:

• Plentiful drink. Milk, herbal infusions, tea.
• Anti-inflammatory herbal decoctions for sore throat.
• Remedies for relieving dry cough - breast milk, linden tea, milk with honey.
• Performing breathing exercises and physical therapy.
• If a woman lives in an area with poor ecology, it will be useful to visit a sanatorium.
• Physiotherapy (prescribed only by a doctor).

If the cough does not go away after a month

Long-term treatment of bronchitis in adults at home often leads to dangerous complications. If the cough does not go away after a month, contact the clinic. Refusal of treatment or reliance on the knowledge of a pharmacy pharmacist in adults and elderly people can cause bronchotracheitis, purulent infection, tracheobronchitis, tracheitis and long rehabilitation.

If you followed all the doctor’s instructions, took medicine for bronchitis, but there was no improvement, the therapist should send you to a hospital with a treatment protocol. At the hospital, additional tests will be carried out, you will be prescribed drug therapy (antibiotics for adults, antiviral drugs) and procedures (drip, physiotherapy).

Treatment of bronchitis in adults