When suffering from tracheitis (inflammation of the tracheal mucosa), people don’t always seek help immediately: the symptoms are extremely similar to a common cold, and subjectively, patients don’t feel very unwell.
In fact, home treatment for tracheitis is quite common, and folk medicine has a rich arsenal of remedies for this condition. Folk remedies work best when combined with conventional treatment methods and significantly enhance their effectiveness.
Symptoms of tracheitis
Hoarse voice, throat irritation, pain starting in the throat and gradually moving lower, dry cough accompanied by the expectoration of thick, dense sputum – these are the most characteristic signs of acute tracheitis. They also occur in cases of exacerbation of its chronic form.
A prominent symptom of tracheal inflammation is a hacking cough that worsens in the morning, when leaving a warm room for the cold (or vice versa), or in high dust concentrations. This often leads to severe chest pain: it feels as though the trachea is constricted by a rigid film from the inside, and coughing efforts could tear it apart. Fever is not always present; it’s more common in children than in adults.
All of this is important to consider when determining a strategy for treating tracheitis with folk methods, as it primarily addresses the symptoms.
What home treatment methods are available?
In addition to herbal treatment, inhalations and warming measures are recommended: dry heat (mustard) and various compresses.
Compresses and other warming methods
An excellent home remedy for treating tracheitis is mustard. The simplest method is to apply mustard plasters to the chest, pre-soaked in warm water, and wrap the patient warmly. The procedure lasts up to 15 minutes, and it’s crucial to control the level of warmth to prevent burns.
When using mustard plasters to treat tracheitis in children, it’s safer to place them not directly on the skin but on clean soft fabric or gauze and keep them for no more than 10 minutes (even less for infants). Mustard releases essential oil, providing warmth and irritation to nerve endings, which helps alleviate inflammation and pain.
Mustard also works well when added to water for foot baths or placed in socks. In the latter case, sprinkle dry mustard powder into socks, put on warm socks over them, and go to bed. Foot baths and mustard in socks are contraindicated for pregnant women with tracheitis, as they could induce miscarriage. There are other home treatment methods for them.
To get rid of chronic tracheitis or at least reduce the risk of exacerbation, a compress based on mustard and honey is recommended. Mix the following ingredients in a tablespoon each:
• Honey
• Mustard powder
• Flour
• Any vegetable oil
Mix this mixture with brandy (about one and a half tablespoons; the dough should have a soft but not runny consistency) and heat it in a water bath. Wrap it in a piece of cloth the size of a man’s handkerchief, apply it to the affected area, cover with plastic wrap, and wrap it up. The compress has a gentle effect, so it can be left on for several hours.
Herbal Treatment
Herbs for treating tracheitis are used in the form of decoctions. Here are a few available and effective recipes.
Pine bud decoction. Boil 15 buds in a glass of water, optionally adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Drink the resulting decoction warm throughout the day, dividing it into four portions. Pine bud remedies can also be prepared with milk: add the buds to two cups of boiling milk, let it infuse for an hour, and drink the resulting infusion throughout the day in small portions.
Common motherwort infusion. Prepared in a water bath: 10 grams of herb per glass of water. Taken throughout the day in three doses, it has a noticeable expectorant effect.
Nettle tea. Brew 20 grams of nettle flowers in a liter of boiling water. Drink this infusion throughout the day – it softens the cough and makes sputum easier to expectorate.
Inhalations
Often, for respiratory tract diseases, doctors prescribe nebulizer treatment: this device helps atomize medications directly onto inflamed areas. Among home treatment methods for tracheitis, there’s a simple alternative – inhalation. By inhaling well-heated essential oils and other active substances, the patient ensures their delivery directly to the throat and larynx.
For the simplest heat inhalation, boil about a liter of water and add one of the following:
• A few drops of iodine and a teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 tablespoons of eucalyptus leaves
• A teaspoon of eucalyptus or anise oil.
Make a funnel, place the wide end over the water container, insert the narrow end into the mouth, and inhale the evaporating remedies. Start this procedure gently to avoid burning the mouth or throat.
Another recommended herbal mixture for inhalation: simmer eucalyptus and sage leaves, chamomile flowers (which can be replaced with calendula), pine buds, and mint on a water bath for half an hour. Pour it into a convenient container and inhale for 10-15 minutes.
With active home treatment, the most acute symptoms of tracheitis should subside by the second or third day, and complete recovery can be expected soon afterward.
