Alternative For Nebulizer

[Herbmountain]

OK. I admit it. My darling hubby brought the "Lung Death" cold home a week ago. I started treating him and then I got it. He came through just fine in 3 days. On the other hand, I did not. I felt bronchitis coming on and kept taking all the usual I mentioned on another thread. But the lungs would not respond. I remember a few years ago, going to the hospital with bronchitis and they made me use this nebulizer. In a sense it felt like moist warm air to relax the bronchials.

So the nut case I am, always inventing cheap things for medical equipment I started 4 quarts of hot water boiling. I took this pan and sat it in a cold pan to put on the edge of the arm rest on the couch. I then added 3 drops eucalyptus globulus to break loose the phlem in my lungs as it was not coming up with coughing. A sure sign for me that bronchitis has set in as my fever came back. I then covered the pans with a layer of newspaper and inserted a empty roll from a roll of tolite paper so the steam came through the roll. I started inhaling this for 5 minutes at a time and continued to do this therapy 2 times a day for a couple of days. My fever broke and now my lungs are clear. Boy did it work.

I remember the trip to emergency room for this little treatment was some where about 500.00. My little set up was cheap and tacky but it worked.

 

[goatlady2]

Marshmallow root tincture is very good for breaking up that sort of deep, sticky phlegm, relaxing the bronchial tubes and very soothing to boot, combined with your steam inhaler might do the trick in less time. Just a thought. Before the new-fangled steam misters were invented my mom would boil a big pot of water just to steaming and put my head over the pot and cover both with a towel. Worked well also - good for croup with a little Vicks in the water. How times change but still circle around eventually.

 

[Herbmountain]

Goat Lady, my mom used to do the same thing. I was not going in for antibiotics. By using the Eucalyptus Globulus essentail oil, I was also attacking the bacteria. Bronchitis is I believe a secondary bacterial infection from the cold. So in a sence I was killiing two birds with one method. Eucalyptus is also a vasodilator and made breathing much easier.

I have never tried Slippery Elm for this condition but would if I had painful dry coughing. Infact I will remember that one if I have anyone who has this dry condition.

 

[grommit]

I am reminded of the scene in one of the dundee movies where he dumps a bunch of drugs in the pan of water and tells teh guy to breath the steam. It appears your goal was met much better than the character's.

nebulizers are used for things that do not vaporize well. The nebulizer for asthma and other lung congestion carries albuterol or other drugs that do not have a vapor state at a useful (safe) temp, or are only useful in a solid or liquid state, not a gas or vapor. The nebulizer is like an ultrasonic humidifier, using sound energy to creat very small droplets of water with liquid or very tiny solid particles of various "drugs" and medicines carried with the water droplets, not just vapors and fumes.

Technically you created an effective and cheap vaporizer, which was more than just fine for the active ingredients you were using.

 

[Herbmountain]

Now Im wondering if the eucalyptus does the same thing as a nublizer containing Albuterol as the essential oil is a vasodilator. The properties of E.G are:
Monoterpenes, Monoterpenols (20%); Teroene oxides: inneole (62-72%).

Properties: analgesic, anti-bacterial, antiinfectious, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, expectorant and stimulant.

Used for asthma, coughs, fever, lungs, migraines, respiratory stimulant, sinusitis and urinary stimulant.

No wonder the essential oil works so well for bronchitis. I keep a huge bottle on hand at all times. Wonderful stuff.