10 Best Homeopathic Remedies for Bronchitis Treatment

Bronchitis is the inflammation of the air passages between the nose and the lungs. The lining of the bronchial tubes becomes infected or inflamed.

Bronchitis reduces the ability to breathe air and oxygen into the lungs and leads to mucus formation in the airways.

Acute bronchitis is common in all ages, but it is more common under the age of 5.

This article will explore the symptoms, causes, risk factors, management of bronchitis, and most importantly the Top 10 best homeopathic remedies for bronchitis.

So, Let’s get started !!

Types of Bronchitis

Acute bronchitis:

It usually follows a cold or viral infection like flu. It is a shorter illness and lasts a few days or weeks.

Chronic bronchitis:

It presents with a persistent mucus-producing cough on most of the days of the month for about three months of a year.

If it persists for successive two years, then it is said to be chronic bronchitis.

What happens in bronchitis -pathophysiology?

When microorganisms like bacteria or viruses enter into air passage by inhalation, inflammation occurs, leading to irritation and swelling of the thin lining of the bronchus of the air passage.

There is leakage of fluid in the air passage as a response to inflammation.

This body produces a cough reflex to clear the leaked fluid and mucus and spasm of the air passage.

As the fluid thickens, there is difficulty in breathing as ventilation is decreased.

Causes of Bronchitis

Following are the most important causes of bronchitis –

Viral infection

Bacterial infection

Exposure to substances that irritates the lungs like smoke, dust, fumes, air pollution, etc.

Smoking

Genetic factors

Repeated attacks of acute bronchitis

Risk Factors for Bronchitis

Following are some of the important risk factors, which worsen the condition of bronchitis –

Smoking: Female smokers are at more risk than male smokers.

People are exposed to passive smoking.

People with weak immune systems make them prone to bronchitis.

Elders and infants are more prone to infections.

People with Gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Air pollution.

Exposure to pesticides may increase the risk.

Symptoms of Bronchitis

Cough with the production of clear, white, yellow, green, or grey sputum or mucus.

Sometimes rarely mucus can be mixed with blood.

Blocked or runny nose and sometimes sinuses are also affected.

Sore throat

Chest discomfort due to shortness of breath

Fever with chills, headache, and body ache.

Fatigue due to shortness of breath

On examination, the wheezing sound is heard in the chest: inflammation or infection of airway results in spasm leading to wheezing sound.

Chronic bronchitis can flare up regularly; for most of them, it occurs in winter.

Diagnosis of Bronchitis

These are the test which is commonly used to detect Bronchitis –

A sputum test will detect the presence of a virus or bacteria.

Checking oxygen level: – Since most of the patients have breathlessness, it is always better to get oxygen levels checked.

Blood test: – This will indicate the presence of any infection.

Chest X-ray: This is done to know if pneumonia is the cause of cough.

Pulmonary function test

Bronchitis Management

Management is also as important as its cure, in case of any diseases.

Any person suffering from bronchitis can adapt following tips, to manage their condition up to a certain extent –

• It is necessary to avoid or quit smoking.

• To avoid other irritants like smoke, fumes, vapors, etc.

• Wearing a mask to avoid exposure to air pollution.

• Washing hands frequently will help in preventing infections.

• Drinking plenty of fluid is essential. It will thin out the mucus, and then it will be easier to cough it up. Steam inhalation also helps in loosening up mucus.

• Consuming honey will soothe your throat as it has antibacterial and antiviral properties.

• Adding ginger to tea, drinking hot water will help thin out the mucus, and they will act as an anti-inflammatory.

• Avoiding dairy products would be better as it tends to thicken the mucus.

• Avoiding caffeine and alcohol is better as they tend to interact with drugs.

In the Conservative line of treatment, symptomatic treatments are followed –

• Cough medicines are given to relieve the patient of cough.

• Aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen these medicines are given to reduce fever, body ache, and headache.

• Bronchodilators are given to free up the air passages.

• Antibiotic is given in case of bacterial infections. And these don’t work if it’s a viral infection.

• Oxygen therapy is given in case the oxygen saturation is low.

• In the case of severity, a steroid may be necessary to be given.

Homeopathic Medicines for Bronchitis

Homeopathy treatment will help in decreasing the frequency and severity of the illness in chronic cases.

And thereby, One can gradually bring dependency on steroids and other medications down.

Homeopathy will abort the tendency to catch a disease and also help in completely curing the illness.

ANTIM TART: For Bronchitis with Excessive Mucus

SYMPTOMS:

It is suited to people who present with the following symptoms in bronchitis.

There is a lot of accumulation of mucus in the chest giving rise to rattling noise but when the patient tries to expectorate, very little comes out.

The patient has a velvety feeling in the chest, along with hoarseness of voice. They have a burning sensation in the chest, which then travels upwards to the throat.

Their breathing is fast, short, and difficult as if they would suffocate, so to be relieved, they have to sit up.

Bronchial tubes are overloaded with mucus which gives rise to cough. Cough is triggered by eating with pain in the chest and larynx.

Because of mucus, there is swelling in the lungs, and if this condition persists, it might lead to complete nonfunctioning of the lungs.

The patient has a lot of palpitation with an uncomfortable hot feeling. On examination, you might find that their pulse is fast and weak. They can be seen trembling.

Their cough is associated with dizziness. Their cough gets better if they lie down on the right side, and breathlessness is ameliorated by eructation.

With all these complaints, the patient has tremendous drowsiness, tiredness, and sweat. Their whole body trembles with great tiredness and they might even faint.

Infants suffering from bronchitis will not allow the doctor to examine them without crying. They fear being alone in such a state.

Head pains in these patients if a band compresses it. The tongue of the patient is coated and thick white with red edges on examination. It can be read and dry and brown in the center.

Their face becomes cold and pales covered with cold sweat. During the illness, the patients crave cold water but drink little at a time. And they like to eat apples and drink acids when they are unwell.

They also get a fever with intense heat and sweat, leading to fainting.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

30C and 200C potencies work well in the acute stage. Sometimes 1M potency is also indicated.

Four pills every two hourly, till the improvement is seen, can be given. Later One can reduce the frequency of dosage.

BROMIUM: For Bronchitis with Dry Cough with Hoarseness

SYMPTOMS:

Bromium is indicated in children affected with tuberculosis and enlargement of glands that are swollen and hard, but they never undergo the formation of pus.

Bromium has a marked effect on the respiratory tract, especially the larynx and trachea. Bromium is indicated in patients who are weak and get easily overheated and then sweat. They are sensitive to the cold bust of wind.

The patient has constricted feeling in the larynx, and a layer of cells forms in the larynx that spreads upwards. They appear emaciated and tremble all over the body with a tendency to faint.

They have long continued obstinate coryza. Coryza is acrid and burns with violent sneezing and soreness in the nose.

They experience a tickling sensation in the nose and starting as if a cobweb is present in the nose. The wing-like part of the nose moves like a fan when affected with bronchitis.

Sometimes there is even bleeding from the nose, which relieves the chest complaints of the patient.

Inhaled air feels smoky cold, or raw for them. They develop a dry cough with hoarseness and burning pain behind the sternum in the chest.

They feel like taking a deep breath, but if they do so, it triggers a cough. They are prone to suffocative fits. He has to set into motion due to suffocative spells occurring due to inflammation and infection of the larynx or wheezing cough or palpitation.

They develop deep hoarseness if they get overheated. Their lungs feel coated. They have a cold sensation in the larynx, which goes upwards and then downwards.

They are breathless with swelling in the larynx and expectorated thick white mucus. The complaints begin after the fever subsides.

In ancient days it was more indicated for sailors whose complaints began as soon as they reached the land but were in good health while sailing in the sea.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

30C and 200C potency in pills as frequently required till improvement is seen.

Always avoid milk while taking Bromium.

CAUSTICUM: For Bronchitis with Cough with Soreness of Chest

SYMPTOMS:

Causticum is indicated in broken down, worn out senile persons or dark-complexioned rigid fibered persons. These patients have coryza with hoarseness with sneezing in the morning. Discharge is thick yellow or greenish-yellow from the nose.

The patient’s throat is affected markedly with scraping, burning, and raw sensation.

They experience a complete loss of voice or hoarseness with pain in the chest which is more in the morning, and on bending, it gets better by talking. Cough is hard and dry due to tickling in the throat or larynx.

The cough is almost lingering, which is dry in the night and morning, and it gets severed from the heat of bed and cold air, so the patient has to take sips of cold water to feel relieved.

The patient finds it very difficult to cough deep enough; the expectoration again slips back in the throat. The mucus is scanty, greasy, ropy like soapsuds.

These patients feel that their chest is tight and sore, and the clothing (vest) is also tight.  They take a short breath before coughing. There is a low continuous vibratory sound in the chest.

The patient experiences wandering pain in the chest they feel by giving pressure, which worsens on sneezing. Their breathing is oppressed while walking and talking. They have tightness or scarping sensations in the chest.

Pain in the larynx worsens on blowing the nose. Cough is associated with pain in the left hip which increases during the evening, and they feel better by drinking sips of cold water.

The patient has pain in the chest with palpitation at night, due to which he cannot lie down.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

30C and 200C potency will be beneficial. In Chronic conditions, 200C and higher potencies can be given to patients once or twice a week.

BRYONIA ALBA: For Bronchitis with Dry Cough

SYMPTOMS:

Bryonia alba is indicated when the patient is very irritable, has impressive headaches with dry, parched lips and mouth. They have excessive thirst with a bitter taste in the mouth.

It is suitable for individuals who are of robust firm appearance with dark complexion tending leanness and irritability. Their complaints begin when warm days set in after cold days, mostly affecting the right side.

Illness develops slowly in such individuals. These patients hawk brown lumps with a lot of effort. The throat becomes dry and rough, with a scraping sensation.

And swelling develops in the back of the throat. The patient develops a dry, hard, and painful cough at night, resulting from the stomach.

They want to take a deep breath but cannot as it excite cough. Cough worsens on eating or drinking anything.

Mucus expectorated is tough and is streaked with blood. They have sharp stitching pain in the chest, which worsens on deep breathing or coughing.

They usually hold the chest or press the sternum while coughing, and always sneezing accompanies. Dry friction sound is audible in their chest.

Their cough is always triggered when the patient enters the warm room. The patient has soreness in the larynx and trachea with hoarseness which is worse in the open air.

Breathing is difficult and quick worse; every movement is caused due to stitching pain in the chest. Whenever they cough, they feel that their chest would fly to pieces and press their head on the sternum to support the chest.

Children, when affected with bronchitis, are very irritable and don’t like if carried or raised.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

30C, 200C, and 1M potency can be administered to patients. Medicine can be frequently repeated as the symptoms call for it.

PHOSPHORUS: For Bronchitis with Hard and Dry Cough and Chest Pain

SYMPTOMS:

It is suited to individuals who grow rapidly and are inclined to stoop and like magnetized (attract people with the charm of their personality).

Symptoms develop suddenly with sudden weakness and fainting spells in them. For them, coryza is fluent at one time and becomes dry on alternate sides.

In Chronic cases, there is bleeding from the nose. Smoking and other odors trigger sneezing in such patients, along with breathlessness. They are oversensitive to smell.

They are prone to sneezing and coryza just by putting their hands in water. Their breathing is oppressed, and it’s severe by movement. Breathing is tight and suffocative, which worsens on coughing.

The larynx is raw, sore, furry, and painful on speaking.  Their voice becomes low and hoarse morning and evening in bronchitis.

In bronchitis, cough is very hard, dry, painful, tickling, hacking, and exhausting. This causes pain in the abdomen and burning in the air passages, and trembling of the whole body.

Cough worsens on reading aloud, by a change of weather, before strangers and even by laughing, exertion, and singing.

Sputum comes easily and is bubbly, salty, sour, or sweetish.

The patient feels that the chest is very heavy with stitching pain, and a rattling sound can be heard in the chest, which increases if the patient drinks cold drinks.

They have a dry, hot feeling in the chest with cough.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

200C will be the safest potency. One should not give this medicine in too low or too continuous doses.

RUMEX: For Bronchitis with Tickling Cough and Abundant Mucus

SYMPTOMS:

Rumex is an excellent remedy for cough caused due to bronchitis.  Cough is caused by tickling in the throat pit, and tickling extends deep into the bronchial tubes. Even touching the throat pit brings on the cough.

The patient is extremely sensitive to cold air; even slight exposure to it brings on the cough. And when the patient covers themselves fully from head to toe in bedclothes.

Rumex acts best when the mucous membranes are dry, and their sensibility is heightened. The nose is dry, but there is copious mucous discharge from the nose and trachea.

They develop a dry, teasing cough which prevents them from sleeping. Cough worsens by pressure, talking, and inspiring cool air at night.

For these patient’s cough is provoked by changing rooms from cold to warm and warm to cold. Cough regularly comes at 1 pm, 2, and 5 am.

They feel as if there is a lump in the throat. And this sensation is not better by hawking. It descends and rises again on swallowing. They expectorate thin, watery, and frothy discharge from the mouth; later, it becomes stringy and tough.

Their larynx becomes sore on account of repeated coughing, and the chest becomes sore behind the sternum, especially in the left side of the shoulder region.

This cough can be detrimental in the early stages of pregnancy. It has the potential of causing miscarriage.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

30C and 200C in repeated doses can be given till the improvement is seen.

KALI BICHROMICUM: For Bronchitis with Profuse Expectoration

SYMPTOMS:

It is suited to individuals in whom the mucous membrane of air passages is affected, like the nose, pharynx, etc. The discharges are sticky, stringy, tough, lumpy, or thick.

Individuals are fast, fair, fleshy with a light complexion. The nose is obstructed with coryza. And they have violent sneezing in the morning.

In certain individuals, the frontal sinus shows signs of chronic inflammation with a stopped-up sensation. These patients have a hoarse voice in the evening with tickling in the larynx.

Cough worsens on eating with eructation then vertigo comes. They have raw feelings in the chest under the sternum, with pain going back to shoulder on coughing.

With a deep cough, the expectoration is yellow and stringy. This expectoration relieves the patient of cough. They have a sensation of a bar across the chest. In some patient’s cough has a brassy sound.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

30C and 200C potency can be used. Four pills twice or thrice you can give a day for 3-4 days.

SPONGIA: For Bronchitis with Dryness of Air Passage and no Mucus

SYMPTOMS:

Spongia is suited to fair-haired women and children who are flabby. They have a heavy body, and they get exhausted on the slightest exertion, and he has to lie down, and there is a rush of blood to the chest, face, etc.

These patients have dry throat, trachea, and pharynx. The patient has anxiety with breathlessness. Their nose feels stuffed up with dry coryza.

Their throat becomes sore on eating sweets. They have to constantly clear the throat which they feel better by lying down.

They develop hoarseness with coryza, cough. The larynx becomes painful, dry, and constricted, which worsens touching, singing, talking, or swallowing.

The patient has to grasp his throat. They get suffocating spells as if there’s a plug or leaf in the larynx, which wakes them up with violent palpitations.

Their lips become blue, and they sweat heavily.  Breathing is anxious and gasping. They feel as if they have to breathe through a dry sponge.

Their chest becomes weak, and they find it very difficult to talk. They feel choked when they try to sleep. On falling asleep, there is a noisy whistling sound during breathing.

The patient wakes up from sleep due to a hollow barking cough. This causes burning in the chest and throat. Cough is worsened due to cold drinks, excitements, sweets, cold milk.

They feel better by drinking or eating hot food. Their voice gives way when they talk or sing. The expectoration is difficult to raise, and they swallow it again, which smells like milk.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

200C 4-5 pills thrice a day for 3-4 days or till improvement is seen.

IPECAC: For Bronchitis with Cough and Rattling of Mucus in Chest

SYMPTOMS:

This medicine is indicated in fat children and adults who are feeble and catch a cold in warm moist weather. The nose is blocked due to coryza, and nausea is associated with it.

At the end of the cold, they develop painless hoarseness. The patient has breathlessness with constant constriction in the chest. They get yearly attacks of difficulty of breathing.

They sneeze continuously with uncontrollable and violent coughs with every breath. The chest seems to be full of phlegm, but it doesn’t give rise to cough.

In children, you might notice suffocative cough where the child becomes stiff and blue in the face. And finally gags and vomits. The child feels better in the open air and on resting. On examination, a rattling sound is heard.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

200C potency in repeated doses can be given till improvement is noticed.

HEPAR SULPH: For Bronchitis with Suffocative Attacks

SYMPTOMS:

The patient is sluggish with weak muscles. They have a tendency to be affected with bronchitis producing excessive secretion. They sweat easily.

They are always chilly and wear an overcoat, even in summer. They have a runny nose every time the patient goes into the cold, dry wind. The nose becomes blocked and painful.

They develop a loss of voice and cough when they are exposed to cold, dry air. They get recurrent bronchitis from every cold. Least uncovering brings on the cough.

Cough is choking or barking, which worsens after drinking cold drinking or in the morning. They develop a lot of weakness and a lot of rattling of mucus in the chest. The expectoration is loose and tightens up in cold air.

They develop much thick yellow expectoration. Cough is troublesome when walking. And cough gets excited when any part of the body is exposed to cold or uncovered or from eating anything cold.

Whenever they get a suffocative attack, they have to get up and bend the head backward. The complaints are worse in dry cold air and better in the damp.

DOSAGE AND POTENCY:

200C is the best potency for this state. You can do repetition as per the condition of the patient.

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