The pleura is the main component of the human lungs. It is a thin smooth shell covered with elastic fibers. In a he althy person, pleural tissues produce a minimum of fluid - somewhere around 2 ml. This volume is quite enough for free breathing and the functioning of the chest. As a result of a person’s illness, he may develop pleurisy. In this scenario, the volume of fluid released increases significantly. It begins to accumulate in the folds of the pleura. This can lead to serious problems.
Is treatment with folk remedies acceptable in this case? Pleurisy in the initial stage can be cured without resorting to the use of medications. In this review, we will look at how to do this. Below will be given recommendations and advice on the treatment of the disease in question.
Causes and symptoms of the disease
Pleurisy doctors consider as a secondary inflammatory process that occurs as a result of complications after infectious or colds. These include pneumonia and tuberculosis. The development of the disease can also be caused by diseases such asrheumatism and pancreatitis.
Pleurisy (ICD-10 code - J90, R09.1) is characterized by the following unpleasant symptoms:
- exhausting dry cough;
- painful breathing;
- shallow rapid gentle breathing;
- the injured side takes less part in the breathing process;
- fever;
- weakness, general malaise, heavy sweating, fatigue;
- hiccups, sharp pain when swallowing.
Symptoms of pleurisy in adults require an immediate trip to a specialist. After the examination, the doctor will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate therapy.
Treatment rules
How to get rid of pleurisy? Clinical recommendations in most cases are based on bed rest. To make rehabilitation faster, the patient may need nursing care. To relieve pain, the doctor recommends procedures such as mustard plasters, various compresses and banks. The patient's chest is bandaged tightly.
What is taken in the diagnosis of "pleurisy"? Home treatment involves the use of drugs of the following types:
- soothing and relieving pain;
- drugs to relieve inflammation;
- desensitizing agents.
Together with medicinal medicines, the patient can be prescribed therapy with folk methods. After pain relief andfever, your doctor may also recommend physical therapy such as rubbing, massage, and airway exercises.
Despite the chosen form of treatment, hygiene should be given special importance. The question of whether pleurisy is contagious to others is still unclear. In addition, the patient needs a diet rich in vitamins and microelements for the recovery period. The main rule to be followed is that the treatment of pleurisy is carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor. The patient should only strictly adhere to his prescriptions.
Products intended for internal use
Today, folk remedies are used to combat many diseases. Pleurisy is no exception. Progress can be made by combining modern medicine and home remedies.
Here are the most effective ones:
- Onion with honey. The juice of one head in a ratio of one to one is mixed with sweetness. The mixture should be taken one spoon per day after a meal. This product has a unique anti-infective effect.
- Radish juice with honey. This tool can be used three times a day.
- Liquid and pulp of cherries. Use a quarter of a glass. It is advisable to use the remedy at the end of the meal.
- To relieve acute discomfort, you should use your own dragee. For this purpose, it is necessary to take honey and butter in equal volumes. To them are addednettle seeds and almonds. All ingredients must be mixed well. Compact balls are made from the resulting mass. The resulting dragee must be cooled. It is recommended to dissolve one ball three times a day.
- Inhalations based on coniferous plants. Spruce needles or pine buds are good for this purpose. Medicinal properties and contraindications to the use of this remedy is better to check with a specialist.
Herbal treatment
How else can you get rid of pleurisy? Folk recipes are mainly based on the use of medicinal herbs. Infusions and special collections help to effectively deal with the symptoms of pleurisy.
Let's consider the most effective means:
- It is necessary to take two parts of licorice root, anise, marshmallow, sage and pine buds. A spoonful of the resulting mixture should be steamed in 250 ml of boiling water, closed with a nylon lid and do not touch the resulting solution for about 5 hours. The resulting solution should be filtered and drunk in a spoonful of 100-125 ml per day.
- Take one part of peppermint, elecampane roots, cudweed or licorice, two parts of coltsfoot leaves. A solution is prepared on the basis of the herbal data. It is enough to take one spoonful of the mixture for a glass of boiling water. The infusion is used three times a day, 125 ml each.
- Symptoms of pleurisy of the lungs in adults are well treated with a mixture of aloe juice, linden honey, a glass of vegetable oil, 150 grams of birch buds, 50 grams of linden flowers. Preparing the medicine is quite simple. Linden and birch buds are brewed with 500 ml of boiling water. The mixture must be kept for 20 minutes in a water bath. ByAt the end of the infusion, the composition must be filtered and honey and aloe must be added to it. After a short time after heating, about 100 ml of vegetable oil should be added to the mixture made. The resulting medicine is taken 25-50 ml three times a day, regardless of the meal.
- Effective in the treatment of pleurisy tincture of horsetail. 50 grams of dried grass must be poured with 250 ml of boiling water and allowed to stand for three hours. Half a cup of the resulting mixture should be taken four times a day.
- Willow bark can be used as an astringent and antipyretic. It is used both for rinsing and for internal use. To prepare the tincture, it is enough to pour 25 grams of raw materials with a glass of boiling water. The infused composition on willow bark is recommended to use one tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
- Pine buds have a good expectorant and antiseptic effect. The medicinal properties and contraindications to the use of this drug are of interest to many today. To prepare the infusion, take 25 g of dry raw materials and pour 500 ml of boiling water over it. The mixture is infused for an hour in a thermos. Take a tincture of 70 ml three times a day.
If you take one of the recipes described above, you can forget about such an unpleasant illness as pleurisy in a short time. When the acute stage has passed, it is necessary, together with internal means, to begin to perform external manipulations.
Rubbing and compresses
How to treat pleurisy?Clinical recommendations, as a rule, consist in the complex use of drugs, herbal infusions, compresses and various rubbing. Funds for these procedures are easily prepared at home.
Here are the most effective recipes:
- Take 300 grams of badger fat, the same amount of crushed aloe leaves and mix the resulting composition with one glass of honey. The resulting mixture must be kept in a heated oven for about 15 minutes. This tool can be used to rub the back and chest of the patient. In addition, the composition is suitable for internal use. It is recommended to consume it three times a day before meals.
- A rubbing compound based on camphor, eucalyptus and lavender oils has a positive effect. The mixture is quite runny. She should rub her chest twice a day.
- For therapeutic rubbing, you can also use regular olive oil. The product is preheated to the desired temperature in a water bath. Oil should be rubbed into the chest area. After that, a warm mustard compress can be applied to the affected area.
- Try to inhale with fir or pine essential oils.
- An excellent result is the use of a composition of 30 g of camphor oil and 2.5 g of lavender oil. The mixture must be rubbed into the affected side 4 times a day. A compress of these oils can even be left overnight.
- In the early stages of the disease, in the absence of a high temperature, it is recommended to make compresses from hot sea water.
- To get rid of the feeling of pain, it is worth applying a bandage with mustard to the surface where it hurts.
Fancy recipes
What else can traditional medicine offer? Pleurisy is well treated by using a compress cake with calendula oil. To make it, you need to take 2 tablespoons of mustard, 150 grams of flour, linden honey, calendula flowers, 100 ml of vodka. To prepare a compress, it is recommended to take 50 ml of calendula oil and add a mixture of the above substances to it. The resulting composition is thoroughly mixed and heated for 5 minutes in a water bath. The consistency of the mixture should resemble a stiff dough. It should be laid out on a piece of gauze, attached to the chest and covered with a warm scarf or scarf. Keep this compress for at least 30 minutes. If you repeat this procedure daily for a month, then you are guaranteed a positive result.
With pleurisy, not only onion with honey is effective, but also its mixture with mustard. 30 g of powder must be mixed with a teaspoon of sweets and pour 2.5 glasses of water. Soak a towel in the resulting solution. To enhance the effect, you can also wrap the affected area with a wool scarf. Keep this compress for 20 minutes. After the procedure, the patient should take good cover and lie down for a while.
Breathing exercises and massage
We have already considered what constitutes pleurisy of the lungs, the symptoms and treatment of folk remedies for this disease are also now known. It should be noted that when dealing withrespiratory diseases, breathing exercises and massage also show high efficiency. However, it should be borne in mind that in the acute form of pathology, some physiotherapy procedures should not be used. Only during the recovery period, you can start doing certain exercises for the respiratory system and go for a massage. What explains the high efficiency of these activities? Massage and breathing exercises contribute to the rapid resorption of infiltrates and the removal of fluid accumulated in the pleura. They also have a stimulating effect on the supply of lymph and blood to the lungs. Breathing exercises help to stimulate the mobility of the chest and prevent the formation of adhesions in the respiratory organs. They can also be used as a preventive measure. Breathing techniques have long been known to strengthen the body.
As for massage for a disease such as pleurisy (ICD code 10), only an experienced specialist should do it. He will be able to follow the correct execution of all manipulations. At home, it is permissible to do only light massaging movements using a simple cream. Such a procedure will not be able to restore blood supply to the lungs, but will help prevent congestion processes that can subsequently cause pneumonia.
How to massage yourself?
Is it worth it? Many are interested in how to do massage for pleurisy at home. It is best to start with kneading the paravertebral areas. Thereaftergradually move on to rubbing the broad dorsal muscles. Next, you need to start kneading the subclavian and supraclavicular areas. The procedure ends with a massage of the chest and diaphragm. After the procedure, you need to do some simple breathing exercises. A full course of massage treatment includes 12-15 approaches lasting 20 minutes. It can be done both daily and intermittently.
Preventive measures
If you take the necessary measures in time, you will not have to learn about the treatment of folk remedies. Pleurisy in the advanced stage disappears within a few weeks.
To prevent disease, just follow these simple guidelines:
- Try to strengthen the immune system by all available means. These include a balanced diet, regular exercise, the use of vitamin complexes. Breathing exercises also give a positive result.
- Try not to delay the treatment of colds and SARS. At the first manifestations of symptoms of pneumonia, an X-ray examination is necessary.
- Quit smoking.
Conclusion
Pleurisy is a rather serious disease of the respiratory tract. At the initial stage, treatment with folk remedies is acceptable. Pleurisy can be overcome using compresses, tinctures and inhalations based on natural ingredients.
