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Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we find useful to our readersAre you experiencing a high pitched sound while breathing in an out? You are most possibly suffering from the condition of wheezing. Have you been wondering about the possible natural remedies for wheezing instead of the standard prescription drugs?
Wheezing can often make it hard to breathe. It is necessary to not take it for granted and actually look into the problem.
In this article, we are going to be discussing about the home remedies for wheezing and how you can use them to get rid of the condition for good.
What Is Wheezing?
Wheezing is referred to as the condition in which one experiences sudden high pitched sounds when they are breathing in and out. The primary reason behind the same is because of the persistent tightening of the airways.
What Causes Wheezing?
Are you here wondering what was the sudden reason behind the onslaught of wheezing? There could be a number of reason behind the condition, some known and some uncertain at times too.
Check Out These Wheezing – Causes and Symptoms
Some of the major and common reasons behind the wheezing include:
Allergies, especially because of dust or even hay fever
- Infection in the airways
- Chronic diseases like Asthma
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Inflammation in the airways
- Prescribed medication that can cause constriction of the airways
Symptoms of Wheezing
When it comes to the common symptoms of wheezing, the choices and options are variably easy to detect. If you are still in doubt and confused, we will list down some of the common signs and symptoms of wheezing that are often witnessed.
Some of the common symptoms of wheezing include:
- A high pitched whistling and musical while breathing
- Labored breathing especially during exhaling
- Feeling of tightness around the chest
- Heightened sound of the wheezing sounds when the ears are plugged
Immediately consult a doctor if:
- You have no past history of asthma or asthma attack and you have started wheezing all of a sudden
- The phenomenon of wheezing is accompanied with a fever that has crossed the 101 degrees. These are possible signs of infection.
- Constant coughing accompanied with bloody and thicker mucous discharge
- You are witnessing the development of hives and red patches all over the face and body
Home Remedies for Wheezing
Wheezing is not a matter of primary concern if the condition is tended to within time. If you are constantly witnessing the signs and symptoms associated with wheezing, it is always best to opt out for the wheezing treatment at home and cure the problem for good.
In this section, we are going to be discussing about the various remedies you can opt for to get rid of wheezing.
Check Out These Natural Remedies for Wheezing
1. Does Steam Inhalation work for Wheezing?
Steam inhalation (R) is possibly one of the best ways to clear up the blocked sinuses and the constricted airways that is often the primary reason behind the lack of easy breathing. For the most part, the warm steam helps in dilating the airway and promotes better and seamless breathing to stop wheezing.
For better results, add a few drops of essential of any kind of essential oil, essentially peppermint oil for better impact in clearing out any kind of clogged mucous buildup.
What to do?
- In a deep vessel, add water and bring it to a boil
- Add a few drops of peppermint oil
- Using a towel, cover over your head and breathe in the steam
- Do this for 5 – 10 minutes
How often?
- Once daily
2. Do Breathing Exercises Work for Wheezing?
Breathing techniques and exercises work wonders when it comes to wheezing treatment at home. This is especially beneficial if your wheezing is because of the asthma or similar kind of conditions like that of COPD.
Experts (R) believe that yoga inspired or even the normal breathing techniques involving heavy inhalation and exhalation can often end up impacting your overall condition and get rid of the problem for good.
Pursed lip breathing is often considered one of the best natural remedies for wheezing because it predominantly gets rid of the excess trapped air out of the lungs. This helps in clearing out the constricted air passages and makes the process of breathing a lot easier.
What to do?
- Sit down with your back straight and muscles relaxed
- Breathe in through your nose and count till two
- Pucker your lips and exhale through them make a whistling sound and count till four
- Repeat this multiple times for feeling better
How often?
- Do this for 5-10 minutes before bed at night
3. Does Drinking Hot Drinks help to wheeze?
Often times, the most common reason behind your persistent wheezing is because of the accumulation of mucus. Drinking hot drinks actually does aid in getting rid of the problem. The main reason behind the same is because that warmth of the drink helps in relieving the signs of congestion (R) faced by the people.
The warm drinks help in freeing the nasal pathway (R) too which further makes the breathing process easier.
4. Do Air Filters help with Wheezing?
As mentioned before, one of the most common causes of wheezing is allergies. The primary trigger for allergies is floating around in the air that we are breathing in every second. If you are quiet easily triggered by the dust and pollen floating around in the air, it is best advised to get an air filter installed in your home.
This might not necessarily categorise as one of the natural remedies for wheezing but trust me; it is very effective in getting rid of the accessory signs and symptoms associated with wheezing.
5. Do Humidifiers Help Treat Wheezing?
The dry air around you can often make breathing a strenuous task to do. The dryness around is often related to the heightened congestion and constriction of the airways. If you have been witnessing something similar, especially during the winter days, the best way to get rid of the problem is with air humidifiers.
These help in relieving the congestion and even reduce the severity of wheezing. You can even add some essential oils to the mix to water and that should help get the job done as well.
6. Do Allergy Medications Help Treat Wheezing?
If you are consistently suffering from allergies, wheezing becomes a common associated problem with the condition. It is always best to ensure that you consume the prescribed allergy medication to get rid of the signs of allergy, wheezing being one of the most predominant ones.
It is always best to opt for the natural remedies for wheezing but if the situation needs immediate attention much like that of during the allergies, taking the prescribed allergy medications is often the best option at hand.
7. Do Bronchodilators help with Wheezing?
The patients who often consistently suffer from chronic conditions like asthma and bronchitis, chances are that they will predominantly have constricted air pathways which often end up contributing to the induction of wheezing sounds when they are breathing in and out.
The bronchodilators which are often used in the form of the inhaler are medications which have beneficial impacts in dilating the air pathway that promotes easier breathing without any kind of constraints. It is important to take prescribed bronchodilators rather than just blindly going around with the same.
8. Eat More Fruits and Veggies
As much as you might despise fruits and vegetables, one of the best home remedies for wheezing is consuming this in your daily diet. Studies and experts have time and time emphasized on the importance of nutrition on the cure of the respiratory health of an individual.
One particular study (R) intermittently found that the more consumption of Vitamin C in your daily diet actually does have protective impacts on the overall respiratory health. The inclusion of Vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables is often considered as one of the best ways to get rid of wheezing.
Some of the best options of fruits and vegetables that one should add in their diet include spinach, broccoli, oranges, and bell peppers.
The same study has also found the influence that the Vitamin D and E rich diet has on improving one’s overall respiratory health. So, ensure to include Vitamin D and E rich foods in your daily diet too like dairy products, red meat, oily fish and even egg yolks.
9. Does Smoking affect Wheezing?
Smoking and the connection of deterioration of respiratory health doesn’t probably require a separate introduction, right? The impact smoking (R) has on your overall breathing and respiratory health is vast and profound as well. Both active, as well as passive smoking, does have negative implications on your respiratory health.
If you want to stop wheezing, the best way to go about it to quit smoking. Smoking not just irritates your air passage but the compounds in the same, nicotine, is believed to induce and trigger the development of some of the most deadly respiratory diseases that you definitely don’t want to experience.
Apart from smoking, also try and avoid the smoke that comes off of the barbeque grills, fireplaces etc.
10. Should I Prevent Exercising In Dry Conditions To Stop Wheezing?
If you haven’t heard the term “Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction ”, (R) let me explain the same to you. This is the condition that is primarily induced because of the constriction of the airways because of the exercises you are conducting.
What this does is end up making your breathing labored and tends to impact your overall respiration on the whole. It is predominantly witnessed in people who tend to work out in dry and cold weather conditions. This is what ends up causing constriction of their airways, making them wheeze.
If you are opting for natural remedies for wheezing, it is either best to avoid exercising (R) in dry weather areas or install a humidifier.
11. Can honey stop wheezing?
If you have been having trouble breathing because of any form of infection or even chest congestion, chances are that the buildup of mucous is what is causing the problem.
Honey is loaded with natural antiviral (R), antibacterial (R) as well as anti-inflammatory (R) properties which have profound impacts in getting rid of any kind of infection or inflammation causing the constriction of the airway.
Apart from that, honey potentially helps remove the accumulated phlegm in the bronchial tubes and has an overall impact on the immunity.
What to do?
- Consume one tablespoon of raw honey in the morning after brushing your teeth. You can even crush some holy basil leaves and chew that with honey for relieving congestion.
- Alternatively, you can mix one tablespoon of honey to a glass of warm water and drink that to relieve the symptoms of constricted airways and congestion
How often?
- 1-2 times daily for both the remedies
12. Does Mustard Oil Massage Helps Relieve Wheezing?
Yet another one of the potent home remedies for wheezing is massaging with mustard oil. The amazing combination of the pungency and the soothing properties of the mustard oil have profound impacts in getting rid of the congestion and helps boost the blood circulation as well.
Mixing camphor with mustard oil and massaging with that further boosts the overall respiratory health of an individual by boosting the air uptake. Not just that, the pungent smell of the mustard oil also has beneficial impacts in opening up the airways to make the person breathe easily.
What to do?
- In a small bowl, pour 3-4 tablespoons of mustard oil
- Heat it up for a bit and add a cube of camphor into it
- Let everything melt and combine
- Using your fingers, apply the warm oil mix on your chest and massage it well so it seeps into the skin
How often?
- 3-4 times in a day
13. Does Apple Cider Vinegar help get rid of wheezing?
The usage of apple cider vinegar as one of the natural remedies for wheezing has been in practice for quite some time now. The combination of the antimicrobial (R), as well as the anti-inflammatory (R) properties of the vinegar, is quite beneficial to stop wheezing.
The mild acidic property which comes from the acetic acid is beneficial in breaking down any kind of accumulation of phlegm that often ends up blocking the air pathways and makes it difficult to breathe.
What to do?
- In a glass of lukewarm water, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- Mix everything and add 1 teaspoon of honey to it and stir through
- Once everything is combined, drink this concoction in small sips
How often?
- 1 glass every day till the congestion is relieved
14. Do raw onions help relieve wheezing?
The onions are loaded with beneficial compounds like sulfur which is actually quite beneficial in relieving any persistent presence of infection in your body, especially the ones in your nasal pathway, blocking the air passages. The antimicrobial (R) properties of the onions help in getting rid of any persistent signs of infection and helps with the wheezing treatment at home.
It does not just help in fighting off any kind of persistent inflammation (R) in the lungs; it is also quite beneficial in clearing out the blocked airways.
What to do?
- Consume more and more onions as part of your daily diet by including them in your cooking
- You can also consume them raw for even better benefits
How often?
- As a part of your daily diet
15. Do Ginger and Garlic help treat wheezing?
The combination of ginger and garlic as a potent decongestant doesn’t possibly need an introduction, now, does it? The amazing antimicrobial (R) properties of the Allicin present in the garlic has profound impacts in fighting off the building infection in the bronchial tube that can often be a potent reason behind the induction of constriction of the air passages.
Ginger, on the other hand, has amazing decongestant as well as anti-inflammatory (R) properties which have combined benefits in getting rid of the common signs and symptoms of congestion or accumulation of phlegm around the throat regions, causing the wheezing sound.
What to do?
- Consume 1-2 cloves of raw garlic first thing in the morning. You can even increase the intake of garlic in your daily diet
- Drink ginger tea to relieve the signs of congestion or constriction of the air pathways
How often?
- As per the requirement calls
When it comes to pertaining to the common natural remedies for wheezing, the possibilities could be endless. In order for you to effectively drive away the constant difficulty in breathing along with the painful heavy feeling on the chest, all you need to do is opt for any of the home remedies to get rid of wheezing in an effective way.
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