How to breathe over potatoes and when is inhalation contraindicated?
Therapeutic inhalations help cure a sore throat. For this procedure, you can use ordinary potatoes. This article will help you understand how to breathe over potatoes and when inhalation is contraindicated.
Therapeutic effect
Inhalation is a method of treatment that has been used since ancient times to eliminate the adverse symptoms of a cold. This "grandfather" method helps to cope with SARS in a matter of days. Inhalations are also carried out in order to normalize breathing.
Carrying out such procedures is based largely on the effect of steam on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Warm steam, getting into the nasopharynx and pharynx during breathing, leads to getting rid of adverse symptoms. Through inhalation, you can cope with a runny nose, nasal congestion and cough.
Inhalations with potatoes are loved by the people. This method has been passed down from generation to generation. Breathing over potatoes is not only safe, but also extremely beneficial. The technology for conducting such inhalations is also quite simple. All they need is a few potatoes, a pot of water, and a warm blanket.
Treatment of a cold with conventional medicines is usually expensive and usually requires several symptomatic remedies at once. Many of these drugs can not be called budgetary.Inhalation with ordinary potatoes is not only useful, but also quite budgetary. This method of therapy is suitable even for people with a limited budget.
The relative safety of this method of treatment should also be noted. Potatoes do not contain any dangerous synthetic components that can provoke severe allergic reactions. That is why this method of treatment can be used by pregnant women. Such therapy is limited only for people who have contraindications to its implementation, as well as for young children.
Breathing over potatoes is possible not only for people with acute pathology, but also for those who suffer from chronic diseases of the respiratory system. Such therapeutic inhalations help to cope with persistent cough.
It is no coincidence that specialists who resort to the use of folk remedies recommend using this method of treatment to eliminate the adverse symptoms of bronchitis.
The moist steam that forms during the cooking of potatoes helps fight various types of coughs. So, inhalation helps to get rid of persistent "dry" cough. Moist steam acts on the cells lining the respiratory tract, which leads to the production of a secret that has a more liquid consistency. This secret lubricates the inflamed mucous membranes of the bronchial tree, which contributes to the gradual reduction of unproductive (dry) cough.
Such therapeutic inhalations can also be used to treat a "wet" cough. This symptom is usually characterized by difficulty in passing phlegm or mucus from the inflamed airways. A variety of diseases can lead to the appearance of a productive cough - from a common cold to pneumonia.Some of these pathologies occur with a high body temperature, while others practically do not cause low-grade fever.
Recovering from a productive cough can also be quite difficult. In the steam formed during the cooking of potatoes, a special substance is formed - tetradecane. It can have an anti-inflammatory effect, leading to an improvement in well-being.
Inhalation of potato steam helps to normalize the work of the cells that form the respiratory tract, which leads to the normalization of general well-being and getting rid of cough.
Such therapeutic inhalations are also useful for angina. They help reduce inflammation in the tonsils and also help to normalize breathing. It is necessary to carry out such treatment in acute tonsillitis very carefully. Before carrying out this method of treatment with a purulent form of angina, it is necessary to consult with an otolaryngologist.
The benefits of therapeutic inhalations for colds are enormous. Through this simple method of treatment, you can get rid of the adverse symptoms of the disease in just a matter of days. To enhance the effect during inhalations with potatoes, you can add some essential oils to vegetables. You can enhance the antibacterial effect with the help of an oil extract of pine, fir or eucalyptus. Such combined inhalations can be carried out only if there are no contraindications to their implementation.
Carrying out therapeutic inhalations helps to cope with the inflammatory process that has arisen due to infection in various parts of the respiratory system. This procedure is an alternative to physiotherapy, which is carried out in medical institutions.
Of course, it is dangerous to independently carry out such treatment for some diseases. Before treating chronic respiratory pathologies at home on your own, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Inhalations are successfully used to cleanse the respiratory tract from various particles. The fact is that the respiratory epithelium is covered with special villi. They are necessary in order to mechanically remove all particles that have fallen on the mucous membranes, including viruses and bacteria. However, in people who have chronic diseases of the ENT organs, who smoke or live in environmentally unfavorable places, the functioning of such cilia is impaired. This leads to the development of a number of pathologies.
Violation of mucociliary clearance (the process of active movement of the cilia of the respiratory epithelium during breathing) with a cold leads to the development of congestion, as well as the accumulation of sputum and mucus in the lumen of the bronchi. These adverse clinical manifestations can be eliminated with the help of therapeutic inhalations.
Moist steam helps to cleanse the cilia from thick mucus that has adhered to them, which contributes to the discharge of sputum. Such an effect leads to the fact that it becomes much easier for a sick person to cough. After several procedures, he feels better, and breathing normalizes.
The steam that is formed during the cooking of potatoes has a truly healing effect on the body, as it has phytoncidal properties. Interestingly, it also contains a small amount of ethyl alcohol.The content of these components is sufficient to promote natural liquefaction of sputum and have an antiseptic effect on the affected bronchi.
When carrying out such treatment, one should also remember that it is carried out in a course. You should not breathe over potatoes for several weeks, as this can negatively affect the condition of the bronchi and lungs in the future. It is optimal to the course of such therapy did not exceed 5-6 days. If during this time it was not possible to achieve a positive result and the state of health did not improve, then in such a situation it is necessary to seek medical help and choose an alternative method of treatment.
Wet steam has a negative impact on the vital activity of pathogenic microbes. The vast majority of respiratory diseases are caused by various pathogenic viruses and bacteria. The insidiousness of such pathologies is largely due to the fact that they are quite easily transmitted from a sick person to a healthy one. In traditional medicine, antiviral drugs and antibiotics are used in the treatment of infectious diseases.
Wet steam, which is used during therapeutic inhalations, affects the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, where pathogenic microbes are located, which leads to their death. It is this method of treatment that helps to cope with an infectious pathology that occurs in an uncomplicated form and without the use of drugs.
Potato inhalations can be used to treat rhinitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, as well as colds, which are accompanied by catarrhal symptoms.It is also possible to carry out such procedures with acute respiratory infections, which is accompanied by the appearance of nasal congestion and impaired nasal breathing.
People with complications of these diseases should not resort to such treatment without consulting a doctor.
Possible harm
When carrying out any physiotherapy procedures at home, care must be taken. This method of treatment is not suitable for everyone, as it can lead to the development of complications.
So, adults can use this therapy only if there are no contraindications. It is impossible for preschool children to carry out such inhalations on their own.
There are several contraindications to the use of this method in adults. So, they include:
- vascular diseases, accompanied by a tendency to increased fragility of blood vessels;
- development of purulent complications;
- active form of tuberculosis;
- signs of pneumothorax (the appearance of air in the chest);
- pathologies that occur with a violation of the heart rhythm;
- heart failure;
- severe diseases of the nervous system, including epilepsy and a history of epileptiform seizures;
- recent stroke or heart attack;
- hypertension, difficult to treat with antihypertensive drugs or proceeding with frequent crises;
- complicated sinusitis.
Before carrying out the procedure, one should also take into account the presence of an allergy to potatoes in a particular person. Of course, during such a medical procedure, a sick person does not consume potatoes inside, but the risk of an allergic pathology in him still cannot be completely excluded.That is why people who have such a rare pathology as an allergy to potatoes, it is better to resort to some alternative method of treating a cold.
When carrying out inhalation, safety precautions must be carefully observed. So, you should not inhale too hot steam, as this can simply lead to severe burns of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Proponents of folk therapy recommend inhaling steam that has a temperature of approximately 45-50 degrees. This will minimize the risk of developing adverse symptoms.
When carrying out treatment through inhalation with potatoes, you should carefully monitor your well-being. If no improvement has appeared against the background of such therapy, then this method should be abandoned. If, despite the inhalation, the body temperature began to increase and general weakness increased, then in this case it is not worth delaying seeking medical help, since the risk of complications is high.
Do not carry out inhalation of the respiratory tract with a pronounced increase in body temperature. Carrying out such treatment during febrile condition can worsen the state of health, as well as cause the development of dangerous complications. It is possible to resort to therapeutic inhalations with hot steam if the body temperature does not exceed 37 degrees.
Doctors advise not to resort to such home physiotherapy procedures for people with pneumonia. This disease is usually quite severe and can be complicated. Hot steam with such a pathology can aggravate its course, which will lead to negative consequences.
Medical inhalations with hot steam are also contraindicated for people who have nosebleeds. Exposure to high temperatures can cause the blood vessels in the nose to burst, causing spontaneous bleeding.
Thus, if a person has had two or more cases of nosebleeds during his life, then he should consult a doctor before inhaling with potatoes.
cooking recipes
For inhalation at home, no special devices are required. So, for this you need:
- medium-sized potatoes - 4-6 pcs.;
- a pot of water with a volume of 2.75-3 liters;
- salt - 1 tsp
Rinse the potatoes well before placing them in the pot. The type of vegetable does not matter. For inhalation, you can use both red and yellow, and white potatoes. It is better to use tubers for cooking that do not have signs of spoilage, mold or rot.
Well-washed potatoes should be placed in a saucepan and covered with water. It is necessary that the water covers the vegetables from above by 2 cm. After that, the potatoes must be slightly salted and boiled. Salt is optional and is optional.
It is quite easy to check the readiness of boiled potatoes - you just need to pierce it with a sharp object. If the potatoes pierce easily, they are ready. On average, the cooking time of vegetables for a medical procedure is approximately 20-25 minutes (depending on the initial size of the roots taken). After the vegetables are cooked, the water from the pan should be drained, and the root crops should be pressed down with a fork. This will allow the steam that is contained inside the root crops to come to the surface.
There are other ways to prepare potatoes for inhalation.So, when cooking vegetables in a saucepan, in addition to salt, you can add a tablespoon of soda. Such inhalations are useful for treating a runny nose, as they help reduce nasal congestion and help restore normal breathing.
People who are not allergic to fir plants can add a few drops of essential oils to boiled hot potatoes. Eucalyptus oil is excellent for the treatment of diseases of the upper respiratory tract. The substances included in its composition have a phytoncidal effect. This helps to successfully deal with the symptoms of viral infections.
To eliminate a runny nose, you can use not only boiled hot potatoes, but also a decoction that was formed during cooking. Pour a small amount of liquid into a teapot and add a few drops of lemon oil. Inhalation of steam through the spout of the kettle will reduce nasal congestion and restore lost nasal breathing.
This procedure is mainly suitable for people who have only a runny nose during a cold, and no other symptoms have arisen.
How to carry out inhalation?
It is better to carry out the treatment procedure while sitting. Doctors do not advise doing such inhalations while standing. It is extremely dangerous to perform them while standing and for people who are prone to hypotension or spontaneous dizziness.
The hot steam emanating from the potato, when inhaled, acts on the blood vessels, leading to their opening. Such an action can lead to darkening of the eyes, and in some cases even to dizziness. In order to avoid the appearance of these extremely unfavorable symptoms, the procedure should be carried out while sitting, in a relaxed state.
To enhance the effect when inhaling warm steam, it is better to cover your head and shoulders with a warm fleecy towel.Some people use a small blanket or blanket for this. This allows you to create a "sauna" effect, which enhances the effect.
Breathing over boiled vegetables should be at some distance from them. It is important to remember that the procedure should not cause any adverse symptoms. If during inhalation there is a feeling that the steam, as it were, “burns” the mucous membrane, then in this case, you should slightly increase the distance of the head from the pan where the hot boiled potatoes are located.
During the therapeutic inhalation, you need to breathe correctly. There are various methods for how to do this. The classic way: a couple of breaths through the nose, followed by exhalation through the mouth. In this case, one should inhale alternately first with the right and then with the left nostril.
Other methods involve inhaling the vapor through the mouth and exhaling through the nose. If desired, you can combine different methods with each other.
More important when carrying out such a medical procedure is not the depth of breathing, but the frequency. So, breathing too fast is not right. Breathe slowly so that the steam gradually penetrates the respiratory tract without causing any discomfort.
When carrying out a medical procedure, it is extremely important to observe the duration of its implementation. So, one such home physiotherapy procedure should not last more than 5-7 minutes. This time, with proper breathing, is enough for the steam to act on the inflamed mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Too long inhalations instead of benefit can harm the body.
It is important to note that you should eat or drink at least 30 minutes before the procedure. After a session of such treatment, a sick person should definitely rest.It is better to spend this time in bed under a warm blanket. It is better to eat food not earlier than an hour after the end of the wellness session.
When inhaling It is necessary to carefully monitor the drinking regime. In order for the treatment to be as effective as possible, during the entire course of this treatment, the sick person should drink only warm liquids. As such drinks, you can use not only boiled water. Berry fruit drinks, lemon tea, as well as warmed milk are also suitable.
Plentiful warm drink will enhance the effect of home physiotherapy by several times.
After the procedure, you can often find that the clothes have become wet with sweat. Such heavy sweating is quite normal when warming up. If the skin after the inhalation has become wet, then after the treatment session, you should immediately change clothes. It is better to choose clothes that are warm, but "breathable".
After the procedure, any drafts should also be avoided. You should not go outside for a couple of hours after such a home physiotherapy treatment. It is better to do inhalations in the morning and in the evening. You can breathe over potatoes a maximum of three times a day.
For information on how to breathe over potatoes, see the following video.