Role of Homeopathy in Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an infection of the bronchial tubes that carry air from your throat to your lungs. When infected, bronchial tubes become inflamed, making it difficult to breath, and produce mucus which causes coughing. Other symptoms may include a slight fever, sore throat, muscle pain when breathing, and wheezing. It is even possible, during acute bronchitis, to cough so hard that the explosive vacuum you create in your lungs can crack or otherwise hurt your ribs, which makes further coughing even more painful.

Bronchitis can be either chronic or acute. Acute bronchitis is often the result of a cold or flu, in which case it is said the cold 'turned into bronchitis'. Acute bronchitis is most often caused by a virus, rather than bacteria, so taking antibiotics will probably not help, although doctors often prescribe them because their patients insist.

Acute bronchitis will usually go away on its own. The best treatment is bed rest and fluids. Because bronchitis causes the buildup of mucus, an expectorant cough syrup can help thin down the mucus and make it easier to cough up. Drinking fluids will also help with this, as well as replace the fluids you lose to the infection. See your doctor if you are still having symptoms after two weeks - you may have another respiratory problem.

The best way to avoid acute bronchitis is the same way you would try to avoid a cold. Wash your hands often, disinfect as necessary during cold season, and avoid crowded or confined spaces if there's 'something going around'.

Chronic bronchitis is a condition most often seen in smokers. This is a more permanent inflammation of the bronchial tubes caused by the irritation of cigarette smoke. Chronic bronchitis is like an on-going, less severe case of acute bronchitis. The bronchial tubes are always slightly inflamed, mucus is always being produced, and the result is the 'smoker's hack'. The best cure for chronic bronchitis is to stop smoking, but if that is unworkable for you, cutting down can reduce the stress on your bronchial tubes and allow them to recover somewhat.

Homeopathic Medicines:
Belladonna- Belladonna suits cases of bronchitis with a violent fever, short, dry, continual, distressing cough, worse at night and on lying down, where the breathing is irregular and hurried, no expectoration, or if present, it is apt to be blood streaked, fullness in chest without any pain, the skin is hot and inclined to moisture; there is a tendency to drowsiness, the patient does not sleep, but dozes in semi conscious manner and starts frequently. The cough is spasmodic and the child cries after each paroxysm.

Phosphorus- Especially to sub acute cases in delicate, tall, slender, overgrown or phthisical subjects. Every cold settles in chest when coughing; Sense of heaviness and constriction in the chest; Paralytic weakness of lungs; Cough worse from laughing, talking, eating, drinking and when lying on right side; Expectoration is copious, bloody, rust colored, frothy but becomes thick, yellow and sweetish later on; Pain in sternum when coughing; whole body shakes and trembles with cough; great thirst for icy cold water; burning in chest and spine.

Antim Tart- This remedy corresponds to two stages of bronchitis, an early one and a late one. In the beginning of capillary bronchitis in young infants, or in old people, this remedy is very effective; there is sub-crepitant rales throughout the chest, wheezing, the cough sounds loose, but no phlegm is raised; in children’s the cough is infrequent, and the child becomes drowsy, the respiration is superficial, requiring labored efforts of the respiratory muscles, and vomiting of food and mucous may be present; the patients own mucous secretions drown him.