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If you are suffering from pleurisy you must be having a sudden pain that is often sharp in nature during inhalation as well as exhalation. You are not able to take deep breathing. Coughing, sneezing or even laughing increases the intensity of the pain. Moreover, the pain may travel all over the upper torso including the back, the shoulder, right and left side of chest. Additionally, you may also have shortness of breath, and your breathing may be shallow.
You can either have dry pleurisy or wet pleurisy. Dry pleurisy is accompanied with dry cough. If you are suffering from wet pleurisy then there is a build up of fluid within the pleural lining. Wet pleurisy is chronic in nature and generally diagnosed way after the condition has built up for years. There can be several precipitating factors behind pleurisy, but the most common of these is chest cold, pneumonia, asthma, tuberculosis or infection.
Whatever be the kind of pleurisy you are suffering from there is no denying that it is a crippling disease. It can restrict your daily activities drastically. Traditionally pleurisy is generally treated by using antibiotics if the underlying cause is infection. But this is only a symptomatic treatment. The root of the problem that includes a weakness of the lungs is not addressed. For this you can turn to herbs. There are some herbal remedies for pleurisy. Let us explore some of those.
6 Herbal Remedies For Pleurisy
Pleurisy Root
A namesake of the disease itself this herb is perhaps the best antidote for pleurisy, the disease. It is one of the most frequently used herb for treatment of pleurisy. It has been used traditionally for treating severe lung conditions such as pneumonia. It is a very good antibiotic as well as anti-inflammatory herb.
Moreover, it is expectorant in nature. So along with fighting the infection it will also help you to cough up the phlegm, if any, that has deposited within the lungs. The herb is available in tincture form. You can take it alone or in combination with some other herbs such as hyssop, lobelia, sage and yarrow.
Hyssop
This herb is a member of the mint family. It has been found to be helpful for the respiratory system. It is very useful in treating lung congestion that may result from accumulation of mucus.
Moreover, it is an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant and an immune booster. It also dilates the bronchioles and eases breathing. All these properties combined hyssop can be a boon for those suffering from pleurisy. It can be taken orally to alleviate the symptoms of pleurisy.
Lobelia
Lobelia has been used traditionally as a muscle relaxant and an expectorant. When you are suffering from pleurisy you are coughing frequently. This keeps the throat muscles agitated. This in turn aggravates the coughing. Using lobelia you can make the muscles relax.
This will help with your cough. Moreover, it has the ability to cleanse the lungs. A very interesting feature of lobelia is that it can help you to kick the butt. This property is useful in treating pleurisy as smoking has been found to be responsible for some cases of pleurisy.
Sage
A specific property of this herb is very useful in treating wet pleurisy. This herb can draw out water out of the pleural lining. In wet pleurisy there is accumulation of fluid between the pleural linings.
Using sage herb you can reduce the build up of this fluid and alleviate some of the symptoms of pleurisy. It is also anti-inflammatory in nature and helps in increasing circulation. Due to all these properties sage is a very useful herb in the treatment of pleurisy.
Wild Cherry
The bark of wild cherry has been traditionally used in the preparation of syrups for use in dry cough. Dry cough is more irritating than productive cough, and when you are suffering from pleurisy you are likely to suffer from bouts of dry cough. This can be alleviated to a large extent by using wild cherry herb.
It has an antispasmodic and muscle relaxant character. Steep 4 ounces of the bark in equal amount of water overnight. In the morning strain the solution and mix some honey to it to sweeten it. Take two to three teaspoons of this mixture daily. This will alleviate the symptoms of pleurisy.
Yarrow
This herb is mainly useful in rectifying digestive problems, but it is also useful in drawing out excess water. If you are suffering from wet pleurisy this herb can be quite useful.
It will draw out some of the excess fluid and alleviate the shortness of breath and other symptoms to some extent.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.