Pleurisy is a condition in which there is inflammation in the pleura membrane of the chest cavity and lungs. The patient feels pain, especially while inhaling and exhaling. The pain becomes worse during coughing and sneezing. Pain can also be there while moving. Some patients have pain in chest and shoulders. The pain decreases while holding the breath and putting pressure on the area that pains. There can be fever, chills and shortness of breath.
The patient can have loss of appetite and dry cough. Due to inflammation, there is rubbing of chest pleura membranes against one another similar to the rubbing of sandpapers. This causes the pain while taking deep breaths in and out. Pleurisy can be due to viral infection, pneumonia, tuberculosis, pulmonary embolism and other infectious diseases.
Chest trauma, rib fractures and heart surgery can cause pleurisy. Lung cancer is a rare cause of pleurisy. Pleurisy can become worse due to smoking. You must try home remedies for the treatment of pleurisy. Some of the best home remedies for pleurisy are as follows.
Various Home Remedies For Pleurisy
1. Diet Remedies
If you have pleurisy, you should fast by taking only water for some days and then increasing the amount of water. Avoid all types of foods, whether solid or liquid. You should take milk diet when there is relief in the symptoms. Take maximum four liters milk daily. You can also take goat milk. Take maximum four liters of goat milk daily.
You can eat oranges as it makes the immune system strong and help in overcoming weight loss. You can take cabbage, chicken soup and gourd. You can also take cauliflower and potato. Take okra, eggplant and fenugreek. Avoid foods that are cold, spicy and fermented. Do not take fried foods. Take food items that contain Vitamin C and A.
2. Rest, Fresh Air And Sunbath
You should take rest and lie on the body side that pains. You should take abundant fresh air. You can take air bath as well as sunbath. Seashore air baths in the morning time are very helpful. Bathing in salt lakes can help in reducing pleurisy symptoms.
3. Cough Syrup, Natural Tea And Chest Strapping
Take codeine cough syrup for treating cough. Pleurisy root tea is a very good remedy for pleurisy. The tea will help in expelling mucus and it clears the chest and lungs.If the pleurisy is dry, you can strap the chest. You should not use hot packs when you strap the chest. You should avoid heavy lifting. Do not do heavy exercises.
4. Heat Application
Heat application can help in curing the symptoms of pleurisy. You can take bath with hot water. You can add olbas oil to the bath water. You must apply hot chest packs for one hour daily three times. When you are using the hot packs, you should do deep breathing.You can also apply heat on the affected area with the help of hot towel. If you have fever, you should apply cold packs. Do not use ice packs if you do not have fever as it can worsen the condition.
Also Read
Top 5 Herbal Remedies For Pleurisy
7 Herbal Remedies For Pneumonia
5. Basil Leaves
Holy basil leaves are a good remedy for pleurisy. You must eat twenty grams of these leaves before taking breakfast.You can also eat basil at the evening time. Basil leaves help in making the pleura fluid dry, which provides relief to the patient.
6. Linseed Poultice
You can apply linseed poultice on the chest and back. The poultice should be loose. Warm massage can help in reducing pleurisy symptoms. When you gain some strength, you can do moderate exercise that does not cause fatigue.
7. Use Humidifier
You should use a humidifier as it can make the air moist due to which the sputum becomes thin. If the sputum is thin, it is easy to expel it from the lungs. Use the humidifier at night while sleeping. You should clean the humidifier every day so that bacteria and fungus do not get collected inside it. If there is deposition of bacteria and fungus inside the humidifier, it can worsen the problem of inflammation.
8. Black Seed Oil And Celery
Black seed is a spice used for cooking food. Black seed oil can help in curing pleurisy. You can take the oil in the form of capsules. The oil makes the immune system strong. You can also use seeds and oil of celery for curing pleurisy.
9. Olive Leaf Extract
Olive leaves contain an ingredient called oleuropein, which helps in fighting all types of infections and reducing blood pressure. It cures internal infections and fight cancer. The olive leaf extract helps in healing pleurisy.You can take olive leaf extract in the form of capsule or powder. You can also take the olive leaf in the form of liquid or dry leaf tea. Olive leaves contain antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids.
