Dealing with Respiratory Infection at Home

Breathing is something many people take for granted but if you are someone who suffers from frequent lung problems it's probably a sure bet to say you do not take anything for granted. Breathing is an automatic function one that most people do not even think about. It is regulated by the body and is something we do even totally unconsciously.

An infection in the lungs is commonly called a URI or upper respiratory infection. This type of infection settles into the lungs and causes mucus and fluids to build up. This leads to a heavy feeling within the chest that makes it difficult to take in air. This causes shortness of breath and often will leave a person feeling tired because of a slight lack of oxygen to the system. It can also cause a person to cough. This cough can be loose and productive meaning that the fluid and mucus filling the lungs has not hardened and can easily be ejected from the system.

On the other hand, respiratory infection can also have the opposite symptoms where the build up hardens and becomes difficult to move. This only builds on the infection since the body is unable to remove the material from the lungs.

What to Do about Respiratory Infection at Home

There are a number of things that you can at home to deal with a respiratory infection. The first thing that you need to consider doing when you have an infection is to get the material out of your lungs. There are a number of options. You can use a steam treatment. This is where you place something like Vicks or similar medicine into a pot of hot water then breathe in the resulting steam. You can also use plain steam as well. This helps to put moisture in to loosen heavy build up. This causes coughing which helps to remove the infection from the lungs.

This type of home remedy for a respiratory infection should be done in addition to the type of treatment that your primary care provider recommends because these types of infections deal with an essential bodily function it is a good idea to receive treatment as soon as possible and remove the infection as quickly as possible. Keeping an infection, such this in your lungs can weaken your lungs over the long run and lead to a host of other medical issues in future years.