Essential oils have a variety of benefits and are widely used for their scents, cleaning powers, and healing properties. One of the ailments they work well on is bronchitis. However, only some specific essential oils are greatly helpful for bronchitis. They can either be used on their own or blended together to enhance the effects.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best essential oils for bronchitis, cough, and phlegm. We’ll look at individual oils, blends, and brands.
Before we discuss which ones to use, let us first get to know what bronchitis is and determine how to select the essentials to use. Later on, we will also discuss how to apply the essential oils for bronchitis.
What Is Bronchitis?
Bronchitis is a condition when the tubes found in the lungs swell up. This can make it difficult to breathe. Usually, it is accompanied by a cold, cough, and endless phleghm. Unlike other respiratory problems, antibiotics aren’t usually used for bronchitis because they are caused by a virus rather than bacteria.
Alternative medicine such as using essential oils is also a good option.
Choosing Essential Oils For Cough
With lots of essential oils available on the market, you have to know which to choose. There are essential oils that can be helpful in such situations but there are also others that won’t do anything for bronchitis.
In the case of bronchitis, there is an inflammation of the tubules. They can also be filled with thick mucus that can be challenging to remove. The body tries its best to get the phlegm out by making you cough.
With that in mind, you should find essential oils that will help thin out the mucus so it can be easily removed. Also, essential oils that help with coughing and mucus excretion will be best.
Lastly, you’d also want something that can calm your cough so that you don’t cough too hard that it already hurts.
Best Essential Oils For Bronchitis
Eucalyptus
This essential oil is commonly used for cough associated with bronchitis and other ailments like pharyngitis and sinusitis as well. It helps out the immune system to better protect the body especially the respiratory system.
The eucalyptus essential oil greatly helps in relieving congestion as it works like an expectorant, which is why it is a common ingredient in commercial chest rubs. Note: If you are using eucalyptus for kids and infants, make sure you use Eucalyptus Radiata like the Healing Solutions Organic Radiata Eucalyptus essential oil.
Eucalyptus is a common choice among those who use essential oils in a sauna for its chest clearing benefits.
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Peppermint
Peppermint Oil is also used for bronchitis because it has soothing properties due to the presence of menthol. With it, a scratchy throat becomes bearable. Also, it helps relax the windpipe so that those with bronchitis can breathe better. However, peppermint essential oil, like some eucalyptus essential oils, is not usually suggested for children under 8 years, so be sure to check your supplier’s recommendations for kids.
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Rosemary
Rosemary essential oil is better known for its capability to stimulate hair growth but it is also selected for bronchitis because it has cineole, which is a compound that helps with the dissolution of thick mucus. With loose mucus, it is easier to cough out the mucus, which can lessen the irritation of the tubules and make it easier to breathe.
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Geranium
Geranium essential oil is not only fragrant, but it is also effective at helping with upper respiratory tract infections like bronchitis. If you are just new to using essential oils, some scents can be irritating but you can add a few drops of this to make the scent more appealing.
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Oregano
The oregano plant is also used as a herbal treatment for cough. Also, the oregano essential oil contains carvacrol that helps fight various microorganisms that can cause bronchitis and other respiratory tract issues. It can be used to help treat cough caused by either bacteria or viruses.
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Tea Tree
Tea tree essential oil is another one that can help fight viruses and other microbial bodies. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that help with the swelling airways.
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Bergamot
With a citrusy scent, Bergamot essential oils don’t only smell good but it is also capable of relieving congestion. The camphene acts as an expectorant to improve the removal of mucus in the respiratory tract.
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Essential Oil Blends For Bronchitis
Apart from essential oils coming from a single plant, it is also possible to treat bronchitis with a mixture of essential oils. This is called an essential oil blend. If you are using essential oils and have some at home, you can create a blend for bronchitis. However, there are also some companies that already create blends for various health issues like bronchitis.
Breathe Blend
Healing Solutions has a blend called Breathe Essential Oil Blend. This doesn’t just smell amazing, it helps out with cough too. It contains peppermint, lemon, rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils.
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Coughing Ease Blend
Wonder Healing offers its Coughing Ease Essential Oil Blend for bronchitis. It helps the respiratory tract in various cases including allergies and cough. This is a blend of peppermint, tea tree, lavender, and eucalyptus essential oils.
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Apart from the two mentioned above, other companies also have their own blends. Usually, they include essential oils that really target the respiratory tract than some that can help improve the scent of their blend.
How To Apply Essential Oils For Cough and Cold
Essential oils can be purchased as pure essential oils that come in bottles. With that, you can create various solutions and mixtures that you can use to apply the essential oils.
Bronchitis involves the respiratory system so the best way to introduce the essential oil to the body is through inhalation. However, that doesn’t mean you have to inhale the essential oil directly from the bottle. That’s not efficient and can be dangerous too. Here are some ways on how you can better apply essential oils for bronchitis.
- Direct inhalation – With direct inhalation, you don’t simply inhale the essential oil from the bottle. Instead, you add a drop or two on a handkerchief or small towel then fold it. Hold it close to the nose and mouth and breathe. This prevents the other essential oils in the bottle from evaporating while you inhale it.
- Use a diffuser – There are many kinds of essential oil diffusers available in the market today, many targeting specific environments like car diffusers and large room diffusers. There are some that you add water and essential oils to like the VicTsing Essential Oil Diffuser. There are others that can diffuse pure essential oils without water known as nebulizing diffusers, such as the Vinevida Raindrop Nebulizing Diffuser.
- Create a chest rub – Using the essential oil or oils of your choice, you can create a rub that you can use to apply on your chest. Dilute your essential oil or oil blend of choice with a carrier oil like jojoba oil, grape seed oil or coconut oil. Also, you can purchase pre-made balms that already contains essential oils like the Puriya Chest Rub.
- Use through steam inhalation – With this method, all you need is a bowl of hot and steamy water. Add 1-3 drops of the essential oil and inhale.
- Use aromatherapy jewelry – Using aromatherapy jewelry is another way to expose yourself to the essential oils. There are bracelets and necklaces that have a lava stone pendant where you can drop the essential oil of your choice. Due to the natural properties of the lava stone, it can hold on to the essential oil long enough and diffuse it gradually.
Conclusion
Essential oils are used for a variety of health issues including bronchitis. And because bronchitis affects the respiratory system, the best way to use essential oils to treat it is through inhalation. It can be inhaled directly by simply placing it in a piece of cloth or you can also use various kinds of diffusers.
Although essential oils are effective, not all will help out with bronchitis. Some of the most common essential oils used are eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, geranium, oregano, tea tree, and bergamot. The single essential oils can also be combined together to create blends that can also be used to treat bronchitis.
