Breathe over potatoes for cough during pregnancy

Grandmother’s advice to breathe over potatoes helps with a runny nose, dry cough, bronchitis to thin and release mucus, if you do this for 10-15 minutes a day. The vegetable is boiled for half an hour, with or without the peel, in water, the liquid is drained, you can add salt, soda, chamomile, and eucalyptus oil.

The procedure can also be performed on children aged 3-4 years for 5 minutes, but with caution. It is also indicated for pregnant women with acute respiratory infections. It will be beneficial if you inhale in the evenings, and then go to bed, do not eat or speak for 2 hours. It is contraindicated for cardiovascular diseases, purulent sore throat, pneumonia, advanced sinusitis, and high fever.

A simple method of treatment is to breathe over potatoes: features

Breathing over boiled potatoes is useful for swelling and pain in the throat, sore throat, dry cough, wet cough, if phlegm is difficult to clear. The procedure is also permitted during pregnancy. It will help reduce unpleasant symptoms, make breathing easier, and get rid of cough faster.

Manipulation is not indicated for suppuration, sore throat, nosebleeds, hypertension, and children under 3 years of age. It is dangerous to do it at high temperatures.

Why breathe

Breathing over freshly boiled potatoes will help:

• reduce swelling of the larynx;
• reduce the viscosity of sputum, that is, facilitate its discharge, and therefore the release of pathogenic bacteria;
• have a beneficial effect on the developing inflammatory process and reduce its manifestations;
• restore blood supply to the mucous membrane of the larynx and bronchi, that is, increase local immunity.

The procedure not only alleviates the patient’s condition, but also helps to quickly cope with the pathology itself. After all, potatoes contain phytoncides that destroy bacteria and viruses, ethyl alcohol, which helps the beneficial components penetrate deeper and also relieves inflammation.

Benefits and harms

Inhaling steam from potatoes is not an ideal way to combat the disease; there are both benefits and harms.

Is it possible at a temperature

You can breathe over potatoes at a low temperature (37-37.3 degrees) if it does not make you feel unwell. Sometimes, even with such indicators, the patient feels overwhelmed and is hampered by severe weakness. Then inhalation is contraindicated.

It is even more harmful at high temperatures. In this case, potato steam will cause new signs of malaise, and may add fever and increased heat.

For which cough should you breathe over potatoes?

You should breathe over potatoes if you have a dry cough caused by inflammation of the larynx, sore throat, or sore throat. This symptom occurs with pharyngitis, laryngitis, acute respiratory infections, tracheitis. The procedure will also help with the same problem, but caused by irritation in the bronchi.

And a wet cough is not a contraindication to the use of potato steam if the discharge of sputum is difficult due to its viscosity. It occurs with bronchitis, ARVI, and often torments at night.

Why you can’t breathe over potatoes and when

You should not breathe over hot potatoes if:

• The patient is diagnosed with hypertension or another cardiovascular disease. The heat expands the capillaries, increases the flow of blood to the upper body, and this is fraught with a surge in pressure.
• Purulent inflammation was detected. It can be in the sinuses or throat, tonsils. But this process spreads from the heat and humidity caused by inhalation.
• The cough is tormented due to pneumonia. The procedure may provoke further development of the disease.
• We are talking about a child under 3 years old. In children, the procedure can cause a narrowing of the larynx and block the airways, as they are shorter and narrower than in adults.
• There is a tendency to nosebleeds. Inhalation can also provoke it.

Children 3-7 years old should be treated with potato steam with caution. It is important to prevent laryngeal stenosis and burns, so it is better to consult a pediatrician before the procedure.

Is it possible to do inhalation at home during pregnancy?

Potato inhalation for a pregnant patient with a cough at home is a good way to fight a cold if you add to boiled tubers:

• 1-2 tbsp. l. sage, chamomile, linden blossom. The procedure will help with dry cough.
• Coltsfoot, eucalyptus leaves, lingonberries. They will help you cough up wet coughs.
• When cooking, pour in mineral water, and then a drop of essential oil. This recipe is good for breathing over potatoes when you have a runny nose during pregnancy.

An important nuance in the treatment of expectant mothers: you should not cover yourself with a towel during the inhalation process. You just need to get close to the pan with steam and breathe.

The vegetable, unlike many medicines, is not contraindicated for pregnant women and cannot harm her or the baby. But there should be no allergy to it or its auxiliary components.

Potato vapor inhalation during pregnancy

Pregnancy is not a contraindication for inhalation. Inhalation of water vapor is safe in relation to pharmacological solutions, since they do not affect the intrauterine development and growth of the child.

When dealing with a cold, more and more people are trying to resort not to medications, but to traditional medicine recipes in order to overcome the first signs of the disease. One of the “old-fashioned” methods of getting rid of the disease is considered to be inhalation with potatoes.

True, not everyone knows how to properly breathe in vegetable vapors so that the procedure is beneficial and does not aggravate the condition. Therefore, if you decide to carry out potato inhalation, then study all the nuances of the procedure, how to breathe over potatoes when you have a cold.

Inhalations for various diseases

The procedure is effective for various pathologies of the respiratory organs:

• bronchitis;
• acute respiratory infections;
• rhinitis, sinusitis;
• laryngitis;
• tumor process in the larynx.

It cannot be used when the process is purulent and accompanied by high fever.

For bronchitis

For bronchitis, you need to do the procedure in the following sequence:

1. add baking soda and salt to the potatoes being cooked;
2. immediately before the manipulation, blow your nose;
3. breathe alternately through your mouth and nose;
4. At the end of the procedure, add alcohol to the mashed potatoes, form a flat cake, place it in a bag and place it on your chest, covering it with a cotton cloth.

This method will help warm the bronchi, thin the mucus and remove it faster.

For a cold

For colds, in addition to mashed boiled tubers, add essential oils (no more than 2 drops of any one):

• juniper,
• pine trees,
• fir,
• eucalyptus,
• mint.

And it is better to do the procedure at the first sign of discomfort. If you breathe for 5-10 minutes, the soreness disappears, the swelling and pain subsides, and in some cases you return to normal well-being even without medications.

For dry cough

With a dry cough, the hydration of the mucous membranes is impaired, but there is an abundance of bacteria in the respiratory tract, so at the end of cooking the potatoes, chamomile, sage, and mint should be added to it. Herbs effectively fight pathological microorganisms and soften. As a result of the procedure, the ciliated layer of mucous membranes is cleared, and the cough disappears.

For sore throat

It is advisable to use potato steam for sore throat if there is no purulent process, that is, at the beginning of the disease. But this is a purely symptomatic treatment that does not cancel rinsing with antiseptic drugs or taking antibiotics. The procedure is done half an hour after washing the throat. During inhalation, you should inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose.

For laryngitis

For laryngitis, inhalation is done using jacket potatoes; you can add chamomile when boiling them. You need to breathe through your mouth during the procedure. In the initial stage of the disease, inhalation helps to moisturize the mucous membrane and thus relieve unpleasant symptoms. And when the sputum leaves, the steam dilutes it, and the surface is quickly cleaned and restored.

Indications and contraindications for inhalation for pregnant women

Inhalation methods of drug administration can be natural or artificial. Inhaling air in a pine forest saturates the lungs with oxygen naturally. Walking along the seashore delivers iodine and sea salt into the respiratory tract. Both procedures are indicated for pregnant women.

Artificial inhalations are successfully used to treat diseases of the respiratory system in pregnant women. They are carried out both using the simple steam method and using inhalers-nebulizers. With the conventional steam method, vapors of medicinal substances are delivered only to the upper respiratory tract.

Indications for the steam method are:

• laryngitis;
• tracheitis;
• sinusitis;
• rhinitis.

Pathology of the lower respiratory tract in the bronchi requires more active delivery of drugs through inhalers-nebulizers. Inhalations at an early stage of the disease prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microbes in the nasopharynx, thereby speeding up recovery.

When choosing a medicine for inhalation, you need to know that some drugs can cause allergies, so you should consult your doctor.

Important! Pregnant women are contraindicated in procedures with essential oils of rosemary, basil, dill, cedar and cypress.

The procedure is contraindicated in the following cases:

• elevated temperature over 37.5 °C;
• acute respiratory failure;
• allergic reaction to medications;
• bleeding in the respiratory tract.

Attention! Steam inhalations are not done at elevated temperatures. Pregnant women who are teachers, journalists or singers are not recommended to use the hot steam method in order to avoid negative effects on the vocal cords.

How to breathe over potatoes when coughing correctly

Here's how to breathe correctly over potatoes when coughing:

• for an adult up to 10-15 minutes, for a child – up to 4-7 minutes;
• wrapping the bowl with the mixture in a thick towel;
• closing it with a lid and leaving a hole for steam to escape;
• covering your head with a blanket, but not blocking the gap;
• inhaling through your mouth and exhaling through your nose, slowly.

The steam temperature for an adult should be no higher than 50 degrees, for a child – 40-45. The procedure is done 1-1.5 hours after eating, then you can’t go outside for 3-4 hours.

Preparation

The procedure can be carried out 1-1.5 hours after eating; you will need:

• enamel pan with water;
• cleanly washed potatoes, and in some cases they need to be peeled;
• other ingredients, if added;
• a towel for wrapping dishes with potatoes;
• a large blanket made of natural fabric (except wool) to cover during inhalation.

The dish with the finished potatoes should be placed on the table, and the patient should be seated next to him on a chair. You cannot do inhalation in bed or on the sofa; there is a risk of knocking over the hot mass and getting burned.

How to breathe with a runny nose

When you have a runny nose, you should breathe over steam while covering yourself with a towel. First, you need to close one nostril with your finger and take a few breaths in and out with the other. Then warm up the nasal passage, which was closed, in the same way. You need to breathe slowly and deeply. Before the procedure, you should blow your nose well. Even if your nose is clogged, it is better not to use the drops right away; the heat will cause the swelling to subside and breathing to be restored.

How to breathe properly when you have a cold

The correct way to breathe over boiled potatoes when you have a cold is as follows:

1. Place the pan with it on the table, placing a stand under it, wrap it in a towel;
2. Cover the dish with a lid on top, but not tightly, but so that steam escapes;
3. sit next to her, leaning over her, but not too low;
4. cover your head with another towel, leaving a small gap for fresh air (otherwise it will be too hot);
5. take several slow breaths through your mouth;
6. then breathe through your nose;
7. Towards the end of the procedure, gradually widen the hole from the towel so that the air cools.

With acute respiratory infections, the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, and not just the throat, suffers, so it is important to warm it all up. When you inhale through your mouth, you should exhale through your nose, and vice versa.

After the manipulation, you need to go to bed, be quiet, that is, do not read, do not talk, do not do business. You should also not go outside for at least 3 hours. You can do two inhalations per day - in the morning and in the evening. If this does not work, it is better to carry out the procedure before bedtime.

How to steam over jacket potatoes

To steam over potatoes cooked in their jackets, you need to choose tubers of the same size and wash them well, and be sure to mash them after cooking. Otherwise, the procedure is the same as when using a peeled vegetable. The prohibitions and recommendations for its greatest benefit are similar. And breathing methods depend on the characteristics of the problem.

But unpeeled potatoes have a greater effect, so it should be used for severe colds.

How to breathe for a child

If a child needs to breathe potato steam due to illness, several rules must be followed:

• procedure time – no more than 4-7 minutes;
• an adult must be present nearby;
• before manipulation, you need to check the temperature of the potato mass, wait until it reaches 40-45 degrees;
• put a pillow on a chair for a small patient so that he sits over the pan in a comfortable position;
• Be sure to wrap the dishes to avoid burns;
• cover the child's head with a towel loosely so that there is access to air from outside and there is no fear.

For greater convenience, you can place boiled potatoes in a kettle and attach a rubber tube to the spout. The child will be able to breathe steam through it, and will not have to cover his head. You just need to make sure that the tube is not too hot.

How much to breathe with nasal congestion

When you have a runny nose, breathing over potatoes is enough for 10-15 minutes. This is enough to warm up the nasal passages. But if during the procedure a feeling of lightheadedness appears, it should be interrupted immediately.

How long to breathe when coughing

When coughing, you also need to breathe over a pot of potatoes for 10-20 minutes, if you are talking about an adult. For a child 3-7 years old, 4 minutes is enough. A 7-minute procedure is enough for a schoolchild.

During inhalation there should be no shortness of breath or panic. If sensations appear, you should stop immediately.

How to inhale with a strong cough

Many expectant mothers, knowing about the benefits of potato steam inhalation, still do not dare to carry out the procedure at home due to intense coughing. In this case, there are also recommendations that can be applied in practice.

If a cough interferes with normal breathing, then a pregnant woman can breathe not over ordinary jacket potatoes, but over tubers mashed into a homogeneous mass. You can use potato peelings for this purpose, adding one drop of eucalyptus or fir oil to the finished broth. These esters will ensure good mucus drainage.

If you have an intense cough, you must also be able to breathe correctly during inhalation: first you should take several breaths (3-4) through your mouth, and exhale through your nose. Breathing movements should be smooth. The duration of the cough procedure can vary from five to 10 minutes. It all depends on the well-being of the expectant mother.

Usually, after 2-3 sessions, the intensity of the cough noticeably decreases and normal breathing is restored.

You can achieve the maximum effect from a home procedure by adding a little soda salt to the inhalation composition. As already noted, essential oils increase the effectiveness of treatment even in minimal quantities.

Inhalation treatment can be combined with potato compresses, which are also allowed during pregnancy. But all methods and any possible combinations of them must be discussed with your doctor.

Recipe for breathing over potatoes when coughing and runny nose

The simplest recipe for a mass to breathe over potatoes when you cough is to simply boil them, drain off most of the water and mash. For better effect you can add:

• soda and salt (together or one of the components);
• medicinal herbs that have a calming, softening and disinfecting effect (chamomile, sage, mint, thyme);
• essential oils that make breathing easier (pine, fir, eucalyptus, clove).

You can use not potatoes, but peel them, or breathe over the broth, transferring the vegetable to another bowl.

How to cook potatoes for inhalation

You should cook potatoes for inhalation:

• in a wide bowl with low sides;
• carefully choosing small tubers of the same size without putrefactive or other spots, greenery;
• rinsing with a brush;
• fill with water to a level that hides the potatoes;
• After boiling, keep on fire for 20-25 minutes.

If you add medicinal herbs and salt to potatoes, this should be done a few minutes before they are ready. Soda and essential oils are added after the water is salted and the vegetable is mashed. There is no need to puree the tubers, just mash with a fork.

To drain the water or not

Water for inhalation with potatoes must be completely drained before starting the procedure, unless herbs are added. When a recipe with chamomile, mint, or sage is used, some of the liquid is left. And you need to make sure that the grass is in it.

Features of proper inhalation

How to breathe over potatoes correctly when you have a cough or runny nose? Perhaps one of the most popular questions asked by women during pregnancy. If before pregnancy women breathed various medications, then during the period of gestation the expectant mother is required to take care of her health.

There are many advantages of potato inhalation:

1. There is no need to purchase expensive drugs and devices for inhalation.
2. The ability to use potatoes at any time, since this vegetable is available in every home.
3. After completing the procedure, the potatoes can be eaten.
4. This vegetable product allows you not only to treat ailments, but also to satisfy the feeling of hunger.

The main advantage of potatoes is that they have virtually no contraindications. It is quite difficult to encounter an allergy to this product, so inhalations can be carried out by both pregnant and nursing mothers.

In conclusion, it should be noted that before using any home treatment methods, you should definitely consult with a specialist. If the doctor does not recommend performing the procedure, then there are appropriate reasons for this.

Is it possible to eat potatoes after inhalation?

Eating potatoes after inhalation is quite possible if soda, oil or herbs were not added there, or the patient did not sneeze directly into the pan. There is no danger of swallowing “infection” with it.

But many are still prevented from eating such potatoes by disgust. Then the vegetable can be used as a warm compress on the chest in the bronchi, neck or sinuses. It is wrapped in polyethylene, placed in the desired place and covered with a scarf or towel. The compress should not burn, it should not be done immediately after inhalation, you must wait at least half an hour.

We recommend reading about the main types of inhalers. From the article you will learn about what inhalers are used for, their mechanism of action, types of inhalers for children and their characteristics.

And here is more information about how to use Berodual for inhalation.

Potatoes for coughs and runny noses have stood the test of time, but you should not consider the procedure with them as universal. Inhalation is effective at the initial stage of the disease or as an emergency aid when there are no medications. If we are talking about a small child, you should consult a doctor about the advisability of use before the procedure.