Stuffy and congested sinuses or lungs can be quite the nuisance to deal with during cold & flu season or even just allergies.

 

Feeling the rattling of phlegm in your lungs and experiencing the constant need to cough while also only being able to breathe out of one nostril can last way longer than expected, but you don’t have to rely on cough syrup and nasal sprays for relief.

 

Time to bring out the traditional way to open up those airways back from when we were children!

 

Steam inhalation is such a simple remedy if you’re not interested in taking over the counter meds, and is much safer to do multiple times throughout the day for maintenance. Most sinus sprays have steroids in them and I have to admit there was a time in my life during highschool that I depended on them to breathe through my nose. Little did I know I was causing serious harm to my sinuses and thankfully my mother took me to an Allergist who said my body developed an addition to the steroid (his words not mine). So he gave me a prescription to a non-steroidal sinus spray to wean myself off the dependency but so my sinuses could recover and still have the relief from congestion.

 

I remember when I was a child and I was sick I was thrown into a hot bath to ‘’burn off the fever’’, was slathered head-to-toe with Vicks, drank cup after cup of tea and was made to inhale steam with a towel over my head from boiled potatoes as they retained heat for a long time (don’t worry we never ate them after!).

 

But despite the sick protocol I hated, I have to admit it worked.

 

Now that we have a multitude of natural options available to us, I have just one thing to add to steam inhalations – essential oils.

 

Adding essential oils that benefit our respiratory system and help provide relief for the specific concern you have, can make something as basic as inhaling steam to an aromatherapy session.

 

Eucalyptus essential oil is a decongestant, antiviral and antibacterial. It’s beneficial for sinus infections, asthma, coughs, colds, flu, nasal congestion, heavy lung congestion, bronchitis and catarrh. So adding this phenomenal oil will really help open and clear out your airways.

 

Frankincense is an analgesic, bactericidal, expectorant, antispasmodic and a demulcent. Its beneficial for mucous membranes, an expectorant, aids in catarrh, coughs, bronchitis, and laryngitis.

 

Combining these two powerhouse oils to create the perfect synergy for your respiratory issues, will really help expel that phlegm that won’t budge, soothe the mucous membrane, and provide relief from frequent coughing.

 

So add a few drops of each to boiled water, cover your head over the bowl with a towel, close your eyes and alternate breathing in your nose and mouth.

 

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