Home remedies are great natural options to strengthen the immune system and help treat pneumonia, mainly because they can relieve some of the typical symptoms such as cough, fever or muscle pain, improving comfort and facilitating the recovery process.
However, these remedies are not a substitute for medical treatment, especially in the case of pneumonia, since a doctor’s evaluation is necessary to understand whether it is necessary to use more specific remedies, such as antivirals or antibiotics. Whenever possible, home remedies should be used under the guidance of the treating physician. See more details on pneumonia treatment .
Some of the home remedies that can be used to relieve symptoms are:
To lower the fever
Some homemade and natural options that have scientific proof to lower the fever are:
1. Peppermint tea compresses
This is a very simple but very effective option to treat fever and bring quick relief, as it allows you to lower your body temperature in a few minutes. To do this, you should dip 2 compresses, or a clean cloth, in a container with warm peppermint tea and then squeeze out the excess water. Finally, the compresses, or the cloth, must be applied on the forehead and this process can be repeated several times a day, both in children and adults.
In addition to the water temperature helping to cool the body temperature, peppermint also contains substances, such as menthol, that help to cool the skin. Ideally, tea should not be hot, but it should also not be cold, as it can cause a thermal shock and make the person get chills, increasing discomfort.
2. White willow tea
The white willow is a medicinal plant with a strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic power that helps fight headache and relieve fever, since it has in its composition a substance very similar to the active principle of aspirin, salicin.
Thus, this tea is perfect to be used during the treatment of pneumonia, since it relieves several of the symptoms, such as headache, fever and muscle pain.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of white willow bark;
- 1 cup of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Place the willow bark in the cup and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Then strain and let it warm. Drink 2 to 3 times a day.
Ideally, this tea should be consumed only by adults and is contraindicated in the same situations as aspirin, namely pregnant women and people who are at higher risk of bleeding. Check the aspirin contraindications .
To relieve cough
For cough relief, some of the most effective home options include:
3. Thyme tea
Thyme is a medicinal plant that is widely used traditionally for the treatment of cough, being authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a natural ingredient for the preparation of cough medicines [1] .
According to a study carried out in 2006 [2] , this effect seems to be related to the composition of flavonoids in the plant, which helps to relax the throat muscles responsible for coughing, in addition to relieving inflammation in the airways.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of crushed thyme leaves;
- 1 cup of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Place the thyme leaves in the cup of boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes. Then strain and let it warm. Drink 2 to 3 times a day.
Thyme tea is safe for adults and children over 2 years old, but in the case of pregnant women it should be used only with the guidance of the obstetrician. In addition, some people may be allergic to this plant, and its use should be stopped if any symptoms related to an allergic reaction arise.
4. Pineapple juice
Due to its composition in bromelain, pineapple juice seems to be a great natural option to relieve cough, since this substance seems to be able to inhibit cough.
In addition, because it contains vitamin C, pineapple juice also strengthens the immune system and reduces inflammation of the respiratory system, being a good option to use during pneumonia treatment.
Ingredients
- 1 slice of unpeeled pineapple;
- ½ glass of water.
Preparation mode
Beat the ingredients in a blender and drink 2 to 3 times a day or whenever there are more severe coughing attacks.
As a completely natural juice, this home remedy can be used on adults and children, as well as pregnant women. Check out more options for cough pineapple recipes .
To decrease muscle pain
The best home remedies to decrease muscle pain and the feeling of general malaise are those with analgesic action such as:
5. Ginger tea
Ginger is a root that has constituents, such as gingerol or shogaol, with potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory action that help to greatly reduce any type of pain, especially muscle pain and the general malaise of conditions such as flu, cold or pneumonia, for example.
In addition, the phenolic compounds in ginger also have a strong antioxidant action, helping to strengthen the immune system.
Ingredients
- 1 cm of fresh crushed ginger root;
- 1 cup of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Add the ingredients and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Then strain, allow to warm and drink 2 to 3 times a day.
Ginger is a safe root to be used in adults and children over 2 years old. In addition, it is also safe in pregnancy, but for this, the dose of ginger should be just 1 gram a day, and tea should only be drunk for a maximum of 4 days.
6. Echinacea tea
Echinacea is a plant well known for helping to strengthen the immune system, however, it is also quite effective in relieving inflammation in the body, having an analgesic effect on muscle pain and general malaise.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of dried echinacea flowers;
- 1 cup of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Place the echinacea leaves in the cup with boiling water and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Finally, strain, allow to warm and drink 2 to 3 times a day.
Echinacea is a very safe plant that can be used by adults, children over 2 years old and even pregnant, as long as there is supervision from the obstetrician.
