Avoiding bronchitis

[Penny]

I've had bronchitis for the last two weeks after not having had a day's illness for about 2 years and I'm desperate not to get this again. Does anyone have any advice on what I should be doing in future to keep my lungs and tubes healthy?

Penny

[Cherry]

I'm no medical expert but it sounds like it was viral if it lasted for two weeks, so just keep doing all the things you normally do to avoid viruses (eating healthily and exercising and stuff). It sounds like you're perfectly healthy usually so I really wouldn't worry about it coming back

[mariana]

That's too bad. I hope you feel better soon! When I was younger I used to get bronchitis every winter; it's definitely no fun. I haven't had it in awhile--I don't think you should get it again as long as you stay healthy with diet, exercise, etc as Cherry says.

[Penny]

I'm not sure that it WAS viral, as the doctor prescribed antibiotics (I got it in a suspension, to avoid gelatin capsules). And I'm still not well. Very weak and wobbly and still coughing - though not quite as much, thank goodness!

Penny

[Stu]

Glad to hear you're on the mend.

[Cherry]

Yeh, glad to hear you're feeling better, even if you're still shaking it off. I suppose the same advice about eating healthily and not worrying too much still stands for bacterial infections, which often follow on from viruses, when you're weakened. Garlic is a good natural antibiotic, so that might help? If my lungs are feeling a bit dodgy I eat lots of bruschetta with raw garlic

My mum has just had the same thing. She was coughing for AGES, but she hates doctors and it took a long time to persuade her to go. She felt very weakened for about a week after the antibiotics, but is feeling well again now.

[cookey]

British Lung foundation have useful information on respiratory conditions.
www.lunguk.org

[Penny]

Thanks, for the supportive words, folks. I do eat healthily (but supplement my diet with chocolate.... Probably the sugar doesn't help.) I eat quite a lot of garlic, though I read about someone who chops up a clove of g. and swallows it like pills, so I might try that, too. And, when I'm well, I walk the pooches every day.... I occasionally swim in a very inexpert way.... Not worrying, though, I CAN'T cope with. I'm the world's worst worrier, though I try not to be. My sister (also a vegan) is always trying to get me on the 'positive thinking' path... I remain unconvinced....

BTW, the cough's a lot better, now.

Penny

[Guate_Vegan]

Ahhh! I just got over a three month long period of bronchitis. It was so bad but my mom is very against medicines and wouldn't take me to the doctor. With meds it goes away in two weeks tops...pbbfft.

[Penny]

I'm glad you're better now!

I got dehydrated with all the sweating and the (unmentionable) effects of the antibiotics, so developed a bladder infection. I tried to control it myself for a week, because, like your mum, I'm not too keen on medicines either. However, in the end I gave in and phoned the doctor. I got another set of antibiotics (different kind) and felt comfortable after the first one! I wish I'd just given in sooner....

Penny

[Pearl]

I used to get a lot of bladder infections and I also used to be able to control it myself if I caught it early enough. I prefer not to take antibiotics, but sometimes you have to dont you. Bladder infections are so excruciating glad you are on the mend!

[Insomniak]

Hi there,

It really seems like I've got something very similar to what you're discussing here and I'd really love to hear your input on this:

It started at the beginning of December with a sinusy cold which quickly turned into a 2 week cough. All the usual post nasal dripping, tickly throat day and night and then full blown awful cough.
I reluctantly went to my GP who gave me antibiotics and I, foolishly, I think, took them.
Cold and cough cleared up in about 10 days.

5th January it started off again with vicious sinus pain for a day (I should add I NEVER have pain with blocked sinuses), shivery, loss of appetite and 2 days later a relentless cough. Sometimes it even sounded like whooping cough it went on so long.

I still have the cough though it's by no means as bad as it was, I'm having acupuncture for it, I'm taking 1000mg Garlic Kyolic tablets, 1000mg Vit C, 25mg zinc, and the Vegan society Veg1 every day.
Also doing some postural drainage to help clear my lungs.

A few days ago I thought it was clearing up, but today I feel like it's starting over again.
I'm determined to do it without antibiotics this time. I'm convinced if I'd held out last time, I'd have had immunity to this one.

I'm vegan for almost 2 years, having been veggie for nearly 10 before that.
I've cut out coffee 3 weeks ago, have a reasonably varied diet, use soya milk in my tea.

I'm really anxious to know what more I can do to shift this sinus/cold/cough, it's getting me down at this stage.
All suggestions welcome.

[Penny]

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious, but you did finsh the course of antibiotics, didn't you? Apparently some people stop them when they start to feel better and then end up getting ill again, so the course has to be finished.

They're horrible things to take, but they have saved lives. I'm glad I took the ones I was prescribed for cystitis and I didn't have a relapse of the bronchitis (hope I'm safe to say that now!) though the cough can last for a while...

You seem to be doing all the right things. I'm a recent convert to green smoothies and I just bought a book called Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko (from amazon.co.uk) I don't know if something like that would help. Also, I take echinacea when someone has coughed on me (!), but I think it's better as a preventive than a cure.

I hope you're feeling bettter very soon. It's awful when you forget what it felt like to be well. (Hugs)

Penny

[1gentlemaorispirit]

Penny It's good to hear you are recovering well!

[Penny]

Thank you! After feeling awful for so long, I am SO enjoying feeling well! (Terrified of tempting fate here......)

[Insomniak]

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious, but you did finsh the course of antibiotics, didn't you? Apparently some people stop them when they start to feel better and then end up getting ill again, so the course has to be finished.

They're horrible things to take, but they have saved lives. I'm glad I took the ones I was prescribed for cystitis and I didn't have a relapse of the bronchitis (hope I'm safe to say that now!) though the cough can last for a while...

You seem to be doing all the right things. I'm a recent convert to green smoothies and I just bought a book called Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko (from amazon.co.uk) I don't know if something like that would help. Also, I take echinacea when someone has coughed on me (!), but I think it's better as a preventive than a cure.

I hope you're feeling bettter very soon. It's awful when you forget what it felt like to be well. (Hugs)

Penny

Hi Penny,

Yes, I finished the course of antibiotics and although the cough mostly went away after about 10 days, I still had that little throat-clearing thing until I got this recent sinus/cough.
I have a slight heart murmur (mitral valve prolapse) so I don't want to take any chances and risk that kind of infection.

I'll google those green smoothies and see what it's all about.
Oh... and I forgot, I take echinacea too! And I agree they're more effective as a preventative.

Good to know you're feeling better, when something goes on and on, it really gets to you, I know.

[vegetarian_cat]

Hi Penny, i may have some advice..

2 years ago i got a BAD case of bronchitis.
So bad that doctors said my lungs were those of a person who had smoked for 30 years.
I told them i had never smoked once... they were puzzled.
They also told me it was chronic.
Thankfully another visit to a different doctor said it was just "acute" and
was becoming asthmatic too because by then everything was irritating my poor bronchis..

my cats' hair didn't help !!
and working as a teacher using a lot of chalk didn't help AT ALL!!

So... I did a lot of research cause i dont want to get that again if i can spare it
it was AWFUL. I couldn't cough anymore cause my ribs were in total pain.
I couldn't laugh. I couldn't speak. I felt like an 80 year old..
You may know what i mean.

So that's what i found out.

1. That year was the first year of many where i had forgotten to make my usual pre.winter cure where i boost my immune system.
So ALWAYS do that around September and October (for 2 or 3 months).
have whatever you want to (echniacea or whatever) but give it a huge boost.
I used to have royal jelly when i was a vegetarian.
now that i'm vegan i dont know what i'll do next year but i have time to think about it.

2. Do not ignore the first symptoms.
my bronchitis was so bad cause i TOTALLY ignored my bad cough for weeks and weeks and I KEPT volunteering at a damp dog shelter all christmas through, even sleeping there some nights. Crazy..

3. Take antibiotics straight away and do not stop until you're told to stop.
my second huge mistake was to think i knew better than the doc so
when i finally saw her after weeks of being already very serious, i didn't take the antibiotics so i got a LOT worse.

4. As for food, i read that in order to avoid or sooth bronchitis you should eat lots of

SAGE and BROCCOLi .
SO i've been using sage a LOT .
Fresh or dry, make sure you add it a lot here and there.
it's great on roasted potatoes. Add it everywhere you can.

5. BREATHE !

I learnt that what a bronchitis does is it restricts your lungs basically.
So it makes it harder for you to breathe. It can get pretty bad so
i learnt to start breathing VERY deep and loud, as soon as it wasn't cold anymore,
during the Spring, and i was finally better...

Also, sea should be very good for you.
i'm planning to spend a few days on the seaside this summer
if my old dog can stand being without me (he can't be kept on a leash!!
and hates to get out of the house)..

So breathing deeply (for many seconds) will help you enlarge
your "lungs" again (not hte lungs, but the branches of bronchis..).

That's all i have to say...

I'm really glad for youi it's over now but I can totally relate on how
you wouldn't want to have that ever again.

So i hope any of this helps...

Bye now

[vegetarian_cat]

I have a slight heart murmur (mitral valve prolapse) so I don't want to take any chances and risk that kind of infection.

ooops !!
I have that too, the prolapse!, what infection are you talking about??
what adds the chances of risking it??
I didn't know of any connection between bronchitis and that!?!
i feel half curious and half worried now...

[Insomniak]

ooops !!
I have that too, the prolapse!, what infection are you talking about??
what adds the chances of risking it??
I didn't know of any connection between bronchitis and that!?!
i feel half curious and half worried now...

Endocarditis... inflamation and infection of the actual heart valve.
I'm careful to always take the antibiotic 3gr dose before dental treatment to prevent any infection passing from the mouth to the heart.

I don't know if there's any direct connection between bronchitis and endocarditis, I just know that any infection going on for an extended length of time is to be avoided.
And I've read that a cough is one of the many symptoms of an infected mitral valve. I'm open to correction on this and would love more info if any of you can add to this.

In my own case, I just know I've never had a cough last this long before, and while I'm determined to get over it without antibiotics to gain immunity, I really don't want to take a serious risk.

My acupuncturist has assured me that "everyone" has difficult to shift flu, cold and cough bugs this year, our weather has something to do with it, and I'm not the only one.

Anyway... about the mitral valve prolapse... do you get the ectopic heart beats? You know the sensation when you feel a gap in the normal rhythm of your hear beat and it feels like it skips a beat then comes in with a more powerful one?

[Quantum Mechanic]

I haven't had bronchitis recently (and I'm not sure if ever), but I have started catching a bug that's been going around (I'm not sure if it's the one that's been going around the college lately, or if I caught something waiting 2 hours in the waiting room with a bunch of sick people waiting for an x-ray on Saturday).

Anywho, I drank some green tea with a spoonfull of agave nectar, and it tasted just like when I was young and I would have it mixed with honey. Then for dinner I had a garlic chickpea soup with sea vegetables in it. Yay garlic! Super healthy! There weren't too many solid chickpeas in, so I had some corn chips since it was nacho night and there wasn't vegan bread available (ironic considering that the only soup there was vegan). Now I am enjoying another green tea, this time minus the agave nectar because I don't want to consume too much sugar, even if it is organic, raw, and low glycemic load. One thing to do though is drink more water outside of the tea because of the caffeine.

[Insomniak]

... I'm a recent convert to green smoothies and I just bought a book called Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko ...
Penny

Thank you, Penny!

I have a mixed fruit and berry smoothie every morning and I guess I just never thought of adding the greens.
And you've reminded me of when I used to sprout seeds, alfalfa etc., years ago so I should start that again and add them to my smoothies, too.

And talking about sprouted seeds, 30 years ago I gave up eating meat mostly because it caused me such digestive problems and I nursed my whole digestive system back to perfection with a plate of sprouted seeds every day. Little power-houses of goodness!

[Penny]

Hi, Vegetarian Cat

Thank you so much for all that stuff!

I agree about building up your resistance. I’ll be on Echinacea three times a day next autumn!

When I was first ill, my mother kept asking if I’d called the doctor, but she says that about even a mild cold, so I told her I didn’t need to. By the time I did, I was pretty bad. The doctor said she didn’t think she even needed to use her stethoscope and prescribed antibiotics right away...

Sage tea is a thing I recommend to anyone who tells me they have a sore throat. However, most people seem to prefer putting up with pain to trying it, which I can’t understand! I hate having a sore throat...

I love broccoli and am putting it into my green smoothies, too, now!

I’ve been thinking that developing my breathing would be a good thing and am going to breathe very deeply when out with the pooches in the fresh air. No seaside till the summer, I’m afraid...

Another thing that I find very good for colds and blocked up tubes is my special spicy soup. Into the pressure cooker I put a whole butternut squash, peeled and chopped quite large; several onions, chopped; a few sweet potatoes, chopped; lots of carrots, chopped; salt or bouillon powder; enough water to make it reasonably thick. I pressure cook for about 20 minutes and then blend it all adding about 2 teaspoons of hot harissa paste. You can feel it clearing your tubes! And it’s very tasty!

[vegetarian_cat]

Endocarditis... inflamation and infection of the actual heart valve.
I'm careful to always take the antibiotic 3gr dose before dental treatment to prevent any infection passing from the mouth to the heart.

I don't know if there's any direct connection between bronchitis and endocarditis, I just know that any infection going on for an extended length of time is to be avoided.
...
Anyway... about the mitral valve prolapse... do you get the ectopic heart beats? You know the sensation when you feel a gap in the normal rhythm of your hear beat and it feels like it skips a beat then comes in with a more powerful one?

Awww. I see. Thank you.
I didn't know that...

And yes, I do get ectopic heart beats. Not that often thankfully cause they are quite scary.
last time was May and I had a few in the space of a week and my
partner sent me to the doctor straight away for a check and she just said
it's part of the prolapse, not to worry.

I also suffered A LOT from tachicardia... as an adolescent.
I am now leading a very serene life in terms of relationships
but my adolescence was tough and my parents' fights affected
my heart very much.

I think with a prolapse, on top of avoiding infections as you said,
you also have to strive to lead a very tranquil life, heart-wise..

anyway, thanks again for that.

[Insomniak]

Awww. I see. Thank you.
I didn't know that...

And yes, I do get ectopic heart beats. Not that often thankfully cause they are quite scary.
last time was May and I had a few in the space of a week and my
partner sent me to the doctor straight away for a check and she just said
it's part of the prolapse, not to worry.

I also suffered A LOT from tachicardia... as an adolescent.
I am now leading a very serene life in terms of relationships
but my adolescence was tough and my parents' fights affected
my heart very much.

I think with a prolapse, on top of avoiding infections as you said,
you also have to strive to lead a very tranquil life, heart-wise..

anyway, thanks again for that.

Agreed, those ectopic beats can be very scary.
At my worst I was getting about 20 or 30 per day!
And I totally admit that worrying about them was actually making them worse.
Any kind of stress kicks them off again for me, so I know what you mean about leading a tranquil life, heart-wise and heart-beat-wise.
I meditate and I find that helps keep stress at bay.

[cedarblue]

try a weekly inhale/steam of either lavender, tea tree or eucalyptus oils for general antibaterial properties.

echniacea drops for respiratory problems.

plenty of garlic & onions in the diet