Top Essential Oils that Help with Chest Infections

So what essential oils can we use to clear our chest infection?  Too numerous to mention, I will deal with just a few of the top essential oils that help the body deal with infections.  Some oils are ideal for dealing with bacterial and viral infections.  These are the essential oils that I have to hand all through my children's upbringing and I used them a lot on both boys and ourselves, Mauricio and I.  The list of top essential oils are:-

Lavender

Tea tree

Thyme

Eucalyptus

Rosemary

Bergamot

Sandalwood

Peppermint

Marjoram

How to use essential oils for chest infections

A good way is to make inhalations.  Do this by adding a few drops of the essential oils in a saucepan along with boiling water.  Put a towel over your head and trying to withstand the heat, inhale deeply.  The goodness of the essential oil is going right down into your lungs helping to clear our.  Very often, what is happening is that mucous membrane of the throat has gotten inflamed and we need to reduce it.  Thyme is a useful one here to try get rid of bacterial infections.  But for the bronchial tubes, an inhalation of eucalyptus, lavender, sandalwood will bring about much needed relief

In a diffuser, you can have frankincense, lavender, Marjoram and sandalwood burning besides doing the inhalations. 

I used to rub on eucalyptus and tea tree (important remedy for viral infections)  in a carrier oil on my children's chests and to great effect.  This I would do before bed and they would have a better sleep as a result.  Sometimes I added Lavender.

Worth a mention here is peppermint, rosemary to ease congestion also to be taken as inhalation, rubbed on the chest with a gentle massage

Other Therapies For Chest Infections

Did any of you ever hear about ironing newspaper and when tolerably warm putting it on the chest just before bed.  This I heard about in Chile and the old folks there swear by it.   Apparently, it draws out the catarrh and helps to breathe better but I never used this method.  

Hot lemon and honey drinks are still definitely on the cards for chest and throat infections.  You can't underestimate the healing power of both of these; honey with it's natural antibiotic qualities and lemon for it's vitamin c quantity which is necessary to help the immune system beat the infection.

Of course, needless to say, if the infection persists it might be time to go to your doctor and take whatever course of action he/she prescribes.  

Besides all of the above, drinking lots of water helps loosen up congestion and plenty of rest in advisable to help combat infections