A cure for bronchitis popular throughout Europe may bring tears to your eyes - but it will also relieve your symptoms. In this treatment, a hot onion poultice is applied to the chest. Both the vapors and the heat ease breathing by clearing the airways.
The Indians of Peru, as well as many inhabitants of El Salvador, treat bronchitis the same way they treat asthma - by eating the thick sap of the balsam tree. The sap works especially well for bronchitis because it is an expectorant, which means it makes coughing easier. This clears out the kungs, thereby shortening the course of the illness.
From Australia: Boiling the leaves of the eucalyptus tree in water and inhaling the steam is one of the best treatments for bronchitis. This softens mucus in obstructed airways and easier breathing.
For bronchitis and sinus congestion, the Swedes use hot chili peppers. When you bite into a hot pepper, your eyes water, and your nose runs. Your lungs and bronchial passages also produce watery secretions. The mucus in the lungs is thinned, and coughing is eased. The compounds that give pepper its fiery effect are oily, and water can't dilute them. If you need to "douse the fire" after eating hot peppers, eat some cool yogurt or
bread, or drink some milk. These substances will absorb the oils and carry them downward.
In Tudor times in England, bronchitis and severe coughs were treated with a well liked remedy: apples baked with honey and served mashed with butter. (Canadian researchers have now determined that people who eat apples or drink apple juice on a daily basis tend to have a lower incidence of colds and upper respuratory ailments.)
