What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for bronchitis?
• Inhalation of steam containing sage or eucalyptus. Warm steam soothes the irritated lining of the bronchial tubes, loosens secretions, promotes healing and, with aromatic herbs, discourages secondary bacterial growth. Use steam as often as possible during waking hours. • Treat unproductive bronchial coughs (those that do not cause you to bring up much phlegm) with a cough suppressant. Start with tincture of mullein (Verbascum thapsus). Take a teaspoon in a little warm water every four hours. If that doesn’t help, take an over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine containing dextromethorphan, a safe and effective drug. If this doesn’t work either, ask your doctor to prescribe a narcotic-based cough suppressant such as codeine or Hycodan. Narcotics are very effective for this purpose and quite safe if used as directed for a week or 10 days. They may cause drowsiness and constipation. • Don’t suppress productive coughs, because they are helping to expel products of inflammation from the bron
