Ease the Symptoms of Pneumonia with Herbal Remedies

Pneumonia isn't just a nastier version of the common cold: it's a genuine infection of your lungs caused by bacteria that has exploded with symptoms in your chest. Some of the telltale signs of a pneumonia infection include greenish or rust-colored mucus, aching muscles, chest pain, fevers, sweating, chills, headaches, shortness of breath, and severe bodily weakness. If you think or know that you are suffering from pneumonia, it is absolutely paramount that you receive immediate medical attention. However, even though pneumonia is a serious medical condition that needs to be treated by health professionals, there are still several herbal remedies that can play an important role in your full recovery from this serious condition. Many herbal remedies can help shorten the length of a pneumonia infection and reduce its severity. Here is a brief overview of the most important herbal remedies for treating the symptoms of pneumonia.

Goldenseal: This herb has been used for eons for treating a variety of health ailments. The herb goldenseal has been used to help treat bacterial pneumonia. Goldenseal can help strengthen your immune system by killing the bacteria and germs that are causing your pneumonia infection. There are several different forms of goldenseal, but most naturopaths recommend taking some form of this popular herb for treating pneumonia. Goldenseal can be taken as a tincture, capsule or tablet form, or fluidextract. As a tincture, most naturopaths recommend consuming goldenseal in a 1:5 dilution. In capsule or tablet form, naturopaths recommend taking 500 to 2,000 milligrams of goldenseal. As a fluidextract, take goldenseal in a 1:1 dilution.

Echinacea: This classic herb is thought to help boost the production of macrophages and phagocytes, which are important components of the immune system that help fight off bacteria and other stray viruses. Most naturopaths recommend taking Echinacea as a tea or in capsule form. In capsule or tablet form, take three times a day, or follow the directions on the label. Echinacea is often thought of as an herb used to fight off colds, but it can be used with any health ailments that require a boost to the immune system.

Take your Shiitake and Maitake: It may sound funny to fight pneumonia with a fungus, but consuming these popular mushrooms has been shown to have significant effect on pneumonia patients. Shiitake is a type of Japanese mushroom that is known for its powerful immune system-enhancing properties. It is believed that eating shiitake mushrooms while suffering from pneumonia will help you recover faster after a bout with pneumonia. If you are not particularly partial to eating loads of shiitake mushrooms, you can now buy a liquid extract of the mushroom that can be taken daily. An easy way to ingest this formulation is by adding a few drops into your soup bowl each day. Another mushroom that can help is maitake. It is most commonly grown organically, dried, and then eaten. It can also be purchased as an extract, tea or capsule, and consumed to help battle the symptoms of pneumonia, and to make a faster recovery from the condition.