There are many ways to treat cvid Pneumonia, including through hospitalization. Fortunately, up to 75% of cases can be treated at home.
What there is to know
Unless your doctor prefers to hospitalize you, the best decision is probably to stay in bed and take your medication, and you will probably feel better in a few days.
- For the next few days or weeks, your cough may still persist and you will feel more tired than usual, but in most cases your lungs will feel like new!
- Clearing your airways makes it easier to get rid of sputum.
Here are six ways to clear your lungs while staying at home:
1. Take inhalations
Liquefy secretions by inhaling steam from a pot of hot water for 10 minutes morning and evening. You can add a drop of eucalyptus oil in water.
2. Use a humidifier
The humidity in the air will help loosen your secretions. Clean the device with bleach every week to prevent the proliferation of fungi.
3. Take hot showers
Let the water flow over your face and breathe in the steam.
4. Try postural drainage
Lie down with your head positioned below your torso so that gravity pulls the secretions down your throat.
5. Ask about incentive spirometry
This device is made up of a breathing tube and gauge, which measure the air going in and out of your lungs.
- Exhale, and then inhale as deeply as possible to raise the gauge. This works your lungs while the gauge measures how well you recover.
6. Relax and try meditation or slow, deep breathing
- Press lightly on your chest to loosen the secretions, or have another person pat your back.
- Inhale deeply, rhythmically three or four times.
- Cough hard to expectorate.
- To reduce any pain when coughing, hold a pillow firmly against your chest or lie on the painful side.
- Repeat this every four hours.
