What should I be aware of when inhaling?

When inhaling, you should pay attention to several things: In general, during a cold – not only after inhaling – sufficient rest and protection should be ensured. If circulation problems occur more frequently, if there are inflammations in the face, allergies to additives such as chamomile or eye diseases such as cataracts, steam inhalation should not be carried out or only after consulting a doctor. If inhalers are used, they should be cleaned well after use, otherwise there is a risk of bacteria settling and being transmitted again when inhaled again.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers should handle oils with care when inhaling and consult their doctor beforehand. This may also be of interest to you: Sport during a cold

For inhalation to be successful, it should be carried out for at least five minutes, but preferably for 10-20 minutes.
At least two runs a day would also be good.
While inhaling, it is best to inhale through the mouth and exhale through the nose.
If inhalation is performed using a pot or bowl, care should be taken to ensure sufficient distance between the face and water to prevent burns.
The eyes should be kept closed during inhalation to avoid irritation of the conjunctiva.
Also, the pot or bowl should stand securely to prevent it from tipping over and burning again.
After inhalation, attention should be paid to the circulation. Therefore, especially older people are advised to take a short break after inhalation and not to get up too quickly to avoid possible dizziness or fainting.

Which substances can be inhaled?

The classic way to inhale with chamomile tea when you have a cold. Chamomile has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect and kills germs. In addition, it stimulates blood circulation and loosens mucus.Chamomile can be used for steam inhalation for various diseases: These include acute or chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, sore throat and cough.

If a pot or bowl is used for steam inhalation, several bags of chamomile tea must be poured over with boiling water. Approximately three to five liters of boiling water and four bags of chamomile tea should be used for each inhalation. Inhalation should be done at least twice a day for about 15 minutes if you have a cold, but can be repeated more often if necessary.

Besides chamomile tea, chamomile extracts or flowers can also be used for inhalation. If chamomile flowers are used, about a handful with three to five liters of water are required for steam inhalation. If an inhaler is used, the application instructions for dosing the additives should be followed.

Normally, some water with added chamomile is added to the top of the inhaler. Tea tree oil has a similar effect to chamomile. It is analgesic, disinfecting and stimulates blood circulation.

It is therefore also suitable for inhalation in cases of colds, sore throats, coughs, sinusitis, tonsillitis or bronchitis. In a large pot, about three to five drops of tea tree oil are added to the boiling water for steam inhalation. Inhalation is for about seven minutes, at least twice a day.

Salt moistens the mucous membranes, has an expectorant effect and also has a disinfecting effect. Salt water is best suited for stuffy nose and dry mucous membranes, but can also be used for other colds. When inhaling with salt, care should be taken that untreated salt is used.

This means, for example, that iodized salt or salt with other additives such as herbal salt are not used. Normal, non-iodized table salt, sea salt or inhalation salt can be used. Inhalation salt is easy to prepare because it is packaged in portions.

When inhaling with salt water, it is important that the correct concentration of 0.9% is chosen so that it can work. This means that nine grams of salt are dissolved per liter of water. If a steam inhaler or nebulizer is used, there are ready-made solutions which are put into the attachments of the devices. This topic might also be of interest to you: Gargling with salt water – that’s the right way to do it!