Using herbal steam baths correctly to relieve colds.
If you have sunstroke, high blood pressure, or skin diseases, you shouldn't use herbal steam baths as it's very dangerous. After a steam bath, you should eat a bowl of hot porridge with perilla leaves, onions, garlic, pepper, spices, and egg yolk.
Steam inhalation using herbal leaves is a very popular folk method for relieving colds and treating illnesses. However, this treatment method is not suitable for all conditions. The herbs used for steaming must also be carefully selected, avoiding those with potentially toxic properties.
According to Mr. Dinh Cong Bay, General Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Medicinal Herbs Association, to use herbal steam baths, patients need to do it correctly. First, they need to choose the leaves. According to folk experience, to make a pot of herbal steam, they need to choose fragrant leaves containing essential oils that have warming and diaphoretic effects, dispel wind and clear nasal passages, and have antibiotic and antiseptic properties... Among them, the most commonly used are lemon leaves, lemongrass, perilla, mint, ginger leaves, turmeric leaves, basil, and mugwort...
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| Herbal steaming leaves are sold at Go Vap market, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: An Nguyen. |
How to use the steaming method:
The steam room needs to be airtight. The patient should remove their outer clothing, sit on a flat surface in a cross-legged or side-legged position, hold their head high, and tilt it to one side to avoid the hot steam blowing directly into their face.
Place the pot of steaming water in front of you, cover yourself completely with a blanket, and slowly open the lid slightly to allow the steam to escape, ensuring the temperature is comfortable. Breathe deeply and forcefully to allow the essential oil aromas to penetrate deep into your lungs.
The steaming time is about 10-15 minutes. Afterwards, open the blanket and wipe away the sweat with a clean, dry towel. You can strain a cup of the clear water from the steaming pot (about 50 ml) for the patient to drink. Add warm water to the steaming pot until it reaches 37-38°C, then bathe in a draft-free room, after which dry the body and put on clean clothes. Elderly patients, those with chronic illnesses, or those with weakened bodies may need assistance during the steaming process, sitting behind them and holding their shoulders to prevent them from falling.
Prepare a bowl of rice porridge to eat after steaming. Cook plain rice porridge, ladle it into a bowl, add chopped perilla leaves, thinly sliced onions and garlic, pepper, season to taste, and a beaten egg yolk. Eating it hot will help the patient recover quickly.
According to Mr. Dinh Cong Bay, treating colds by steaming with leaves is highly effective and inexpensive. However, the following points should be noted:
- Patients with the flu only need to steam inhalation 1-2 times.
- Avoid excessive steaming as it can cause dehydration and other harmful effects.
- Do not use steam baths in cases of heatstroke (sunstroke) with symptoms such as excessive sweating, dizziness, nausea, flushed face, unsteadiness, and extreme fatigue.
- People with high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, skin diseases, pregnant women, those who sweat excessively, have lost a lot of blood, are recovering from illness, the elderly, and children under 12 years old should not use steam baths or herbal steam baths.
- Before a sauna session, cleanse your body. Do not shower immediately after a sauna because the pores are open and will close if exposed to cold, preventing water from escaping and hindering blood circulation.
- During the steaming process, if you experience shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness, weakness, etc., stop immediately. In case of severe shock, take the patient to the hospital for emergency treatment. If the patient has a high fever or convulsions due to infection (such as sore throat, cough, injury, infection, etc.), do not use steam therapy without consulting a doctor; seek medical attention immediately.
According to VnExpress
