Who should not steam leaves to treat flu?
One of the effective methods to treat flu is steaming with cold-relieving herbs. However, when to steam, how long to steam, who should not steam... are issues to keep in mind.
Be careful of burns during steaming.
The effect of steaming leaves to treat colds
This method can be used for both cold and heat. The leaves used to steam contain essential oils that help relieve colds and detoxify very well. The ingredients can be combined with many types of leaves such as: grapefruit leaves, chrysanthemum, basil, mugwort, perilla, lemongrass leaves, bamboo leaves, lemon leaves, perilla, Vietnamese balm, mint, etc. These are all familiar medicinal plants that are grown and grow wild in home gardens and fields, are easy to find and are effective in preventing and treating many diseases, especially very good for treating colds such as: Bamboo leaves have the effect of cooling, clearing the mind, reducing phlegm, sweating, and disinfecting...; Lemongrass leaves are good for digestion, disinfecting, disinfecting, eliminating phlegm, treating diarrhea, bloating, and vomiting; Grapefruit leaves have the effect of relieving colds and indigestion; Mugwort regulates blood circulation; Mint is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory; Perilla has the effect of dispelling wind and cold, treating colds; Basil has the effect of clearing heat, relieving the exterior, promoting qi, relieving pain, and eliminating dampness; cure colds, headaches, sweating...
Normally, the body's temperature is stable thanks to the circulation in the skin glands. When the body has a cold, the pores are blocked by cold, causing the body temperature to increase, causing symptoms such as fever, headache, stuffy nose, sore throat, dry skin, no sweat, discomfort, body aches,...
When steaming, hot steam dilates peripheral blood vessels, stimulates sweat glands to work, and eliminates toxins from the body. Essential oils in herbs follow the steam through the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, ears, and skin, clearing the ducts of the eyes, nose, ears, and sinuses to help relieve pain, reduce inflammation, reduce headaches, dizziness, and shortness of breath, making the patient feel comfortable and relaxed.
How to steam
Wash the leaves for steaming, put them in a pot, cover with water, boil for a few minutes. The patient stays in a closed room, avoiding drafts. Place the pot of steaming water on the bed, the patient covers himself with a blanket and steams for 10-15 minutes. When steaming, there must be someone nearby to serve and care for the patient. While steaming, be careful to avoid sudden increases in temperature. It is necessary to open the steaming pot slightly, slowly and control the amount of sweat to avoid the body from losing water suddenly, which can lead to shock, low blood pressure, cardiovascular collapse, etc. When you have sweated and feel comfortable, stop steaming, do not steam for a long time, then use a clean towel to dry the body and put on clean clothes.
Note, you should not bathe immediately after steaming because the pores are open, if it gets cold, it will clog and the water will not be able to escape, leading to easy colds, slow blood circulation. After steaming, you should eat onion porridge, perilla leaves, add a little salt, or drink warm water, and rest will be very good.
How many times is enough?
In case of flu, you only need to steam 1-2 times. Do not steam many times, continuous steaming will make your body dehydrated, tired, make the disease worse and endanger your health.
Cases where steaming should not be done
Cases where the leaf steaming method should not be used to treat diseases include people with high fever, fear of heat, not fear of cold, not thirsty, sweating a lot; viral fever; weak body; elderly people; children, pregnant women or women who have just given birth, women during menstruation, people with diarrhea, dengue fever, after drinking alcohol, skin diseases; people with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease; people with signs of mental illness,...
The method of steaming leaves helps the patient recover quickly, but it cannot be done at all times. If the patient has had a cold for 3 days or more, the symptoms do not improve or there are signs of secondary infection, then steaming should not be done but should go to a medical facility or a reputable Oriental medicine clinic for examination and treatment with other methods.
According to Health & Life - NT