Today my diligent dd15 went to school in spite of my strong recommendation she stay home another day until she was fully over the flu. She insisted she felt fine and needed to get back to school, so that she wouldn’t miss too much material.
But the weather today shifted from warm and balmy to cold and rainy, and she came home definitely sick. Tonight dh suggested that she do a steam head bath, something I had prepared for him a while back when he had a head cold.
This is a simple but effective remedy that will help clear head and nasal stuffiness, as well as chest tightness. You boil a pot of water, then pour it into a large bowl. Add a few drops of essential oil to the mixture – tonight dh used eucalyptus oil, but tree tea oil or anything else with camphor-like qualities would also be good. These help clear the sinuses out, and can be found in most health food stores.
[There’s a lot of hype around the quality of different essential oils, and though I happen to use the ones that many people claim are the best (Young Living – because I was able to barter 60 pounds of spelt for a few bottles of these oils before moving!), I personally have some skepticism about that claim. I think for this kind of steam treatment, most oils that you find in the store will be helpful.]
After adding several drops of essential oils to the bowl of boiling water, lean over the bowl and drape a towel over your head to hold in the steam. When I do this, I try to breathe with my mouth open to let the vapors into my lungs (I do this when I have tightness in my chest that makes it hard to breathe). If you feel it’s getting too hot, lift the towel very briefly for a couple of seconds or totally emerge from the towel. I try to do this for as long as there’s still steam remaining but it really depends on how you’re feeling – when you’ve had enough, then stop.
When you finish, either pat your face dry or rinse your face with cool water (to close your pores). Also, have a couple of cups of water to replace any fluids you may have lost during the steam inhalation. There will usually be a noticeable improvement in how you’re feeling!
Avivah
(This post is part of Monday Mania and Real Food Wednesdays.)
