How to properly inhale over potatoes with rhinitis

Inhalation is one of the most well-known methods of affecting the upper respiratory tract for a cold. This method has many advantages: the possibility of combining different effects (for example, moisturizing and anti-inflammatory), contact of vapors of medicinal substances directly with the affected surface of the mucous membrane. Currently, special technical devices are available for inhalations, and the procedure itself can be recommended by the attending physician. However, home methods do not lose popularity either - for example, breathing over potatoes with a runny nose is considered useful for severe nasal congestion as a result of a cold.

Using potatoes for a cold

Nasal congestion, impaired nasal breathing and the presence of pathological discharge (rhinorrhea) are symptoms that are united by the concept of "runny nose". Most often, they can be observed with a cold, an allergic reaction, and also as a result of a violation of vascular tone in vasomotor rhinitis. With the help of inhalations over potatoes, as a rule, it is a cold rhinitis that is treated, that is, an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity of an infectious nature, resulting from hypothermia.

What effect can inhalation over potatoes achieve with a cold, how useful is it as a therapeutic procedure? First, it is worth considering how the nasal mucosa reacts to inhalation of steam from potatoes:

There is a sharp and intense heating of its surface.
Blood circulation is enhanced, the work of the glands is activated - more liquid mucus is released.
Due to contact with steam, the mucus swells, becomes more watery.
The nasal passages are completely blocked due to the increase in the amount of mucus.

A typical reaction to inhaling hot steam is to "leak" from the nose. On the one hand, liquefying the secretions with steam allows you to remove them by actively blowing your nose. But on the other hand, the mucus becomes more, and the edema does not completely disappear and can become even more pronounced. This leads to a sharp increase in the feeling of congestion in combination with rhinorrhea. When inhalation stops, the vessels narrow again, the production of mucus decreases, breathing is easier - but, in fact, no radical changes have occurred, the inflammatory process is active, the symptoms have not gone away.

Inhaling steam over potatoes with a cold does not allow you to achieve an anti-inflammatory or antiviral effect.

Relief after inhalation is temporary, and it is unlikely to speed up the regression of symptoms with rhinitis. Inhalation of steam can be used as a way to moisturize the mucous membrane - it is known that due to dryness, the work of the ciliated epithelium is disrupted, irritation occurs, and local immunity decreases. However, inhalation over potatoes should not be considered as the only treatment for rhinitis.

Procedure rules

How to breathe over hot potatoes with a cold? It is necessary to act in accordance with the algorithm:

take a few medium-sized potatoes, wash, but do not peel;
place the washed vegetables in a suitable sized saucepan, cover with water;
boil the potatoes until "cracks" appear on the peel - once it bursts, it means that the vegetable has become soft and ready for the procedure;
gently drain hot water from the pan;
lightly remember the potatoes with a spoon, fork - without crushing them to the consistency of mashed potatoes;
set the pot on a flat, hard surface next to the chair, prepare a towel;
ask the patient to bend over the pan so that the inhaled steam reaches the nose warm, not scalding hot;
cover the patient's head with a towel, continue inhalation for 10 minutes.

The patient needs to know how to breathe correctly over potatoes. You cannot actively move, it is worth focusing on the procedure. It is not necessary to take a deep breath, it is enough to maintain the usual rhythm of breathing. It is necessary to monitor your feelings about the temperature of heating the steam, attentiveness will help to avoid burns.

After inhalation, you must not go outside, especially in the cold season - as well as allow sudden changes in the temperature of the inhaled air. It is best if the patient immediately goes to bed, drinks a warm drink, gently blows his nose.

Precautionary measures

A saucepan with boiling water and hot potatoes is a homemade, but far from safe method of treatment. A little carelessness is enough to get burned. Therefore it is important:

completely pour the boiling water out of the pan;
do not put the pan on your knees;
do not put the pan on the edge of the towel;
wrap hot handles with a napkin;
monitor the stability of the dishes, since hot potatoes are no less dangerous than boiling water;
immediately remove everything that was used for inhalation after the end of the procedure.

If a decision is made to conduct inhalation over potatoes, you need to remember that this method is only suitable for adults.

It is contraindicated in children, because, due to anatomical features, it can lead to the development of complications. In addition, children have a higher risk of burns - it is difficult to persuade them to withstand the procedure motionless, bending over the pan, they cannot always correctly determine how hot the steam is.

Contraindications

Before inhalation using potatoes, it is important to assess if there are any contraindications:

Fever.

At high body temperature, thermal procedures are prohibited. They increase the heating of the body and prevent the elimination of excess heat energy. This threatens overheating, the development of seizures, vomiting, dehydration.

The presence of a purulent process (sinusitis, otitis media).

Even a suspicion of the presence of purulent diseases of the ears, nasal sinuses is an absolute contraindication for steam inhalation over potatoes. This can lead to the spread of purulent inflammation and the development of dangerous complications. A runny nose can indicate a variety of pathological processes, so do not rush to warm up with steam before visiting a doctor.

Younger childhood.

Breathing in steam is dangerous because it increases the amount of mucus due to its thinning, increases edema and leads to congestion in the lower respiratory tract. If there is tracheitis or bronchitis at the same time as a runny nose, the child may also get pneumonia. Inhalation is also very dangerous with symptoms of tubo-otitis - congestion and pain in the ears.

Atrophic rhinitis, allergies, vasomotor rhinitis.

The thinned, crusty and dry mucous membrane is very vulnerable, it is easy to burn it, which will cause a sharp deterioration in nasal breathing and aggravate the patient's suffering. In case of vasomotor disorders, allergies, steam inhalation is useless and even harmful.

Whether to breathe over potatoes with a cold, each patient decides on his own. But it is worth making sure of the diagnosis in advance, making sure that there are no contraindications, remembering that steam inhalation should not be the only way of therapy. The best solution is to consult with your doctor before starting treatment with inhalation.