Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDehydrationCoughDifficulty BreathingFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Dehydration
Cough
Difficulty Breathing
Frequently Asked Questions
Pneumoniais a tough illness to endure. Some people are lucky enough torecover from pneumoniawithin a week, while others will battle pneumonia for a month or longer. Fighting pneumonia can take a lot out of you, especially if your recovery is taking longer.
While no home treatment will provide a magical overnight cure for pneumonia, there are plenty of ways to help ease the discomfort and potentially speed up the recovery process. One of the most significant factors to consider when caring for pneumonia at home is breaking down mucus. In many ways, coping with mucus production will help you manage your pneumonia overall.
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Symptoms of Pneumonia
One of the most important things you can do to provide relief and recover from pneumonia is staying hydrated.
When you’re fighting pneumonia, your body is in desperate need of extra fluids to help with recovery. In fact, it starts secreting a hormone called the antidiuretic hormone. When your body produces this hormone, your body does everything in its power to keep any and all fluid in your body—including reducing your need to urinate.
Your body will take any additional fluid intake and work with it to reduce your mucus’s thickness. Thinner mucus will allow you to breathe a little easier and make it easier to cough up the mucus settling in your lungs.
Ways To Combat Dehydration
One of the more difficult and lingering symptoms of pneumoniais the cough, which is your body’s way of getting rid of the sputum in the lungs. Coughing often interrupts your sleep and creates chest pain.
Warning About Cough MedicineIf you’ve seen your healthcare provider, they’ve likely recommended a cough medicine to be used while you’re sleeping. Even though cough medicine can help minimize the coughing, it’s not wise to rely on it full-time.
Warning About Cough Medicine
If you’ve seen your healthcare provider, they’ve likely recommended a cough medicine to be used while you’re sleeping. Even though cough medicine can help minimize the coughing, it’s not wise to rely on it full-time.
Some home remedies for alleviating cough include:
If a cough or mucus is making it difficult to breathe, you can try one of the below home remedies:
Sleep on Your Stomach
When fighting pneumonia, lying on your stomach can help you breathe a little easier.
Use a Humidifier
Keeping the air moist with a cool-air humidifier helps relieve the irritation in your nose and throat. If your throat and nose are lubricated, you will cough less, which in the end enables you to breathe easier.
Focus On Your Breathing
When breathing “properly,” the hand over your stomach should be moving more than the hand over your chest.
Using your abdomen when you are breathing means the diaphragm is doing its job and taking the workload off your lungs
Breathing in and counting for a few seconds, then out for few seconds while focusing on using your abdomen can help reduce some of your breathing difficulties. This breathing technique can also reduce the anxiety that sometimes comes with difficulty breathing.
A Word From VeryWell
Pneumonia is a serious condition. If you think you’re battling a case of pneumonia, you should see your healthcare provider immediately. While home remedies may provide some relief, they are merely complementary to an official treatment plan.
Your healthcare provider can check for signs of complications, take X-rays to assess the severity of your pneumonia, and schedule a follow-up in a few weeks to make sure you fully heal with no lung damage.
It’s also important to keep in mind that mixing certain medications or supplements can create a dangerous reaction. It’s best to consult a healthcare provider or pharmacist before combining medications or supplements and creating a potentially life-threatening reaction.
Most cases of pneumonia can be managed at home with over-the-counter and prescription medications and a lot of rest.Keeping well hydrated is important. In addition to drinking water, try electrolyte drinks (like Pedialyte or Gatorade), herbal teas, and warm chicken broth.To promote clearing phlegm from your lungs, avoid cough suppressants. Instead, your healthcare provider may recommend taking an expectorant, such as Mucinex (guaifenesin), the thin mucous making it easier to expel.
Most cases of pneumonia can be managed at home with over-the-counter and prescription medications and a lot of rest.
Keeping well hydrated is important. In addition to drinking water, try electrolyte drinks (like Pedialyte or Gatorade), herbal teas, and warm chicken broth.
To promote clearing phlegm from your lungs, avoid cough suppressants. Instead, your healthcare provider may recommend taking an expectorant, such as Mucinex (guaifenesin), the thin mucous making it easier to expel.
If you suspect you have pneumonia, go to the doctor. If you have a cough that won’t go away, chest pain, shortness of breath, or a fever, or if you suddenly begin to feel worse after having a cold or flu, call your health care provider.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Guppy MP, Mickan SM, Del Mar CB, Thorning S, Rack A.Advising patients to increase fluid intake for treating acute respiratory infections.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;2011(2). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004419.pub3Ali B, Al-Wabel NA, Shams S, Ahamad A, Khan SA, Anwar F.Essential oils used in aromatherapy: a systemic review.Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2015;5(8):601-611. doi:10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007De Blasio F, Virchow JC, Polverino M, et al.Cough management: a practical approach.Cough. 2011;7(1):7. doi:10.1186/1745-9974-7-7El-Kased RF.Natural antibacterial remedy for respiratory tract infections.Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2016;6(3):270-274. doi:10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.12.002Khan S, Choudry E, Mahmood SU, Mulla AY, Mehwish S.Awake proning: a necessary evil during the COVID-19 pandemic.Cureus. 12(7). doi:10.7759/cureus.8989American Academy of Family Physicians: FamilyDoctor.org.Pneumonia.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Guppy MP, Mickan SM, Del Mar CB, Thorning S, Rack A.Advising patients to increase fluid intake for treating acute respiratory infections.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;2011(2). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004419.pub3Ali B, Al-Wabel NA, Shams S, Ahamad A, Khan SA, Anwar F.Essential oils used in aromatherapy: a systemic review.Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2015;5(8):601-611. doi:10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007De Blasio F, Virchow JC, Polverino M, et al.Cough management: a practical approach.Cough. 2011;7(1):7. doi:10.1186/1745-9974-7-7El-Kased RF.Natural antibacterial remedy for respiratory tract infections.Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2016;6(3):270-274. doi:10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.12.002Khan S, Choudry E, Mahmood SU, Mulla AY, Mehwish S.Awake proning: a necessary evil during the COVID-19 pandemic.Cureus. 12(7). doi:10.7759/cureus.8989American Academy of Family Physicians: FamilyDoctor.org.Pneumonia.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Guppy MP, Mickan SM, Del Mar CB, Thorning S, Rack A.Advising patients to increase fluid intake for treating acute respiratory infections.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;2011(2). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004419.pub3Ali B, Al-Wabel NA, Shams S, Ahamad A, Khan SA, Anwar F.Essential oils used in aromatherapy: a systemic review.Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2015;5(8):601-611. doi:10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007De Blasio F, Virchow JC, Polverino M, et al.Cough management: a practical approach.Cough. 2011;7(1):7. doi:10.1186/1745-9974-7-7El-Kased RF.Natural antibacterial remedy for respiratory tract infections.Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2016;6(3):270-274. doi:10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.12.002Khan S, Choudry E, Mahmood SU, Mulla AY, Mehwish S.Awake proning: a necessary evil during the COVID-19 pandemic.Cureus. 12(7). doi:10.7759/cureus.8989American Academy of Family Physicians: FamilyDoctor.org.Pneumonia.
Guppy MP, Mickan SM, Del Mar CB, Thorning S, Rack A.Advising patients to increase fluid intake for treating acute respiratory infections.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;2011(2). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004419.pub3
Ali B, Al-Wabel NA, Shams S, Ahamad A, Khan SA, Anwar F.Essential oils used in aromatherapy: a systemic review.Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2015;5(8):601-611. doi:10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007
De Blasio F, Virchow JC, Polverino M, et al.Cough management: a practical approach.Cough. 2011;7(1):7. doi:10.1186/1745-9974-7-7
El-Kased RF.Natural antibacterial remedy for respiratory tract infections.Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2016;6(3):270-274. doi:10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.12.002
Khan S, Choudry E, Mahmood SU, Mulla AY, Mehwish S.Awake proning: a necessary evil during the COVID-19 pandemic.Cureus. 12(7). doi:10.7759/cureus.8989
American Academy of Family Physicians: FamilyDoctor.org.Pneumonia.
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