| Reply 1 : When the pediatrician told me to give steam to my toddler son who was suffering cold, I asked him “for how much time and how
many times in a day?”. The doctor was surprised. He gathered himself to answer “ten minutes in a day”.
But I was not convinced. It is just that little detail which no one has really studied and put in a book. Therefore, I
started thinking and reading about this. I also experimented on myself if steaming really works. And I found that it does.
But there is a right way to use steam. It can help not only to relieve congestion but also helps in curing any infections in
the nose.
Steam works while it passes through your nostrils inside. But that is the trick. How can you inhale steam when your nose is
blocked? Unless the inhaled steam passes through your nose how does it help? In fact, I tried steaming long ago and found
that it does not work. It is only now that I regained the interest and found a way to make it work. If you try inhaling steam
when your nose is blocked, you will also think that it does not work.
So what do you do? The best time to inhale steam is when your nose is clear. Adults can use nasal decongestant such as
nasivion. After putting the decongestant in your nose, you may have to anywhere up to thirty minutes for your nose to clear
up. Once it is clear, inhale steam for about ten or fifteen minutes.
For babies and toddlers, you have to use saline nasal drops as decongestants should not be used on them. With saline drops,
the nose does not clear as effectively as it does with adult decongestants. But it will clear to some extent. If you can get
your baby to blow through its nose, that will just be great. However, you can still use some tissue to smoothly clear any
phlegm in the nose to the extent you can. But wait for about fifteen minutes after you administer the saline drops into your
baby’s nose to start giving steam.
Steam is simple, natural and does not produce any side effects. That is your second line of defense for any nasal congestion
or infection, the first being your body’s own immune system. Just remember to use it the right way and regularly till you
overcome your congestion or infection in your nose.
Note the following points:
You can to continue giving steam regularly for a few days to see the results.
You can try giving steam once or twice in a day. But the best time to give steam is when the nose is clear
Use a steamer instead of hot water tub or something. This helps because you can direct the steam into the nose direct. It is
more effective.
Do not use any balms or oils in the steam. Steam by itself works wonders. Mixing other solutions may interfere with the
healing process and reduce the effectiveness of steam. |
