It is fire season here in the US, and there are more and more fires all around the world it seems...
This is a recipe to help calm the Dry Spasmodic cough that comes from inhaling smoke laden air.
PLEASE Note, this is not a substitute for seeing a Doctor...if you have been exposed to smoke from a wildfire, you DO need to see a doctor. You will not know what kinds of toxins are in the smoke, from buildings, plastics, treated wood, oils, etc. Some toxins in wildfire smoke can be deadly, and need to be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional
That said, this tea will Help relieve the specific dry spasmodic cough from smoke inhalation. If not treated, this cough can become Smoke Induced Bronchitis, and then give way to a secondary infection leading to pneumonia.
Most Drs will prescribe inhalers or some form of bronchial dilator, along with an antibiotic. This tea will not interfere with either, but it will still be important to give the list of herbs to the Dr, so they know everything. The tea will help ease the cough and help prevent secondary infection as well.
It is a very specific dry spasmodic cough...
For a 2 gallon pot...1 part = 1/2 C or so
Lungwort ..............2 parts
Chickweed ............1 Part
Horehound ...........2 Parts
Thyme ..................2 to 3 teaspoons
Coltsfoot ...............1 to 2 teaspoons
Prepared as a Decoction - Add all the herbs to a large pot of water and cover it well...then bring to the boiling point, reduce heat and simmer gently covered for 15 minutes.
Test this tea, on the inner forearm Before drinking, wait and watch for any redness or hives for 20 minutes...then a second test by drinking a few sips, then wait 20 minutes and watch for any distinct restriction of airways, redness of skin, hives etc... If there are no reactions, it is okay to go full onwards...(whenever someone is in respiratory distress it is important to double test any herbs being used. If they have a reaction, things could go from bad to critical in moments. Most allergies will show in a skin test within 20 minutes, then if there are no reactions, doing the sip test is fine. The herbs used in this tea are in no way dangerous, but the tests are still important if there is any respiratory distress.)
Drink between 3 to 5 cups a day (depending on body size) 1/2 cup or less at a time for kids, and no more than 2 cups for them per day...
Continue this tea until the person can take 3 consecutive deep breaths in, blowing all the way out, without coughing.
Another good remedy for any form of spasmodic cough, is Tessalon. It is restricted, and needs a prescription, but one has to Ask the Dr for it, specifically.
Tessalon is made from the inner bark of a tree (though the FDA somehow removed all info on which tree from any places I have researched. If you know which tree, please add it to the comments!) It comes in gel tabs, looking like a small vitamin E. They have made a synthetic version, so when asking for it, one must insist on actual Tessalon.
So there we have the wildfire tea...It works very well. We have used it when Nyai and our youngest daughter both had smoke induced bronchitis...
This is a {Steemit Original} All words and photos by Elew
To read my other Medicinal Herb posts...
https://steemit.com/tea/@elew/teas-oils-ointments-and-balms
https://steemit.com/tea/@elew/medicinal-tea-vs-commercial-tea
https://steemit.com/tea/@elew/herbal-prep-infusion-and-decoction
https://steemit.com/prepper/@elew/herbal-prep-oil-infusion
https://steemit.com/prepper/@elew/herbal-prep-on-essential-oils-what-are-they-really
https://steemit.com/prepper/@elew/herbal-prep-know-your-plants-and-methods
https://steemit.com/prepper/@elew/herbal-prep-liniments
https://steemit.com/prepper/@elew/herbal-prep-medicinal-and-soothing-baths
https://steemit.com/prepper/@elew/herbal-prep-the-fall-medicine-chest-1