Fir oil for colds, coughs, colds, ARVI: baths, inhalations

Fir cough oil is one of the remedies that can be said to be "proven to be effective." But you cannot abuse this drug. In fact, this is the highest purity turpentine obtained from fir trees. Turpentine oil is obtained from all types of conifers in the same way: by distillation with water vapor.

Is it possible to use fir oil for acute respiratory viral infections and colds

Unlike technical turpentine, fir extract is used to treat diseases. But even the first agent of a very high degree of purification cannot be used in its pure form inside. It is a poison that can burn mucous membranes. For colds and runny nose, fir oil is used for inhalation. The active substances clear the respiratory tract well.

To clear the bronchi and facilitate the release of phlegm, fir oil can also be breathed with ARVI. But you cannot seriously expect to cure a viral disease with the help of any drugs. The oil will help relieve symptoms, soften coughs, and ease breathing as your body fights illness.

Most often, a fir remedy is used in the treatment of:

• flu;
• asthma;
• bronchitis;
• pneumonia.

That is, to relieve the symptoms of diseases affecting the upper respiratory tract.

As a warming component in the composition of ointments, it is used in the treatment of rheumatism. It blocks sweating, therefore it is used as a symptomatic remedy for hyperhidrosis.

Composition and value

The composition of turpentine oil depends on the coniferous species from which it was produced. It is the richest among representatives of the genus of fir. But here, too, not everything is so simple. Medicinal preparations are made from only 3 types of fir:

• white / European;
• Siberian;
• balsamic.

The richest in composition is an extract from European fir.

Pure oil contains:

• limonene;
• terpintolene;
• camphene;
• cineole;
• terpinene;
• borneol;
• bornyl acetate;
• other essential substances.

The extract from European fir also contains dodecanal and decanal.

The most valuable element of fir extract is bornyl acetate. This is borneol acetate ester, which performs disinfecting functions. Its content in the product is 8-47%. It is also the heaviest constituent of the oil. The higher the percentage of bornyl acetate, the greater the weight of the liquid. But it is difficult to determine the specific gravity of the contents of a pharmacy vial by eye. Therefore, when choosing a drug, you will have to be guided by other principles.

This product is expensive and not sold in high volume vials

Selection rules

It is impossible to visually distinguish a quality product from a fake.Choosing a product in a pharmacy will have to be intuitive and on the parole of a pharmacist. Fir extract is often not even faked, but mixed with cheaper oils of a similar effect:

• camphor;
• citrus;
• vegetable.

It is good if the manufacturer immediately positions its products as a complex of substances that help with a particular problem. Depending on the composition of the "cocktail" with such fir oil, inhalations can be done for bronchitis or runny nose. After all, other essential oils are also often used in the treatment of coughs.

Worse, if a fake was bought, in which the fir extract was mixed with coarsely refined turpentine. Such "medicine" will only damage the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.

How to independently identify a fake

The variety of pharmaceutical fir extract determines the amount of bornyl acetate in the liquid. The highest grade contains at least 33% ethyl acetate, the second - at least 27%. The amount of bornyl acetate in oil can be determined using chromatographic analysis. It is clear that no one will do such research.

The approximate amount of ether can be estimated by cooling the contents of the bottle to a temperature below + 15 ° C. Bornyl acetate is readily soluble in other components of the fir extract. But upon cooling, the substance begins to crystallize and precipitate. After the experiment, it is enough to reheat the liquid to room temperature, and the precipitate will disappear.

Another difficult way to determine the authenticity of a product is to establish the density of the oil. If it is below 0.894 g / cm³, then it is a fake. At home, this method is not available, so simpler options remain. They do not guarantee that there are no excess impurities in the oil, but they reduce the chances of buying a fake.

Large volumes of "natural product" clearly indicate a fake based on refined vegetable oil, plastic containers are also not credible

Visual way

You can pour oil into a clean, clean white transparent glass dish. An authentic product at room temperature is transparent and almost colorless. Sometimes it can have a yellowish or greenish tint. There should be no suspension of mechanical particles, turbidity, liquid stratification into fractions. Crystalline precipitation is permissible only if the temperature of the substance is below 15 ° C. When heated, the crystals should dissolve.

Using the sense of smell

Here it is necessary to distinguish between aromas well. With a cold, this method will not work. One drop of the liquid is applied to a clean cloth. Its scent should not have any annoying notes. Normally, it is light, coniferous. Since the extract from fir has a complex composition, the aroma will constantly change depending on which of the fractions began to evaporate.

Sample with paper

Drop the contents of the bottle onto white paper. If, after the liquid has dried, a greasy stain remains, it means that the bottle is fake. Most often it is a mixture with conventional vegetable oils or synthetic ingredients.

However, it can also be homemade “fir oil”. The cost of such an "environmentally friendly product" barely exceeds the price of a refined plant extract, which was used to make a "remedy".

At home, a similar remedy is prepared from chopped fir needles and annual shoots. Raw materials are crushed, placed in a jar and poured with refined vegetable oil. The container is placed in a water bath and the needles are "boiled". Then the solid mass is squeezed out. The result is the cheapest fake, often passed off as real fir oil.

During cooking, useful essential substances will evaporate, and heavy compounds obtained by fir from the soil and air will pass into an oil decoction.It is better not to use such a homemade product for children.

The practice of the Moscow Zoo shows that few people are able to distinguish fir from spruce, it is not a fact that the tree growing in the yard is fir

The healing properties of fir oil for cough and ARVI

Fir extract possesses medicinal qualities due to its essential components. The substances contained in the extract from coniferous trees are able to disinfect the air and soothe a sore throat. Minus - the ability to dry mucous membranes when used in a "pure" form. Therefore, water inhalations with fir oil are more often done.

Fir oil for colds

Fir oil began to treat colds relatively recently, after the appearance of this product in pharmacies. But about disinfecting phytoncides secreted by conifers has been known for a long time. It's just that now you don't need to go to a sanatorium located in a pine grove.

Since a viral disease is usually hidden under the popular name "cold", the preparation from fir will help to cope with a secondary microbial infection. It also softens and relieves coughs.

The common cold is often called acute tonsillitis - a bacterial disease that used to be called "angina". Here, fir extract can be indispensable, as it kills microorganisms. Apply it by lubricating the tonsils. But you should not use the product in its pure form. It is enough to mix a few drops of the preparation with vegetable oil.

Fir oil for bronchitis

Can be used in very small quantities. A high concentration of fir oil during bronchial coughing during inhalation can cause the opposite reaction: spasm. For children, it is better to use rubbing rather than inhalation.

Fir cough oil

The use of fir oil is most effective for dry cough at the onset of the disease. This will kill pathogens that multiply on the inflamed bronchial mucosa. Later, when the inflammation has passed and the body begins to get rid of dead tissue, fir extract will not hurt. But it won't help either.

With a dry, tearful cough in adults, fir oil mixed with vegetable oil is dripped onto the root of the tongue. For children with bronchitis, it is better to simply place a cloth dampened with liquid next to the pillow.

Fir oil for the common cold

The use of oil for the common cold is somewhat controversial. The substances contained in it will destroy bacteria. But only those that are in the nasal cavity. In addition, in the case of a severe rhinitis, they first suggest using vasoconstrictor drugs. That is, fir oil, in addition to the disinfecting function, has only one more function - it softens the dried crusts. But this is due to the fact that fir oil is diluted with vegetable oil. Therefore, only the latter can be dispensed with.

With ARVI and ARI

The diagnosis of acute respiratory infections is made when the doctor himself does not know what exactly the patient is sick with. There are cold symptoms, but what caused them is a mystery. These can be protozoa or fungi. Or there may be a virus or bacterial infection. The diagnosis of acute respiratory viral infections differs from acute respiratory infections only in that it is clear here: the cause of the disease is a virus.

Accordingly, fir preparations are used in the same way as for "colds" and bronchitis, as a symptomatic remedy to facilitate breathing.

Sometimes the vials are immediately equipped with dispensers, with the help of which it is convenient to measure the drug.

Indications for use

You can often find statements that fir oil helps with almost all diseases, including even nail fungus. In fact, the use of the drug is limited. Best of all, it helps with respiratory diseases and in the absence of allergies to it.

You can add fir oil to the water while taking a bath. It is believed that at the onset of the disease, this will help to heal. A hot bath in case of hypothermia or at the onset of the disease will help the treatment even without any additives.

Recipes and methods of application

For colds, bronchitis, acute respiratory infections and other diseases affecting the respiratory system, apply:

• inhalation;
• instillation in the nose;
• rubbing the chest and outer surface of the nose;
• hot baths.

Sometimes they use cocktails made from juice with the addition of fir extract. But here we must remember that it is poisonous in large quantities.

Fir oil inhalation

Inhalation with fir preparations can be carried out:

• steam;
• dry;
• oil;
• air.

Oil inhalations are usually carried out in clinics. They are based on finely dispersed atomization of heated oils. At home, other types are more often used.

Air inhalation - spraying fir oil aerosol into the air. It is very close in nature to "dry" or to the aromatization of the room.

Fir extract negatively affects the development of the embryo. In the first trimester, the drug should not be used. From the 27th week, theoretically, fir oil can no longer damage, but inhalation should be done only after consulting a doctor.

In everyday life, steam inhalations are most common, they are also the easiest to perform.

How to inhale with fir oil

Steam inhalation is done for diseases of the upper respiratory tract. To carry out it, it is enough to pour hot water into a teapot and add a few drops of the drug. The teapot is closed with a lid, the socks are wrapped in a cloth so as not to burn the lips, and the steam is inhaled through the mouth. This method allows you to treat inflamed tonsils and reduce cough in case of bronchial disease.

If treatment of a common cold is needed, a kettle will not work. In this case, hot water is poured into a bowl or saucepan and oil is also added. The head is covered with a cloth to prevent steam from escaping into the air. This method allows you to unclog the nasal cavities.

There are contraindications for steam inhalation. It is undesirable to do them in case of CVS diseases, tuberculosis, and exacerbation of pneumonia. Do not treat with steam or small children. It is better for babies to do "dry" inhalation.

How to dry inhalation with fir oils

In fact, dry inhalation with fir extract is no different from the usual disinfecting spraying of a room. It is well suited for very young children who should not drip fir oil into their nose, but need to clear their maxillary sinuses.

The liquid is simply sprayed over the surfaces of the room. But this is expensive, since it will be a big expense. In order not to waste too much oil, a few drops of the drug are applied to a clean cloth and placed next to the patient.

Inhalation with fir oil through a nebulizer

With the help of a nebulizer, inhalation cannot be done with any type of oil, not only with fir. More precisely, you can do it, but for a very short time. Then the device will have to be thrown out and bought a new one. The holes in the nebulizer are too small and the oil will clog them sooner or later. Moreover, pure fir oil cannot be used for dispersive inhalation, and the mixture with a vegetable composition is too coarse for the device.

Fir oil treatment for rhinitis

Treatment of a common cold is carried out in about the same way as it was previously done with the help of the "Zvezdochka" balm. But if the runny nose is severe, you must first use drugs that constrict blood vessels and eliminate mucus. Fir extract can get rid of bacteria, but only if it has the ability to penetrate into the nasal cavity. With a large amount of mucus, the drug will simply flow out.

Is it possible to bury fir oil in the nose

In its pure form, no. Turpentine, even of the highest purity, in a concentrated form will burn mucous membranes. It is better not to drip fir oil into the nose of children at all, since it is difficult to calculate a safe dose manually. It's easier to use ready-made nasal drops.

Fir oil is included in the composition of such nasal drops only as one of the components, they are already ready for use and do not require dilution with other substances.

How to dilute fir oil for instillation

For nasal instillation, fir oil is usually mixed with any refined vegetable oil. More expensive options:

• sea ​​buckthorn;
• calendula;
• wheat germ oil.

Fir with sea buckthorn is usually mixed in a 1: 3 ratio. It is undesirable to use such a mixture for children. The rest of the species are mixed at the rate of 30 ml of any oil per 5 drops of fir. For babies, vegetable is better suited as a base for nasal drops.

How to drip correctly

The finished mixture is instilled into the nose, cleared of mucus with other drugs. The adult dose is 3-4 drops in each nostril. Children no more than 2 drops.

The oil is instilled, resting the head on a pillow so that the liquid can flow into the depths of the nasal cavity. After a few minutes, you need to lie down calmly so that the product is distributed over the mucous membrane.

Fir oil baths

The bath is taken only if the body temperature is within the normal range. And this procedure is exclusively preventive in nature. In 160 l of hot water, 39-42 ° C, 20 ml of fir extract is poured. You can add foam to the bath. You should not specially cook the composition with soap and oil. Solid soap usually begins to smell unpleasant 2-3 days after dilution in water.

The bath will prevent colds from hypothermia. The procedure takes 20 minutes. However, you can simply steam your legs while inhaling fir fumes along the way.

For children, a bath is made with a water temperature of no more than 39 ° C. Since the volume of the bath for a child is less than for an adult, the oil is added in smaller quantities: about 5 ml per 60 liters.

Another bath recipe: add a tablespoon of salt, honey or milk and a few drops of the fir preparation to the water. It is best to do the procedure before bed, as warm water is relaxing.

Taking a bath, you need to monitor the water temperature and time.

Rubbing

It is better for children to do not baths, but rubbing of the chest and nose. For this, fir oil is mixed with vegetable or internal lamb / goose fat. Thanks to rubbing, the child's body is warmed, and blood circulation is increased. Fir oil slowly evaporates from the skin. Thus, inhalation occurs at the same time. After rubbing, the child should be wrapped in a blanket.

With a runny nose, you can rub the bridge of the nose. In this case, the vapor will also penetrate into the nasal cavity. Do not lubricate the mucous membranes inside with pure fir oil.

Room aromatization

Perhaps the most efficient way to use oil. A pleasant smell in the room is guaranteed. Aromatization is carried out in the same way as with any other essential oils: using an aroma lamp or hot water. You can also spray from a can or put a cloth soaked in oil somewhere, but then this will be no different from "dry" inhalation.

Healing cocktails

There are two recipes for a cocktail with juice and fir oil. In one case, it is advised to take unsweetened juice, in the other - sweet. The authors of cocktails agree only on one thing: you cannot use citrus fruits. Their juice irritates the mucous membranes. The rest of the recipes are exactly the same:

• a glass of juice;
• a teaspoon of honey;
• a few drops of fir extract.

Mix everything and consume one hour before meals or 1.5 hours after meals. Frequency rate - 3 times a day.

The similarity of the recipes suggests a marketing fiction. In addition, fir oil, albeit weak, is poisonous. But they also drank kerosene for colds before. And the experience of King Mithridates proves that the human body can gradually adapt to the use of poison.

Pomegranate juice is good for a cocktail

Application rules

Before using the drug as a medicine, you must make sure that you are not allergic to it. This is especially true for people with a predisposition to asthma. Any harsh odors can give them a choking attack.

You can not use a pure fir product. It must be diluted with other substances. You can often find advice to mix it with water. But these two fractions do not mix, and this method can only be used when taking baths or steam inhalation.

Taking the drug inside as part of cocktails begins with 6 drops: 2 at a time. Add 1 drop per day.

The maximum amount of oil is not more than 30 drops per day. But the dose is individual and ranges from 9 to 30 drops.

Limitations and contraindications

Advertising presents "natural" drugs as completely harmless and free of side effects. However, the list of contraindications suggests otherwise. Fir hood cannot be used when:

• tuberculosis;
• diseases of the circulatory system;
• heart disease;
• pneumonia;
• pregnancy;
• kidney disease;
• stomach problems;
• epilepsy;
• liver disease;
• tumors;
• allergies;
• Cerebral palsy.

Hot baths and warming rubbing are contraindicated in high blood pressure. Fir preparations are strictly prohibited in early pregnancy. And later they are used only under the supervision of a doctor.

Skin redness is a common symptom of an irritant allergy

Fir oil allergy symptoms

The main symptom of not even an allergy, but of poisoning with fir preparations is a rapid heartbeat. That is why it is advised to start taking the oil inside with 2 drops. There are more chances to survive.

You can check the body's reaction to fir oil as follows:

• count the pulse before taking the drug;
• take 2 drops;
• count the pulse after 3-4 hours.

If the number of strokes has increased by more than 10, you need to stop. Theoretically, you can take 9 drops daily, but it's better not to do this at all.

If the body reacts normally, the dose is increased the next day and the pulse is checked again. The latter is done every day until the maximum dose of the drug is determined.

Another, more "traditional" way to test for allergies is by rubbing oil into your skin. If redness appears, you cannot use fir preparations.

Conclusion

Fir cough oil helps only in combination with other drugs. However, in fact, it only makes breathing easier. The body either copes with the disease on its own or with the help of other medications.

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