Internal Medicine

Chest wrap

definition

Breast wraps are a well-tried and old home remedy. They have been used in gentle medicine for centuries. They serve as an alternative or supplement to conventional medicine. All wraps are therefore built on a similar principle.

First you take an inner cloth, which can contain various additives.An intermediate cloth is wrapped over it. This stores the heat and covers the wrap. Another cloth, the outer cloth, is used to fix the wrap.

The breast wrap promotes blood flow and can be used for various diseases. It is used particularly often for the symptomatic treatment of bronchitis.

More information can be found here: Naturopathy for a cold

When do you do breast wraps?

Breast wraps can be used very well as an alternative to conventional medicine for harmless colds. They are particularly suitable for dry, irritating coughs or slimy bronchitis. They are also used for fever. Even if you have pneumonia, you can use chest wraps as a supplement to antibiotic therapy.

These very often improve well-being and alleviate the general feeling of illness. The relaxed position improves body awareness. This type of home remedy usually treats body and soul in one.

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Chest wraps for coughs and bronchitis

Breast wraps are old well-known home remedies. The heat promotes blood circulation in the chest area. Warm chest wraps are the therapy of choice, especially for stuck bronchitis. The vapors from their essential oils loosen the mucus in the bronchi. This makes it easier to cough up. Therefore, a chest wrap can also be used for dry, irritating coughs.

Ultimately, the chest wrap not only supports the mucus solution, but also ensures that the mucous membranes swell and you can breathe more freely again. The addition of medicinal plants such as lavender or thyme also has a relaxing effect and relieves the urge to cough. This is often perceived as particularly beneficial by patients. In addition to herbal additives with which you soak the swaddles, you can also Onions, potatoes, honey or quark Apply to the inside cloth of the chest wrap. These also lead to a significant improvement in cold symptoms.

More information can be found here: Mucous bronchi

Chest compresses with a fever

Breast wraps are also suitable for treating fever. Cold and damp breast wraps are particularly recommended here. However, there are a few points to keep in mind. The cold cloth must not be ice cold, otherwise it would be too big a shock for the cardiovascular system. In no case should the affected person freeze. It is important that the feet are kept warm and the fever should not be reduced by significantly more than one degree. Regular temperature control is therefore recommended.

Learn more about: How can you lower a fever?

How do you do a chest wrap?

Breast wraps are old home remedies. Like calf wraps, all wraps follow a similar structure. There are different wraps, cold or warm wraps. In addition, you can opt for various additives. Also Potatoes, onions, honey or cottage cheese can be applied to the inside cloth of the wrap. If you want to use a chest wrap to relieve the symptoms of a cold in bronchitis, you first soak a cloth with certain additives, usually essential oils, Cold balm or Medicinal plants. Here are suitable Eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, Retterspitz.

This cloth can also be immersed in warm / hot water if you want to make a warm wrap. Then you have to wring it out briefly. Before you put it on your chest, make sure it's not too hot. You shouldn't scald yourself. However, the cloth can be warm, because the heat promotes blood circulation. Warm chest wraps are the therapy of choice, especially for stuck bronchitis. Then you put the soaked cloth on your chest.

If you want to apply other substances such as onions, potatoes or honey, you should apply them to this cloth. Then you put an intermediate cloth on top. This has the task of covering the inner wrap and storing the heat.

In the last step you wrap a third cloth completely around your chest. The outer cloth covers the wrap and fixes it. You can have a good one here towel or Bath towel In any case, the outer cloth should be thick enough that the wrap is dry on the outside.

It is also recommended not to do more than two wraps a day. The procedure is similar for a cold wrap; the inner cloth is washed in the same way with cold water. Here, too, you should make sure that the cloth is not ice cold, as this would be too stressful for the cardiovascular system. With a finished chest wrap you should then go to bed and rest for at least 15 minutes. However, the wrap can also be left for 2 hours. Then you should remove the wrap.

How often should I use breast wraps?

Breast wraps are well-proven home remedies that are often used as a supplement to conventional medicine. They can also be used as the sole therapy for harmless cold infections. Breast wraps are usually well tolerated and, when used correctly, have no side effects. However, they should not be used more than two to three times a day. If the cold symptoms do not improve after several days with chest compresses, it is worth consulting a doctor.

Duration of application

Basically, it is recommended to let the chest wrap work for at least 15 minutes, even better for half an hour. The duration of the application should not exceed two hours. After a while, the cold or heat effect of the wrap also subsides. The inner cloth has adapted to the body temperature. Therefore you should also remove the wrap.

The following also applies: If you feel uncomfortable with the compress and develop circulatory problems or chills, the compress must be removed.

How quickly do breast wraps work?

Breast wraps usually work within 15 minutes. The vapors of the essential oils have an expectorant and calming effect. The warm inner cloth promotes blood circulation. You can leave the chest wrap for up to two hours. The first symptom relief occurs after 15 minutes.

What should you watch out for and when should you not use breast wraps?

When it comes to chest wraps, it is important to ensure that the inner sheet is at the right temperature. If the wraps are warm, the inner cloth must not be too hot, otherwise burns or scalds can occur. This also applies to the boiled potatoes and the warmed quark. You can go wrong with the temperature even with cold compresses. Especially if you have a fever, it is important that the compress is not too cold. Otherwise, this can put an enormous strain on the cardiovascular system. The cloth should also never be placed directly on the skin when it is cold, as there are also so-called "cold burns".

When used correctly, the wrap has no side effects. However, you should stick to the maximum duration of use of two hours and do the wrap not more than two to three times a day.

You should not use a chest wrap with essential oils if you are allergic to them. You should also be cautious about wounds in the chest area. If the cold does not improve through the chest compressions, further symptoms such as high fever and massive slimy sputum appear, a doctor's visit is strongly recommended. You can then discuss with your family doctor to what extent breast wraps are useful as a supplement to conventional medicine and can continue to be carried out.

Read about it too: When do I have to see a doctor with a cold?

Various accessories for the breast wrap

Breast wrap with onions

Everyone knows the strong pungent, tear-inducing smell of onions. This also causes the secretion in the bronchi to loosen and liquefy. This makes it easier to cough up. With bronchitis, you can also put onions on the chest wrap. For this you peel and roughly cut an onion and puts them on the inner cloth.

The aromatic vapors not only clear the bronchi, but also the nasal mucous membranes. However, this sulphurous smell is very unpleasant for some people. Therefore, it is also possible to combine the onions with more fragrant essential oils. This does not reduce the success of the treatment.

Breast wrap with potatoes

Potatoes are also popular for breast wraps. In contrast to the onions, you should cook them and then crush them between two layers of kitchen paper. So the potatoes can then be applied to the inner cloth. It is important that their temperature is not too hot. The thin inner cloth can burn the chest if the temperature is too high. The potatoes are often used as a wrap additive because they are very strong heat-storing are. Unlike a hot cloth, potatoes release heat longer and more continuously.

Breast wrap with honey

Honey is also a very popular home remedy that is often used for colds. Everyone knows the famous tea with honey.
Honey is so popular because it has an antibacterial effect. The honey should be warmed up slightly before spreading it on the inner cloth of the breast wrap. Again, it is important that the honey is not made too hot. Otherwise this can lead to burns.

Learn more about the topic at: Home remedies for a cold

Chest wrap with cottage cheese

To make a quark wrap for the chest, you should first warm the quark to body temperature in a water bath. Then you rub it carefully with a knife on the inner cloth and cover the layer with a second cloth. In the last step, fix the wrap with a dry outer cloth. Quark is often used because it relaxes, expectorant and decongestant works. In this way it effectively combats the annoying cold symptoms.

Breast wrap with Retterspitz

Retterspitz® is a well-known herbal therapeutic agent for various ailments.
It works anti-inflammatory and pain reliever and is often used for joint problems. Retterspitz® can be applied as a tincture to the inner cloth of a breast wrap. This is how Retterspitz® unfolds its effect in the bronchi. This will relieve the symptoms of the common cold and improve the general feeling of illness in patients.

Breast wrap with lavender oil

A chest wrap with lavender oil is an effective remedy for cold symptoms.
Lavender has a calming effect and relieves the urge to cough. Breast wraps with lavender oil can be used for both dry and slimy coughs. It is recommended to use the wrap especially in the evening, as lavender also promotes sleep is. The smell of lavender oil is also perceived by many to be much more pleasant than the smell of onions.

Peculiarities of breast wraps in children

Breast wraps are actually especially good for children. If the little ones suffer from a cold with a cough, runny nose, hoarseness, chest wraps are an effective alternative to medication with few side effects. With children, however, you have to pay particular attention to the temperature of the inner cloth. Under no circumstances should it be too hot or too cold. It is better to check the temperature of the cloth on your own wrist beforehand.

It is also important to explain to the children how to use a chest wrap so that they understand that they should be in bed with it for at least 15 minutes for the chest wrap to work properly. If the child rejects the breast wrap, the application is not advisable, as the relaxing, expectorant effect will not set in that way.

You should also remove the chest wrap immediately if the child feels uncomfortable. Children also respond to some essential oils with spasm of the larynx muscles. These should therefore not be used, especially with infants. The substances can be used in small amounts in older children. However, lavender oil is usually much better than hot herbs and can theoretically also be used on babies.

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