Pneumonia is a serious respiratory infection that impacts millions of people every year….and fall and winter is when it’s everywhere. It’s an infection where the air sacs in your lungs become inflamed and filled with fluid or pus, making it harder to breathe.
The severity of it varies depending on the person. In our home, I get severely ill, while two of my kids and my husband barely slow down. Kid three needs antibiotics every time, and the fourth needs a LOT of sleep and herbs to get through it.
Understanding how pneumonia affects the body and how herbal remedies can help you figure out the appropriate approach for you and your family can help decrease the length and severity of it.
An important point to understand, is you DO NOT have to choose one approach over the other. Herbal remedies complement modern medicine. You simply need to understand the herbs and medications you’re using to be successful.
Let’s talk about the types of pneumonia, how it impacts the respiratory system, and some herbs that support lung health.
Understanding Pneumonia and Its Types
Pneumonia is not a one-size-fits-all condition. Typically, bacteria or viruses cause it. However, there are other types less common like fungal infection or pneumonia secondary to lung irritants. Some of the most common types of pneumonia seen in the United States include:
Bacterial Pneumonia: Often caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, this type can lead to severe symptoms like high fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. Mycoplasma pneumonia is a very common and highly contagious example of bacterial pneumonia.
Viral Pneumonia: Commonly caused by viruses such as the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or the flu.
While anyone who breathes can contract any form of pneumonia, some people are more susceptible to it than others. Babies, the elderly, immune-compromised people, and those with a history of respiratory issues, are at higher risk. Those in any of these categories should be extra cautious and keep a solid herbal protocol on hand during fall and winter.
How Pneumonia Affects the Body
Pneumonia symptoms vary depending on the type of infection, but the most common symptoms include:
Shortness of Breath and Difficulty Breathing: Inflammation in the air sacs (alveoli) prevent airflow, making each breath a challenge. It’s common to feel like you just can’t quite get enough air.
Chest Pain: Often sharp and it worsens when coughing or breathing deeply.
Dry Cough or Productive Cough: Depending on the cause, the cough may produce mucus.
High Fever: A common sign of bacterial pneumonia.
Fatigue and Weakness: The infection strains the immune system, leaving you feeling drained. Fatigue from pneumonia, regardless of the type, can last for several weeks.
Herbs for Lung Health and the Healing Process
Herbal remedies have a long tradition of supporting respiratory health. Here are some powerful herbs that can help during the healing process:
Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
Licorice root is amazing for coughs and respiratory inflammation. It has antitussive, anti-inflammatory, and demulcent properties to support you during a pneumonia infection. Made into syrup it is very soothing. There are warnings and contraindications with this herb, so be sure you research it before you use it if you have any medical conditions, are pregnant, or are nursing.
How to Use: Licorice Root has a natural sweetness, and is delicious in any preparation you use it in. For throat issues that commonly accompany pneumonia (from coughing), I stick to a standard infusion (tea) or a syrup. If you want to learn more about how to make herbal remedies, check out The Herbal Collective for workshops, tutorials, and recipes.
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Mullein leaf is popular for lung health. It has expectorant, demulcent, and tonic properties. Basically what all that means, is you need this herb if you have pneumonia. If you’re picking one herb, this should be it. It works with your body to help strengthen and tone your lungs, thin and expel mucus, and balance the mucus membranes in your lungs. Be sure you are only using mullein leaf for this purpose. While you can use all parts of the plant, they all have specific uses. You can read more about that HERE.
How to Use: The best way to consume mullein is in a standard infusion (tea) as warm as you can comfortably drink it. Herbal properties are also released in steam. Be sure to breathe in the steam while you enjoy your tea to boost the benefits.
Elecampane (Inula helenium)
Elecampane is an incredible expectorant and it works FAST. It has antiseptic properties as well, making it extra helpful. There’s a bonus to using elecampane when you are taking a pharmaceutical antibiotic for pneumonia. It contains inulin. Inulin is a prebiotic that supports your gut, making the antibiotic process a lot less abrasive to the gut wall.
How to Use: A fresh root tincture is the best way to take this one.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Yes, Garlic is an herb. And I’m pretty sure just about everyone has heard of how incredible it is for many illnesses. Its herbal properties that are particularly useful for pneumonia, are antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, decongestant, and expectorant. If you have a sensitive gut when you’re sick, take it easy with this one, and maybe avoid it all together on an empty stomach.
How to Use: There are several ways to use garlic when you’re sick. Fire cider recipes are popular and effective. Garlic infused raw honey is a personal favorite in our home and is excellent to use with pneumonia. If you’re brave, pop a garlic clove and chew. Powdered options are not effective for support during illness.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Turmeric has quite a reputation for its anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective (liver protecting) properties. It is a strong anti-inflammatory herb that should be incorporated for those with chronic respiratory conditions that can cause inflammation.
How to Use: Consume turmeric as a decoction or a tincture. Either way you use it, you should always include black pepper with it. Black pepper helps the body to absorb the turmeric.
Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberosa)
Pleurisy Root, commonly known as butterfly weed, has anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, and expectorant properties. These properties work by helping your body fight and expel the illness. It also helps to thin the mucus and makes it easier to cough it out.
How to Use: Make this as a cold infusion (infusing it in the refrigerator), or use it as a tincture.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Oregano has antifungal, antimicrobial, and expectorant properties. It is particularly useful for respiratory infections like pneumonia and other conditions that can cause a lot of chest congestion.
How to Use: Use it as a tincture or as a standard infusion (tea).
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
This herb is a powerhouse of herbal properties. It includes antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and decongestant properties that can help with a pneumonia infection. Thyme works amazingly well in the respiratory, especially if you have a hard spasmodic cough.
How to Use: Drink it in a standard infusion (tea) up the 3 times per day, or as a tincture.
Supplements and Supplies
Herbs are important here, but they’re not the only things that you should be using and have on hand. Use supplements, vitamins, and minerals to further support the respiratory system and help the healing process.
Supplements:
- magnesium
- coq10
- zinc
Supplies:
- heating pad
- stethoscope
- nebulizer
- sterile saline
- pulse oximeter
When to Seek Medical Advice
While herbs are strong and effective, it’s crucial to know when it’s time to consult a healthcare provider. Pneumonia can turn into a medical emergency fast, especially in severe cases and in high-risk people.
When to call your doctor:
- Mild shortness of breath that doesn’t improve over time
- Chest pain that doesn’t improve
- Symptoms of pneumonia that worsen over time
When to go to the Emergency Room:
- Worsening shortness of breath
- Sudden, crushing, or changing chest pain
- High fever that does not respond to treatment
- Retractions (in kids..when you can see their ribs when they take a breath)
- Cyanosis (turning slightly blue or grey on nails or lips)
- Low SPO2 number under 94% (pulse oximeter)
Bacterial pneumonia can progress very quickly. One night you’re feeling like you’re coming down with something, the next you’re feeling like you’ve never been sicker in your life and you’re struggling to breathe. Acting quickly with pneumonia infection is important so it doesn’t progress to this point.
Kids can crash FAST. They can act okay for a long time and even look like they’re barely sick. Then they start to decompensate, which basically means that they get really bad really fast. DON’T WAIT with kids! If you have any concern, just go to the ER.
Finding Balance Between Herbal Remedies and Modern Medicine
Herbal medicine and modern medicine don’t need to be enemies. They work beautifully together when used thoughtfully. Herbs like licorice root, mullein, and thyme support the immune system and respiratory health, while antibiotics and nebulizer treatments can tackle severe pneumonia infections.
By combining the best of both worlds when needed, you create a treatment plan that promotes healing and minimizes adverse effects.
Keep in mind the importance of listening to your body and seeking medical advice when necessary.
Stay well friends.
