Chamomile for mouthwash for sore throat and inflammation

Even ancient healers noticed that the delicate white-yellow flower, reminiscent of the sun in the appearance of its inflorescences, has many medicinal properties. The unique composition of the plant's flowers makes it extremely popular in medicine and cosmetology. Compositions based on the plant's flowers are used both internally and externally. And rinsing with chamomile is just one of the effective procedures that can improve the condition of the skin, mucous membranes and hair, thanks to the many beneficial effects inherent in this plant.

Not only beautiful

The resemblance to the gentle warm sun makes chamomile flowers very attractive, so it is not surprising that they are popular as a wreath on a girl's head. But the external beauty of the plant is supported by internal wealth, because chamomile contains many useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the body. And the area of its distribution is wide enough that almost everyone can use the beneficial properties of the plant to improve health. All this gives chamomile the right to be considered one of the most popular and accessible medicinal plants.

Many people know about the beneficial properties of the plant, but not everyone. But these properties are available to the plant due to its unique composition. Let's start with the fact that chamomile has a fairly decent composition of minerals, including:

• potassium, which supports the functioning of the heart muscle,
• magnesium, which has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and a calming effect on the sensitive receptors of the skin,
• calcium, which is considered the main building material for bones, teeth, nails, hair,
• chlorine, which, along with potassium and sodium, is involved in water-salt metabolism, helps maintain the osmotic pressure of the blood and other biological fluids,
• phosphorus, which actively participates in the formation and growth of bone tissue, teeth, and promotes stable functioning of the brain and heart.
• sulfur, responsible for the condition of the skin, hair and other tissues of the body, since this macroelement is involved in almost all metabolic processes, stabilizing them, is responsible for the synthesis of amino acids, vitamins, hormones and enzymes in the body,
• Silicon (in the form of dioxide) takes an active part in the absorption of mineral salts and vitamins by the body, actually being a catalyst for most vital processes.

The mineral composition alone suggests that the plant can be of great benefit to humans. But in addition to minerals, chamomile also contains other substances important for health:

• Vitamins (the list is small, but the benefits are significant):

• Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for the body, which has powerful antioxidant properties, provides protection from bacteria and viruses, helps fight inflammation and allergies, stimulates the immune system. It is believed that this vitamin takes an active part in the production of many hormones and collagen, has a regulatory effect on the process of hematopoiesis, increases the permeability of small blood vessels, cleanses the body of toxins and normalizes metabolism. In addition, thanks to vitamin C, calcium is absorbed in the body better, which is important for the condition of bones, cartilage, teeth, hair, etc.
• Provitamin A is another powerful antioxidant that helps cleanse the body of free radicals. It helps maintain immunity at a high level, helps protect the body from the harmful effects of infectious and other negative environmental factors. Transforming into vitamin A in the body, it helps maintain vision function, heal ulcers and wounds on the mucous membrane, keep skin, teeth, nails and hair healthy, reduce harmful cholesterol in the blood, and ensure stable functioning of the cardiovascular system.
• Vitamin B4. Choline in chamomile is contained in small quantities, but this does not make it less useful. Vitamin B actively participates in fat and cholesterol metabolism, is part of the nerve membranes, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system and brain, helps restore damaged liver cells, has a beneficial effect on men's health and reproductive function.

• The essential oil, which the inflorescences are so rich in (despite the fact that the flower has white and yellow petals, the ether has a blue tint), is a valuable source of two important components:

• chamazulene is a substance with pronounced anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and antispasmodic effects, promoting rapid wound healing and tissue regeneration,
• bisabolol is a component with antibacterial and antifungal action, which also helps fight inflammation, has a soothing and moisturizing effect on the skin and mucous membranes, promotes wound healing, and eliminates unpleasant symptoms (itching, burning, peeling).

• Organic acids. Chamomile flowers contain several types of such acids, each of which has a beneficial property for the body. Thus, salicylic and caprylic acids show antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, and isovaleric acid provides sedation of sensitive receptors, i.e. has a calming effect.
• Many biologically active substances:

• Flavonoids (plant pigments with many beneficial properties). One of these pigments is apigenin, which is credited with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties. The flavonoid luteolin has anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects, and quercetin is also characterized, in addition to the above, by antiviral and antiallergic effects.
• Coumarins. Chamomile contains herniarin and umbelliferone. These substances have anticoagulant (prevention of thrombus formation), vasodilator, antispasmodic and diaphoretic properties.
• Phytosterols. These are substances that are excellent preventatives for vascular atherosclerosis.
• Polysaccharides. Important sources of energy for humans.
• Tannins have astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and hemostatic effects.
• As well as unsaturated fatty acids, protein compounds, cardinenes, farnesenes, gum, mucus, bitterness, etc.

Due to the many components that make up the plant (and the inflorescences, most often used in folk medicine, are the richest in them), chamomile is considered one of the main medicinal plants. It has the following beneficial effects:

• stimulation of natural regenerative processes in tissues,
• antimicrobial and antiviral action,
• noticeable effectiveness in the fight against fungal infection,
• the ability to have a calming effect on the nervous system, skin and mucous membranes,
• antiallergenic property, i.e. the ability to reduce the symptoms of allergic reactions,
• pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, which is stronger than that of many other medicinal plants, which is what makes chamomile so popular,
• the ability to accelerate the healing of various injuries to the skin and mucous membranes,
• softening action, valuable for skin and hair care,
• some analgesic effect,
• the ability to remove harmful, toxic substances from the body (detoxification).

Doctors and cosmetologists simply could not help but notice such beneficial properties of the plant. And although the first to notice chamomile were fans of folk methods of treatment, doctors of traditional medicine (therapists, pediatricians, dentists, dermatologists, otolaryngologists) also often note in their prescriptions rinsing with chamomile for various pathologies. And cosmetologists recommend rinsing hair with a decoction of flowers after washing your hair.

Indications for the procedure

Gargling is one of the effective procedures, especially popular in the treatment of sore throat. The purpose of this procedure is to cleanse the mucous membrane of pathogenic microorganisms in order to prevent their penetration into the respiratory tract and digestive system, and to relieve unpleasant symptoms of inflammation. Various medicinal compositions and folk remedies are used for the procedure, the most gentle of which is considered to be a decoction or infusion of chamomile. It is not for nothing that doctors prescribe gargling with chamomile even to small children.

In what cases can gargling with chamomile-based compositions be prescribed? A therapist or ENT doctor can prescribe such a procedure if the patient complains of a sore throat and pain caused by the proliferation of an infection or inflammation caused by an allergic reaction.

Gargling with chamomile will be an effective procedure for sore throat, which can be observed with tonsillitis (angina), laryngitis, viral infections, allergies, exposure to caustic substances (acids and alkalis) in food and drinks. In case of inflammation due to allergies or irritating effects on the mucous membrane of the throat, the soothing and anti-inflammatory effect of chamomile flowers will come in handy. And in case of infectious pathologies, the plant will help fight bacteria, viruses and fungi in the throat.

At the same time, the procedure will have many beneficial effects: cleansing, moisturizing, soothing, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound healing (when the mucous membrane of the throat becomes inflamed, microdamages may appear on it, which subsequently develop into ulcers).

Assessing the rich composition and many healing properties of the plant, many may wonder whether it is possible to drink chamomile for a sore throat, because doctors usually insist on complex treatment, which implies both local and systemic effects. The answer to the question will be positive. And although with unpleasant sensations in the throat, drinking chamomile tea will not have such a pronounced therapeutic effect as gargling, it will have antioxidant and soothing effects that help to increase immunity and activate the body's internal forces to fight the disease.

How can a sedative effect be useful for sore throat or flu? Illness is stress for the body, and it is considered an enemy of immunity, so the property of chamomile to inhibit the activity of the nervous system will be just right. The antiviral effect of the plant is mostly due to sedation, because only stable functioning of the immune system can defeat viruses.

For fevers common with sore throats and flu, warm chamomile tea will have a diaphoretic effect, which will help to naturally cool the body and reduce the temperature.

If the respiratory pathology is accompanied by a runny nose and nasal congestion, you can relieve swelling of the nasal mucosa and remove pathogenic bacteria from them by rinsing (flushing) the nose with aqueous chamomile solutions.

The beneficial properties of chamomile are also welcomed in dentistry. Rinsing with chamomile is a procedure that can be prescribed by a dentist for toothache, as well as for the prevention of infection and inflammation of gum tissue after tooth extraction. For rinsing for toothache, a strong chamomile decoction with a pronounced anti-inflammatory and some analgesic effect is recommended. In this case, it is recommended to rinse the sore tooth, and not the entire mouth (as an option, you can use compresses from a ready-made warm decoction).

Dentists especially often prescribe chamomile for rinsing gums with gingivitis and periodontitis, as well as with inflammation of the oral mucosa with the formation of multiple painful ulcers on it (stomatitis). It is not for nothing that many therapeutic and prophylactic pastes for diseases of the gums and oral mucosa are made on the basis of medicinal herbs. Rinsing the mouth with a decoction or infusion of chamomile helps to relieve inflammation of the gums and reduce their soreness, and with stomatitis, it additionally helps to cleanse the mucosa and wounds on it from infection, which plays a large role in the development of the disease.

It is clear that rinsing a sore tooth or gums to relieve inflammation and the pain it causes does not solve all problems. After all, the infection that caused the unpleasant symptoms may be hidden deep inside the tissues, where a strong chamomile decoction will not have access. Nevertheless, as a temporary measure that allows a person to more or less calmly wait for a visit to the dentist, rinsing will be very useful.

Cosmetologists recommend chamomile water compositions for hair and scalp care. Rinsing hair after washing with chamomile decoction or infusion has a lightening, antifungal, strengthening, and softening effect. Chamomile activates blood circulation in the scalp, which improves cellular nutrition and respiration, helps restore hair structure and strengthen it, prevents hair loss due to the negative impact of certain environmental factors, relieves inflammation caused by scalp irritation by unsuitable detergents and care products.

Chamomile is also used for washing (rinsing) the face. This procedure helps to cleanse, moisturize and soothe dry skin, eliminates inflammation (pimples, acne), whitens, normalizes the condition of oily and combination skin, removes swelling in the eye area, has a rejuvenating effect. Chamomile decoction, transformed into ice cubes using a refrigerator and special molds, can be additionally wiped on the face, which will help to improve the tone of the skin and facial muscles, which is commonly called the lifting effect.

Gynecologists recommend water-based chamomile solutions for vaginal douching (rinsing). This effective cleansing procedure, thanks to the substances contained in chamomile, will also have an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect, will help relieve pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen, and if necessary to combat an infectious agent (bacteria and fungi), will enhance the effect of antifungal and antibiotic therapy.

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Preparation

Rinsing, regardless of the location of pain and inflammation, as well as the goals pursued, is considered a simple procedure that does not require special preparation. The only thing you will need to do in advance is to prepare a suitable medicinal composition, and for this you need to know how to properly brew chamomile for rinsing gums, throat, mouth, nose, hair.

Usually, chamomile flowers, which contain the maximum amount of useful substances, are used to prepare medicinal compositions for rinsing. On their basis, a solution, infusion and decoction of chamomile are prepared for rinsing the mouth, nose, skin of the face and head, including douching.

By solution we mean an infusion prepared on the basis of a packaged pharmacy drug. How to gargle with chamomile in bags? First, you need to prepare a medicinal composition, which is very easy to do: pour a bag of herbs with hot water in the amount of 1 glass and insist for at least a quarter of an hour with the lid closed. There is no need to filter the solution, because the material of the filter bag does not allow large particles to pass through. When the composition cools to a warm state, you can start rinsing.

It should be said that, despite all the convenience of use, many people do not really trust the composition of packaged preparations, because through the almost opaque material of the filter bag it is difficult to see what is hidden behind it: flower petals or ordinary hay, i.e. dried stems and leaves of the plant. In this case, it is better to give preference to pharmacy collections, where through the cellophane bag you can assess the quality of the raw materials, or prepare the grass for future use yourself, collecting it in ecologically clean areas.

There are no specific recipes for making an effective decoction or infusion for external use. For example, for rinsing the mouth and throat, a doctor may recommend a weak solution made from 1 tbsp. of dry inflorescences and 1 cup of boiling water (this is the solution that is most suitable for gargling small children). For adult patients without a tendency to allergic reactions, a therapist, ENT doctor or dentist may recommend a stronger infusion, for which they take not one, but 2-3 tbsp. of the herb. This infusion will be more effective for stomatitis, tonsillitis and other diseases caused by exposure to an infectious factor.

The infusion is prepared as follows: dry grass is poured with boiling water, covered with a lid and infused for 15-30 minutes depending on the degree of grinding of the raw material (whole inflorescences need to be infused longer than crushed ones). In order for the infusion to quickly acquire the desired strength, it is recommended to prepare it in a thermos or a container that can be additionally wrapped.

In case of gum inflammation and toothache, it is recommended to prepare a stronger composition. In this case, a decoction prepared from 5-6 tablespoons of chamomile flowers and 1 glass of water is more suitable. The composition should be boiled on low heat or in a water bath for half an hour.

Gargling with chamomile for diseases of the throat, nose, gums and oral mucosa should be done after the prepared composition has been cooled to a warm state and filtered (if raw materials without bags are used). A cold or too hot infusion or decoction will not bring any benefit, since it will further irritate the inflamed mucosa.

Cosmetological and gynecological procedures also require preliminary preparation, which consists of preparing a medicinal composition.

Gynecologists recommend preparing a weak chamomile decoction for douching with an active inflammatory process in the uterus and vagina, for which only 2 tablespoons of dry flowers are taken per 1 liter of water. A stronger decoction should not be made, because regular procedures with an antiseptic can lead to a violation of the vaginal microflora, which will become fertile ground for relapses of the disease and fungal infection (thrush). During the procedure, the decoction should be barely warm or at room temperature.

In cosmetology, it is recommended to prepare a chamomile decoction for washing from 2 tablespoons of plant flowers and 1 glass of water. The composition is first boiled for about 10 minutes, and then infused for another 40-45 minutes. You need to wash and wipe your face with a cool composition, then it will have a tonic effect.

Traditional medicine and cosmetologists offer various recipes for rinsing hair with chamomile. A weak decoction prepared from 1-2 tablespoons of dry raw material and 1 glass of water is suitable for rinsing hair. First, bring the composition to a boil, then remove from heat and leave to infuse for half an hour. Alternatively, you can simply boil the composition for 5 minutes.

You can make an infusion from the same proportions by pouring boiling water over the herb and leaving it to brew for half an hour. Chamomile-based compositions contain a coloring pigment and can change the color of hair. If you do not want to, it is recommended to dilute the prepared decoction or infusion in 1 liter of clean water.

If the reddish color seems attractive to you, use the composition undiluted. You can also adjust the proportions, because the stronger the composition, the richer the hair color will be. On light hair, the shade will be more noticeable, and dark-haired people are recommended to use stronger decoctions.

Infusions and decoctions for rinsing hair should have a temperature that is pleasant for the head (warm or room temperature). They will also need to be filtered before use, because they do not require subsequent rinsing and are used at the final stage of the caring procedure of washing the head.

To lighten your hair, you can add 100 g of lemon juice to the decoction prepared according to the first recipe. In this case, you do not need to wash the mixture off your head.

As a lightening agent, chamomile (75 g) is mixed with vodka (250 ml) and hydrogen peroxide solution (25 ml). First, the dry raw material is infused in alcohol in a dark place for two weeks, and then mixed with peroxide. The finished product is diluted in warm water (2 tbsp. per 1 liter of liquid), which is used to rinse the hair.

Chamomile infusion, prepared at the rate of 1.5-2 tablespoons of dry inflorescences per 1 glass of boiling water, can be used not only for rinsing, but also for washing your hair, adding it to a suitable shampoo. This remedy will help in the fight against such a problem as dandruff, reduce itching on the scalp. After washing, you can additionally rinse your hair with a weak decoction or solution (decoction diluted with water) of chamomile.

As we can see, chamomile itself is a good medicine given to us by nature itself. But it is not the only medicinal plant that can be used for rinsing. Often, a combination of different herbs has a stronger healing effect, so do not be afraid to diversify the procedure by including new components in the rinsing compositions.

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Technique Chamomile for mouthwash for sore throat and inflammation

After the medicinal composition is prepared, brought to the required temperature and filtered, you can proceed directly to the rinsing procedure. But it should be taken into account that despite the similarity of the names of the procedure, its implementation may differ depending on which part of the body the manipulations are carried out on.

Gargling with chamomile for tonsillitis, flu, laryngitis and other colds, when the infection is localized in remote areas of the oral cavity, is carried out taking into account the requirement for deep penetration of the medicinal solution. In this case, it is not enough to take the liquid into the mouth and make oscillatory movements using the muscles. You need to throw your head back so that the solution reaches the back wall of the pharynx and cause oscillatory movements of the liquid by reproducing vowel sounds (a, o, y).

The movements of the glottis will be transmitted to the liquid, which, hitting the walls of the throat, will cleanse it of bacterial plaque even more effectively. During rinsing, you should try to push the tongue forward, securing it on the lower teeth.

For gargling, use small portions of liquid, making sure that they do not get into the esophagus. After all, this is a procedure aimed at washing out the infection from the body, and not facilitating its penetration inside. Having filled the mouth with water and thrown back the head, you need to try to gargle for a minute, after which the liquid is spat out and a new portion is collected.

The amount of liquid for a quality gargle should be at least 200-250 ml (1 glass). During the procedure, you need to make sure that the medicinal composition has a comfortable temperature, i.e. is warm. If necessary, it is heated.

A syringe is used to gargle the throat of infants and slightly older children. During the procedure, the child should be held in an upright position, with his head slightly tilted down so that the water can flow freely out of the mouth (as an option, you can lay the child on his side). The medicinal composition should be injected into the throat with a syringe very carefully. The stream should not be strong. It is even easier to lubricate the baby's throat with a medicinal solution, soaking a bandage wound around a finger in it or using cotton swabs.

Older children should be taught to rinse their mouths correctly first, regularly spitting out the liquid, and then move on to gargling. The child should be taught that making sounds while gargling is not only for fun, but also to prevent liquid from getting into the respiratory tract (this is prevented by the exhaled air flow), so there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

The recommended frequency of gargling with chamomile for sore throats is 5-6 times a day. In the acute period, gargle every 1-2 hours. If you use combined formulations, the number of gargles can be reduced to 3-4 times a day.

Moreover, after the procedure, it is not recommended to eat or even drink water for at least 20-30 minutes, so that rinsing has not only a cleansing but also a healing effect, because particles of the herbal medicine will settle on the mucous membrane and act even when the rinsing procedure is finished.

Rinsing the nose with chamomile is done differently. To do this, you do not need to take the liquid into your mouth, it is delivered directly to the nasal passages. It is most convenient to do this with a pipette (especially if the procedure is carried out on a small child and no more than 3 drops of solution need to be instilled into each nostril), a syringe or a syringe without a needle.

But you can take the medicinal composition in one hand and, covering, for example, the left nostril with the other hand, draw in the liquid with the right nostril. You need to release the composition for rinsing the nose back using the second nostril, for which you turn your head so that it is lower than the one into which the solution was supplied. We do the procedure alternately for both nasal passages.

If you use a pipette or syringe, you need to inject the solution into one nostril, and briefly hold the other one with your hand and release. Injection of the medicinal composition should be done very carefully with a weak stream, especially if the procedure is carried out on a child.

For infants, the solution is instilled into the nose with a pipette, 1-3 drops at a time, turning the child's head to the side so that the liquid does not get into the respiratory tract, and then sucking out the liquid with a syringe. After all, babies do not yet know how to blow their nose and will not be able to remove the medicinal composition from the nose themselves. Older children need to be taught to blow their nose, and then rinse their nose. It is better to do this in a playful way, so that the procedure does not seem like a punishment to the child and does not cause fear.

It would be a good idea to consult a doctor about how often you need to rinse your nose for various illnesses.

Rinsing your mouth with chamomile for toothache, gum inflammation and stomatitis does not require deep penetration of the liquid into the oral cavity. With stomatitis, ulcers are usually located in the area of the inner surface of the lips and cheeks, less often on the tongue, and with damage to the teeth and gums, the sore spot is strictly limited. It is important that the medicinal composition is in the affected area during the procedure. And it does not matter whether you will make oscillatory movements with your cheeks, moving the liquid in your mouth, or just hold it inside the oral cavity, periodically replacing the used composition with a fresh one.

The number of procedures in this case does not matter. Special care should be taken when rinsing your mouth after tooth extraction. After all, in this case, a blood clot forms in the gum cavity, stopping bleeding and preventing microbes, which are always present in the oral cavity, from entering the fresh wound. If you rinse your mouth too intensively, you can accidentally wash out this clot, which is very undesirable. It is better to take a certain amount of the medicinal composition into your mouth and hold it over the cavity of the extracted tooth. After a couple of minutes, replace the portion of chamomile decoction with a new one and hold it over the cavity again.

It is even easier to rinse your hair with chamomile. There are no restrictions on the number of procedures in this case, because a decoction or infusion of chamomile in this case is used instead of a conditioner, which softens the hair and makes it more attractive. You need to rinse your hair every time after washing your hair, when the shampoo has already been completely washed off. There is no need to wash off chamomile-based compositions from your head. Remaining on the hair, they will continue their healing effect on the scalp and hair.

Chamomile decoction used for washing also does not need to be washed off the face, because it is actually a natural care product, the effect of which takes time. In other words, chamomile decoction can be considered as a herbal tonic or a means for washing and cleansing the face.

You can simply wash or rinse your face with chamomile after performing cleansing procedures using special products (scrubs, peels, etc.). Nature has given us a unique plant, regular washing with which makes it possible not to remember such unaesthetic defects on the face as pimples and acne, to fight skin irritation due to shaving or using inappropriate cosmetics, to remove peeling and redness caused by the negative impact of weather conditions (frost, wind, active sun rays).

Complex compositions for rinsing with chamomile

In addition to rinsing with chamomile flowers alone, the doctor may recommend procedures whose medicinal composition will also include other herbs or alternate procedures with chamomile and other components. The fact is that different herbs have different compositions and properties inherent to them. It is clear that a collection of them will have a wider range of action by analogy with complex pharmaceutical preparations.

Special herbal infusions for gargling, rinsing the throat, nose or hair, like those used internally for diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, cannot be found in pharmacies. But such an effective infusion can be made independently. In this case, you need to rely not on the number of herbs, but on their properties. It is quite enough to brew 2-3 medicinal herbs with an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and soothing effect.

For throat diseases, doctors most often recommend cleansing procedures with chamomile. But sage is not much less popular, the extract of which is included in many herbal preparations for sore throat. The leaves of this plant have bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, wound-healing, soothing and analgesic properties.

For gargling, sage is used as an independent remedy, brewing 1 tbsp. of plant material in a glass of water and infusing the composition for an hour, or in combination with other components (table or sea salt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, others, etc.).

Quite often, sage is used in combination with other herbs to relieve a sore throat, for example, chamomile and sage are used for gargling. Such procedures have a pronounced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, since the plants complement each other. To prepare a medicinal composition, the herbs are mixed in approximately equal proportions, then take a tablespoon of the resulting mixture and brew it with boiling water, leaving it to infuse for about an hour.

When you have a cold or flu, you can also gargle with a herbal decoction. To prepare it, take 1-2 spoons of the herbal mixture, pour a glass of water, bring to a boil and keep on low heat for a quarter of an hour, then remove from the stove and cool to a warm state.

To protect a sore throat from irritation, you can include coltsfoot in the herbal mixture, which has an enveloping effect due to its high mucus content. In this case, take 1.5-2 tablespoons of the mixture per glass of water. The composition can be used for gargling and internal use.

You can make an alcohol tincture from sage in advance, taking 25 g of dry leaves per glass of vodka and infusing them in a dark place for 2 weeks. The tincture can be added to a chamomile decoction (20-25 drops per glass).

For toothache, gingivitis, periodontitis, stomatitis, you can rinse your mouth with a decoction prepared according to the following recipe: pour 1-2 tablespoons of a mixture consisting of equal parts of chamomile flowers and sage leaves with 1 glass of boiling water, leave in a warm place for half an hour and cool to the desired temperature. For toothache or gum inflammation, you can hold the mixture in your mouth for a while near the affected area.

If we are talking about deep inflammation of the gums (periodontosis), you can add mint to the herbal mixture. Pour 2 tablespoons of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water and leave in a warm place for about 7-8 hours. If necessary, you can use the infusion for rinsing earlier, because a fairly strong composition is obtained after 30-60 minutes.

Sage, like chamomile, is considered a good antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent, so it is actively used in cosmetology. A decoction of chamomile and sage can be used for washing problem skin prone to inflammatory reactions. You can prepare it according to one of the recipes described above.

Herbs are also useful for hair. Thus, sage can help to cope with such problems as hair loss and increased scalp oiliness. It can enhance hair growth, soothe itchy scalp, and remove all kinds of inflammation on it.

The plant contains pigments that dye hair dark. But if it is used in combination with chamomile, the lightening effect of the sunny flower will be compensated by the dark pigment of sage, i.e. we will get a universal remedy that does not change the natural color of the hair.

To rinse your hair, take 2 tablespoons of the herbal mixture, pour a glass of water over them, boil for no more than 5 minutes and leave for half an hour. When the decoction has cooled down a bit, add it to 1 liter of clean water and rinse your washed hair with this mixture. To treat dandruff and inflammation, the mixture can be used undiluted.

Chamomile and sage are antiseptic herbs, the antimicrobial effect of which is not very strong. Therefore, if we are talking about purulent processes in the throat and oral cavity, it is recommended to include stronger herbs in this regard in the herbal composition, for example, calendula. Calendula, which is popularly called marigold, has a more pronounced antibacterial effect and is able to cope with most pathogens that cause respiratory infections.

Chamomile, sage, calendula for gargling can be used separately or as part of a herbal mixture. To carry out the procedure, a calendula infusion is prepared from a single-component composition, taking 1 teaspoon of dry flowers per glass of boiling water, and infusing the composition for 30-40 minutes.

The antibacterial properties of calendula can be reinforced by the anti-inflammatory and soothing effect of chamomile. Doctors recommend gargling with chamomile and calendula for catarrhal and purulent tonsillitis. The herbs should be mixed in equal quantities. To prepare an infusion for gargling, take 1 tbsp. of the herbal mixture per 1 glass of boiling water and leave for about an hour. Cool the strained infusion to a warm state and add boiled water to the original amount of liquid.

An infusion based on a mixture of 3 plants is prepared according to the same principle. For coughs and sore throats, instead of sage, you can take eucalyptus leaves or add a few drops of the plant tincture to the finished infusion of chamomile and calendula. The latter option is only suitable for treating adults.

A mixture of three medicinal herbs (chamomile, calendula, sage) in the absence of allergies is suitable for gargling in children with sore throat and other colds caused by an infectious factor. But in this case, the infusion should be less strong (1 teaspoon of herbal mixture per 1 glass of water).

Calendula alcohol tincture, which can be purchased at any pharmacy, added to a decoction or infusion of chamomile and sage will be an excellent first aid remedy for toothache and gum inflammation. Such a composition will actively fight the microbes that caused the inflammation and pain, and at the same time relieve tissue swelling and other unpleasant symptoms.

Calendula is also considered one of the best remedies for purulent-inflammatory processes on the skin, so it can be used in the form of lotions and washes for acne and acne on the face and body. Regularly using a complex decoction or infusion of herbs, you can make your skin clean and beautiful, preventing the appearance of inflammatory foci.

All the above herbs have a beneficial effect on the scalp, so they are used for rinsing after hygiene procedures (both separately and as part of a collection). It is recommended to dilute the herbal infusion for rinsing the head with water (1 glass of the medicinal composition per 1 liter of water).

It should be said that calendula is also actively used in gynecology for infectious and inflammatory processes in the genital area. For example, for douching, you need to make a decoction of 3 tablespoons of dry plant flowers and 2 glasses of water (boil for no more than 3 minutes). In some cases, doctors recommend alternating douching with chamomile and calendula.

Gargling with chamomile can also be combined with procedures that use other substances that have an antiseptic and softening effect. For example, for sore throat and other diseases of the throat and nose, for inflammation of the gums and toothache, gargling and washing the nasal passages with a saline or soda solution is very popular (as an option, a soda-salt solution is used).

For example, soda, thoroughly diluted with water, is considered an excellent antiseptic and also has a softening effect on the mucous membrane. If you alternately rinse with chamomile and soda, the pain and sore throat will go away much faster. Such treatment will also be effective for throat candidiasis, which is most often diagnosed in children.

Since soda copes well with fungi, dandruff and sebum, it is actively used for washing hair, adding it to shampoos or in the form of an aqueous solution (more suitable for normal and oily hair). If you rinse your hair with chamomile decoction after washing your hair with soda, you can forget about many problems with the scalp and hair.

There are many different recipes based on chamomile, calendula, sage, soda, lemon juice, etc. for gargling and rinsing the skin and hair, because the use of effective and quite safe folk remedies is a worthy alternative to traditional treatment or can be used in combination with it, enhancing the effect of pharmaceutical drugs. And when it comes to treating children and pregnant women, the safety of the composition used plays a decisive role in the choice of drugs and procedures.

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Features of gargling with chamomile during pregnancy

Gargling with chamomile during pregnancy will help the expectant mother to quickly get rid of the infection that has penetrated the oral cavity and throat. At the same time, such procedures significantly reduce the number and dosage of antibacterial drugs that can be prescribed for purulent and severe pathologies.

For rinsing in this case, we prepare a standard infusion (1 tbsp. of plant material per 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 20-25 minutes). This same infusion can be used to rinse the nasal passages in case of a runny nose and nasal congestion.

For sore throat, you can add 1 teaspoon of honey to the ready-made chamomile rinse, which will enhance the antibacterial and wound-healing properties of the infusion. But it is very important to take into account the fact that, unlike chamomile, which is considered a hypoallergenic plant and rarely causes allergic reactions, honey is a strong allergen and can harm the expectant mother and baby. It can be added to any compositions for systemic and local use only if the woman does not have an intolerance to bee products.

And since during pregnancy and hormonal changes in the body, the immune system does not always react adequately, before using any compositions for rinsing, it is recommended to conduct an allergy test by applying the composition to the wrist area for several hours. If there is no redness, itching and swelling of the tissue, you can use the composition for rinsing. The fact is that pregnant women sometimes develop allergies even to those substances to which their body did not react before.

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Contraindications to the procedure

Gargling with chamomile is a therapeutic and preventive procedure, in which the local effect of medicinal compounds on the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose, skin, and hair is observed. We are talking specifically about local effects, which means that there will be even fewer contraindications to such a procedure than in the case of internal use of the herb.

Chamomile is considered one of the safest medicinal plants, so even for internal use of compositions based on it there are not many restrictions. It is not recommended for people with anacid gastritis (insufficient production of hydrochloric acid) and stomach ulcers caused by this disease, mental disorders (due to the risk of excessive sedation), with a tendency to diarrhea, painful menstruation (although the doctor may even recommend anti-inflammatory and soothing chamomile tea on the eve of menstruation). During pregnancy, you should also not get carried away with such a medicine, because it can provoke an increase in the tone of the uterus and provoke a miscarriage or premature birth.

But the most important contraindication, which is common for both internal use and topical application, is individual intolerance to chamomile components. Allergic reactions to this plant, although rare, are not excluded. So in case of allergies and bronchial asthma, the chamomile gargle procedure should be treated with great caution.

When using multi-component compositions for rinsing, it is necessary to take into account the contraindications for each herb included in the collection. But since we are talking about external use of herbs, the main problem remains allergic reactions to different plants, or rather their components.

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Consequences after the procedure

The therapeutic procedure of gargling with chamomile aims to cleanse the affected mucous membrane from infection and accumulated mucus, relieve inflammation symptoms (redness, swelling, pain), and improve the patient's condition. The consequences of a properly performed procedure can only be positive: the number of pathogenic microorganisms in the affected area decreases, it becomes easier for the body to fight them, and the disease passes faster.

The same can be said about rinsing the mouth with chamomile for stomatitis, gum inflammation, toothache. The procedure helps relieve symptoms of inflammation, helps fight bacteria in the mouth, biologically active substances of chamomile increase local immunity and promote rapid healing of wounds after tooth extraction and ulcers on the mucous membrane, reduce bleeding gums.

Chamomile douching is used as part of a comprehensive treatment for vaginosis, candidiasis, cystitis, erosions and inflammation of the uterine mucosa. In this case, the antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects of the plant are useful. However, this procedure has some limitations, which are not related to the composition used, but to the possibility of performing such manipulations. So, douching is not performed during menstruation, during pregnancy, in the postpartum period and during recovery from surgery, in the first days after a miscarriage. This procedure is not recommended during periods of exacerbation of diseases of the female genital tract. It is useful for young women, but after 40 years it is no longer relevant and even dangerous due to insufficient moisture in the vagina and a small amount of lubricant produced (oh, these hormones!).

It is not worth doing this procedure often. A woman's vagina is capable of cleaning itself and hygienic rinses with chamomile will only help wash out beneficial microflora. It is a different matter if the body needs help fighting inflammation.

Washing your face and rinsing your hair may seem like a completely safe procedure at first glance. And it is, if you use a weak solution and not every day. Much depends on your skin type. Regular washing with chamomile for dry skin may have complications after the procedure, such as increased dryness of the skin, tightening and peeling. Chamomile regulates the sebaceous glands, making the skin drier, and this is more relevant for normal, combination and oily skin.

The same applies to rinsing hair with chamomile. If your scalp is oily, such procedures will only be beneficial, even if you do them daily. If your hair is dry, you shouldn't get carried away with chamomile.

What other complications are possible during and after the procedure? If you are distracted and talk while gargling, there is a risk of liquid getting into the respiratory tract, which can lead to coughing. This condition is especially dangerous for small children, which means that the gargling procedure should be carried out very carefully and, if possible, in the presence of a doctor.

An identical situation can be observed when rinsing the nose. In addition, sometimes inhaling liquid leads to its entry into the maxillary sinuses, which is accompanied by very unpleasant sensations in the head and eye area.

And, of course, if you do not take into account the possibility of developing allergic reactions, you can encounter symptoms that occur some time after the procedure, such as the appearance of a rash and itching, swelling of the mucous membrane, sneezing, coughing. These are all manifestations of allergies. Usually, chamomile provokes mild reactions, but with increased sensitivity of the body in some people, the likelihood of developing Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock cannot be ruled out.

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Care after the procedure

Care after the procedure of gargling with chamomile consists of observing the interval between the treatment procedure and eating/drinking. Like any other treatment manipulations, gargling can be somewhat tiring for the patient, so after their implementation it is better not to perform active actions and avoid heavy physical exertion. Walks in the fresh air should also be rescheduled for another time or at least wait half an hour or an hour.

The same can be recommended to those who washed their nose with chamomile. But rinsing the mouth for stomatitis, gum inflammation and toothache does not imply any special restrictions afterwards, except for eating and drinking. After washing and rinsing the hair, no care is required for the next half hour, and then the person decides for himself what care procedures his skin and head may still need.

Reviews

The fact that rinsing with chamomile is a procedure that is often recommended by cosmetologists, pediatricians, dentists and other doctors indicates that this treatment and preventive procedure is truly effective and helps solve various health problems. The venerable age of many folk recipes that our great-grandmothers used also speaks in favor of this. And it is not for nothing that they have survived to this day.

Gargling a sore throat with chamomile is a procedure that is equally suitable for both adults and children. If it is done correctly and regularly, the sore throat goes away within the first two days, and the disease is much easier, which is confirmed by many reviews.

There are especially many positive reviews from parents of small children. The body of a small child is very delicate and vulnerable. At the same time, it can suffer not only from the disease itself, but also from the drugs used for medicinal purposes. It is not for nothing that pediatricians prefer herbal preparations and themselves recommend gargling the child's throat with chamomile, as one of the safest and most hypoallergenic herbs.

Relieving the child's condition without negative consequences from various organs is the most important thing in treating a child. And chamomile can provide this. The taste of decoctions and infusions does not cause aversion in children, and essential oils have a calming effect on the child's nervous system, which becomes less restless.

The use of chamomile for toothache is not very popular, because the plant is not able to provide such a quick effect as analgesics. But if the pain is not acute, such treatment will be safer than taking chemical drugs.

Chamomile treatments for gum inflammation also have good reviews. Usually, the swelling subsides within 24 hours, and the pain goes away with it. Dentists themselves recommend rinsing the mouth after tooth extraction, because it helps prevent such a dangerous complication as wound infection and relieve tissue swelling. After all, the teeth are not so far from the brain, which means you need to be especially careful with inflammation in this area.

Regularly rinsing your mouth with chamomile for stomatitis can help to speed up the healing of painful ulcers that form on the mucous membrane and have a negative impact on the patient's well-being and appetite. In addition, chamomile does not allow the infection that caused the disease to multiply and prevents it from penetrating deep into the body.

Chamomile is also popular for facial and hair care. It is not for nothing that the extract of this plant is included in the composition of many creams, balms and other care cosmetics that have an anti-inflammatory and soothing effect on the skin. At the same time, chamomile very quickly relieves various skin irritations, and in combination with calendula is a recognized leader in the fight against acne and pimples.

Chamomile, along with burdock and nettle, is considered the best remedy for strengthening and growing hair. It helps fight dandruff, skin itching, removes inflammation in the hair growth zone and near it, makes hair softer and shinier. Such a budget, but very effective remedy as a decoction/infusion of chamomile is used on their head by many women and they are very pleased with the result of the procedure.

Our grandmothers did not have professional cosmetics, but herbs helped them look young for many years of life. These same herbs helped our ancestors fight diseases, maintain their health and ability to work. Gargling with chamomile at one time raised many people to their feet, when scientists were just developing effective medicines. At the same time, recipes for decoctions and infusions, previously used by folk medicine, have survived to this day, which speaks to the relevance of such treatment, regardless of whether there are other ways to solve health problems and maintain beauty.