Text: Nikita Taub
Soaring your feet with a cold is a must! This is the opinion of our grandmothers, who are sure that a hot steam room for the legs, as well as inhalation over potatoes, is the first remedy for colds. Is it so? And how to properly soar your feet during a cold?
Soaring feet for a cold: is there any benefit?
Soar feet for a cold really useful, but only if you do it right. The point of the procedure is that hot water provides blood flow to the legs and outflow from the upper body, which is more affected by the flu. Thus, when we soar our feet, we greatly facilitate the condition respiratory tract, sinuses, lungs. But only if you soar your feet according to all the rules. The first of which says: it is absolutely impossible to soar your feet with a cold if you have a high fever, if you are pregnant, or suffer from cardiovascular diseases. And also in case you are hypertensive, or if you are going to go outside in the next few hours.
With a cold, you need to soar your legs “wisely”
A typical picture is that at the first sign of a cold, you pour hot water into a basin and dip your ankle-deep feet into it with pleasure. And then the first typical mistake! The procedure will be much more effective if you soar with a cold not only the feet, but also the lower legs. And for this it is better to use a deeper container than a basin.
The second mistake: when you start to soar your feet with a cold, you pour water as hot as you can tolerate. It is not right. It should be done like this: initially, the water in the container should be about 38 degrees, after 3-5 minutes add some hot water, bringing the temperature to 40-42 degrees. And hold your legs for another 5-10 minutes. After completing the procedure, put on warm socks and go to bed. And no going outside for the next 3-4 hours!
Soaring feet for colds is useful with herbs
You can often hear advice that you should soar your feet with a cold with the addition of mustard. However, there is a more delicate alternative - add a decoction of medicinal herbs to the water: sage, chamomile, mint. But in fairness it's worth saying that these additives have almost no effect on whether you soar your feet in an infusion of them, or just sit over your pelvis, without even unlacing your shoes. Only hot water is important for the legs, but for your nose - namely, for your respiratory tract - it is very useful to breathe healing broths. So we can safely say that when you soar your feet with a cold in water with the addition of medicinal herbs, you are essentially doing inhalation as well. And your “steam room” becomes twice as useful.
The human body has a unique ability to regenerate itself: its tissues regenerate after injuries, immunity protects against the penetration of pathogenic bacteria and fights against them. But sometimes the body can be helped by acting on certain nerve endings, thereby speeding up recovery.
Our parents and grandmothers teach us to soar our feet with a cold, and for good reason... This very famous way of influencing the disease has been used for a long time, but it is still quite effective and simple to implement.
The mechanism of the positive effect of the procedure
Upon contact with viruses or bacteria, the nasal mucosa begins to intensively produce a secret. The capillaries expand, their walls lose tone and become loose, blood plasma "seeps" through them.
In addition, some of the cells of the mucous membrane affected by the infection are destroyed and, together with fragments of microflora, form tissue exudate. This is a kind of defense reaction that allows you to get rid of a part of the pathogenic microflora by removing it from the discharge. No wonder in the early stages of rhinitis from the nose "flows like a stream."
But then a bacterial infection joins, the discharge becomes purulent, the dilated capillaries begin to play the role of an "entrance gate". It becomes necessary to strengthen the mucosal epithelium and reduce the amount of secretions in three ways.
The first is to use vasoconstrictor nasal drops. The second is in creating a protective film of coagulated protein on the surface of the mucous membrane, which Protargol does an excellent job. The third way is to reduce excess blood circulation in the mucosa.
It is the latter mechanism that underlies thermal procedures, in particular when placing the feet in hot water. Local exposure to moderately high temperatures plays a distracting role, blood from the upper respiratory tract rushes into the dilated vessels of the feet and legs. As a result, the blood supply of the nasal mucosa and its swelling are sharply reduced, nasal breathing is restored, secretion production decreases, the epithelium is able to regenerate faster.
Indications and contraindications for the procedure
Hot foot baths can be done at any age, but not recommended for young children under 3-4 years old. This is due to the length of the procedure, which is difficult for a child due to restlessness. In addition, a baby may have a temperature sensitivity threshold that is different from adults, and hot water will cause significant discomfort. For the procedure, it is advisable to have a thermometer for water.
The procedure is very effective at all stages of rhinitis. It can be carried out for acute tonsillitis and pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, laryngotracheobronchitis. Dry barking cough with laryngitis, it quickly softens, the hoarseness of the voice disappears, and the risk of developing a "false" croup decreases. The reflex effect of the procedure helps in the treatment of all types of tracheitis and bronchitis, accelerating the excretion of secretions from wet cough and promoting the early healing of the mucous membrane.
But you should know that in some situations it is strictly forbidden to warm your feet. The main temporary contraindication is the presence of fever. Symptoms of intoxication in varying degrees, elevated temperature, malaise accompanies any inflammatory process.
Even a slight increase in body temperature to subfebrile numbers, up to 38 degrees, is a contraindication for thermal procedures. Local exposure to hot water for fever can adversely affect the immune system's fight against infection.
There are also constant contraindications in the presence of certain diseases. You cannot warm your legs in case of cardiovascular pathology. This applies to varicose veins, since warming leads to an additional decrease in the tone of diseased vessels.
In case of hypertension and coronary artery disease, it is better to consult with your doctor about the advisability of warming procedures, since their uncontrolled conduct will increase the load on the heart and can adversely affect health.
During pregnancy, it is not recommended to warm your legs at any time, since an increased temperature can increase the tone of the uterus and even provoke a miscarriage.
Carrying out a warming procedure
The greatest effect of the procedure is achieved if you warm not only the feet, but also the legs. To do this, you need to use a bathtub or a high container so that the water reaches your knees. The most appropriate time for a warming procedure is in the evening before bed, so that you can lie under the covers right after. At other times, it is also possible, but in this case it is not recommended to leave the house for the next few hours.
You cannot start the procedure with hot water - first, the feet are placed in warm water with a temperature of about 38 degrees. After a few minutes, when the skin of the legs gets used to it, the temperature is raised to 42-43 degrees by adding hot water. The total duration of the procedure is 10-15 minutes. 
Then the feet are thoroughly and quickly dried with a towel and warm socks are put on. At the same time, you can carry out caring procedures: remove the keratinized epithelium from the feet, treat nails, lubricate the skin with a nourishing cream.
You can warm your feet with the addition of various herbs or oils to the water. Thus, the warming procedure, which indirectly affects the epithelium of the nasal mucosa, will be combined with therapeutic inhalations. Hot decoctions of mint, sage or chamomile are added to foot baths in the volume of one glass, a few drops of oils of coniferous trees (fir, pine) or eucalyptus will be enough.
All thermal treatments, including hot foot baths, are simple and affordable for every patient. Their significant effect helps to quickly cure a runny nose and many other diseases. But it must be remembered that even for such simple therapeutic measures, there are contraindications.
In China, the feet are called the "Second Heart". Why? You will learn about this by reading the article "How to properly soar your feet"
And further. A Chinese friend of mine always carried a small square basin with her. At first I wondered why she needed him. Finally, I broke down and asked her about it. She replied that she soars her legs every day. Why, I asked? What did she answer? This is also in the article!
If you have been to China, you know that every corner will offer you a foot massage with preliminary steaming.
Intuitively, I have long believed that this method of treatment and prevention is one of the most effective in Chinese medicine.
But somehow I met little material on this topic until I found a Chinese company, which has one of its directions - herbal leg pads. This is the only company I know that distributes such products in Russia!
If you want to learn more about this company, become a client or join my team (I will say right away - this is a network company) write to me by mail.
And today I have collected a lot of information for you about steaming your legs.
Steaming feet has been very popular since ancient times.
In the East, it is believed that the aging of a tree begins from the roots, and the aging of a person begins from the legs, as well as. Therefore, the legs, especially the condition of the feet, are of great importance.
And feet in China are called "second heart". After all, the legs help the body move blood through the vessels, like the heart. If a person moves a little, then blood circulation in the body worsens.
But how is steaming feet related to this?
Let's take a closer look at what effects occur in the body if we hover our legs.
- General health and immunity are strengthened. A huge number of biologically active points and zones are concentrated on the feet. The impact on them of hot water with medicinal preparations allows to activate the organs and channels associated with these zones and points.
- The general energy of the body is enhanced. Due to the expansion of the capillaries and other vessels, the channels are unblocked and the blockages in the movement of qi and blood are cleared.
- Blood pressure is regulated - because the blood begins to circulate much more freely, many spasms disappear due to vasodilation
- Prevention and treatment of colds is carried out - Cold and Wind are expelled from the body.
- Prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus takes place - all endocrine glands are activated
- Cerebral circulation improves - small capillaries are regenerated. And this is the prevention of strokes.
- The condition of the skin on the face and throughout the body is improved by improving the circulation of qi and blood.
That is why my friend, a Chinese woman, about whom I wrote at the beginning of the article, soared every day. She said that everyone in China does it! She appeared to be 25 years old, although in fact she was 45 years old. But her skin looked amazing!
In order to achieve the effects described above, you need to know how to properly steam your legs and what additional tools will help you do it faster.
What unparking do we remember from childhood? Of course with mustard.
How to properly soar your feet with mustard
Mustard has a warming effect, thus helping to recover faster. Adds Yang energy and expels cold Chi.
Steaming the legs with mustard is good for:
- a cold;
- sore throat.
In order to properly make mustard baths, you need to heat the water to 40 degrees, add about three tablespoons of mustard powder there (at the rate of one tablespoon of mustard per 1 liter of water).
Dip your feet into the bath and hold it for ten minutes. Then wipe your feet dry and wear warm socks. You can also add a variety of medicinal herbs to such a bath.
During steaming, the body heats up, the blood vessels expand, as a result of which excess fluid is removed, edema and inflammation are reduced.
How to soar your feet in a herbal bath
Herbal foot steaming is curative, and in addition, it will give your skin and legs a special smoothness and attractiveness.
Herbal baths help with colds, coughs, insomnia, corns, cracks and many other diseases and troubles.
In order for the effect to be more noticeable, it is better to use a mixture of medicinal herbs:
— Infusion of chamomile and lemon balm will help relieve swelling of the legs, get rid of fatigue.
In order to prepare the bath, you need to brew one tablespoon of herbs per liter of water.
Keep your feet in the basin for about ten minutes, then wipe them dry and put on warm socks.
- You can help tired legs with chamomile, linden and honey baths.
To do this, add two tablespoons of linden and chamomile flowers to a liter of boiled water, let it brew for 5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of honey, stir well and steam for 20 minutes.
- To normalize blood circulation will help bath of mint and nettle.
- Through nettle bath, you can get rid of cracks and calluses.
- Helps to reduce sweating of the feet decoction of oak bark, you can also add thyme and pine needle extracts there.
- It will help soften the skin on the legs steaming with the addition of rowan leaves, bitter wormwood and calendula flowers.
It is necessary to add one spoonful of herbs to a glass of boiling water, leave for about ten minutes.
— Calamus steaming baths help relieve leg fatigue.
- Help with colds baths of chamomile and calendula infusion.
Steaming feet with soda
Soda has many beneficial properties. Steaming feet with soda is very effective remedy, which helps to get rid of corns, fight fungus, sweating, soften the skin.
Soda promotes healing of cracks, has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
It takes about 15 minutes to steam your legs in a warm soda solution.
Then clean the heels with a pumice stone, rinse and wipe dry.
Apply an emollient cream or ointment to your feet, and put on socks on top.
It is more convenient to do this procedure at night.
Essential oils of lavender, chamomile, lemon, orange can be added to baths with soda, they will help soften rough skin of the legs, heal cracks.
Any steaming is contraindicated for:
- thrombophlebitis;
- serious cardiovascular diseases;
- hypertension;
- high temperature;
- bleeding tendency;
- pregnancy.
Chinese leg strips
A real pleasure will be given to you by the use of special Chinese collections of herbs - treasures of the imperial dynasty of China for steaming your feet, especially with the subsequent
Let me remind you that there are many reflexogenic zones and biologically active points on the foot. The impact on them has a healing effect on the organs and channels associated with these zones and points.
Until recently, the recipes for Chinese herbal infusions for steaming feet and the practice of gua sha were kept in the strictest confidence.
But now they are available. You will find a description of all the strips in the video.
You can order Chinese herbal stews by emailing me.
Home steaming is very effective, because taking care of your feet, we can affect the entire body.
In addition, steaming your legs is a very pleasant procedure that will bring you a lot of pleasure and help you solve a huge number of different health problems.
Use this wonderful method for prevention and treatment!
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Timely detection of the first signs of a cold and a beginning runny nose is important, since at this time it is easier and faster to cope with the disease. Everyone has their own methods of fighting infection: pharmaceuticals, folk methods, or their combination. TO traditional methods the fight against a runny nose is a lad of feet. In childhood, every child's mother soared his feet with a cold, so everyone knows about the benefits and effects of this procedure.
Exposure to hot water on the feet greatly relieves colds.The benefits of hot foot baths against the common cold
The feet are an important reflexogenic area of \u200b\u200bthe body. A slight hypothermia is enough, running through the puddles and in the morning of the next day nasal congestion and snot will appear. This is due to the reflex connection of the feet and the nasopharynx. Therefore, heating can have the opposite effect. Those who steamed their feet know that when exposed to hot water:
- the walls of blood vessels in the legs expand;
- the outflow of fluid from the upper body to the lower is stimulated;
- blood flow is activated.
Thanks to these processes, the swelling of the inflamed tissues, the nasal mucosa decreases, therefore, the patient breathes easier.
By improving blood supply through the dilated vessels, leukocytes and lymphocytes in the blood move faster, enriching the organs with the necessary microelements in a timely manner. As a result, the effectiveness of treatment increases, and the disease goes away soon. The method is especially effective for rhinitis accompanied by dry cough.
How to soar legs for adults?
To make the effect of hot water on the feet as effective as possible, we steam the legs for adults according to special rules:
- We collect the optimal water level. Both shins must be completely immersed in the liquid. A wide bucket or tub is ideal.
- We need a supply of fresh boiling water. You can put it in a jug or kettle.
- You should have a towel, thick knitted socks with you.
- In the first minutes, feet soar with a water temperature of 38-39 ° C. Add boiling water every 3 minutes. This is a gradual increase in temperature, which is hardly noticeable and not traumatic for the vessels of the legs.
- The total procedure time is 15 minutes.
At the end of the warming up procedure, you need to thoroughly wipe your feet with a towel, put on woolen socks, immediately go to bed and cover yourself with a blanket. The patient needs complete rest. Steam your legs before bed to give your body plenty of time to recover. It also saves you from having to do your homework, which will negate the effect of the procedure.
How is the procedure for young patients?
If a child is sick with a runny nose, he does not have a high temperature, warming is allowed. It is necessary to collect hot water in a shallow basin with a temperature slightly above 37 ° C. Add 50 g of dry mustard mixture to the basin. Gradually, every 3 minutes, you need to add boiling water to a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C. In this case, the baby should take his legs out of the pelvis. The total duration of the procedure is 20 minutes. At the end of the boyfriend, the baby's feet must be thoroughly wiped with a towel, lubricated with turpentine ointment and put on woolen socks.
With a runny nose, three procedures should be performed a day. The course of treatment is selected according to the state of the crumb. After each procedure, the baby should be at rest for about half an hour. In the future, his legs should not be allowed to cool during games. Better to wear slippers or sandals.
Children benefit from foot baths with essential oils and herbal decoctions. In addition to warming up the feet, the baby receives inhalation.
To make it easier for the baby to endure the procedure, during the boyfriend, you can put your favorite cartoon, give him an interesting toy, play sitting games or tell a funny story. Be sure to invite your baby to drink warm tea with lemon, honey or raspberries if he is not allergic.
Steaming feet recipes
To enhance the healing effect, you need to soar your feet with a runny nose in hot water with additives. A solution of potassium permanganate is widely used. Potassium permanganate, together with the removal of inflammation, heals wounds on the feet. A potassium permanganate foot bath is prepared until the pink color appears. Crystals must completely dissolve so that no burns occur. After the procedure, the legs will turn brown, which will disappear on the third day.
Herbal decoctions have long been used for medicinal purposes. Their action is similar to that of essential oils. Herbs used for inhalation in the treatment of rhinitis are suitable, for example, sage, calendula, chamomile, St. John's wort, string, mint. The broth should be prepared from 100 g of dry grass in 400 ml of boiling water. After 40 minutes, the liquid is added to hot water for steaming.
You can use apple cider vinegar, preferably your own production. The recipe is as follows: for every liter of boiling water, 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar are required. Small patients need to do baths with a lower content of the substance. The procedure takes 15 minutes. To soften the effect of vinegar, which slightly dries the skin, you can add refined glycerin. Besides therapeutic effect, the tool cleans well the epithelium from dead cells.
Using mustard mixture
Mustard foot baths warm the feet well, so the procedure allows you to combine steaming and the effect of. The substance improves blood flow to the feet, which reduces swelling of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, relieves the heart. Mustard baths stimulate the immune system and have bactericidal properties.
Enough 25 g of mustard powder for every liter of water. If an adult has sensitive skin or a runny nose in a small patient is treated with a remedy, the dosage should be 2 times less.
The use of essential oils
Additives of essential oils in water for vapors are endowed with a complex effect: they are absorbed into the skin, bloodstream, enrich the body with useful microelements, enter the nasopharynx when inhaling vapors, facilitating breathing by relieving tissue swelling and inflammation. Essential vapors expand the bronchi, improve the release of mucus from the nose and phlegm from the trachea. Fir, eucalyptus and cedar extracts are suitable for the treatment of rhinitis. They can be used alone or as a mixture. Enough 10 drops in a large bowl of water.
Essential oils have a healing and relaxing effect. It is useful to drink herbal tea during the procedure, which will warm the patient with a runny nose from the inside.
When are foot baths contraindicated?
Any medical procedure has contraindications:
- high temperature more than 37.5 ° C, which can provoke fever, increased stress on the heart and blood vessels;
- allergies, which can be aggravated by inhalation of mustard vapors, essential oils;
- skin diseases, mustard powder and oils can aggravate the problem, so baths are not recommended, even with simple redness from a mosquito bite.
Non-absolute contraindications include:
- pregnancy;
- diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- hypertensive crisis.
In these cases, the water should be warm, but not hot. Consult a healthcare professional before using supplements. During these periods, the load on the body is great, a pair of legs can provoke sharp rise pressure, which increases the risk of stroke.
Carefully you need to soar the legs of young patients. Their skin is sensitive and easily damaged. The baby should like the procedure. It is important for pregnant women at any time to be careful, as pressure rises during hot foot baths, which can lead to miscarriage or early childbirth.
One of my grandmother's recipes for how to cure a cold was that it was necessary to steam your feet (learn how to wake up your immunity and resist this cold). As a child, it was believed by virtue of this procedure, but as an adult, I doubted that such a method could really defeat an army of microbes. This is how this article was born about the benefits and dangers of this procedure and how to soar your feet.
When it is good to soar your feet
Traditional medicine often recommends that their patients resort to such a procedure as soaring their feet. Moreover, she advises to do this not only with acute respiratory diseases, as an emergency way to save your body, but also for many other diseases. What for? Why? During this procedure, blood circulation in the extremities increases, the vessels expand, and the blood stagnant in the respiratory organs begins to go down. As a result of these processes, the removal of toxins from the patient's body is accelerated. As a result, the swelling of the mucous membranes subsides, and you feel much better.
It is also useful to soar your legs for the following diseases:
- When coughing - dry cough becomes moist. Find out, .
- With a runny nose, the amount of mucus secreted decreases, breathing becomes easier, and unpleasant sensations are eliminated. The whole truth about.
- In case of fatigue - foot baths with water temperatures up to 40 degrees can relax your tense muscles and relieve you of heaviness in your legs.
- With insomnia, our nerves are often the cause of insomnia. So, if you steam your legs before bed, then your nervous system will not cause your insomnia, and your sleep will be calm and serene.
- For calluses - hot baths soften the rough skin of the legs and facilitate removal.
- In case of hypothermia - hot baths improve blood circulation in the body and increase body temperature, perfectly warm and help to relax.
- When - with the help of foot baths with special medicinal additives, you can destroy all pathogenic microorganisms that cause fungal skin lesions.
Who shouldn't soar feet
However, despite the fact that this procedure is very effective and useful, there are still situations when it is worth looking for another way to improve your well-being. And now we will describe to you all those contraindications that should stop you from soaring your feet, and explain why you should not do this.
Hot foot baths during pregnancy
During pregnancy, it is strictly forbidden to soar your legs at any time during your interesting position. The fact is that hot water not only improves blood circulation in your body, but also dilates the vessels of the uterus, which can lead to its contractions. On early date such a foot bath can result in a miscarriage, but in the late one - premature birth.
Hot foot baths for varicose veins
Hot baths at temperature
When a person has a temperature above 38 degrees, you should not think about any hot baths, even if the patient severe chills and it freezes. As a result of increased blood flow after such a bath, a sharp temperature jump can occur and bring down such high temperature it will not be so easy.
Hot baths for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases
People suffering from high blood pressure (more about), cardiovascular diseases should also not abuse this procedure. Since, from the acceleration of blood flow, the heart rate rises and this leads to an additional load on the entire cardiovascular system.
Hot baths during menstruation
The increased blood flow after a hot foot bath can result in severe blood flow to the uterus, causing profuse bleeding.
How to soar your feet
Well, now you and I know when it is useful to soar your legs, and who should refrain from this procedure. It's time to learn how to do hot foot baths correctly.
To get started, you need a basin or bath - the latter is much more convenient, since it will not be enough to dip your feet into ankle-deep hot water. In hot baths, if you want to get the most out of them for yourself, the water should reach the middle of the legs, and even better to the knees. You collect hot water in a container. When it comes to treatment colds, then its temperature should be 40-42 degrees, for all other cases - 37-40 degrees. In order for the water in the bath not to cool down, you will need a ladle with which you will add hot water (be careful not to burn yourself). If you want, you can also add useful additives to the bath water (we will talk about them later). You will also need a terry towel and a towel that you will put on your feet after the procedure.
By the way, do not go outside within 3-4 hours after hot foot baths, as the effect of hot baths will disappear from a sharp change in temperature.
You pour water into a container, sit next to it, lower your feet into the water, add hot water every 3-5 minutes so that the water does not cool down, keep your feet in the water for at least 15 minutes, then blot them with a towel, put on warm socks and go to bed under a warm blanket (find out). Be sure that one such procedure is enough, but carried out correctly, so that your well-being improves.
How to soar feet for children
Hot foot baths can also be done for children, but not younger than 4-5 years old. For baby baths, additives should be selected with extreme care so that an allergic reaction does not happen, so avoid saturated additives for baths, but give preference saline solutions or herbal decoctions.
Such hot baths for children will be shown with a dry cough, but make sure that the child does not have a fever, shorten the procedure to 5-10 minutes, put a terry towel on the bottom of the container with water - this creates the effect of massage and the child's legs are not slide.
Foot bath additives
We have already written above that the effectiveness of hot foot baths will increase if you use special additives. Now is the time to tell you more about them.