14 natural home remedies for chest congestion and cough

home remedies for chest congestion

Chest congestion is a very common infection in the respiratory system. In fact, it involves in inflammation of the lower tract of the human respiratory system, which ultimately results in difficulty in breathing. If you are suffering from this chest congestion, then you might want to know some home remedies for chest congestion and cough so you can stop the symptoms of this stubborn, uncomfortable condition without the use of drugs or medications. Learn more basic information about chest congestion, like causes, symptoms, prevention, and home treatments from VKool.com through the article below!

I. Natural Home Remedies For Chest Congestion – Main Causes 

Chest congestion is an accumulation of the mucus and fluids within the lungs, which could result in symptoms of discomfort, pain, tenderness, coughing, and difficulty in breathing. This could be a signal of serious lung or heart illnesses or disorders that requires urgent medical treatments. In fact, chest congestion could produce both a productive cough and a dry cough.

When it comes to chest congestion, the main cause behind this problem is the deposition of bacteria and viruses on mucus membranes. In other words, some other causes of chest congestion are:

1. Bronchitis 

home remedies for chest congestion

Bronchitis is a viral inflammation or a bacterial caused by a bacterial or viral infection of the bronchial tubes and primary airways in the human lungs. Experts advise that acute bronchitis could develop from other respiratory infections, like a common cold, whilst chronic bronchitis is a more serious condition resulted by consistent lung irritation – often because of cigarette smoking. Any kind of bronchitis might cause the production of great amounts of mucus that can fill some areas of the human lungs, hindering usual respiration and leading to chest congestion.

Check out: tips to keep respiratory system healthy

2. Pneumonia 

home remedies for chest congestion

A viral, bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection could result in a pneumonia infection in the lungs. This ailment could also be resulted from autoimmune reactions. Pneumonia causes symptoms like fever, fatigue, nasal congestion, chest congestion and difficulty in breathing. It is reported that a pneumonia infection could vary from mild to life-threatening and could be complicated by many other health issues, like a weak immune system.

3. Tuberculosis

home remedies for chest congestion

This is an infection of lungs resulted by the bacteria named Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is advised that this bacterial infection could invade the human kidneys as well as lungs, spine and brain. Within the lungs, tuberculosis could lead to severe pain, coughing, difficulty in breathing, and chest congestion. If it is untreated, it could be fatal.

4. Congestive Heart Failure 

home remedies for chest congestion

According to a study, congestive heart failure happens when the heart could not pump blood efficiently through the body. In reality, the basic symptom of this kind of heart failure might be lung congestion, which happens when the fluid accumulates within the lungs.

II. Natural Home Remedies For Chest Congestion – Symptoms Of Chest Congestion 

home remedies for chest congestion

The signs of chest congestion might be not difficult to identify. The sufferer might feel very tired because of the short supply of oxygen as well as labored breathing. Chest pain and tightened chest accompanied with coughing are the most common symptoms of chest congestion. In detail, coughing is the most popular and also natural response of throat and lungs to cleanse off the thick mucus deposited within the chest area. This phlegm or mucus is manufactured to trap pollutants and pathogens. Actually, the signs of chest congestion could be noted down below:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Coughing
  • Labored breathing
  • Dizziness
  • Chest pain
  • Wheezing
  • Blood in cough
  • Runny nose
  • Loud noises whilst breathing

In some cases, chest congestion itself is a sign of other diseases or medical conditions. In that case, it often comes with some other symptoms. If the chest congestion is because of flu, it might accompany by other signs like chills, fever, body ache, and malaise. Thus, a sufferer has to always be careful whilst judging the signs of chest congestion. For instance, if breathing becomes more difficult for you and blood tinged mucous get noticed whilst coughing, it can indicate a more serious problem such as pneumonia. Then, in those conditions, sufferers should see medical practitioner as soon as they could rather than taking chest congestion as a mere sign of common cold.

Recommend reading: tips for infant thrush

III. Natural Home Remedies For Chest Congestion – Prevention Of Chest Congestion 

home remedies for chest congestion

There are several individuals suffering from chest congestion much more usually than others. Actually, it is a symptom of the immunity which is weak. Whenever the body of these people finds any new elements such as fungi, bacteria, virus, pollutants, and so on invading the human body, the mechanism of self defense will be automatically activated causing in inflammation of respiratory tract and building of mucus in order to trap such new bodies that are really detriment to the human health.

Those people should take some preventive measures so that they will not suffer from chest congestion so often. Also, they had better work for improving the immune system. Below are some preventing tips you can make use of:

1. Yoga And Pranayama 

home remedies for chest congestion

When it comes to yoga, this is one of the best solutions for both your body and your mind. In reality, there are a lot of yoga asanas which can help in improving immunity. Nevertheless, people had better learn these yoga poses from a learned yoga practitioner so they can get the best benefits possible. Pranayama is one of breathing exercises in Yoga, could help in expanding the lung capacity and enhance breathing mechanism.

2. Balanced Diet 

home remedies for chest congestion

We all know that a balanced diet is crucial for a better overall health, and this is totally true for prevention of any disease, especially chest congestion. Such diet high in vitamin C and E could boost the oxidants as well as beta carotene aid in the precise functioning of human lungs. Papaya, spinach, berries are great sources of anti oxidants and beta carotene, and should be contained in diet on a daily basis. The foods which are rich in enzymes are pineapple and kiwi could break down phlegm. Another good food for the immune system is garlic which can help ward off infections naturally.

In addition to taking the measures mentioned above for improving immunity, a person has to get enough sleep and should stay away from polluted environment. The polluted environment could trigger respiratory infection and leads to a relapse of chest congestion.

IV. 14 Home Remedies For Chest Congestion – Natural Ways To Cure Chest Congestion 

home remedies for chest congestion

When it comes to treating chest congestion, not everyone knows that some ingredients, presenting in their kitchen, could work so efficiently for health issues, such as chest congestion. The following tips are top home remedies for chest congestion you should consider.

1. Salt Water Gargle

home remedies for chest congestion

This is one of the mostly used natural home remedies for chest congestion. You can gargle with saline water to remove mucus from the respiratory tube. Initially, you boil a glass of water and then add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the salt into it. After that, stir it well before adding one pinch of turmeric powder to it. Next, take a swig of warm water and start gargling for 1 or 2 minutes. Do this process for 4 to 5 times per day to get good results.

2. Honey And Onion 

home remedies for chest congestion

Because onion has anti-inflammatory properties, so it could be used as an effective solution for treating chest congestion if used with honey. You can place one slice of onion in one bowl and start covering it with honey. Leave it overnight. In the next morning, you remove the onion from that bowl, and consume the onion soaked honey for about 4 times per day. Besides, you can take one teaspoon of honey at a time. Have baked, raw or cooked onions are great options for helping mucus flow easily.

3. Bay Leaves 

home remedies for chest congestion

Bay leaf is an useful herb which is considered as natural treatment for some health issues, containing chest congestion. In order to treat chest congestion, people could have a cup of tea made from bay leaves. Take several fresh bay leaves and start putting them into one cup of boiling water. Steep it for some time before drinking it warm.

4. Lemons 

home remedies for chest congestion

In order to be free from mucus-forming bacteria in the respiratory system, lemons should be in your list of home remedies for chest congestion. Add some grated lemon rind or a lemon wedge into one cup of hot water. Wait for 5 minutes to let it steep. Then, drink that water after straining it. Also, you could use this solution for gargling.

5. Ginger 

home remedies for chest congestion

This is soothing for your throat and could be used as a natural cure for chest congestion. You could add a small amount of ginger into hot water. Then, add a little bit of black pepper into that water before straining it in one glass. Stir it well and add 1 tablespoon of honey to it. You had better drink it 2-3times per day for getting good effects for congestion and cough from chest.

Alternatively, you could add 1 teaspoon of ginger into one glass of hot water. Then, put a pinch of ground cloves plus with cinnamon into it. Let them steep for some time before drinking.

6. Thyme 

home remedies for chest congestion

Another tip for relieving chest congestion is to use thyme. This natural plant could make the human lungs strong to fight off the mucus-forming bacteria. This acts as a protecting shield against bacteria. You can prepare a cup of thyme tea by adding ¼ of half teaspoon of thyme into one cup of hot water. Let it soak for about 5 minutes and add a little honey to make it sweet. Then, drink the tea.

Also, you could use diluted thyme oil to treat chest congestion. Just simply mix olive oil (corn oil is also okay) with the thyme oil with the ratio of 1:1. Then, rub the mixture gently onto your chest to get rid of discomfort.

7. Hot Tea With Honey And Lemon 

home remedies for chest congestion

In this list of home remedies for chest congestion, you should not overlook this one because it is considered as the easiest and most effective ways to cure congestion. Make a hot tea with the combination of lemon and honey. To relieve sore throat, you prepare a cup of tea and add a small amount of lemon juice and honey into it. Then, drink it for getting the calming effect in your chest and throat.

8. Boiled Vinegar 

home remedies for chest congestion

There are many benefits of vinegar that you can make use of, and one of them is chest congestion relief. Just boil a small amount of vinegar and start using it for inhaling its vapor.

9. Black Coffee 

home remedies for chest congestion

This is an effective way to relieve chest congestion. Once, you suffer from cough and shortness of breath, then consuming 3 cups of black coffee will help you relieve the symptoms quickly thanks to the caffeine presenting in coffee that acts as a natural medication against shortness of breath and removes mucus.

10. Apple Cider Vinegar 

home remedies for chest congestion

Similar to vinegar, apple cider vinegar could be suit to fight against chest congestion. This could help in killing bacteria that causes mucus in the throat and chest as well. Also, it helps breathing become better than ever before. Though its taste is not great, but it is really effective. You could swig down one shot of ACV. In order to get the best results, you should follow the method above after every 8 hours.

However, you should avoid over drinking unless your stomach might get upset.

11. Steam Inhaling 

home remedies for chest congestion

Want to loosen mucus within your airways? You should inhale steam so that you could also clear chest congestion. All you need to do is to boil some water in one large bowl. Then, bend over the bowl and cover the head with a clean towel. After that, you inhale the vapors releasing from the hot water. To get the best results possible, you should add several drops of your favorite essential oil, like eucalyptus oil or peppermint oil, in the hot water. By this way, you could loosen the hardened phlegm.

Alternatively, use a nebulizer or humidifier machine for inhaling the steam.

But, you should not forget to close the eyes when breathing in peppermint or eucalyptus oil vapors because it might irritate the eyes in such a bad way.

12. Herbal Tea 

home remedies for chest congestion

Herbal teas are good for chest congestion, so why don’t you make use of this? The tea prepared from a variety of herbs such as ginger, chamomile, and so on is so effective. The anti-inflammatory properties of herbal tea could handle the bacteria causing congestion effectively.

13. Hot Pack 

home remedies for chest congestion

This is a super easy treatment for chest congestion, right? In order to soothe your chest congestion, you can roast several cloves of fenugreek or carom seeds for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then, put them in the thin cloth, pack them well. Put the cloth on the throat and chest for several seconds. It will help you get an immense relief from the problem of congestion in chest.

14. Oregano Oil 

home remedies for chest congestion

Fact is, oregano oil is useful in removing the signals of chest congestion. You just need to apply it onto your throat and chest. Additionally, you could consume oregano oil capsules to get a quick relief.

All necessary, basic things you need to know about chest congestion and home remedies for chest congestion are mentioned above. Hopefully that you find this home health article is helpful for you.

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