Chest Congestion

Chest Congestion is the excess accumulation of fluid and mucus in the lungs (i.e.) causing an obstruction to the flow of oxygen into the lungs. A person suffering from chest congestion may also experience common cold and other respiratory infections, because of the phlegm accumulated in the lungs. It is often painful in nature as the body attempts to get rid of the accumulated phlegm.

Symptoms of Chest Congestion

Cold
Cough
Wheezing
Chest Pain
Runny nose
Dizziness
Difficulty in breathing
Blood in cough
Fever, chills and body aches are some of the symptoms if the chest congestion is due to flu
Causes of Chest Congestion

Some of the causes are chest congestion are:

Cold: Common cold causes mucus in the lungs there by causing congestion in the lungs
Bronchitis: Inflammation in the bronchial tube which produces large amount of mucus in the lungs
Sinusitis: Mucus that develops from the sinusitis cause nasal and chest congestion
Croup: It generally affects the children which causes loud cough and extreme difficulty in breathing
Tuberculosis: It causes heavy cough, chest congestion and difficulty in breathing if the infection is due to mycobacterium tuberculosis
Pneumonia: It is caused by bacterial or viral infections which lead to nasal and chest congestion
PCP: Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia is a fungal infection, occurs commonly in people with AIDS causes chest congestion and heart failure
Home Remedies for Chest Congestion

There are quite a few home remedies to get relief from chest congestion. Some of them are:

Hot water helps to thin out the mucus and makes the phlegm to come out easily through the nose or through cough. So drinking hot water whenever possible helps to get relief from the discomfort
Boil water in a large container, add a small amount of Vicks VapoRub (or a similar cold relief balm) to it, cover the head with a shawl and inhale the steam. This helps to thin out the hardened phlegm and get relief from the congestion
Use of a cool mist humidifier also helps to thin out the mucus and keeps the air from drying out
Herbal tea, including ginger tea and chamomile tea, helps get relief from chest congestion.
The aroma of turmeric, black pepper and eucalyptus helps to get rid of the discomfort. Burn a small piece of turmeric or black pepper on a candle flame and inhale the fumes
Drink warm milk mixed with turmeric twice a day to help fight chest congestion
Gargling with warm water and a pinch of salt twice a day also helps to loosen the phlegm
The above are some of the effective home remedies for chest congestion, especially if the congestion is due to minor infections. Chest congestion cannot be cured on a long run basis if it is due to any heart disease or lung cancer. If the symptoms persist after the use of the above said remedies for about 2-3 weeks, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

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