In simple terms, chest congestion is the accumulation of mucus in the lungs and bronchi (lower breathing tubes). Usually, chest congestion is accompanied by a wet cough that brings out the mucus. Due to chest congestion, you may often hear the wheezing sound when you breathe in and out. Infections that cause the common cold or flu virus are the most common causes of chest congestion. When you have chest congestion symptoms, the mucus build-up in your lungs can become very thick and dense. Most of the times OTC medicines and syrups contains expectorants that break up the chest congestion by thinning mucus and making it easier to cough up and out. However, these syrups also give temporary relief and the mucus tends to come again. In order to get rid of them from the root, we have lined up a list of some effective home remedies to treat chest congestion at home.

Home remedies to treat chest congestion at home

In order to help you understand better here are common symptoms of chest congestion

• Cough with clear, green or dark yellow mucus
• Tightness in chest
• Sore painful throat
• Body pain and chills
• Headache
• Fever
• Wheezing or shortness of breath

Read on Home Remedies for Cold, Cough and headache 

Most of these symptoms with care may fade away within few days to a week but if it lasts more than 2 weeks it’s advisable to visit your doctor. (You may choose to visit a doctor at the onset of the mild symptom as well)

Here are the top 10 Home remedies to treat chest congestion at home

• Onion Massage- Onion is known for its medicinal properties. Onion massage on the chest helps relieve the mucus and chest congestion. Take a medium-sized onion and heat it over the gas flame till it turns soft and black. Take it off the gas and put it on a soft muslin cloth, sprinkle carrom seeds over it and make a potli. Crush this onion and apply the potli on the chest, back neck and forehead. The onion juice immensely helps in chest congestion.
• Onion Juice- Not everyone will like the raw bitter taste of onion but it’s considered to be the best solution for chest congestion. Extract onion juice and mix it with lemon juice, honey and water. Heat this mixture and make a warm concoction. Drink this mixture 3-4 times a day.
• Garlic Necklace-Since childhood, we have used garlic necklace with cold and cough symptoms. Garlic is hot by nature and helps in reducing the mucus formation in the chest. All you need to do is take 7 pods of garlic and make a necklace with a regular sewing thread and pin. Wear it across the neck touching the throat and chest overnight. Repeat this for 3 days and you will see the magical difference.
• Jaggery solution– Boil water with black pepper, cumin and jaggery. Consume this solution when warm and it will give you relief from chest congestion.
• Stay hydrated– Hydration is of utmost importance when fighting infection. Keep yourself hydrated with warm soups, warm liquids, spiced teas and other things.
• Steam inhalation– Inhaling the steam will help loosen the secretions in your lungs to make the steam treatment even more effective. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the hot water, it will help soften mucus in obstructed airways and has some antibacterial properties.
• Mustard oil and camphor- Mustard and camphor by nature are hot and helps with chest congestion. Take 2 tablespoons of mustard oil, warm it and dissolve 2-3 pods of camphor in it. Apply this oil gently all over the chest, neck and back. Just let this settle and do not massage heavily. Be sure you are not allergic to camphor or mustard oil.
• Ginger and black pepper concoction- Take 1 teaspoon of ginger and black pepper in a cup of water and boil it. Once boiled a little bit allows it to cool and add some honey and drink it twice a day. This helps in loosening mucus in your lungs thereby helping in chest congestion.
• Turmeric Milk- This is an age-old remedy for cough and cold. Have warm milk with turmeric in it 2-3 times a day.
• Sesame seeds- Sesame seeds have medicinal properties and helps in chest congestion. All you need to do is mix half a teaspoon of sesame seed powder and two tablespoons of water and take it twice daily.
• Gargling- Do salt water gargling 2-3 times a day with warm to little hot water. This also relieves chest congestion and throat pain if any.
• Black Coffee- Black coffee may not bring a major difference to your symptoms but it does help in dissolving the mucus in your chest. Avoid drinking more than 2 cups of black coffee in a day.
• Essential oils- Some essential oils can ease breathing and also helps in loosening mucus in the chest. Peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass, rosemary, tea tree, thyme, and oregano are some of the herbs that help a lot. These oils can be inhaled directly or can also be added to a diffuser or even to steam water for inhalation. (The essential oils should not be consumed directly)
• Elevating the head- Chest congestion often causes disrupted sleep. It’s good to elevate your head using extra pillows. It promotes mucus drainage and reduced coughing as well.

These are some of the tried and tested remedies and does help in chest congestion. Aside from these home remedies for chest congestion, one should also avoid things that cause congestion. Prevention they say is better than cure.

Things to avoid if you suffer from chest congestion often

• Quit or avoid smoking. Avoid passive smoking as well
• Maintain regular hygiene and stay away from people affected by common cold and cough
• Avoid all sorts of irritants and allergens that can increase the infection chances
• Have a good nutritional diet to improve immunity
• Take proper medical treatment if you regularly suffer from these.

You can use more or less the same remedies for children over 1-year-old but it’s advisable to check with a doctor. Also, give some doctor recommended syrups or medicine for instant relief as kids cannot bear with the symptoms for a long time.

Home remedies are often best for mild symptoms and also just to reduce the problem naturally. However, depending on your problem and severity of symptoms it’s advisable to get proper treatment from a medical practitioner.

Chest congestion should not be taken lightly, because your body is not receiving the proper amounts of oxygen. Try these tips to aid in your relief, but if the problem persists; it is recommended that you see a physician. In some cases, at-home remedies might not do the trick. If you aren’t feeling better after a few days, have a fever that isn’t going away, are wheezing, or can’t seem to shake the infection, make an appointment with your doctor.

Disclaimer- All the opinions shared in these articles would be completely mine and are not a substitute for medical advice. Weigh your symptoms and problem before going ahead with a home remedy or medical advice. If you are allergic to anything or any ingredient kind refrain from using it. The author won’t be responsible for anything untoward.

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