Chest congestion is a condition that everyone suffers through at least once in their lifetime. There are many causes of chest congestion from the common cold to pneumonia.
Under most circumstances, people turn to over the counter medications or physicians to relieve the symptoms associated with chest congestion.
However, there are home remedies that can assist you in curbing these symptoms. Here are a few ways to use what you have in the home to get rid of your chest congestion.
Salt Water Gargle
Most likely this is something that your mother made you do as a child if you had a sore throat, but it can also be used to break up the mucus in your respiratory tract. By adding one to two tablespoons of salt to lukewarm water and adding a pinch of turmeric, you can concoct the perfect saline solution to clear your airways.
After you have blended your chest congestion home remedy, take a swig and gargle it around in your throat for about one to two minutes. Repeat this process four to five times daily to obtain soothing relief and clarity in your throat.
Apple Cider Vinegar
This wonderful liquid seems to be catch all for most things that involve home remedies. Apple Cider Vinegar is a natural anti-bacterial, which is what causes mucus in your chest and throat.
By taking a shot of apple cider vinegar every eight hours, you can reduce the amount of mucus in your lungs and throat and breathe easier. However, don’t drink too much because it will cause your stomach to become upset.
Steam
Steam is a great way to gain relief from chest congestion. This water vapor breaks hardened mucus loose which helps you to cough it up and get rid of it. There are many ways that you can use steam to reduce your chest congestion. There are humidifiers and nebulizers that create steam for you to breathe.
Or you can boil a pot of water over the stove and bend over it to inhale the steam. Another great way is to use the mist function on your shower head and turn up the hot water. Furthermore, you could use a wet sauna.
Hot Tea
There are a variety of hot teas that can help reduce chest inflammation and break up the mucus in your chest and throat. A great tea to use is one made from fresh lemon rind or a lemon wedge.
Heat your water and add a lemon wedge or grated lemon rind, sometimes referred to as lemon zest, into the water. Let the lemon seep into the water and drink. You can also add honey to this tea.
Other teas such as chamomile tea, ginger tea, and bay leaf tea are all great remedies for chest congestion.
Black Coffee
Pour yourself a hot cup of joe to relieve your chest congestion. The caffeine in black coffee actually has some of the same properties as asthma medication and can help clear your airways and reduce mucus in your respiratory tract.
Cool Yourself Off
While you don’t want to put yourself in a room that is freezing, cooling the temperature of the room that you are in can actually help you breathe easier. When the room is warm it can feel overly stale which can hinder your breathing abilities.
While it won’t clear out your chest, it will help you breathe until the other remedies on this list can get rid of your mucus.
Honey
A tried and true anti-bacterial and anti-viral that can eliminate mucus from the respiratory tract. You can take a tablespoon of honey directly, just like taking cough syrup but sweeter, or you can add a tablespoon of honey to water and drink it that way.
A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics found that buckwheat honey actually helps children with coughs and congestion better than over the counter medications.
Chicken Soup
We have all heard that the best remedy for a cold is chicken soup. Well, now there is proof of this. A study from the American College of Chest Physicians found that chicken soup has a myriad of substances in it that have an anti-inflammatory effect which is helpful in easing the symptoms of upper respiratory infections.
In fact, chicken soup has been used since the 12th century to help cure upper respiratory symptoms. So, when you have chest congestion, you should really eat some chicken soup. Doctor’s orders.
Before you head to the medicine cabinet for some mucus relieving pills, or contact your physician, you should try some of these simple and helpful home remedies to alleviate your chest congestion. Most of the ingredients can be found right in your kitchen.
