If you have been coughing or wheezing lately accompanied by chest pains, fever, irregular heartbeat and loss of breath, then what you are suffering from is chest congestion. It's caused by accumulation of unwanted mucus/cough/phlegm inside the lungs. Cold or flu, asthma, allergy, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, congestive heart failure can be listed as some of its reasons. As you can see, the reasons for congestion can be as minor as common cold and as serious as heart failure, thus, it should be taken seriously and treated immediately.
With the kind of pollution in the environment nowadays, the chest congestion has become a common ailment for you and your children both. Most of the medicines have many side effects so it is better for you to know about the home remedies for chest congestion. To use the remedies, you must identify if there is chest congestion. You can very easily identify it as the symptoms are shortness of breath, running nose, wheezing, coughing, breathing forcefully and making loud noises while breathing. You can use fresh onion juice as one of the home remedies for chest congestion.
You can take one teaspoonful of fresh onion juice every morning to clear the chest congestion. Another important home remedy for chest congestion is to take fresh onion juice along with honey mixed in equal proportion. This mixture should be kept apart for about 5 hours before consumption. If you consume a teaspoonful of this mixture twice daily then it is very effective in removing the phlegm from the chest and also in case of coughs. Phlegm gets accumulated in the bronchial tube which causes chest congestion. You can make another home remedies by mixing 2 teaspoonfuls each of fresh onion juice and fresh lemon juice. Then boil this mixture with water. Mix 2 teaspoons of honey to it after it is cooled. Consumption of this mixture twice daily is an effective home remedy for chest congestion.
Ginger has healing properties which can give you relief from chest congestion. Drinking a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice twice daily is a beneficial home remedy for chest congestion. You can add honey to this juice which will enhance the taste and also become more beneficial. Another cough remedy is drinking the hot ginger tea. You can drink herbal tea to get relieved from the chest congestion caused due to severe cough and cold. Add grated ginger, few garlic pods and a teaspoon of fresh lime juice to the brew of the herbal tea to make it an effective home remedy for chest congestion. You can even add honey to this brew. This drink can ease your breathe and relieve you from cough.
Another home remedy for chest congestion which can make you breathe with ease is to take facial and head steam for about 20 minutes. While doing so you can add Vicks Vaporub to it. The steam will make your nose run which you can flush well and you can feel the congestion is disappearing. You can consume a mixture of garlic and onion juice every alternate hour. This mixture along with a bit of honey is an excellent home remedy for chest congestion.
Almond seed paste along with honey and half teaspoonful of butter is a very effective home remedy for chest congestion. Soak the almond seeds in water overnight and peel off the upper skin. You can use the paste 2-3 times daily. You can use black pepper as another home remedy for chest congestion. You can chew 2-3 black pepper seeds or add it to milk and consume.
Some home remedies can work excellently in reducing chest congestion. The primary step is to make use of an expectorant. Expectorant is a substance that helps bring out mucus and other congestion causing materials from the lungs. Though one can choose an over the counter expectorant but natural options are always more effective and safe. Anise, cardamom, elecampane, eucalyptus and pleurisy are some natural herbs which serve as expectorants.
Cayenne pepper can also be useful in reducing congestion. Pepper is said to have antioxidant properties and works well in this case. Again capsicum serves the same purpose. In fact, during congestion eating anything spicy like jalapeno, chilies etc. shows a positive effective on the body as it kills bacteria. Parsley is another herb which can be taken in order to lower chest congestion.
When suffering from congestion, one must take ample fluids. Water is very useful in flushing out the toxins from the body therefore a lot of water should be taken in this case. When the body is hydrated, the mucus and other congestion causing elements get softened and can be easily coughed out. Drinking hot tea and chicken soup helps break phlegm and also soothes the throat.
During congestion, a mix of fresh lemon juice (2 lemons) and one-fourth cup of honey heated in a saucepan along with a dash of rum can be taken. This mixture helps in relieving congestion. Another home remedy for chest congestion is to lightly saute two sliced onions and 1 tablespoon of curry powder in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until the onions are soft. This mix is very beneficial as onions contain sulphur which breaks mucus and increases circulation. Curry helps loose phlegm in this case.
Ginger and honey are very important natural sources for curing chest congestion. A mix of 1 tablespoon of ginger juice with one tablespoon of honey can be taken in this situation. Turmeric is another natural spice that is beneficial; taken in hot milk it works wonderfully against congestion. Also fruits and vegetables rich in beta carotene and anti-oxidants like spinach, papaya, berries and all yellow coloured fruits and vegetables aid in the correct functioning of the lungs.
Along with these home remedies, one must also take some basic precautions. Too much stress should be avoided, adequate sleep should be taken and one must avoid salty, oily and fatty food. It's very important to relax and practice deep breathing techniques in case of chest congestion. Also taking healthy and nutritional foods helps in quick recovery.
