It doesn’t seem to matter what time of year it is; chest congestion can strike at any moment. The cause of the congestion is often a cold or flu, and it often results in a wet cough and difficulty breathing. To find some relief, you can opt for a homeopathic decongestant or another over-the-counter option. However, there are other things you can try to relieve your symptoms and regain some comfort. There are at least five ways to soothe your chest congestion and cough.
1. Get Plenty of Rest
When your body is fighting an infection, it needs rest. You might think rest is nearly impossible when you cough every few minutes, but there are ways to reduce your cough, such as cough pills. You can also dry drinking some hot tea or water. Warm liquids can soothe the throat and wash excess mucus to the stomach.
Rest is essential when you are ill. When you sleep, your body focuses on white blood cell production and fighting the invading bacteria and viruses. Give your body the time it needs to get you well and on your feet.
2. Choose Homeopathic Relief
There is a time and a place for prescription medications and antibiotics, but a minor cold or flu is not cause enough. Instead, you may want to use a histamine homeopathic medicine, which is natural and does not usually present many, if any, adverse symptoms.
With the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, it is crucial to limit your use of prescriptions and other medications to only when essential. Obviously, your doctor’s opinion is more credible than a blog post, but dependency on prescriptions is rarely a good thing.
3. Steam Up the Bathroom
If you are dealing with nasal and chest congestion, try steaming up your bathroom and sitting there for five to fifteen minutes. Sometimes the hot steam can help loosen the mucus and allow you to expel it.
You can also stand in a hot shower to get the benefits of the steam and the warm water over your body. If you have the flu, you may suffer from body aches. The hot water can help relieve sore muscles and joints.
4. Use a Humidifier
As with the steamy bathroom, a humidifier can alleviate some congestion by producing a warm mist. Additionally, you can find medicated humidifiers. For instance, vapor rub manufacturers may make humidifiers that allow people to propel the topical medication through the air in vapor form.
Essentially, moisture in the air can help relieve congestion. However, the effectiveness of such treatment options will depend on the level of congestion and the severity of the condition. If you are suffering from severe congestion, speaking to your primary care physician might be helpful.
5. Seek a Medical Opinion
Sometimes chest congestion cannot be eased by over-the-counter or homeopathic methods. Contact your doctor and schedule an appointment when your condition is too severe for OTC or other methods. They can perform tests to determine what is wrong and explain if there is a prescription to soothe the issue.
Are you currently dealing with chest congestion? Head over to your local pharmacy and explain your symptoms to receive an OTC medication suggestion.