Chest congestion is a common complaint, particularly in the wintertime. It commonly manifests after a person has had a cold or the flu. If the congestion is serious or persistent, or if the person is elderly, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics to cure it. More often than not, however, it is a minor medical problem for which many people do not even seek medical assistance. The congestion can be uncomfortable and can often be relieved by one of a wide variety of chest congestion remedies which typically are easy to obtain.
Generally, chest congestion remedies can be divided into three types: remedies that can be obtained over-the-counter from a pharmacy, those which are recommended by homeopaths or herbal practitioners, and types of home congestion relief. All of the remedies provide relief from chest congestion for some people, although some work better than others. Sufferers might try a variety of remedies until one is found that provides relief.
If a sufferer goes to a pharmacist, he or she may simply be told to rest, drink plenty of water, and allow the chest congestion to go away in its own time. There are a number of over-the-counter chest congestion remedies, however, and some of them may be helpful. Most of them are liquid cough mixtures of various types, although they sometimes come in the form of lozenges or pastilles. Each works by making it easier for the sufferer to cough and bring up phlegm, which can relieve the chest congestion.
Herbs with expectorant properties might help clear chest congestion. These are best taken with hot water as a tea; the heat of the hot tea will have soothing properties, as well. Remedies which are said to be effective include caraway seed tea, anise tea, cardomom steam decongestant, cayenne pepper tea, and spearmint tea. There also is a wide variety of homeopathic remedies for chest congestion. Some of them are drosera, kali bich, pulsatilla, ant tart, and kali carb.
Well-known home remedies for chest congestion include taking a hot shower, drinking hot beverages, or inhaling steam. Heat in any form seems to be a good chest congestion remedy. Other effective chest congestion remedies are chest massage, drinking green tea, rubbing apple cider vinegar on the chest, or placing a heating pad on the area. Some people also claim that reducing dairy products in the diet and eating a large amount of raw fruit and vegetables can be helpful, as well.