Have you ever wondered why many people complain about chest congestion from time to time? I know this has happened severally to your children or the closest person. What can be the major problem? You can ask!
Chest infection causes chest tightness. As a result, experience difficulty in breathing due to swelling of airways that causes the accumulation of mucus in the lungs.
Chest infection mostly affects the lungs in either smaller air sacs, pneumonia, or larger airways, known as bronchitis. People of any age can experience this problem. However, smokers, children, and the elderly are the most affected.
Now, I know you are asking if there is any chest infection treatment at home so yes There are different treatments you can consider to treat chest congestion at home comfort. Keep reading to understand more.
Table of Contents
Causes of Chest Infection
Bacteria, viruses, and air particles are the most common causes of chest infection. They affect mostly the upper respiratory system.
Viruses and Bacteria
An inhaled bacteria and virus can cause a chest infection. Viruses and bacteria, on the other hand, work like allergens. They enter a person’s body through the mucus membrane. Besides, they cause inflammation which causes more production of mucus in the airways. The body cannot remove this excess mucus easily; therefore, the thicker mucus will get stuck to the lungs, causing chest congestion.
Airborne Particles
It is possible to get different things in the air entering your body after taking a breath. Dust and allergens are some examples. However, the particles are usually harmless and can be trapped in your airways and nose mucus membrane.
Cilia is the tiny hairlike structure that transports all the particles trapped and mucus to a person’s throat. The mucus can therefore cause severe chest congestion.
What Are the Main Symptoms of Chest Infection?
After inhaling some harmful particles, you will find that your body is responding and thus experience chest congestion.
1. Cough
It is possible to develop a cough due to excess mucus. Besides, there is a tripping of nerve endings and activation of the cough reflex. However, the coughing up of mucus will assist in removing airway germs. The coughing can begin earlier and continue even after subsiding other symptoms.
2. Mucus
It is beneficial to have more mucus since it will help your body to fight irritations. Nonetheless, it is one of the cold chest signs. Moreover, it will help your body to remove nasty germs from the airways.
As the chest cold develops, you will find the mucus color and texture becoming different. It can become clear, thick, or white mucus.
However, the mucus turns green or yellow when the cough takes longer. Another color is black, which indicates a bigger problem that calls the doctor’s attention.
3. Chest Discomfort
In a real sense, chest congestion happens after mucus is created to prevent pathogens from interfering with cells lining the airways. Besides, the excess mucus can trigger coughs causing chest discomfort.
Home Treatment of Chest Infection
The use of antibiotics will not be very effective when viruses cause chest infections. Instead, the treatment here will be useful to ease symptoms to ensure you are getting better.
As well, when you are suffering from bacterial infection, antibiotics will be the right prescription. You can take the tablets at home if the case is mild. Nonetheless, when bacterial chest infection is severe, you can consider IV antibiotics in healthcare.
What Are the Chest Infection Home Remedies?
There are various remedies you can consider to manage chest infection cases. They include the following.
1. Steam Inhalation
Steam inhalation is one of the best home remedies you can try at home when you have chest congestion. Hot water in the bowl is useful in the process. The steam is better for easing the patient’s cough. However, this method is not good for kids to avoid hurt.
2. Drinking Liquids
Consuming a lot of liquids will assist much in loosening the chest mucus. Besides, this will ensure dehydration is not experienced. It is possible to cough out any loose mucus. Drinking more warm water will help you to increase your fluid intake. Also, soup drinks can be good for mucus loosening.
3. Turmeric
There are many benefits you expect from the consumption of turmeric. It is one of the best products to manage chest congestion and cough. Thus vital to know how to use it.
- You can use dried turmeric root. As it burns, take your time to inhale the smoke. In so doing, all the cough and cold symptoms will vanish.
- As well you can boil turmeric using carom seeds to make turmeric tea. Some honey is also useful for making the tea tasteful and improving symptoms.
- Additionally, you can mix black pepper and turmeric powder in water and boil the solution. You can also add honey and cinnamon though this is optional. After that, you can consume this solution until some improvement is seen.
4. Ginger
Many people consider using ginger to heal various sicknesses like bronchitis, colds, coughs, and other respiratory problems. You consider the use of ginger in the following ways:
- For relief of coughs chewing fresh pieces of ginger is recommended.
- Boiled ginger water will work wonders for you to have cough and chest congestion relief. Also, you can add lemon juice and honey to make it more powerful.
- Tulsi leaves go well with ginger juice; the mixture can be used to relieve chest congestion and coughs.
5. Lemon
Another fruit with many benefits is lemon. The fruit vitamin C helps the body to fight infections. Frequent use of lemon helps people to reduce inflammation and swelling. Thus good to have syrup of lemon juice if you need to fight cough and get rid of chest infections.
6. Thyme
Thyme is another important product that can assist you to manage any respiratory problems like bronchitis and cough. Thyme leaves have flavonoids that can assist you to reduce inflammation. In addition, this product is good when relaxing lungs muscles and opening airways is concerned.
Most people consider the boiling of crushed thyme leaves and use it like tea. After boiling, you can take some time to make it cool and then drink it comfortably.
7. Liquorice
This is the best root that has expectorant properties. It is a good product that deals with a chest infection. The main purpose of liquorice root is to thin any mucus and soothe the airways. You can take it in the form of tea for better results.
8. Jaggery
Jiggery is the best product to relieve chest congestion and cough. If your body has built up mucus, you will expect to feel chest congestion. In that case, you need jaggery to expulse this mucus. The best step to take is to boil water with black pepper and put jaggery and cumin.
Use of Other Home Remedies
You can consider different kinds of home remedies when you have a chest infection. Such methods are important since they will assist you to clear the airways. Some of these remedies include:
- Getting enough rest
- Use of humidifier
- Avoiding smoking the tobacco
- Drinking more liquids to keep mucus loose and replenish the lost fluid
- Inhale the steam from a hot bath
- Keeping your head raised during sleep hours to open the airways
- Inhale the vapor from various essential oils like eucalyptus and rosemary
Also, you must select the right expectorants over any other coughing-suppressing medicines. On the other hand, expectorants will be essential to break the mucus, making it easier to pass out. As a result, the body will get rid of the chest infection quickly.
What Are Various Types of Chest Infections?
There are different types of chest infections you need to know. They include the following:
- Pneumonia
Mostly pneumonia infection occurs in the lungs and airways. The infection causes the air sacs to have inflammation and swell with pus or fluid. Different germs can cause pneumonia. However, common pneumonia is caused by viruses and bacteria.
It is important to follow the right treatment because the particles from sneezes or coughing can affect the nearest person and lead to pneumonia. Also, you can use some preventative like a face mask to avoid the transmission of this kind of disease.
- Bronchitis
This is another common chest infection. The disease occurs due to bronchi infection, the major airways to your lungs. Besides, bacterial infection can lead to acute bronchitis.
- Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection from mycobacterium TB in the airways or lungs. With effective and prompt medication, this disease resolves with no complications.
Verdict
Chest infection is very common in many people, irrespective of age. Taking extra precautions is very necessary to ensure there is no development of chest infection risks. Moreover, you should take more care if you have a history of chronic illness.
Regardless of the different chest infection treatment remedies you can consider at your place, natural herbs like peppermint, lavender, and thyme are very effective when relieving chest congestion. However, when the symptoms don’t improve after using home remedies, you can consult the right and qualified healthcare services.
