Chest congestion treatment

In most cases chest congestion is just a symptom of a condition which is caused by some virus or bacteria. Chest congestion is usually accompanied by coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, tightness in the chest, chest pain and in some cases even coughing of blood. The doctor will prescribe a treatment according to the symptoms the patient is having. Chest congestion is not a major problem in most cases. However, if an infant suffers from it he or she should be taken to the hospital.

Chest congestion causes

There are plenty of things that can be the cause of this inconvenience. Things like cold, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer, tuberculosis and pulmonary edema can be the cause of the problem. However, if a person experiences swelling of the lips or tongue along with some other symptoms, it may be some allergic reaction that caused the chest congestion. Asthma is the thing that chest congestion, wheezing and dry cough usually point to. A person will know if chest congestion is caused by a bacterial infection because there will be lots of yellowish or greenish sputum or phlegm. Chest congestion treatment

A person can not start the treatment before the real cause has been discovered. The reason for this is because of the many things that may cause this inconvenience and there is no one treatment for all of them. When a person goes to the hospital because of the chest congestion, the doctor will probably do a blood test or a test of some other bodily fluids. Biopsy is also probable and so is an X-ray to the chest. When a person suffers from chest congestion because of the cold or a flu which are considered to be a minor ailment, he or she will be prescribed some medications. A combination of Guaifenesin and Phenylephrine is usually used when the symptoms are caused by common cold, allergies, asthma and other breathing illnesses. However, a person should know that these medications are not safe for children who are under 6 years of age. Chest congestion home remedies

These remedies are usually used when the case of chest congestion is a minor one.

Steam inhalation is considered to be an excellent home remedy when a person needs to get rid of the mucus. There are several ways a person can use this remedy.

Another thing that will help with this problem is eucalyptus oil poured onto a towel and then inhaled throughout the day. The towel can even be warmed a bit and then placed on the chest and throat.

A person should also intake a lot of fluids, especially those rich in vitamin C.