How Do Allergies Cause Congestion
Allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis, are the result of your immune system mistaking a harmless substance like pollen at Cheney Park as a dangerous intruder and attacking. During this attack, the immune system releases antibodies called Immunoglobulin E, which tells the cells to release the chemical histamine. Histamine increases mucus production and causes inflammation. This inflammation is why you feel congested.
Is Mucus In Chest The Reason For Congestion
Aug 15, 2022 | Blog
You can feel heaviness and tightness while breathing due to many conditions such as common cold, infections, etc. Chest congestion is a fairly common occurring symptom seasonal allergies along with other respiratory disorders. Read this blog to know the top 7 reasons you feel chest tight because of mucus or otherwise.
Chest Congestion: Causes Symptoms And Treatments
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Chest congestion is a common symptom of influenza, bronchitis, and several other respiratory tract infections that trigger an overproduction of mucus.
When you inhale a microbial pathogen or external irritant, the mucous membranes are stimulated to produce increased amounts of phlegm to trap the foreign invader. The infection-causing agent is then coughed out from the respiratory tract along with the excess mucus.
It is when these slimy fluids accumulate in the lungs that you may experience a feeling of heaviness and tightness in the chest, which is referred to as chest congestion.
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Lung Congestion Causes And Symptoms
There are many causes of lung congestion. Most commonly, lung congestion is a symptom of a lower respiratory infection.
When your trachea and/or lungs become infected with harmful bacteria or viruses, your body produces more mucus to trap and fight off these invaders. As a result, your lungs become filled with excess mucus that you cough up. Productive coughs are the main symptom of lung congestion.
Not all lung congestion is serious. Sometimes, a cold or allergies can cause excess mucus to drain from your nose into your throat, causing a cough. Other times, lung congestion can be indicative of bronchitis or pneumonia. If left untreated, bronchitis can spread from the bronchial tubes into the lungs, progressing into pneumonia.
Early symptoms are similar to influenza symptoms: fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness, according to the American Lung Association. Within a day or two, the symptoms typically get worse, with increasing cough, shortness of breath and muscle pain.
If pneumonia is left untreated, the lungs can fill with fluid and cause serious health risks, including death. It is very important to see a doctor if you think you have bronchitis or pneumonia to prevent the infection from worsening.
The Triggers Are In Your Environment
While many different substances can trigger allergic asthma, they all have one thing in common: Theyre in the environment, not in your food or your medication.
Pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches, mold and pollen can all trigger allergic asthma, says Dr. Purcell.
If pollen or mold trigger the condition, it may occur only seasonally. If your pets or the dust mites on your bedding trigger it, you may suffer year-round, he notes.
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When To See A Doctor
Chest congestion may exhaust you and disrupt your daily routine. The signs and symptoms of chest congestion usually subside in 35 days. If they continue for more than 714 days, seek prompt medical consult.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, immediately contact your doctor:
- Coughing up blood
- Recent exposure to a person with tuberculosis or whooping cough
- Swollen leg and shortness of breath especially when lying flat
- Wheezing while breathing
- Mucus discharge, which may be green or yellow in color
- Heaviness in the chest that causes difficulty sleeping
- What over-the-counter medicines or prescriptions may help alleviate my symptoms?
- Am I contagious?
- What is the risk of getting pneumonia or other lung infections?
- What is the course of action if my cough worsens during the treatment or does not respond to the treatment?
- Have you taken any medications?
- How long have you been suffering from a cough and has it changed?
- Do you have a dry cough, or is phlegm present?
- What is the color and consistency of the phlegm?
- What other symptoms do you have ?
Do You Suffer From Allergies And Asthma
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Back Up: Why Do We Cough Anyway
Coughing is a natural response to irritation in your throat or airways. To put it simply, receptors in the throat, trachea, and lungs respond and lead to activation of the cough center in the brain, explains Clifford Bassett, M.D., founder and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York.
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Coughing is an essential defense mechanism, he says, and its your bodys way of pushing any unwanted stuff out, including pollen, mucus, and pieces of food, to make more room for air to get through.
Can Allergies Cause A Cough
Yes, and you can blame it on your immune system. When your body mistakes a substance like pollen or mold as a harmful invader, it sets off an intense response to try and flush it out, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology . During this process, your cells release histamine and other chemicals, which triggers an allergic reaction. Cue the cold-like symptoms, including a sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and coughing.
Allergy coughs are typically caused by swelling or irritation of the airways, the AAAI says. And, if you develop post-nasal dripwhen the mucus hanging out in your sinuses trickles down the back of your throatthat can also cause a cough, Dr. Bassett says.
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Risk Factors For Chronic Cough
The following are the risk factors for chronic cough:
- Cigarette smoking increases your likelihood of developing a chronic cough, even after you have quit the habit. Direct smoking or secondhand inhalation of tobacco smoke causes chronic inflammation in the airways and the lungs.
- Exposure to someone with a contagious respiratory infection increases your risk of picking up the infection easily.
- People with preexisting allergies have a tendency to break into uncontrollable coughing spells when exposed to specific allergens.
- Environmental irritants whether occupational or household may trigger a cough.
- Chronic lung diseases such as COPD, bronchiectasis , and asthma, and previous lung infections that left scars can increase susceptibility to developing a chronic cough.
- Women are more likely to develop chronic cough than men as they are born with a relatively sensitive cough reflex.
More Severe Causes Of Congestion
Those are the most likely causes of chest congestion, and whether it’s a temporary condition like a cold or a chronic disease like asthma, they’re all experienced by many people every year. Although the following illnesses are not uncommon, they’re more urgent conditions and not manageable on your own.
Pneumonia: A lung infection that inflames the air sacs in your lungs and may come from bacteria, fungus, or a virus. It can fill your lungs with fluid and is sometimes triggered by a bout of influenza. You may cough up mucus which may also be bloody. You may also experience:
- Localized chest pain when breathing in.
Pneumonia may be mild or severe, but it most dangerous in infants, smaller children, and adults over 65. Many cases require an antibiotic to kill the bacteria or fungi that caused the infection.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: COPD, also known as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, is a disease where the airways in your lungs get inflamed and thicken over time. Smoking often causes COPD. This makes it harder to both breathe in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide, which causes shortness of breath that worsens over time. Many COPD patients have rescue inhalers, in addition to other medications, and some use oxygen tanks.
Lung Cancer:Like COPD, this is often caused by long-term smoking or exposure to cigarette smoke, as well as to dangerous substances like asbestos or radon gas. Symptoms may include:
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How To Tell The Difference Between Allergies & A Sinus Infection
You can usually tell which condition youre affected by based on what other symptoms you have.
In addition to congestion, allergies will likely cause:
- Itchy, watery eyes.
These symptoms come on quickly after youve been exposed to an allergen.
A sinus infection will likely result in:
- Thick mucus drainage.
These symptoms may last anywhere from a week to a few months. Contact your doctor if symptoms persist more than a week or if you have a fever.
Is It Allergies Or A Cold
Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between allergies and the common cold. There are more than a hundred strains of cold viruses. Each tends to become widespread at certain times of the year, which is why you may mistake a cold for a seasonal allergy. Allergies occur at the same time every year and last as long as the allergen is in the air . Allergies cause itching of the nose and eyes along with other nasal symptoms. Colds last about one week and have less itching of the nose and eyes.
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How Seasonal Allergies Affect Healthy Lungs
Anyone who deals with allergies knows how miserable seasonal allergies can be. Symptoms of seasonal allergies can include wheezing, sneezing and coughing. Seasonal allergies can impact lungs by triggering asthma, allergic bronchitis, and other lung problems. Pollen is one of the most common triggers of allergies. Plants release pollen each spring, summer, and early fall. Exposure to the pollen can cause allergic reactions that can affect your lungs.
Asthmatic Chest Congestion Symptoms
Chest congestion can be an uncomfortable and especially persistent effect of asthma. You may cough up phlegm or you can feel like you need to do so, but can’t . Your breathing might be loud, with the sound of noisy mucus that seems to be coming from your nose, throat, and/or chest.
Chest congestion can also cause a number of bothersome issues including:
- Trouble sleeping
- Chest tightness
When you have asthma, you may also have nasal congestion or postnasal drip along with chest congestion.
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Chest Congestion Due To Copd
COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder is sometimes referred to as emphysema or chronic bronchitis. It is primarily a consequence of smoking that makes one short of breath. COPD is the leading reason for inflammation and thickening of the air passages. Due to this, less oxygen enters, and less carbon dioxide exits.
Foods That Can Cause Congestion
Feeling congested is a frustrating experienceyou can’t breathe comfortably through your nose or your throat feels like there’s a thick coating of something you can’t wash down. Sure, you can blame allergies or that pesky seasonal coldbut if you find yourself congested sporadically or even routinely, you may be consuming foods that cause congestion. “If your body is irritated or doesn’t like a substance, it will make more mucus in an attempt to get that substance further away from irritating the cell lining,” says Dr. Huml, certified clinical nutritionist.
Certain foods affect more people than others, and it all depends on how your body reacts to them. Even if you don’t have a diagnosed lactose intolerance, it’s worth taking note of how your body responds to the following foods that are more likely than others to cause congestion. And if allergies are a whole other issue and have got you feeling sluggish, read up on 33 Foods That Make Your Allergies Worse.
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How To Deal With That Nagging Cough
If youre dealing with a nagging cough that is lingering for days, weeks or months, youre not alone.
Coughing is one of the most frequent reasons patients see doctors, and it ranks in the top five reasons patients come to see us at the Ear, Nose and Throat and Allergy Clinic, said Christine Franzese, MD, an allergist with University of Missouri Health Care.
Coughing is part of the bodys defense against disease. It pushes out bacteria, mucus and foreign particles from the respiratory tract to protect the lungs from infection and inflammation. While coughing has a purpose, it can also cause its share of problems.
It can disrupt your sleep, affect school and work performance, it can even prevent people from being socially active or going places because they are so self-conscious, Franzese said.
A physician can diagnose the cause of the cough and identify the proper treatment. There are many reasons for lasting coughs. The most common causes for nonsmokers are postnasal drip, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease , chronic bronchitis and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for high blood pressure. Smoking is the primary cause of chronic coughing that can lead to more serious health problems, such as bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia and lung cancer.
What Causes Chest Congestion And How To Get Rid Of It
Chest congestion is a common respiratory symptom that could be an indication of the flu or cold. However, there are also cases where it can be a sign of a more serious health issue, like an infection or heart disease.
Most people understand that chest congestion is a sign of excessive mucus in the lower airway. It is normally due to inflammation of the airways and lungs and involves some degree of restricted airflow. Chest congestion can be really uncomfortable. For some individuals, it can even be painful because the lungs fill up with excess mucus and other fluids. Coughing is the bodys natural way of getting rid of the mucus that has built up.
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The Asthma Is Usually Linked To Allergic Rhinitis
Environmental allergies can affect your airway in unique ways:
- Allergic rhinitis affects your nose and sinuses, and may cause sneezing, congestion, and an itchy nose and eyes.
- Asthma mainly affects your lungs, and may cause coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath or rapid breathing.
But when you have allergic asthma, youll likely develop both sets of symptoms at once.
In children, the signs can be more subtle, notes Dr. Purcell. Kids may say theyre too tired to play, but parents should check for wheezing or coughing. If the other kids are running around playing, and your child wants to sit on the sidelines, he or she may be having trouble breathing, he says.
Allergies & Chest Congestion Symptoms
Allergies affect each person differently and are caused by an overreaction of the immune system to a substance, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America 1. The immune system recognizes a relatively harmless substance as a potentially dangerous substance and releases certain chemicals to fight it off. These chemicals cause common allergy symptoms such as nasal discharge, watery eyes and asthma. Chest congestion from allergies is the result of allergy-induced asthma or the effects of postnasal drip. Talk to a doctor to determine the cause of any chest congestion related to allergies.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
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Its Important To Minimize Exposure
Allergy testing can help identify whats triggering your allergies. Additional testing can help to confirm a diagnosis of asthma.
Once you know you have allergic asthma, identifying and avoiding its triggers will help you control your symptoms. When possible, take measures to prevent or minimize exposure, advises Dr. Purcell.
The same methods wont work for all allergy triggers. For example, dust mites are not airborne but cat and dog dander is, he says.
To reduce allergens in your home, Dr. Purcell recommends:
- Minimizing or eliminating pet exposure.
- Using special dust mite covers on bedding and aiming for indoor humidity levels of 35 percent to minimize dust mite exposure.
- Eliminating food sources for cockroaches by using sealed food containers and regularly cleaning kitchen floors and surfaces.
- Changing clothes and showering after you come inside if youre allergic to pollen, and closing doors and windows when pollen counts are high.
Although mold is more of an outdoor allergen, it can develop indoors . Addressing the water leak, then using a diluted bleach solution or a commercial cleaning product is usually sufficient, says Dr. Purcell.
Extensive mold intrusion may require a professional mold removal service.
Allergy Awareness Week: How To Treat Chest Congestion
Tightness or heaviness in your chest: if you’ve ever had a bad cold, you know how that feels. Chest congestion is a common symptom of respiratory infections like the common cold, but it can also be a sign of other, more severe conditions. Knowing what to watch out for can help you protect yourself, and knowing how to treat congestion for less serious conditions can make them more comfortable to endure.
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
COPD includes several lung diseases that can make it harder to breathe, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic bronchitis causes inflammation of the bronchial tubes and more mucus, both of which make it harder for your lungs to work. COPD is generally caused by long-term exposure to things that irritate the lungs, such as cigarette smoke, but people with asthma can also develop it.
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