Whats An Asthma Attack
When you breathe normally, muscles around your airways are relaxed, letting air move easily. During an asthma attack, three things can happen:
- Bronchospasm: The muscles around the airways constrict . When they tighten, it makes the airways narrow. Air cannot flow freely through constricted airways.
- Inflammation: The airway linings become swollen. Swollen airways dont let as much air in or out of the lungs.
- Mucus production: During the attack, your body creates more mucus. This thick mucus clogs airways.
Ways To Clear Clogged Sinuses
Food alone may not be enough to get rid of the symptoms of your seasonal allergies and infections. e may not be enough to get rid of the symptoms of your seasonal allergies and infections. When it comes to sinus problems the foods you eat are just as important as the foods you dont eat. Other lifestyle factors such as regular exercise and staying hydrated can all help prevent sinus problems and leave you feeling clearer. Try these easy activities to stay decongested and breathing fine even when sinus infections are at their worst:
How To Get Rid Of Chest Congestion Fast
Jillian Stenzel
Jillian Stenzel
A Nevada-bred traveler & food nerd who dances & eats spinach, sometimes simultaneously. She writes from wherever her curiosity demands, and is passionate about spreading the wisdom of better health.
Dr. Katalin Karolyi
Dr. Katalin Karolyi
Katalin Karolyi, M.D. earned her medical degree at the University of Debrecen. After completing her residency program in pathology at the Kenezy Hospital, she obtained a postdoctoral position at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Orlando, Florida.
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What Causes Chest Congestion
There are a number of factors that can cause chest congestion, and many of them may be present in your home beyond your knowledge. They include:
- Allergens like dust mites, food allergies, products, etc.
- Viral infection
- Bronchitis
- Asthma
As you can see, congestion can come from something as simple as dust mites in your sheets or a serious, even chronic, health condition. Getting a diagnosis as to why youre experiencing congestion is essential, because in some cases, these natural remedies may not be effective. Steaming, for example, can be dangerous for people with asthma.
Before treating congestion, know whats causing it. Many of the conditions responsible for chest congestion are serious and potentially deadly infections.
How To Relieve Your Allergy Symptoms
If youre convinced your cough is a result of allergies, start by making a few changes to decrease your exposure to potentially irritating substances: Keep your windows closed, shower as soon as you come inside after being outdoors, brush your pets after walks, or invest in an air purifier for your home.
OTC medications are also a great starting point, Dr. Bassett says. Oral antihistamines, like Claritin and Allegra, help block the histamines that set off symptoms in the first place. Nasal steroid sprays, like Flonase, can help clear a stuffy nose if youre dealing with that, too.
But the right treatment depends largely on the cause for a cough, Dr. Bassett says. If you dont see any improvement after taking these steps, reach out to an allergist, who can give you a proper diagnosis, help you identify your triggers, and potentially recommend prescription allergy meds or allergy shots.
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Weakened Immune System While Pregnant
During pregnancy the immune system is very much lowered, so dont be much surprised if you catch various coughs.
See you doctor if you have:
- A very persistent cough or youre bringing up a fluid especially when you cough
- You might also feel very much sick
- You are also experiencing a temperature that keeps rising even after taking paracetamol
- You are experiencing a high temperature, coughing up the green mucus in nose, and generally feel much unwell.
All these symptoms might be an indication that a person has a chest infection. The doctor is able to prescribe various antibiotics. If the chest infection is left much untreated, it may affect the unborn baby.
What Is Chest Congestion Causes Symptoms Treatment
Somehow, you managed to pick up the bug that was going around the office last week, or maybe it was the one your 8-year-old brought home from school that took you down. Now, after a few days, what started out as a sore throat and stuffy nose has turned into an uncomfortable cough that may bring up thick mucus from your lower airways. Your cough sounds deeper. These are some of the signs and symptoms of chest congestion. DayQuil SEVERE LiquiCaps⢠can relieve your chest congestion related to a cold or the fluâbut understanding what causes chest congestion and how to prevent it are equally as important as treating the symptom.
It can take up to a month to fully recover from lingering cold or flu symptoms, such as cough.1
What is Chest Congestion?
Chest congestion is the accumulation of mucus in the lungs and lower breathing tubes . It is usually accompanied by a wet, productive cough that brings up thick mucus. Chest congestion may cause you to hear or feel wheezing or crackling sounds when you breathe in and out.
What Causes Chest Congestion?
Infection with a cold or flu virus is among the most common causes of chest congestion and happens when the infection progresses from the upper respiratory tract â your nasal passages, sinuses and throatâinto the lower respiratory tractâyour breathing tubes and lungs.
Chest Congestion Treatment
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How to Prevent Catching and Spreading the Viruses that Cause Chest Congestion
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What Is A Dust Mite
A dust mite measures only about one-quarter to one-third of a millimeter. They are too small to see with your eyes alone. Under a microscope, they look like white bugs. They have eight legs, so they are not insects, but arthropods, like spiders.
Dust mites thrive in temperatures of 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit . They also like humidity levels of 70 to 80 percent. There are at least 13 species of mites. They are all well adapted to the environment inside your home. They feed mainly on the tiny flakes of human skin that people shed each day. These flakes work their way deep into the inner layers of furniture, carpets, bedding and even stuffed toys. These are the places where mites thrive. An average adult person may shed up to 1.5 grams of skin in a day. This is enough to feed one million dust mites!
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6 mins readA virus, The anus is the last part of the GI tract through which stool passes before it exits the body, Brown, follows.A sore throat, they usually cause itchy eyes and a stuffed-up nose, When you start suffering from a bacterial or viral infection e.g, Coughing up thick phlegm that is dark yellow or thick green can mean that the irritation is deep in your airways.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Hay Fever
Common symptoms of hay fever include:
- an itchy, runny or blocked nose
- needing to breathe from the mouth
- always needing to clear your throat
- always feeling like you have a head cold
Less common symptoms of hay fever may include:
- interrupted sleep
- feeling tired during the day
- difficulty concentrating
- frequent sinus infections in adults
- recurring ear infections in children
You might only experience some of these symptoms, but still have hay fever or allergic rhinitis. Some of these symptoms can be caused by other diseases too.
Common allergens that may trigger hay fever symptoms include:
- grass, weeds and tree pollens
- animal fur or skin flakes
- moulds and fungal spores
- breads and cereals
- small animals
You may experience hay fever symptoms at certain times of the year , depending on the allergens to which you are sensitive. Hay fever and other allergies can also be affected by your genes.
When To See Your Gp
Visit your GP if the symptoms of allergic rhinitis are disrupting your sleep, preventing you carrying out everyday activities, or adversely affecting your performance at work or school.
A diagnosis of allergic rhinitis will usually be based on your symptoms and any possible triggers you may have noticed. If the cause of your condition is uncertain, you may be referred for allergy testing.
Read more about the complications of allergic rhinitis
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How Do Healthcare Providers Diagnose Asthma
Your healthcare provider will review your medical history, including information about your parents and siblings. Your provider will also ask you about your symptoms. Your provider will need to know any history of allergies, eczema and other lung diseases.
Your healthcare provider may order a chest X-ray, blood test or skin test. Your provider may order spirometry. This test measures airflow through your lungs.
Remedies To Get Rid Of Chest Congestion
In some cases, it is best to leave treatment of chest congestion to health care professionals. There are people who do get the common cold every few years or they experience seasonal allergies that lead to chest congestion. Some are very much in tune with the signs and symptoms.
Sometimes all it takes is a little research into home remedies. There could be some items in your home that could relief your chest congestion.Lets look at some chest congestion treatments, including home remedies:
In addition to the remedies mentioned above, it is important when you have chest congestion to stay well hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can help clear out mucus. Warm water is best since it thins out mucus, allowing it to move. Eating healthy, nutritious foods such as citrus fruits, garlic, asparagus, and pineapple is a good idea. These food items have been known to help clear out the chest.
Having chest congestion can make you feel downright miserable. Every year in the United States, people suffer a total of one billion colds. While we are not suggesting everyone run off to the doctor when they get a little sniffle or cough, we do want people to take chest congestion seriously when the symptoms seem to appear for no reason or when they come on suddenly and are severe. Getting a quick, proper diagnosis can rule out and address any serious conditions and get you back to feeling yourself.
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Revamp Your Nighttime Routine To Open Sinuses
As anyone with stuffy sinuses can attest, congestion often feels worse at night. This can create a vicious cycle because you need lots of rest to get over a cold or the flu, but the difficulty you have breathing at night can make it hard to sleep. The solution is to help your body stay as congestion-free as possible while you sleep.
For starters, put an extra pillow or two under your head, as this will help drain your sinuses. Make sure your bedroom climate is humid, and run a humidifier while you sleep to further thin the mucus in your nose. For another natural remedy, try nasal breathing strips, which lift the sides of the nose to help open nasal passages.
Consider Some Alternatives To The Pharmacy
When youre congested, the simple act of breathing can be a challenge. Whatever the cause a sinus infection, allergies, a cold, or the flu dealing with congestion can leave you feeling tired and dreary.
Whats happening inside your head when you have nasal congestion? The nose has a vast network of blood vessels with valves that open and close, says Scott P. Stringer, MD, professor and chairman of otolaryngology and communication sciences at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. When the nose is stimulated by any irritant, the nervous system is also stimulated, causing valves to open, which results in more blood entering the nose. This causes swelling in your nasal passages, which makes it difficult to breathe.”
Since sinus infections, colds, and allergies don’t just leave you congested and often come with a host of other symptoms, you might contemplate taking one or several drugs to end the misery. Yet doubling or tripling up on medication types is dangerous, and you may not find the relief you seek with over-the-counter meds or through a prescription.
Although over-the-counter options, such as , are often used to treat the stuffiness and headache caused by congestion, there’s significant risk of becoming dependent on these drugs, and they can leave you worse off in other ways, too.
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Causes Of Chest Congestion
Bronchitis
It is a respiratory disease where the bronchial passage becomes inflamed. It shuts off the tiny airways in the lungs.
This action cause coughing spells accompanied by breathlessness and phlegm. Acute bronchitis is mostly caused by lung infections which are viral in origin.
If you suffer from repeated attacks, then it might turn into chronic bronchitis. Both these types hinder normal respiration and causes chest congestion.
Pneumonia
It can be caused by fungal, bacterial, viral and parasitic infections in the lungs. The most common symptoms of pneumonia include fever, shaking chills, chest congestion, confusion, and headache.
Pneumonia can occur in varying degrees from mild to severe due to weak immune system.
Congestive heart failure
When the heart fails to pump the blood effectively, it results in heart failure. Lung congestion is the main reason for this kind of heart failure.
This occurs due to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
Tuberculosis
It is caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. This bacterial infection can attack lungs, kidneys, brain and spine.
This disease can cause severe coughing and lung congestion. It could be fatal if left untreated.
Common cold is the most common cause, others include
We have discussed the causes of chest congestion. Now we move to the main part of the story.
The natural ways and means to cure chest congestion. So scroll down to find some amazing and interesting information.
Where Can I Seek Treatment For Chest Congestion Online
At PlushCare, doctors are available around the clock to treat a chest cough or respiratory tract infection. Schedule an appointment with a board-certified PlushCare physician online or by phone.
During your online appointment, you will discuss your symptoms and medical history, and the doctor will give you an official diagnosis and treatment plan. Our licensed virtual doctors can also write a prescription when necessary. Take control of your health today, all from the convenience and comfort of your home.
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Getting Rid Of Head Congestion
Youve got a head cold, your sinuses are filled with mucus that is not draining, and you are suffering from severe stuffiness. Your main focus is on how to stop head congestion. So, are there head congestion remedies you can use to loosen its hold on your head? As it turns out, quite a few home remedies and medical treatments could help clean out your sinuses and get you back to breathing normally.
Take A Hot Steam Shower
The steaming process produces instant relief for clogged nose and dilutes the chest cold. In other words, it dissolves or breaks up mucus in the lungs and throat.
For stunning results fill a bowl with very hot water.
Keep your head in the bowl and cover your head with a towel. This traps in the steam. Inhale the steam as deeply as you can.
This eases the chest congestion and gives you relief.
A hot shower can also ease congestion and refreshes you.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Chest Congestion
Its important to remember that a congested chest is often a symptom of another illness. But a congested chest may refer to:
Once again, these accompanying symptoms are typically the result of a flu, cold, allergies, or other infection. A congested chest means your body is fighting an invader of some sort.
Rinse With A Neti Pot And Saline Solution
Although these teapot-shaped devices may seem like the latest trend in alternative medicine, the neti pot is anything but new. Used for centuries by yoga and Ayurvedic practitioners in India, nasal irrigation is a gentle and effective way to clear the nasal passages of mucus and allergens. Trying any method that delivers salt water to the nose is a good way to start relieving congestion, says Stringer.
To use this natural remedy, fill the neti pot with a saline solution made of warm water and salt, then insert the spout into one nostril while you tilt your head to the other side, allowing the solution to flow up into your nasal passage and then out the other nostril. When making the saline solution, pharmaceutical grade salt is recommended.
Neti pots are generally inexpensive theyre available in health food stores for around $10 to $20 and research shows that they work well to relieve congestion. Researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who studied adults with chronic nasal and sinus problems, found that people treated with nasal irrigation had greater improvement of symptoms over two months than those treated with saline sprays.
In addition, researchers in China found that nasal irrigation with saline reduced the need for steroid sprays in children with allergies. Neti pots are safe to use on a daily basis.
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