How to Relieve Severe Chest Congestion

Severe chest congestion caused by the common cold, the flu, or allergies can be uncomfortable, painful, and just plain aggravating. There are many techniques you can try at home that can help your whole family get some much-needed relief, and hopefully, a good night's sleep. All of these solutions are natural and the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store or pharmacy.

Things You'll Need

• Apple cider vinegar
• Cotton balls
• Eucalyptus oil
• Honey
• Warm milk

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Instructions

• 1

  Take a long, hot shower. Stand in your steaming shower for about 15 minutes, breathing in all of the vapors. This should help loosen the phlegm, which will enable you to more effectively cough it out.

• 2

  Soak a towel in hot water. Place this steaming hot towel on your chest and lay down for three to five minutes. Reheat the towel in a fresh basin of hot water and once again lie down and place it on your chest for another three to five minutes. Repeat this procedure one additional time.

• 3

  Apply warm apple cider vinegar to your chest, ears, and neck with a cotton swab. Breathe in the smell for a few minutes, and finish by rinsing off the vinegar with warm towels or in the shower.

• 4

  Boil a pot of plain water. Remove the pot from the stove and mix in a few drops of eucalyptus oil. Cover your head with a towel and hold it over the pot for several minutes, all the while breathing in the vapors.

• 5

  Add a few drops of honey into a glass of warm milk. This concoction will help relieve congestion and if you drink it before bed, will also help you get a better night's sleep.