Chest Congestion Remedies

Chest congestion can result when your body makes too much mucus from an illness, such as the common cold or bronchitis. Although over the counter and prescription medicines are available to reduce your symptoms of chest congestion, home remedies may be equally effective and safer for children and other people who are unable to use such medications. According to the Mayo Clinic and the American Academy of Family Physicians, remedies for chest congestion include eating certain foods and making environmental changes in your home.

Hydration

• Thick mucus in your chest and nasal passages can be thinned out by drinking plenty of fluids such as water, juice and herbal tea, which makes the mucus easier to cough out.

Soup

• Eating a bowl of chicken soup is the classic remedy for relieving chest and sinus congestion and works by reducing inflammation of your breathing passages as well as making mucus less thick.

Supplements

• If you take dietary supplements such as lozenges of zinc, echinacea or vitamin C, you may reduce the duration of chest congestion as well as soothe other symptoms, such as a sore throat.

Rinses

• Mucus in your chest and nasal passages can be thinned or flushed out by gargling with half of a teaspoon of salt mixed with one glass of water, or by using a saline nasal spray or neti pot rinse.

Steam

• Breathing in steam from your hot shower or holding your head over a bowl of hot water or soup can moisten your airways and reduce inflammation and irritation caused by chest congestion.

Humidity

• If the air in your house is dry, using a cold or warm water humidifier, especially at night while you are sleeping can reduce congestion in your chest.