Finding a natural way to ease the symptoms of chest and nasal congestion can be difficult. It’s not impossible, however, and there are many options discussed below that can help eliminate mucus.
When you don’t want to take medication for congestion, finding another option is essential. The only other option is to be miserable, uncomfortable, and likely unable to sleep. You have to beat the phlegm buildup to feel better and function.
Most of these all-natural remedies contain ingredients that you already have in your home. This advice will help when you are desperate and too uncomfortable to make a trip to the store.
15 Ways to Beat Chest and Nasal Congestion Without Medicine
Since you can’t go on feeling so uncomfortable and ill, there are many different remedies you can try. There is sure to be at least one that helps relieve your symptoms.
1. Use a Humidifier
When you use a humidifier, it fills the air with water vapor. This steam moisturizes your nose and throat, which helps alleviate chest and nasal mucus buildup.
When your nose and throat are unordinary dry, your body creates more mucus, and it’ll be thicker than usual. By finding a way to soothe the dryness, your body will stop producing the excessive and uncomfortable coating.
2. Stay Hydrated
If you drink plenty of water when you aren’t feeling well, it will help loosen and break up some of the phlegm. When you become dehydrated, the phlegm buildup will only get thicker and more uncomfortable, too.
Avoid caffeinated beverages such as coffee and soda, and avoid alcoholic drinks, as well. They contribute to dehydration. If you stick to only water, you’ll feel relief much sooner.
3. Get Some Exercise
Going for a brisk walk, a jog, or a bike ride can help clear some of the chest and nasal phlegm. It helps loosen the chest buildup and will allow you a little relief.
Remember not to overdo it, though, as you are likely fighting off some type of illness. Get just enough exercise to help you feel better and then get rest so you can get healthy.
4. Use Essential Oils
These oils can treat and ease the symptoms of many illnesses, including a chest cold. By breathing in vapors from the oils, it can help break up and drain some of the phlegm. You can easily make homemade vapor rub by using a few popular essential oils.
To make homemade, all-natural vapor rub, you should mix the following essential oils:
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Frankincense
- Eucalyptus
- Peppermint
If you don’t have all of the listed essential oils, just use the ones that you do have. It will still be useful, even if you don’t include them all. Once you’ve gathered your oils, you’re ready to combine them and create the homemade vapor rub.
For adults, you will put equal amounts of each essential oil into a glass bowl. If you are diluting the oil, add the carrier oil or water at this step. You will want to use one teaspoon of water or oil per drop of oil.
Once you’ve mixed your oils to create your vapor rub, you can dilute the oils with water or with a carrier oil. If you’d rather, however, you can apply the mixture directly to your skin without diluting it.
Make sure to test the oils on a small spot of skin if you’ve never applied essential oils before. You should be sure to do this because some people have more sensitive skin than others. If your skin begins to feel uncomfortable or becomes irritated, you should dilute the oil mixture before applying more.
Remember to always check with your doctor before using essential oils.
If You Don’t Want to Apply the Essential Oil Mixture to Your Skin
For those with sensitive skin or those who aren’t comfortable using essential oils on their skin, there are other options. You can diffuse the oils instead, or put them in steaming water and breathe in the vapors.
5. Try a Deep Cough Technique
A deep cough can help clear the airway and break up phlegm in your chest. To do this, take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds. Then, use your stomach muscles to push the air out, trying not to cough during the process.
6. Practice a Huff Cough
This is another coughing technique that can help break up phlegm. Take a deep breath in through your nose and use your stomach muscles for breathing out in three short huffs. By doing this, you’ll be making it easier for the phlegm to come away from the walls of your lungs.
7. Drink Warm Beverages
As mentioned before, staying hydrated helps you feel better.
Herbalists explain that drinking hot beverages allows for immediate relief from the chest and nasal congestion. Warm liquid offers lasting comfort for not only phlegm buildup but for sneezing, coughing, sore throats, and chills, too.
Options for warm beverages include broths, decaffeinated tea, and warm water. Remember, as mentioned before, you should avoid caffeine in any form until you are healthy again.
8. Inhale Steam
Moist air can help loosen the chest and nasal buildup quickly. You can inhale steam by filling a large bowl with hot water and leaning over the pan.
You will want to drape a towel over the back of your head as you are leaning forward to trap the steam inside. This posture allows you to breathe more of it before the water cools too much. As you lean forward over the steam, gently inhale and continue breathing over the steam until the water cools.
9. Take a Hot Shower or Bath
While the hot water runs, allow the steam it produces to fill the bathroom. Breathing in this steam will help break up the buildup. Plus, the hot shower or bath will help you feel better overall. Just make sure to drink quite a bit of water afterward, so you don’t become dehydrated.
10. Gargle With Some Saltwater
Mix salt with warm water and rinse to reduce the amount of phlegm buildup in your throat and alleviate symptoms. Add around half a teaspoon of salt to one cup of warm water, and then stir until the salt dissolves.
After you gargle the saltwater, keep your head tipped back and allow the mixture to sit there for a minute. This action further helps with the breakup of phlegm in your throat and chest. You can do this as often as you need to because it is entirely safe and includes no medication.
11. Use Honey
Honey can help ease the symptoms of phlegm buildup, and it also has antiviral and antibacterial properties.
You can add honey to warm water to help soothe your throat and chest. Do this every three to four hours or as needed until the symptoms are gone.
12. Prop Yourself Up
If you elevate your head, you will likely find relief from your symptoms. Grab some extra pillows and prop them behind yourself. This propping will help drain the buildup and ease coughing.
13. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar
While this may sound gross, it’s an excellent, natural remedy to ease buildup in your chest and nasal passage. Add about one teaspoon to a glass of warm or lukewarm water and then swig it. This will help with the symptoms and offer lasting relief.
14. Drink Hot Lemon Water or Tea
Lemons can help eliminate the uncomfortable phlegm buildup you are experiencing. The lemon water will help hydrate you while the citrus clears your chest and nasal passages. Lemons also contain Vitamin C, which reduces the virus that is making you feel so bad.
To make this drink, cut a lemon in half and squeeze one half of the lemon into the hot beverage. Once you’ve got all the juice from half of the lemon, stir it together. You can also add a teaspoon of honey to give it more flavor and to help ease the symptoms even more.
15. Consume Ginger
Add a small amount of ginger to your hot water to help ease your uncomfortable symptoms. For more relief, you can add a little pepper and honey to the water, too. Another option is to add some ground cloves and cinnamon to the ginger water.
Final Thoughts on Using These Remedies to Beat Chest and Nasal Congestion Without Medicine
Chest and nasal congestion are incredibly uncomfortable and can make it difficult to perform even the most mundane tasks. If you have enough mucus buildup, you may not even be able to sleep.
As you have discovered, there are ways to ease these symptoms without taking medication. With all of these all-natural remedies, you are sure to find something that provides comfort. You can use multiple methods at once, further ensuring the comfort that is soon to follow.
Don’t spend time feeling terrible, and like you can’t breathe or stop coughing. Instead, try some of these ways to beat chest and nasal congestion without medicine.
The post 15 Ways to Beat Chest and Nasal Congestion Without Medicine appeared first on Power of Positivity: Positive Thinking & Attitude.
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