6 Tips to treat chesty congestion

Coughs are classified into two categories, productive and nonproductive. A productive, or wet, cough is one that brings up fluid like mucus and phlegm. A nonproductive, or dry, cough is one where nothing is coughed up.

A chesty cough is a type of productive cough that is caused by excessive mucus collecting in the lungs and airways. The coughs are your body’s way of trying to expel the build up to clear your airways. Chesty coughs are usually the result of viruses like colds and flus.

While having a chesty cough is your body’s way of making it easier to breathe when you have a virus, it can be a troublesome symptom to have so here are a few ways to relieve some of the pressure in your chest.

1. Herbal Tea

Drinking warm, non-caffeinated herbal tea can help soothe your throat and clear your airways. Many people also swear by the mucus clearing properties of honey and add some to their tea to help with coughs and sore throats. If you drink the tea just before bed, especially if it’s a calming tea like chamomile, it can help you get a restful night’s sleep.

2. Get Steamy

Steam is another way to alleviate chesty coughs. You can take a nice, hot steamy shower or fill a bowl with hot water and lean over it, inhaling the steam for a few minutes. Warm, moist air loosens mucus in your chest and soothes the airways. Adding in an essential oil like menthol or peppermint can enhance the steam’s effectiveness. 

Just be sure to drink plenty of fluids afterward to avoid dehydration.

3. Humidifiers

Another way to get warm, moist air is through a humidifier. When the air you breathe in is too dry your cough can become worse which is why it is recommended to have a humidity level between 40-50%. When used at night, a humidifier can make it easier to get a restful night’s sleep.

4. Prop Yourself Up

To further help you get some sleep, use a few pillows to prop yourself up. Lying down flat or on your side can make it harder to breathe and can make your cough worse. When you sleep at a slight incline with your head above your body, mucus and phlegm won’t build up and irritate your throat.

5. Get Gargling

Try gargling with warm salt water a few times a day to reduce the phlegm and mucus in your throat. Add around half a teaspoon of regular table salt to the warm water and stir it until it dissolves. When it’s at a comfortable temperature, gargle for at least 30 seconds, being careful to avoid swallowing any of it.

6. Take Chesty Cough Medicine

Chesty cough products like Robitussin Full Strength Chesty Cough Medicine. This type of cough medicine is called an expectorant that works by reducing and loosening the mucus in your airways, making it easier to cough up and clear the throat. Available for people over the age of 12, it is a sugar free chesty cough syrup that can quickly give you relief from your chesty cough.

The best chesty cough medicine like Robitussin can be bought online with free delivery through Online 4 Pharmacy, a leading UK internet pharmacy. Get all your cold and flu medication at competitive prices through our online storefront.