With rest, sleep and plenty of water, you should start feeling better within 10 days without needing antibiotics. However, symptoms of the common cold, flu and more severe chest infections can overlap making it difficult to self-assess your condition.
Guaifenesin is an expectorant that helps to thin and loosen mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough up the mucus. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant that affects a certain part of the brain (cough center), reducing the urge to cough.
Vicks products cannot cure the cold or flu, but they can help relieve chest congestion symptoms so you can feel better while your body heals from the cold or flu virus.
See a doctor if you have any of the following: Temperature of 100.4 °F or higher. Cough with bloody mucus. Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.
Bacterial and Viral Infections
Infections such as the flu, acute bronchitis, and pneumonia can cause your airways to make extra mucus, which you'll often cough up. It may be green or yellow in color. The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 doesn't usually cause mucus in the chest.
Chest congestion is caused when the body's mucus production kicks into overdrive, which can be caused by respiratory infections like cold or flu, allergic reactions, airborne irritants, or even indulging in a spicy meal.
Signs and symptoms of a chest infection
coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood. breathlessness or rapid and shallow breathing. wheezing. a high temperature (fever)
According to Medical News Today2, common symptoms of mucus build up in your lungs may include: Wheezing. Difficulty Sleeping. Sore Throat.
Not all lung congestion is serious. Sometimes, a cold or allergies can cause excess mucus to drain from your nose into your throat, causing a cough. Other times, lung congestion can be indicative of bronchitis or pneumonia.
Eucalyptus Oil or Vapor Rub
An over-the-counter vapor rub such as Vicks can provide immediate relief when massaged onto your chest. Eucalyptus oil, one of Vicks' active ingredients, can be pretty beneficial. Paired with hot water, eucalyptus oil can double your phlegm fighting force.
Warm fluids: Drinking warm (not hot) liquids can help loosen thickened mucus. Try tea, warm broth, or hot water with lemon. Steam: You can use a device such as a cool-mist humidifier or steam vaporizer to breathe in warm air. You can also take a hot shower or breathe in vapors from a pot of simmering water.
When you do cough up phlegm (another word for mucus) from your chest, Dr. Boucher says it really doesn't matter if you spit it out or swallow it.
Expectorants: Expectorants like guaifenesin (Mucinex) help thin phlegm, making it easier to blow out or cough up. Vapor rubs: Vapor rubs provide relief from coughs and chest congestion. Decongestants: Decongestants that contain pseudoephedrine (like Sudafed) can dry out mucus in the chest, nose, and throat.
Symptoms usually start to go away within seven days to two weeks if you don't have an underlying condition like chronic pulmonary disease. Medicines like decongestants may also loosen mucus and ease other symptoms.
A bronchitis cough sounds like a rattle with a wheezing or whistling sound. As your condition progresses, you will first have a dry cough that can then progress towards coughing up white mucus.