Guaifenesin is used to help clear chest congestion from a cold or flu by thinning out the mucus or phlegm in the lungs. You can take guaifenesin in the form of a solution, syrup, liquid, tablet, or packet.
Take a steaming hot shower or hold your head over a steaming pot of water to help thin mucus and make it easier to expel. Warm steam opens and moisturizes stuffy breathing passages, and helps thin the mucus so you can cough it up and get phlegm out.
What should you drink when you have a chest cold? It is important to stay hydrated when you have a cold. Hydration helps thin mucus and makes it easier to expel. Stick with clear liquids: water, no-sugar-added juices, iced tea, hot tea, or broth.
Vicks VapoRub — a topical ointment made of ingredients including camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that you rub on your throat and chest — doesn't relieve nasal congestion. But the strong menthol odor of VapoRub may trick your brain, so you feel like you're breathing through an unclogged nose.
A chest cold usually lasts 7 to 10 days, although some symptoms may persist for up to two weeks. The duration of a chest cold can vary depending on factors such as the underlying cause, your overall health, and the severity of your symptoms.
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.
Symptoms of COVID-19 that are directly related to the lungs include: A dry or wet cough. Trouble breathing. Chest congestion.
If your mucus is dry and you are having trouble coughing it up, you can do things like take a steamy shower or use a humidifier to wet and loosen the mucus. 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.
Grapefruit is wonderful for breaking down excessive mucus and luckily is in season right now. I also love lemon or lime juice in warm water to hydrate (which helps expel mucus) and support immune function.
An infection can make mucus thicker and stickier. Infections also lead to inflammation in the mucous membranes that line the nose and the rest of your airway. This can cause certain airway glands to make more mucus. That mucus can get thick with bacteria and cells that arrive to fight the infection.
Bananas. “Yes, it might sound shocking, but bananas increase the congestion by impacting the production of phlegm. Also, one thing we need to understand is to note the time and season when bananas trigger the sinus.
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.
As a cough suppressant for minor throat and bronchial irritation associated with the common cold, rub a thick layer on your chest and throat and cover them with a warm, dry cloth, she says. To let the vapors reach your nose and mouth, keep your clothing loose around those areas, she says.
Does coughing up mucus mean you're getting better? In most cases, coughing up mucus means your body is working to fight off an infection, and it is in the healing stages. Drink plenty of fluids to help thin the mucus.
Green and cloudy: viral or bacterial infection
A lot of the symptoms of viral infections – fever, cough, headache, loss of smell – overlap for COVID-19 and other viral infections like the flu, respiratory syncytial virus and the common cold.
You can follow huffing with a cough if you need it. But do not use too much force. You can spit out the phlegm. But it's not harmful to swallow it.