If these natural techniques don’t help, you may need over-the-counter or prescription expectorants.
Clearing lung congestion eases symptoms and promotes healing from a cold, flu, or acute bronchitis.
It also prevents complications like pneumonia.
Illustration by Emily Roberts for Verywell Health
These techniques may provide the relief you need, depending on the severity of your lung congestion.
Here are four remedies to try:
1.
Drink Warm Fluids
Drinking warm (not hot) liquidscan help loosen thickened mucus.
Another method is inhaling the steam from a pot of simmering water.
(Be careful to control the temperature so you don’t inhale steam that’s too hot.)
you might put herbs into warm tea or mix ginger and honey in warm water.
Lung vs.
However, neither treatment helps your lungs.
Use Essential Oils
Essential oils extracted from plants may naturally relieve lung congestion.
The menthol inpeppermintis a decongestant that thins and loosens mucus in the lungs and shrinks swelling in the nose.
Ingesting a small amount can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
In addition, essential oils come in a highly concentrated form that must be diluted.
Controlled Coughing
Controlled coughing engages the chest and stomach muscles to clear mucus in the lungs.
There are two common methods of controlled coughing to clear mucus from your lungs: deep and huff.
Then deep breathe to promote drainage.
you could do postural drainage alone or together with the first two techniques.
Your exercise may involve walking, swimming, cycling, and other common activities.
Medications (Expectorants)
Medications don’t usually contain natural ingredients.
Today, the same active ingredient is synthetically produced for medications.
Expectorants thin and loosen mucus in the lungs to make it easier to cough up.
They can also block the production of mucin proteins, the primary components of mucus.
Mucolytics break the chemical bonds in mucus to help make it easier to cough up.
These color changes suggest you have a lung infection needing medical care.
Seek immediate emergency care if you are unable to breathe because of mucus in the airway.
You should also seek medical care if lung mucus from any cause worsens or changes color.
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