Having a chesty cough can be quite uncomfortable,  due to the often painful phlegmy and wet persistent cough making breathing difficult. It usually follows a cold or a sore throat, and it might be more intense in the morning. Since both coughs and colds are caused by viruses, they can’t be treated by antibiotics.

Mild chesty coughs can be treated quite easily with home remedies; however, if they persist, it can be a sign of an underlying and potentially more severe problem, such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, or even heart failure.  People who have low immunity or smoke have to be careful not to develop serious complications. If your cough gets worse, or you develop other symptoms, please see your doctor.

So, read on to learn more about the causes and symptoms, and how to get rid of a chesty cough the easy way.

Chesty Cough Symptoms

The symptoms for a chesty cough can vary in individuals.

  • Productive cough, usually bringing up greenish or brownish phlegm
  • A wheezy or rattling sound when you breathe
  • Tightness in your chest
  • Aches, especially across your shoulders and upper body
  • Headache
  • Fever
  • Tiredness and lethargy

Home Remedies For Getting Rid Of A Chesty Cough

Treating chesty cough isn’t that difficult, and you’ll soon start feeling much better.

After using NETI ReLeaf Inhaler, you will feel instant relief in your sinuses and chest. You can use it whenever you feel the need to – if you need to go out, or speak on the phone, for example.

While it doesn’t necessarily treat the root cause of your cough, it does temporarily help you get rid of your cough.  Containing airway-expanding essential oils, such as lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree, and Himalayan salt air which has antibacterial properties, it’ll soothe your bronchial tubes. Easily slipped into a pocket, just inhale deeply, drawing the beneficial molecules into your nasal cavities.  It can also help alleviate the symptoms of asthma, bronchitis, respiratory inflammations, allergies, and colds.

Honey and Lemon Drink

This is a very effective and pleasantly soothing home remedy for treating your chesty cough.

Into a cup of hot water, add the juice of one lemon, and a tablespoon of honey – manuka, if you have it. Stir well, get comfy, and sip it slowly. Not only does it taste nice, but you will soon feel much better.

What Causes A Chesty Cough

Coughing happens as a very natural and helpful reflex that helps you clear the airways in your lungs of any particles that might be irritating them. The key to the coughing reflex lies in the nerves located throughout the bronchial airways inside the lungs. When there are irritable particles inside the airways, the nerves respond by sending a signal to the brain that there is foreign matter inside the lungs. The brain reacts by sending an impulse to the airways to constrict and push the air in the lungs out, trying to rid themselves of the matter. The air gets pushed out from the lungs forcefully, without conscious control, resulting in a cough.

A cough can be brought on by various different things. Chesty coughing is typically a result of one, or a combination of several, of the following things:

  • Allergies – allergies are caused by allergen agents, such as pollen, animal dandruff and any kind of dust. Allergies can range from very mild the symptoms of which go away on their own in a very short time upon reducing contact with the allergen itself, to life-threatening allergic reactions. If your cough persists for longer than usual and you feel like you are fighting for air, please visit a doctor as soon as possible.
  • Various irritants – while each person might react differently to a different irritant, some of the most common airway irritants are cigarette smoke, whether first or secondhand; any type of pollution, including smog; perfumed cosmetics, especially those that are designed for facial use, as well as air fresheners, and many others.
  • Smoking – if you’re a smoker,  your cough can be improved if you quit. Here are some reliable tips to help you to stop smoking.
  • Medical conditions – sometimes, a chesty cough may be caused by a cold or a chest infection. Several medical conditions affecting lungs are asthma, bronchitis (both acute and chronic), pneumonia, etc. However, a chesty cough can sometimes be a side-effect of a sinus infection causing a postnasal drip into the lungs and clogging them with foreign matter, irritating the airways and causing a persistent cough until the problem is resolved.

Therefore, make sure to stay away from allergens and irritants if you have sensitive lungs, and especially if you already have a medical condition affecting your lungs. And, in case you already feel like you’re coming down with a chest infection – make sure to always have an instant relief inhaler to help you get through the worst of your cough until it goes away.