- According to the Mayo Clinic, lemon can reduce the production of mucus and, when added to warm water with honey, can soothe the throat and ease pain from coughing.
- Chicken soup is a traditional natural remedy for relieving congestion in the chest and nose due to the common cold. It works by reducing inflammation and loosening mucus.
- Keeping hydrated with water and non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages can loosen and thin mucus so you can cough it up from the chest and blow it out of the nose.
- Using a humidifier or breathing steam from a warm shower or bowl of hot water can loosen mucus in the lungs and nasal passages, reducing congestion.
- The bitter orange tree is grown in Florida, California and Asia. All the parts of the fruit as well as the leaves of the tree and can be taken as a pill or used in oil form and rubbed into the skin to relieve congestion.
- A gargle made of a teaspoon of dried cayenne pepper powder added to an 8 ounce glass of water may reduce congestion by increasing blood flow to the chest and throat.
- Bitter orange can raise blood pressure to dangerous levels, which can cause a sudden heart attack or stroke, and should not be used by pregnant women or people with heart conditions.
