How to Reduce Lung Congestion

Lung congestion happens for a variety of reasons. The list is seemingly endless from a simple "cold" to severe respiratory diseases such as asthma. Whatever the cause, there are some basic health elements that may help you with reducing your congestion. While this article is going to review some of these interventions, it is important to keep in mind that depending on the etiology of the congestion—you may still need advanced therapies and medications—and you should take them as prescribed by your health care provider.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Respiratory exercises
• Medications (if any are prescribed) to be used as directed
• A willingness to alter certain habits (even if only for the short term)
• Tissues

1. 
    
   Preventing or curing lung congestion may enhance your quality of life.

   Think of the lungs as two very large and thick "balloons" that are spongelike in nature and filled with various breathing tubes, tissue and blood.

2. Think of a dried sponge that is hard, stiff and lacks any real pliability. Now visualize how that very same sponge looks and feels after it has been moistened. It is now soft, pliable and able to function. The same concept is essentially true for the lungs.

3. Practice deep breathing exercises daily, which will get you on the way to keeping your lungs from "drying out" like that kitchen sponge. Sit in a comfortable chair in a relaxed manner and take in a slow, deep breath. Visualize your lungs opening and filling with air entering all the way to the bottom (base) of your lungs. Slowly exhale and repeat for at least three times. You may need to cough into tissues if there is some congestion.

4. If your lungs are congested, it may be wise to avoid certain foods such as dairy products (think of an infant with croup who has trouble breathing and eating because of the thickness of the dairy product at hand and the thickness of the lung congestion). Also, some people have known food triggers that aggravate their breathing such as extremely spicy food and coffee. If you have a food trigger, by all means avoid it!

5. 
    
   Consuming clear fluids can help reduce thick lung secretions.

   An old medical saying applies to lung congestion: "The secret to pollution is dilution." Increase your clear fluid intake (clear fluids are basically any liquid you can see through). Some fluids such as sports or energy drinks may need to be cut in half with water in order to make them more palatable, but that is fine. Increasing clear fluid intake prevents dehydration and helps with thinning out thick mucus.

6. Greatly reduce or eliminate your exposure to smoke or other harmful inhalants. While this suggestion is an obvious one, it is usually one the hardest for many people to implement. Continuing to inhale toxic irritants simply has no upside to it. Even if you are in "perfect" health, inhaled toxins cause lung damage and create a better environment for congestion to form.

Tips & Warnings

• It may be wise to learn and teach others these techniques before any congestion occurs, since it's always better to have information on how to handle a medical situation before you find yourself in the middle of one.
• This article is for informational purposes only. Only a licensed health care provider can diagnosis and treat any medical condition.

Resources

• American Lung Association