How to Care for a Chest Cold

Chest colds, known in medicine as bronchitis, can stop otherwise healthy people in their tracks. Chest colds almost always present the same symptoms: productive cough with yellow or green sputum, often along with other symptoms such as runny nose, low-grade fever or general fatigue. While certain symptoms indicate the need to see a doctor, you can take steps to care for your chest cold at home to put you on the fast track to recovery.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Stay home from work and rest. According to a study conducted by Paul Little, a doctor and professor of medicine at the University of Southampton in England, getting plenty of rest proved to be just as effective in treating chest colds as taking antibiotics. Rest allows the body to fight infection naturally and build back its defenses against disease.

2. Drink at least eight glasses of water per day. Increasing your normal fluid intake actually helps to thin out mucus, which in turn can make your cough more productive and help rid your lungs of viral or bacterial infection faster. Drinking more fluids also helps to detoxify the body and keep cells healthy enough to fight disease.

3. If you smoke, stop, and avoid others who smoke. Cigarette smoke and other breathable irritants can only exacerbate chest cold symptoms and prolong your recovery by increasing mucus production and bronchial inflammation.

4. Take time to breathe in steam or set up a vaporizer in your home. Breathing in steam can help break up mucus that has settled in the lungs. One option is to turn on a hot shower and sit in the bathroom with the door closed. Or you can simmer a pot of water until steam forms, remove the pot from the heat and, with your head covered by a towel, lean your head over the pot. A home vaporizer can also be effective as a phlegm expectorant.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask the pharmacist at your drug store about over-the-counter medications that might help you get over your chest cold faster.
• Eat soup and drink tea. Warm liquids will help alleviate symptoms and bring up mucus faster.
• While typically chest colds are merely bothersome, they can develop into something much more serious if not treated properly based on individual health needs. Seek medical attention if your symptoms include a fever above 100 degrees, pink or blood-tinged sputum, a feeling of disorientation, extreme fatigue or serious breathing difficulties.
• If your chest cold symptoms do not subside within a few days, see a doctor. You may need antibiotics or antiviral medication.

References

• Chest Cold Remedies
• Chest Cold Symptoms, Diagnosis
• Worried About Your Chest Cold?

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