Chest Congestion

What is chest congestion?

Chest congestion is a feeling of fullness or heaviness in your chest. It’s usually because you have too much mucus in your airways, your mucus is thicker than usual or both. This is a common symptom of many conditions. It usually isn’t serious. But when it happens with certain other symptoms, you may need to get medical care.

The lower parts of your respiratory system need moisture to work properly. Those parts include your windpipe (trachea), bronchial tubes (bronchi) and lungs. Your body constantly makes mucus to keep those passages moist. That mucus forms an extremely thin layer on the surface of those tissues.

But if there’s too much mucus or the mucus is thicker than usual, that can affect how air moves through those passages. It can also interfere with how oxygen and carbon dioxide move inside your lungs. Chest congestion can also happen because of fluid buildup in your lungs (pulmonary edema).

Chest congestion often feels like a feeling of pressure or stuffiness inside your chest. It’s common to also have other symptoms like coughing. That cough can take one of two forms:

• Productive (wet) cough. This kind of coughing makes mucus move and you may even be able to cough up phlegm and spit it out. This can be harder for kids to do, so they may not be able to cough it up or can end up swallowing it.
• Nonproductive (dry) cough. This is when mucus doesn’t move and coughing doesn’t clear your airway.

What are the most common causes of chest congestion?

The most common cause of chest congestion is some kind of lower respiratory infection. Examples of common infections include:

• Bronchitis
• Bronchiolitis
• Pneumonia

These infections happen because of germs like:

• Common cold
• COVID-19
• Influenza
• MAC lung disease
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Tuberculosis
• Whooping cough (pertussis)

But chest congestion can also happen because of conditions other than infections. Some examples include:

• Allergies, including allergic asthma and dust mite allergy
• Altitude sickness
• Asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Heart failure
• Inhaling a lot of dust, like with silicosis
• Irritation from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Pneumonitis
• Genetic diseases like primary ciliary dyskinesia
• Substance use like huffing or using nicotine/tobacco/marijuana products (including smoking and vaping)

How is chest congestion treated?

Medications and home care are usually the main treatments for chest congestion. The medication type depends on the underlying cause. Some are available over the counter, while others need a prescription. Common examples include:

• Expectorants like medications that contain guaifenesin (pronounced GWY-fen-es-in)
• Decongestants like pseudoephedrine
• Antihistamines like diphenhydramine or cetirizine
• Anticholinergic drugs like glycopyrrolate
• Infection type-specific treatments, like antibiotics for bacterial infections or antivirals for viral infections

It’s important to talk with your provider before giving over-the-counter cough medications to children. Your provider can tell you if it’s safe to do so, as many medications aren’t recommended for children under 6.

What can I do at home to treat chest congestion?

Chest congestion is often treatable at home using over-the-counter medications like cough medicines. You can also try phlegm and mucus remedies like using a humidifier, steam from the shower or gargling salt water. Honey and hot tea/water is another home remedy that can soothe chest congestion and cough (but it’s not for children under 1 year old).

Staying hydrated can also make a difference with chest congestion. Being dehydrated can cause thicker mucus, which can turn into chest congestion.

Can chest congestion be prevented?

Chest congestion is sometimes preventable. But it can also happen for many reasons outside your control. Some ways you can reduce your risk of developing it include:

• Wash your hands to protect yourself from germs
• Use breathing masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) if you’re working around lots of dust or fine particulates
• Quit or don’t start using substances like inhalants
• Quit using tobacco products (including smoking or vaping), or don’t start using them in the first place
• Use a humidifier to prevent congestion or other symptoms from dry air in your home

When should this symptom be treated by a doctor or healthcare provider?

If your chest congestion doesn’t get better after a few days or starts getting worse, see a healthcare provider. A good place to start is your primary care provider or an urgent care clinic.

If you have chest congestion with certain symptoms, your congestion could be a medical emergency. Call 911 or your local emergency services number right away if you have:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Coughing blood (hemoptysis)
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Your skin, especially your lips or fingertips or toenails, is turning blue (cyanosis)