Congestion

                                                  Congestion

Introduction                                                                                                                                               Congestion involves the accumulation of too much mucus and fluids in the lungs and other parts of the body. It brings with it, back pain, chest pain and also a number of prolonged coughs. Although it may last for just a few days, some of it can be recurrent and appear frequently.                                                 

They mostly affect the young children and the elderly since their immune systems are relatively weaker. It also affects teens and adults who have a weak system of immune.                                                   

There are ranges of congestion that are experienced by individuals and they affect the following body parts:

·        Nasal.

·        Chest.

·        Head.

Symptoms                                                                                                                  

Signs include the following:

1. Clearing throat urge all the time.
2. Tickling sensation experienced at the throats back due to the accumulation of excess mucusGreat deep coughing with phlegm.
3.  Extreme headaches.
4. Experience of some kind of tightness in the chest area.
5. Difficulty in breathing.
6. Difficulty in swallowing and talking.
7. Wheezing sound when breathing.
8. Severe pain in affected areas such as the chest area if the chest is affected.
9. Coughing up blood known as hemoptysis.
10. High levels of fever.
11. Rashes on the skin’s surface. Colour changes of the mouth area and the fingernails.
12. Deep cracking sound from the chest.
13. Neck region being experiencing stiffness.
14. Levels of chilling which may result to shake at night.  

Causes                                                                                                                                                       A variety of factors can lead to congestion. They may be as a result of common cold, post-natal flu, allergies, post-natal drip which is generally simple causes. There exist extreme causes which are actually very severe and can lead to situations that are dangerous. 

They may be:

·        Asthma, a disease that is responsible for the swell up of airway making them narrow. The airways produce excess mucus making breathing difficult to patients.

·        Bronchitis which is characterized by bronchial tube lining inflammation.

·        Whooping cough which has a hacking cough accompanied by intake of breath that is high-pitched and sounding like a whoop.

·        Pneumonia, which is the inflammation in lungs caused by infection which reduces appetite, increase fever, aches and coughing.

·        Tuberculosis which affects the lungs and is a condition that is greatly contagious.

  

Remedies

These remedies could also cure flu, allergies and some colds. They are:

·        Gaggling a mixture of salt and warm water with the mouth twice or thrice every day.

·        Use of steam inhalation at least once every day.

·        Drinking herbal tea throughout the day.

·        Application of essential diluted oils to the chest, massaging it for few minutes.

·        Application of yoga and aromatherapy reduces chest congestion.