Are you feeling the symptoms of a chest cold and wondering if it is time to see a doctor? Here’s what you need to know about chest colds and other causes of chest congestion…from pulmonary and critical care physician W. Graham Carlos, III, MD.
“Chest congestion” is often how people describe a sensation of fullness or a rattling in their chest, but it’s not its own condition. Rather it’s a symptom of a problem affecting your lungs.
Where chest congestion develops: There are two different types of compartments within the lungs where chest congestion can develop—the conducting airways and the alveoli. The conducting airways include the trachea and the bronchi, the large airways and the smaller terminal airways through which air passes into the alveoli. The alveoli, or air sacs, are collections of little grapelike clusters at the ends of the bronchi where the blood-gas exchange takes place. Here is where oxygen enters the bloodstream to start its journey throughout the body and carbon dioxide is expelled.
Just as there are two basic compartments, there are the two types of chest congestion, usually with different causes and different treatments. You may experience chest congestion when mucus and secretions crowd and block the conducting airways (also known as acute bronchitis). Often caused by a virus, patients often describe it as a cold that “went to my chest.” These secretions can be sticky and hard to cough up, which is what keeps the congestion ongoing. People with emphysema or other forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma may start out with a weak cough and find it very hard to expel, or clear, mucus from even a run-of-the-mill chest cold.
The other type of congestion is when the alveoli fill up with fluid or inflammatory cells. Viral or bacterial pneumonia, for instance, creates a lot of inflammation and secretions in these spaces.
The first step for chest congestion relief is to stay well-hydrated. If you become dehydrated, the secretions become even stickier and more difficult to cough up. Forget the old saying “feed a cold, starve a fever.” You actually want to hydrate in both situations. In fact, if you have a fever, you’ll experience greater water loss, so it’s even more important to keep up with your fluids and electrolytes (sports drinks or a solution such as Pedialyte can help).
And you don’t necessarily need to stop eating to help your fever. In fact, Mom was right when she recommended chicken soup. It’s a great way to get some protein and vegetables along with the soothing broth. Unless you’ve been told to stay away from salt, even the sodium in chicken soup will help your body hold on to needed fluid.
Next, you want to thin the secretions to make them easier to cough up. Do this by taking an over-the-counter mucolytic, or mucus-thinning, medication such as guaifenesin, found in Mucinex and Robitussin.
Consider avoiding medications that are primarily cough suppressants because the act of coughing may help clear the airways. And though there’s no strong medical evidence for a topical such as Vicks VapoRub, some people swear by it. You also may find relief by running a humidifier to moisten your airways so secretions won’t be as sticky.
If you don’t get relief from home remedies or if your symptoms last more than a few weeks, it may be more than a common chest cold—see your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment. This is especially important if you have signs of pneumonia such as…
Your doctor will listen for telltale signs of inflammation such as a rattling or wheezing…pinpoint the specific area of the lung they’re coming from…possibly run blood and sputum tests…and suggest appropriate treatment, such as antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia.
Chest colds have always been with us, and they always will be. But now there are other risks…
Many parts of the country are going through a quad-demic as four viruses—RSV, norovirus, the flu and COVID—are surging at the same time. All but norovirus, which is a gastrointestinal illness, can cause mucus to form in the chest. Vaccines may help you avoid becoming seriously ill if you contract flu, RSV or COVID. Be sure to ask your physician if you qualify to receive them. Also make sure you’re up to date on the latest pneumonia vaccine.
Beyond vaccination, the best things you can do are the tried and true—stay away from friends and loved ones when they’re sick…and practice hand hygiene by washing up often, especially after you’ve been out in public places.
