You already know that quitting smoking is the best choice for health. However, during the first few weeks you may experience some symptoms related to quitting smoking, such as chest congestion. You may have coughing fits, chest tightness, phlegm, and slight hoarseness. Although they are unpleasant at first, they indicate that the body is starting to heal and recover from the habit of smoking.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Relieving Chest Congestion in the Immediate
Step 1. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water
Water helps the body fight congestion by clearing phlegm in the lungs and relieving a fat cough. In addition, it promotes systemic hydration.
- Smoking slows the movement of the microscopic cilia that line the lungs and contribute to the expulsion of mucus. When you stop smoking, your eyelashes become more active and begin to clear the phlegm accumulated in the lungs, causing an increase in coughing for a few weeks after stopping smoking.
- By drinking orange juice and other natural fruit juices, you provide the body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to fight congestion.
- Avoid alcohol, coffee, and sodas as they help dehydrate the body.
Step 2. Take a warm shower or bath 1-2 times a day
Dry air can irritate the lungs and promote coughing fits. The steam produced during a hot shower or bath helps moisten the lower airways and dissolve the phlegm.
Step 3. Sleep with your head elevated
Keep your head tilted at 15 degrees by placing a couple of pillows underneath. This will prevent mucus from getting into your throat, causing coughing fits during the night.
Step 4. Try a facial steam bath
The steam bath is as effective as the shower method because it directs the steam from the hot water directly into the airways and into the lungs. Pour 1.5 liters of hot (almost boiling) water into a bowl. Take a towel and put it on your head. Place your nose and mouth over the bowl and inhale deeply.
- Add three to four drops of eucalyptus oil to the water. It has antibacterial and analgesic properties and acts as an expectorant, dissolving the phlegm at the origin of the cough.
- Add a few drops of peppermint oil to benefit from its soothing action.
- You can also buy a facial vaporizer at the pharmacy.
Step 5. Use a balsamic ointment
A balsamic ointment, such as Vicks Vaporub, helps relieve chest congestion thanks to menthol (the active ingredient contained in mint). Menthol is also able to reduce the feeling of breathlessness. Although its benefits are largely psychological, it allows you to relieve the symptoms (but not the cause) of chest congestion.
Never apply the balm ointment directly under the nose or on infants or children under the age of 2. Camphor - the active ingredient in many of these products - is toxic if swallowed
Step 6. Take guaifenesin
If you have no aversion to pills, guaifenesin medicines significantly reduce chest congestion. It is a drug that thins and dissolves the phlegm accumulated in the airways, eliminating congestion and facilitating breathing.
Guaifenesin temporarily relieves congestion and cold symptoms. It is important to consult your doctor before taking it for the treatment of congestion or smoke-induced cough
Step 7. Avoid taking cough medicine
Cough is a physiological mechanism that allows you to dissolve the phlegm in the lungs and recover from chest congestion. So, allow your body to cough and stay away from antitussives.
Part 2 of 3: Relieving Chest Congestion in the Long Term
Step 1. Ask your doctor about smoking respiratory disease treatment
Although increased congestion is typical in the first few weeks after stopping tobacco products, keep in mind that smoking increases the risk of respiratory diseases, such as chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which are associated decreased air flow due to lung damage. These conditions are also associated with coughing and wheezing.
- Respiratory disease patients from smoking have a combination of symptoms similar to those of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. They include chronic cough, wheezing, and phlegm in the lungs.
- Although it is easy to treat these two conditions, it is important to consult your doctor after you stop smoking to know how high the risk of developing them is.
- Your doctor might order a chest x-ray or CT scan to rule out other disorders.
- A pulmonary function test or blood test may also be needed to determine if other factors favor a certain clinical picture.
Step 2. Avoid exposing yourself to cigar and cigarette smoke
Also, you should wear a face mask if you work in environments where there are strong fumes from paint or cleaning detergents.
- If you can, stay indoors on days when the concentration of air pollution agents is highest.
- Stay away from wood and kerosene stoves, as they can give off irritating fumes or vapors.
- If the cold makes your cough worse, wear a face mask before you leave the house, especially during the winter.
Step 3. Train regularly
It is important to keep the lungs and cardiovascular system in good condition. The body begins the tissue repair process as soon as you stop smoking. The more you train, especially in the early stages of the break, the more your lungs will be able to regain the ability to hold air that was limited while you were smoking.
According to a study conducted on the effects of stopping smoking addiction, there are physical improvements just after a week. Eleven young men who smoked about a pack a day for three and a half years underwent multiple tests while pedaling an exercise bike before quitting, repeated a week later. This research has shown a considerable increase in the oxygen concentration in the lungs and in the duration of exercise
Step 4. Buy a humidifier or vaporizer
By keeping a humidifier or vaporizer on in your bedroom while you sleep, you can keep yourself hydrated at night and help loosen mucus. Clean the filter so that the appliance is able to reduce the concentration of dust in the air that causes congestion.
Keep it clean. Every two or three days wash the filter with a mixture of water and bleach (two tablespoons of bleach for every liter of water). Leave the appliance on until it dries (about 40 minutes) in a well-ventilated area away from the bedroom
Part 3 of 3: Soothe the Throat and Upper Airways Affected by Congestion
Step 1. Gargle with warm salt water
Cough caused by chest congestion can irritate or dry out the throat. A saline solution helps you expectorate the excess fluids present in the inflamed throat tissues, giving them temporary relief.
Dissolve ¼ or ½ teaspoon of salt in a 250ml glass of warm (not hot!) Water. Gargle for 15-20 seconds, then spit out the water
Step 2. Drink a solution of honey and warm lemon juice
It helps you relieve sore throat and fight chest congestion. Add honey and lemon juice to hot water or take a teaspoon of absolute honey to soothe your throat.
Step 3. Add ginger to your diet
Ginger root is a natural anti-inflammatory that can relieve sore lungs. Drink ginger tea and add ginger root (not crystallized ginger) in the preparation of your dishes, such as soups and fries. Ginger candies can also help ease a cough.
If you want to make tea, cut a 1-inch-sized piece of ginger into thin slices and cook it in hot water over low heat for about 15 minutes. Add some honey to give your throat and upper airways extra relief
Step 4. Drink mint tea
Like ginger, mint is also a natural expectorant that allows you to thin the mucus and soften the phlegm. Its active ingredient, menthol, is an excellent decongestant found in numerous over-the-counter medications for chest congestion.
By adding mint into your eating habits (for example in the form of herbal tea), you can relieve the symptoms of chest congestion
Advice
- Do not take over-the-counter antitussives without your doctor's advice.
- Chronic cough or the production of phlegm over three months may indicate chronic bronchitis, a disease affecting the bronchi and lungs caused by inflammation and irritation of the respiratory tract. If you experience these symptoms, see your doctor for a diagnosis.
- See your doctor if your parainfluenza symptoms last longer than a month after your last cigarette or if you notice blood in your sputum.
- Note that other side effects may occur when you stop smoking, such as weight gain due to increased appetite, anxiety, depression, sore throat and / or mouth ulcers. See your doctor if any of these side effects prevent you from living your daily life peacefully.
