what to feed a chest cold

Full Answer

What is good to take for a chest cold?

• Get plenty of rest
• Use a humidifier or try breathing steam from a hot shower to loosen mucus
• Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and thin mucus
• Use extra pillows to prop herself up in bed. ...
• Use an over-the-counter (OTC) expectorant called guaifenesin to help break up chest congestion
• Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke

What is the best cure for chest cold?

Radish for Chest Cold

• Peel the radish and chop it into small pieces.
• Extract the radish juice using a juicer.
• Add 1 tsp of sugar to the radish juice.
• Mix it well.
• Drink it twice a day.
• You will get rid of a chest cold in 3-4 days using this home remedy.

What foods should I eat for chest congestion?

What Foods Should I Eat for Chest Congestion?

• Water and Other Fluids. Water as well as other non-caffeinated fluids can help to thin mucus secretions and ease chest congestion.
• Chicken Soup. The traditional remedy for colds, flu and accompanying chest congestion is warm chicken soup. ...
• Spicy Foods. ...
• Vitamin C. ...

What are the best foods to eat for a cold?

What Are the Best Foods to Eat When Having Cough and Colds?

1. Ginger. In addition to reducing inflammation, being an antioxidant, and helping with nausea, fresh ginger, in particular, has an antiviral effect on respiratory mucosal cells. ...
2. Garlic. Garlic has medicinal properties, including the ability to reduce the likelihood of colds and shorten the duration and severity if they do occur. ...
3. Raw honey. ...
4. Turmeric. ...
5. Lemon. ...

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What is good to eat when you have a chest cold?

Consider eating the following foods when you have the flu.Broth. Whether you prefer chicken, beef, or vegetable, broth is one of the best things you can eat when you have the flu. ... Chicken soup. ... Garlic. ... Yogurt. ... Vitamin C–containing fruits. ... Leafy greens. ... Broccoli. ... Oatmeal.More items...

What helps a chest cold fast?

Cold remedies that workStay hydrated. Water, juice, clear broth or warm lemon water with honey helps loosen congestion and prevents dehydration. ... Rest. Your body needs rest to heal.Soothe a sore throat. ... Combat stuffiness. ... Relieve pain. ... Sip warm liquids. ... Try honey. ... Add moisture to the air.More items...

How do you get rid of a chest cold in 24 hours?

Sleep with your head propped up on several pillows to make breathing easier and prevent mucus from accumulating in your chest overnight. Take a hot shower and breathe in the steam to ease congestion. Try an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to ease body aches and reduce fever.

What foods take away a cold?

11 Best Foods to Fight a Cold or FluChicken Noodle Soup: Grandma was right — nothing beats chicken soup for fending off sniffles. ... Onions. ... Shiitake Mushrooms. ... Ginger. ... Natural Yoghurt. ... Cinnamon. ... Green Tea. ... Garlic.More items...

What helps Covid chest congestion?

Outside of medications, there are other home remedies you can try to clear up your chest congestion.Stay hydrated. ... Use a humidifier, face steamer, or vaporizer.Soothe your face with a warm, moist washcloth or breathe in with your face over a bowl of hot water.Try deep breathing and positional exercises.More items...•

What is the fastest way to get mucus out of your lungs?

Taking the following actions can help to eliminate excess mucus and phlegm:Keeping the air moist. ... Drinking plenty of fluids. ... Applying a warm, wet washcloth to the face. ... Keeping the head elevated. ... Not suppressing a cough. ... Discreetly getting rid of phlegm. ... Using a saline nasal spray or rinse. ... Gargling with salt water.More items...

What are the 4 stages of pneumonia?

Stages of PneumoniaStage 1: Congestion. During the congestion phase, the lungs become very heavy and congested due to infectious fluid that has accumulated in the air sacs. ... Stage 2: Red hepatization. ... Stage 3: Gray hepatization. ... Stage 4: Resolution.

How long does a chest cold usually last?

A: Typically, a chest cold will develop three or four days after a cold or the flu and lasts for around two to three weeks. However, this is approximate and symptoms may last for longer. If this is the case, medical attention should be sought.

What are signs of a chest cold?

A “chest cold” is the everyday name for acute bronchitis. The condition causes the lung's airways to swell and produce mucus, which leads to a cough....Symptomschest congestion and soreness.aches and pains, including headaches.fatigue.a sore throat.a fever.a stuffy, leaky nose.wheezing.chills.

What not to eat if you have Covid?

Avoid foods (e.g. snacks) that are high in salt and sugar. Limit your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar (e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and syrups, flavoured milks and yogurt drinks). Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Are eggs good for colds?

Selenium acts as an antioxidant, which helps relieve some symptoms of the common cold. Eggs are a protein-filled food rich in zinc and vitamin D. A 2018 clinical review suggests that vitamin D intake is associated with a lower risk of a cold, and the higher your intake, the better your immune function.

Is banana good for cold?

Eating bananas when you are suffering from cough, cold and other problems like nausea or vomiting helps in getting rid of the diseases easier. Banana is a part of BRAT (Banana, Rice, Applesauce and Toast), a diet type recommended for people suffering from cough, cold and stomach ailments.

What foods help fight Covid?

Eat whole grains and nuts, 180 g of grains (unprocessed maize, oats, wheat, millet, brown rice or roots such as yam, potato, taro or cassava) Use nuts like almonds, coconut, and pistachio. Red meat can be eaten once or twice per week, and poultry 2−3 times per week.

What drinks help a cold?

The best tips for getting over your cold are to drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest. Water, juice, clear broth, and warm water with lemon and honey can really help loosen congestion. Tea is fine, but the decaffeinated kinds are best.

How long does a chest cold last?

That’s what makes you cough. A chest cold, often called acute bronchitis, lasts less than 3 weeks and is the most common type of bronchitis.

How to get rid of bronchitis?

Below are some ways you can feel better while your body fights off acute bronchitis: Get plenty of rest. Drink plenty of fluids. Use a clean humidifier or cool mist vaporizer. Use saline nasal spray or drops to relieve a stuffy nose. For young children, use a rubber suction bulb to clear mucus.

How old do you have to be to give a child cough medicine?

Children 4 years or older: discuss with your child’s doctor if over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are safe to give to your child for temporary symptom relief. Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about the right dosage of over-the-counter medicines for your child’s age and size.

Can antibiotics help with chest cold?

You could have a chest cold. Antibiotics will not help you get better if you have a chest cold (acute bronchitis). If you’re healthy without heart or lung problems or a weakened immune system, this information is for you.

Can you take cough and cold medicine at 4?

Cough and cold medicines: Children younger than 4 years old: do not use unless a doctor specifically tells you to. Use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in young children can result in serious and potentially life-threatening side effects.

How to get rid of mucus in chest?

Sleep with your head propped up on several pillows to make breathing easier and prevent mucus from accumulating in your chest overnight. Take a hot shower and breathe in the steam to ease congestion. Try an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to ease body aches and reduce fever.

How to treat chest congestion in children?

Consider these home remedies for children with chest congestion: 1 Some over-the-counter pain medications with ibuprofen or acetaminophen are designed for kids. Follow the label’s instructions, and check the active ingredients to ensure your child isn’t taking more than the recommended amount. You should also discuss the dosage with your child’s doctor. 2 Cough syrup may help ease chest congestion symptoms in children. Cough syrup is available at drug stores or by prescription. Like pain relievers, read the label to ensure your child doesn’t take too much at one time. 3 Lozenges may be given to children older than four years, but don’t give them to children younger than four years. 4 If your child is older than one year, give them a teaspoon of honey or mix the same amount in a cup with warm water. Honey helps thin mucus and loosen a cough. Some research suggests that honey is more effective at reducing a severe cough than store-bought cough syrup. However, do not give honey to infants younger than one year because it can lead to a sickness known as infant botulism. 5 Try squeezing saline drops in your child’s nose to loosen mucus, then insert a rubber bulb syringe to gently suction the nostrils and remove excess mucus.

What is the best medicine for chest congestion in children?

Consider these home remedies for children with chest congestion: Some over-the-counter pain medications with ibuprofen or acetaminophen are designed for kids. Follow the label’s instructions, and check the active ingredients to ensure your child isn’t taking more than the recommended amount.

How do you know if you have a chest congestion?

Symptoms of chest congestion include: Hacking cough with clear, green, or dark yellow mucus. Chest tightness. Sore throat. Body aches and chills. Headache. Fever. Shortness of breath or wheezing. The majority of these symptoms often fade in a few days, but a cough can last for weeks as your bronchial tubes heal.

What causes chest congestion?

Chest congestion is the result of inflamed air passages, or bronchi, in the lungs. A chest cold results from the same virus as the common cold and usually presents as a runny nose, sinus infection, ...

What is the best way to relax your lungs?

Use bronchodilators, which relax the muscles in your lungs and widen your bronchi to make breathing easier. Bronchodilators are often used to treat long-term conditions where your airways become inflamed and narrow, such as asthma.

Can antibiotics help with chest congestion?

The only cure for this kind of virus involves resting and waiting for the virus to clear. Antibiotics are only helpful in treating diseases like pneumonia and whooping cough. However, some home remedies and treatments can soothe your aching chest and relieve your symptoms.

How do you know if you have a chest cold?

Common symptoms of a chest cold include: Other symptoms that can accompany a chest cold include fatigue, sore throat, headache, and body aches, possibly triggered by coughing. You’ll feel uncomfortable for a few days or a week, but chest colds typically get better on their own.

How long does it take for a chest cold to go away?

Chest colds improve in about 7 to 10 days. Chronic bronchitis is a persistent hacking cough lasting at least 3 months. Other symptoms include chest soreness or tightness. Fever. Sometimes, bronchitis causes a low-grade fever. Symptoms are worse. You’ll also have worsening of chest cold symptoms with bronchitis.

What are the symptoms of a cold?

Most people know how to recognize symptoms of a common cold, which usually includes a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and nasal congestion. A chest cold, also called acute bronchitis, is different.

How to avoid getting sick from respiratory disease?

So if you have a respiratory disease, take measures to avoid getting sick. Get an annual flu shot and pneumonia vaccination, avoid people who are sick, wash your hands, and don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Can chest colds lead to chronic bronchitis?

Sometimes, a chest cold (or acute bronchitis) can advance to chronic bronchitis. The following may indicate chronic bronchitis: Symptoms aren’t responding to OTC medication. Whereas a chest cold improves on its own with OTC medication, chronic bronchitis doesn’t always respond to medication and usually requires a doctor.

Can a chest cold cause a flare up?

Having a respiratory disease, such as asthma, lung cancer, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, or other lung problems, can worsen symptoms of a chest cold. Since some of these conditions already cause breathing difficulties, a chest cold could trigger a flare-up or exacerbate symptoms.

Can chest cold cause shortness of breath?

If so, you may have increased shortness of breath, mucus production, and cough. Wheezing or shortness of breath may occur with minimal activity.

Turmeric milk

Turmeric milk is one of the very effective home remedies not only in chest cold (acute bronchitis), but in many other related diseases. Making Turmeric milk is really easy! Take a glass (approximately 250/300 ml.) of warm or luke milk. For the Turmeric Milk most preferred milk is cow milk. If not available, then take any other type of milk.

Holy basil

The herb holy basil ( Tulsi) works like magic in chest cold. The best way to consume the holy basil in chest cold is to eat 4/5 raw leaves just by chewing it. Else you can consume holy basil tea. Prepare normal tea with 4/5 basil leaves. Also instead of tea, you can boil holy basil leaves in plain water and drink it.

Black pepper milk

Very similar to turmeric milk black pepper milk works equally well in chest cold relief. This is specially useful if you are facing issues to breath due to cough. Take 7/8 black peppers and grind it to powder. Now take a cup of milk (approx. 200 ml), add approximately 50 ml water. The amount of water and milk is not very specific.

Ginger and honey

Mix 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger juice with an equal volume of honey. Take this two times a day. It helps to improve the frequency ( how often it occurs) and intensity of your bronchitis. You may also take ginger tea to get relief from bronchitis symptoms.

Ginger and black pepper

First make one cup of boiling water. Then add one teaspoon of ginger powder and one teaspoon of black pepper to this boiling water. Then boil it for few minutes. Next, add some honey to it. Drink this two times a day.

Dry ginger, black pepper, and long pepper

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties so it helps to reduce inflammation. Black pepper helps to reduce nasal congestion. Long pepper has anti-inflammatory properties. So, take all the three ingredients, make it a powder form. This powder is called Trikatu and mix all these in honey. Then drink the mixture three times daily.

Plain hot water

The most simple trick in chest cold is drinking Luke warm water. It helps to soothe the throat as cleanses the extra cough.

How to help a baby with a chest cold?

sucking on cough drops or lozenges to soothe the throat. drinking tea with honey to quiet the cough. If an infant has a chest cold, use caution when administering over-the-counter medication . Follow instructions on packaging carefully and contact a pharmacist or another healthcare provider with any questions.

What is chest cold?

Seeing a doctor. Summary. A “chest cold” is the everyday name for acute bronchitis. The condition causes the lung’s airways to swell and produce mucus, which leads to a cough. It is not the same as the common cold, which affects the lungs differently. Unlike chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis is not a long-term illness.

How long does it take for a chest cold to go away?

A chest cold, or acute bronchitis, is different from chronic bronchitis because it comes on quickly and typically goes away within a few weeks. To relieve the symptoms of a chest cold, a person can take over-the-counter fever reducers, get plenty of rest, and drink plenty of fluids.

What tests are used to diagnose a chest cold?

Doctors may use other tools to confirm the diagnosis of a chest cold, including: pulse oximetry , which measures the level of oxygen in the blood. pulmonary function tests, which can assess the lungs’ ability to move air. sputum cultures, to help identify the microorganism that is causing the illness.

What are the symptoms of a cold?

Beyond a cough, symptoms of a chest cold can include: chest congestion and soreness. aches and pains, including headaches. fatigue. a sore throat. a fever. a stuffy, leaky nose. wheezing. chills.

How to tell if you have a cold?

Beyond a cough, symptoms of a chest cold can include: 1 chest congestion and soreness 2 aches and pains, including headaches 3 fatigue 4 a sore throat 5 a fever 6 a stuffy, leaky nose 7 wheezing 8 chills

Can a chest cold be a secondary bacterial infection?

These can be symptoms of a different illness or a secondary bacterial infection that requires antibiotic treatment. Anyone with existing heart problems or lung disease who thinks that they have a chest cold should see a doctor, regardless of the severity of their symptoms.

How to get rid of cough and congestion?

Capsaicin, the compound that gives spicy peppers their heat, may also help suppress a cough. Add a pinch of ground cayenne to your tea, soup, or broth.

What are some good foods to boost your immune system?

Green veggies provide anti-inflammatory antioxidants, as well as key nutrients known to help the immune system function, including vitamins A and C and folate. They also provide bioactive compounds that provide a chemical signal that optimizes immunity in the gut, the location of 70-80% of immune cells. Saute veggies in EVOO along with garlic, turmeric, and black pepper, or add them to soup. You can also blend leafy greens, like kale or spinach, into a smoothie.

Why is soup good for your nose?

That’s important, because catching a cold triggers an inflammatory response in your upper respiratory tract, which contributes to symptoms like a stuffy nose.

What are some good foods to help with inflammation?

Walnuts. In addition to being one of the top anti-inflammatory foods, walnuts contain several nutrients that play a role in supporting the immune system, including vitamins E and B6, copper, and folate. Walnuts have also been shown in research to reduce psychological stress.

What to do if you don't eat chicken broth?

If you don’t eat chicken, opt for vegetable broth, flavored with add-ins like garlic, ginger, cayenne, turmeric, and black pepper.

What is the best food for the digestive system?

Bananas. Bananas are one of the easiest foods on the digestive system and remain one of the few appealing foods when appetite is diminished due to illness. They also raise blood sugar and provide energy while delivering key nutrients that help support the immune system, including vitamins C and B6, copper, and folate.

Why are dried cherries good for you?

Dried tart cherries. The high antioxidant content in dried tart cherries is tied to a bolstered immune system, including a reduced risk of upper respiratory tract symptoms. These gems also support healthy sleep due to their natural melatonin content.

Chicken Potpie Soup

My grandmother hand-wrote a cookbook; she created this amazing pie crust, and I added the delicious soup for it. —Karen LeMay, Seabrook, Texas

Marinated Oranges

This flavorful fruit was actually the topping in a cake recipe. But I didn't want all the calories or fat from the cake—and the oranges are a good dessert all by themselves! The dash of vanilla extract brings out the fruit's sweetness. —Carol Poindexter, Norridge, Illinois

Rosemary Roasted Baby Carrots

Baby carrots go over big when seasoned with the subtle taste of rosemary. I like to sprinkle raisins on top for a combination of sweet and savory. —Aysha Schurman, Ammon, Idaho

Lemon Thyme Green Tea

Fresh sprigs of lemon thyme make this citrusy tea so refreshing—it’s like sipping summer from a cup. My family and I enjoy it so much that it’s a staple on our southern front porch.—Melissa Pelkey Hass, Waleska, Georgia

Cold-Day Chicken Noodle Soup

When I was sick, my mom would make me this heartwarming chicken noodle soup. It was soothing when I had a cold, but this soup is a bowlful of comfort on any chilly day. —Anthony Graham, Ottawa, lllinois

Garlic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Sauce

Don’t be afraid to bring out the roasted Brussels sprouts. Mellowed with mustard sauce, they may just delight even the most skeptical folks. —Becky Walch, Orland, California

Hot Apple Cider

In this recipe, brown sugar and spices add extra flavor to already delicious apple cider. —Marlys Benning, Wellsburg, Iowa