CAUSES

The two most common causes of chest congestion are particles in the air and the bacteria and viruses responsible for upper respiratory tract infections.

Airborne particles

Certain things in the air can enter your body just by taking a breath—such as allergens and dust. Usually, these particles are harmless and become trapped in the mucus membrane of your nose and airways. Tiny hairlike structures called cilia transport these trapped particles along with mucus towards your throat. That mucus can make your chest feel congested.

Bacteria and Viruses

An inhaled virus or bacteria can cause an infection, leading to chest congestion. At first, bacteria and viruses work much like allergens, entering your body through the mucus membrane and being transported by the cilia. But they also cause inflammation, which in turn makes your body produce excess mucus in your airways in an attempt to remove them. Your body may not be able to get rid of this excessive, thicker mucus in the usual ways, and the mucus gets stuck inside your lungs, which results in a congested chest.

TYPES

• Acute bronchial congestion
• Chronic bronchial congestion

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of bronchial congestion or chest congestion include:

• Hacking cough with clear, green, or dark yellow mucus
• Chest tightness
• Mucus
• cough
• Sore throat
• Body aches and chills
• Headache
• Fever
• Shortness of breath or wheezing

If your chest congestion started from a cold, it may be accompanied by a

• stuffy nose
• sore throat and
• sneezing

If you have the flu, your chest congestion may be accompanied by typical flu symptoms, such as,

• headache
• body aches
• fatigue and
• fever

which usually resolves after the first 3-4 days and may precede the cough.

RISK FACTORS

Certain groups of people have a higher risk of developing serious chest infections, such as:

• babies and very young children
• children with developmental problems
• people who are very overweight
• elderly people
• pregnant women
• people who smoke
• people with long-term health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• people with a weakened immune system – this could be due to a recent illness, a transplant, high-dose steroids, chemotherapy or a health condition, such as an undiagnosed HIV infection.

DIAGNOSIS

• Physical exam and your symptoms.
• Check the oxygen levels in your blood. This is done with a sensor that goes on your toe or finger.
• Do a lung function test. You’ll breathe into a device called a spirometer to test for emphysema (a type of COPD in which air sacs in your lungs are destroyed) and asthma.
• Give you a chest X-ray. This is to check for pneumonia or another illness that could cause your cough.
• Order blood tests. These can identify signs of infection or measure the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood.
• Test your mucus to rule out diseases caused by bacteria. One of these is whooping cough, also called pertussis. It causes violent coughing that makes it hard to breathe. If your doctor thinks you have this or the flu, they’ll also take a nasal swab.

COMPLICATIONS

Some of the complication of bronchial congestion or chest congestion are;

• bacteria in your bloodstream (sepsis)
• accumulation of fluid within your lungs
• development of lung abscesses

PREVENTION

The first step to avoiding bronchial congestion or chest congestion is ,

• prevent the colds and flus that lead to it, and the best way to do that is to build and maintain your immune system.
• Eat a healthy diet with lots of nutrient-dense fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Get 7-8 hours of good-quality sleep each night.
• Exercise your lungs. Cardiovascular exercise tones your breathing muscles, expands your lung capacity, and supports your immune function.
• Reduce your stress.
• Decrease your exposure to cold and flu germs.
• Wash Your Hands
• Physical DistancingAvoid Touching Your Face
• Avoid Touching Your Face
• Cover Your Cough
• Avoid Sharing Utensils and Cups

CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT FOR BRONCHIAL CONGESTION OR CHEST CONGESTION

For many people, home remedies are an effective first-line treatment. Try these options:

• Drink lots of fluids. It sounds cliche, but you likely hear this advice so often because it works.
• Use a humidifier
• Take honey
• Use essential oils-Peppermint oil and eucalyptus oil are also used as natural decongestants.

You can make use of essential oil in one of two ways:

Diffuse it:Fill a bowl with hot water and a few drops of the essential oil. Lean over the bowl and cover your head with a hand towel to help trap the steam. Breathe in the steam for 5 to 10 minutes.

Apply it topically:Apply the diluted oil directly to your chest. Repeat as needed throughout the day.

• Take a decongestant- oxymetazoline and pseudoephedrine
• Slather on a vapor rub

EFFECTIVENESS OF ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT

Acupuncture is a mainstay of traditional Chinese medicine, which has been practiced for thousands of years. The Chinese healing tradition sees the body as a delicate balance of yin and yang. These are two opposing, but inseparable forces. According to traditional Chinese medicine, disease occurs when the forces of yin and yang are out of balance.

In the Traditional Chinese Medicine view, qi (the vital energy proposed to regulate a person’s spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health) circulates throughout the body on pathways called meridians. Qi can be heavily influenced by emotional, environmental, and elemental forces, and disruptions in the flow of qi are thought to be responsible for disease. Traditional Chinese Medicine views bronchial congestion as a disruptive invasion of wind, either hot or cold, into the body system.

A study by The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (Jobst) found that patients with regular acupuncture sessions showed a reduction in the use of medications to control bronchial symptoms, particularly the use of steroids, which can cause extensive liver damage over an extended period of time. Acupuncture treatment is an effective method to increase the power of the body’s immune system, removing internal blockages to help control bronchial congestion or chest congestions effectively and safely.

MECHANISM OF ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture is based on Traditional Chinese Medical theory in which health is deemed as keeping balance of energy that is called Qi flowing a circulation through the channels and meridians in the body. Acupuncture is one of the key components of Traditional Chinese Medical therapies in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture corrects the imbalance of the flowing of Qi via a needle inserted into special acupoints along the meridians. Acupuncture can not only improve the clinical symptoms and signs of patients with Bronchial congestion or chest congestion , improve the quality of life, but also improve their immune function. Studies have confirmed that acupuncture can reduce the inflammatory damage of bronchial congestion by reducing the expression levels of serum interleukin (IL)-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α; at the same time, it can increase serum IL-2 levels, enhance the body's ability to fight inflammatory response, and improve immune function.

ACUPUNCTURE FOR BRONCHIAL CONGESTION OR CHEST CONGESTION

The acupoints selected for the treatment for bronchial congestion or chest congestion are LU10,LU1,LU4,LU5,LU6,LU7,ST25,ST36,ST40.The researchers chose three classic acupuncture points used for the treatment of respiratory disorders. All three are back shu acupuncture points. BL13 is the back shu point of the lungs and is indicated for the treatment of bronchitis.Other Acupoints used are BL17 and BL19.Patients consistently had less symptoms and blood assays demonstrated enhanced immunological responses to therapy. The researchers conclude that acupuncture is safe and effective for the treatment of chronic bronchial congestion or chest congestion as part of a comprehensive treatment protocol.Acupuncture helps by clearing away the heat and fire from the lung thereby reducing inflammation and infections in the airways and lung.It also strengthens the lung qi which promotes the immune system and the release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors.

BEST CURE FOR BRONCHIAL CONGESTION OR CHEST CONGESTION

Looking for the best relief for bronchial congestion or chest congestion in Chennai, here’s why you should reach out to the expert Acupuncturist. A. Shaji Bharath from the best rated clinic Dr.Bharath’s Acu Heal. He is currently treating patients for a wide range of conditions. As a best acupuncture practitioner with 15 years of experience, and having worked with several pulmonologists doctors Acupuncturist. A. Shaji Bharath can create the treatment plan for the best cure for bronchial congestion or chest congestion to manage the condition that's tailored to your needs, which can break a cycle of long-lasting cough and breathing difficulty. As the top acupuncture doctor for respiratory conditions in Chennai he has witnessed acupuncture doing wonders for people suffering from bronchial congestion or chest congestion. The effectiveness rate increases several times just with one course of Acupuncture. So, take some time to find the right pain management and best remedy for acupuncture approach that suits you. Most of the people swear by acupuncture, citing it as a best cure and a ‘miracle’ to improving their quality of life. To contact the top acupuncture doctor in Chennai, Dial: +91 9884746916 or Visit: drbharathsacuheal.com for more details.

BEST ACUPUNCTURE DOCTOR NEAR ME

To choose the Best doctor for Acupuncture, it's important that the Acupuncturist should have a decade of experience and treated at least 1000 to 2000 patients.

You can also search for the Best Acupuncture Doctor near me or ask your primary care physician to refer an experienced Acupuncturist nearby. Once you find the Best Acupuncture Doctor in Chennai, you may go through their google reviews first and then fix an appointment with the doctor only when you are satisfied with the reviews.

The Best Acupuncture Doctor should address your concerns and help you feel more comfortable before your first session. Acupuncture usually takes numerous sessions or several weeks to get a complete cure in any ailment but within 3 or 4 sessions the patients will experience positive differences.

BEST ACUPUNCTURE CLINIC NEAR ME

There are numerous clinics popping up and it is sometimes skeptical to choose the best or even the safe one. To address such concerns, you can look into the following points to choose the best acupuncture clinic for treating bronchial congestion or chest congestion. Acupuncture is also offered in hospital pain clinics and by healthcare organizations but it is ideal to visit the best Acupuncture Clinic. If you are not sure, it would be a good idea to contact your local doctor to see if they would be prepared to refer to the best rated acupuncture clinics.Acupuncture is offered in top rated acupuncture clinics near me because conventional treatment has failed or produces unacceptable side effects. Most of the best acupuncture clinics for respiratory disorders will spell out very clearly what type of acupuncture they practice and how professional they are - at present anyone can set themselves up as an acupuncturist but reputable practitioners will belong to an organization. So while you are filtering the best clinics for acupuncture that treats bronchial congestion or chest congestion, you can look out for these factors.

We have been rewarded a 5-star rating from Google & Practo. You can also check the reviews there.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Bronchial congestion or Chest congestion can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection in your lower respiratory tract. They can range from mild to severe.It is better to see a doctor if coughing or bronchial congestion lasts beyond 7 to 14 days. Dial: +91 9884746916 or Visit: drbharathsacuheal.com for more details.

SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES:

• Jobst KA. ”Acupuncture in asthma and pulmonary disease: An analysis of efficacy and safety.” The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2(1): 179-206; discussion 207-10, 1996 Spring.
• 1.Wang LL. (2012). Clinical immunology and immunity examination. Beijing: People's Health Publishing House. 228-229.
• Li XQ, Shi ZM. (2015). Acupuncture Treatment Based on Lung-stomach Theory in Treating Post-infectious Cough. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. 34(3).

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FAQ:

What are the services provided for Bronchial congestion by Dr. Bharath’s Acu Heal?

Acupuncture treatment will be given based on the disease’s chronicity and acuteness. The Acupuncturist can understand the condition of the disease only after a thorough investigation by pulse and tongue diagnosis. In the first few sessions, there will be a positive change in the symptoms and after several sessions, there will be a 90% to 100% chance that the patient will get cured of Bronchial congestion. Simultaneously the patient will be advised on a diet with food restrictions and exercise regime which includes an induced sound sleep that plays a vital role in reversing the disease.

What are the benefits of acupuncture for Bronchial congestion?

This is a drugless therapy and there are no adverse effects. Moreover, the results are permanent. After completing the course of treatment any form of medication can be stopped.

How many sessions do you need for Bronchial congestion?

It takes a minimum of 5 to 8 sessions to get a complete cure of Bronchial congestion.