Natural decongestants & expectorants

So it is the middle of the night, and you are so congested that you can't sleep, and you really don't want to take a commercial product even if you had it. Having had asthma and allergies my whole life I have tried many ways to help me breath without side effects. Here are a few suggestions of natural remedies I have used to ease my symptoms.

First, is to get upright. Sit in a recliner or prop yourself up with pillows. This position lets your sinuses drain naturally. This also allows you to breathe more deeply. If this first suggestion doesn't produce any relief by itself, then try adding a heat compress over your sinus area, and/ or on your chest.

Another suggestion is to try steam. Both adults and children alike can benefit from this. Go into the bathroom, and if you can, take a hot shower. This will relax you and allow you to breathe the hot vapor of the water. If this is not practical for you, and for children and infants you can just turn on the hot shower and allow the steam to fill the room as you sit in there and breathe it in. To concentrate the steam, you can form a tent with a towel over your head while leaning over the sink filled with hot water or running hot water. My mother used to bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil and then pour it into a bowl or set the pot on the table. I would then lean over the container and hold the "tent" towel over my head. We also had eucalyptus trees that grew around our house and sometimes she would add a few leaves to the boiling water to add to the aromatic benefits of the steam.

Now, these are all external things to try. There are other natural things to consume that help too. Hot tea with lemon and honey is good, or hot lemon water with honey. Of course this is not for infants. It sometimes helps to just suck on a piece of peppermint candy or put a drop of peppermint oil in your tea. A few other herbs that are natural decongestants are thyme, garlic, ginger and chamomile. And don't forget good old chicken soup or broth. The key to any of these is the warm liquid and the vapor it produces.

In today's society, you can find many pre-packaged products in health food stores. There are teas with specifically blended herbs to aid in relieving almost any symptom you might have. There are natural supplements that you can take for your symptoms too.

It is especially important to drink lots of clear liquids, especially water, if you are congested. This helps to thin out the mucous and keep it draining. By staying hydrated, you help your body's immune system work more efficiently.

You can make your own saline nasal rinse with salt and distilled or previously boiled and cooled water, or use one commercially prepared. Make sure it is simply a saline solution if you purchase it to maintain the natural qualities. There are several methods available to rinse your sinus cavities. You can purchase specially marketed pots or applicators. You can also use a bulb syringe or medication dispenser like those used with infants. Always sanitize them by rinsing thoroughly with hot water and allowing them to air dry after each use.

Remember that when the mucous starts draining, it is important that you blow your nose gently or just wipe it so as not to blow it into your Eustachian tubes (ears) causing another problem altogether. Also, if you cough the phlegm up, spit it out so you don't become nauseated from it gathering in your stomach or the back of your throat.

I hope that some of these suggestions will help you to relieve your congestion problems.