Chest Congestion in Infants

Chest congestion is basically a symptom of a particular illness or chronic infection, which leads to formation of mucus in the lungs as well as respiratory tract, thus making the person experience difficulty in breathing. At times, the person can experience the inconvenience in breathing for over a week or two. Although, a person can be affected by chest congestion at any age, chest congestion in infants is relatively common.

Chest Congestion Causes

Chest congestion can be caused either due to viral, bacterial or fungal infection in the upper respiratory tract of the person. The most common cause of chest congestion is common cold, which leads to copious amount of mucus secretion that eventually leads to congestion in the chest as well as nose. Owing to their developing immune system, babies are vulnerable to various allergies as well. When the irritants which trigger allergies enter the body, mucus is secreted as a defense mechanism. But this mucus in turn leads to buildup in the respiratory tract and causes chest congestion. Various upper respiratory tract infections are also known to cause chest congestion in infants. Read more on chest congestion causes.

How to Treat Chest Congestion in Infants?

Although chest congestion is much more common in infants than in adults, it's relatively difficult to diagnose or treat the condition. Relieving chest congestion in infants is a bit difficult, because unlike adults, infants shouldn't be administered by over the counter medications. The most important task is to keep the child's nose free from mucus buildup. This can be done by dripping a small amount of saline solution in the baby's nose, and clearing the buildup in the nose with a bulb syringe, after a minute or two. One of the widely acclaimed chest congestion remedies for babies is applying a little baby-strength vapor rub on the child's chest. The vapor will help in clearing the nasal pipe and relieving the baby of the stuffiness. When doing this though, it is wiser to check whether the child is allergic to vapor rub. This can be done by applying a small amount of vapor rub on the skin. Though temporary, yet another method of treating chest congestion in infants is to make the baby sleep in an elevated position in order to curb the growth of mucus in the chest. Read more on chest congestion remedies.

Other Chest Congestion Remedies for Babies

Other than the above mentioned methods, you can also use humidifier in the baby's room. This will help in loosening the mucus in the child's nasal cavity and chest, thus giving much needed relief from chest congestion. You can also run the hot water shower in the bathroom and wait for 10 to 15 minutes in the bathroom with the child. The steam produced in the bathroom will act like humidifier and clear the respiratory tract off unwanted mucus.

Although not a serious ailment, chest congestion in infants can make it difficult for the child to breathe. More importantly, as the child is not able to express the discomfort, it becomes difficult to diagnose the condition. The immune system of infants is weak, and that's the reason why infectious diseases are commonly observed in children. Children are more vulnerable to the underlying conditions of chest congestion and therefore should be provided medical attention at the earliest. Maintaining clean surroundings and attending to child's basic hygienic needs can help in preventing chest congestion in infants to a great deal and prevention is no doubt better than treatment of chest congestion.

In adults, simple measures, such eucalyptus steam inhalation or drinking a mixture of turmeric powder and water, can help ease the problem of chest congestion. In fact, drinking green tea is considered to be one of the most effective chest congestion home remedy. Other home remedies include eating spicy food and drinking hot tea. Although they are successful in providing chest congestion relief, it's not advisable to try such measures with infants or toddlers.