Chest congestion is an infection that appears when you have a cold or the flu. It builds up in your lungs. This can cause you to cough and make your chest hurt. It is important to get rid of chest congestion fast for several reasons. With a cough, sleeping is a difficult task. When you have important work to accomplish or you are taking a well-deserved vacation, removing the chest congestion is vital. There are techniques that you can use to remove the mucus and phlegm from your chest.

1. Take over-the-counter medications. Cough suppressants assist in bottling up the cough so you can sleep. However, other cough medicines break up the mucus. This will help in getting rid of the chest congestion faster. This medication includes Mucinex and Tylenol Cold.

2. Drink hot chicken broth. The steam will loosen the mucus in your chest. Breathe in the steam from the soup before you begin drinking. This will allow the boiling chicken stock to cool while still helping relieve your chest congestion.

3. Take a hot shower. Stand in the shower and let the hot water run against your chest. Breathing in the steam will help break up the mucus. Take a 30-minute shower three or four times a day.

4. Cough. Every time you cough, your chest works to break up the mucus. This will allow phlegm to come up. Spit out the phlegm every time. This is the infection. Swallowing the phlegm will make you worse.

Tip

You may be able to get rid of your chest congestion within one to two days. Try each method. More than one method may be needed to relieve the congestion quickly.