What Causes Chest Heaviness And Cough And What Are The Remedies

What Causes Chest Heaviness And Cough And What Are The Remedies









Day in and day out, outpatient departments are jammed with people complaining of chest heaviness, for them it may be a synonym for chest pain. Chest heaviness is a common symptom of many diseases. The reason can be a trivial cold or can be as grave as something associated with your heart and lungs.

However, instead of feeling anxious it is necessary to zero in on the cause behind your problem with a proper medical checkup, even if the heaviness is of recent onset or a lingering problem since many days.

Causes Of Heaviness In The Chest And Cough

Chest heaviness is a perception of something heavy gripping around your chest or the rib cage.


You feel as if someone is sitting on your chest or holding your chest tightly. Chest heaviness is common among asthmatics, especially during an acute attack of asthma. There may be a burning sensation in the chest, a velvety feeling in chest with associated cough and rattling of mucus. With rapid, short, difficult breathing you may feel suffocated. Taking care asthma can ease chest heaviness.

• Chest heaviness with associated cough can be a common problem in smokers. This is for two reasons; one pertains to lungs and other with heart. Smoking since long time can be a triggering factor for chronic bronchitis, in this condition the internal mucus lining of the air passage become inflamed.
  
  
  It results in persistent cough and heaviness in chest. Smokers are at a risk of coronary artery disease. If there is accompanying chest pain with a feeling of heaviness it can be due to angina, consider visiting your doctor as soon as possible before the situation turns grave. The physician may be able to find the exact reason behind your chest pain and heaviness.


• If you are suffering from seasonal cold, you are ought to cough and feel tightening of chest. This is because while lying down, the nasal mucus drains back and irritates your throat and produces cough. Repeated coughing can strain your chest muscles, it may cause pain and heaviness in your chest.


• Besides, if chest heaviness and cough is associated with fever and unilateral chest pain either on right or left, several other respiratory ailments needs to be ruled out. They may be pneumonia, tuberculosis, a pnemothorax and so on. An X-ray of chest is a valuable test for a differential diagnosis in such conditions.


• There are many people who complain of heaviness in chest after eating spicy and oily food. These people are suffering from GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease), a big name for heartburn! Avoid eating spicy and greasy food and chest heaviness will disappear.


• Heaviness of chest and cough can be a symptom of pericarditis, inflammation of heart lining. Shortness of breath with sharp shooting pain in the chest may be an indication of the inflammation of the lining of the lungs, pleurisy as it medically called.

Home Remedies For Cough And Chest Heaviness

Home remedies have attained its popularity as never before among masses. However, one should know when to a use it and when to avoid it. When conditions are of serious origin it is always necessary to consult your physician before starting any medicine. There are many other conditions where home remedies have been effective and relevantly safe.

• If you are suffering from cold and feel heaviness in your chest you can get rid of the troubling cold by drinking plenty of hot fluids. A tomato soup or chicken soup diced with pepper is an effective home remedy, as it will help to loosen the congested phlegm inside your chest and eventually get rid of it.


• Onion has been used since centuries to cure bronchitis. It acts as a natural expectorant. Extract one teaspoon of onion juice and drink it in the morning. It helps to liquefy the phlegm and helps to get rid of it easily. Some people may like to add honey. Honey has added advantage of diminishing cough and thus chest heaviness.


• In asthmatic individuals, besides avoiding the irritants such as cigarettes, dust, and other allergens, regular eating a clove of garlic has helped many to reduce the intensity and episodes of the attack. Reduced attacks will definitely help your chest to feel less heavy.