If your child has a cold, he may be suffering from chest congestion. Mucous can accumulate in the chest when it drips from the sinuses into the back of the throat and into the chest. In most cases, chest congestion is not serious if your child has cold symptoms, like a headache and sore throat. If your child has symptoms of fever, is wheezing or is coughing up green mucous, call his doctor.
Steam
Inhaling steam can help loosen mucous in your child's chest, which makes breathing easier and coughing more productive. By placing a humidifier in your child's room while he sleeps, you can help keep your child's chest from becoming congested throughout the night, says the Mayo Clinic. If you don't have a humidifier, take your child into the bathroom, turn on the hot water in the bathtub and shut the door. As steam fills the room, instruct your child to breathe in and out deeply. If your child's congestion is particularly bothersome, fill the sink with water and place a towel over your child's head while it is hanging down over the sink. As your child breathes in the steam, her chest will become less congested.
Chicken Soup
Chicken soup is an old home remedy that really works, according to the Mayo Clinic. Eating chicken soup "temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus," says the Mayo Clinic, which can help reduce congestion in the chest and nasal passages. In addition, chicken soup acts as an anti-inflammatory, which can help reduce pain while breathing and clear sinuses. Finally, as your child breathes in the steam from the soup, the mucous in his chest will loosen, making it easier to breathe.
Peppermint
Peppermint is an herb used in topical decongestants that use vapor to help clear sinuses and chest congestion. Dab a few drops of peppermint oil on your child's chest and instruct him to breathe deeply while you rub it into his skin. Inhaling the peppermint oil will help loosen nasal passages and chest congestion the same way a topical vapor medication does. For further relief, make your child a cup of peppermint tea and have him inhale the steam while slowly sipping the tea. The tea will help loosen chest congestion and make breathing easier.
