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Many times we experience chest congestion which causes us to cough and sneeze. Like any other health problem, it makes us feel uneasy and irritable. And why not! It is effecting our respiratory system. Without proper respiration, we can not feel comfortable since we need to inhale good quality air without hindrance and also to exhale the impure air without hindrance.

But due to contemporary air pollution, the health problems due to allergy and airborne infections have increased. Not only have these problems increased, the immunity levels of a human have also decreased due to chronic exposure to polluted environmental air.

Whenever we experience an abnormal feeling of chest congestion, there is a natural home therapy which can do wonders for a patient without his / her taking any medicine. It is called steam inhalation.

The procedure is quite simple. In a closed room like your bedroom, take a clean electric kettle and fill it with potable water. Then let the kettle boil its water till steam comes out through its nozzle. Now gently inhale the steam through your nose at your normal relaxed breathing rate. Inhale for about 5 minutes. If any phlegm comes out from your mouth through cough or any discharge comes out from your nose, throw it into your wash basin and continue with your steam inhalation.

Steam inhalation will clear the chest and the respiratory tract of these congested particles. Also since steam has more heat than boiling water, it will kill the microbes. If the congestion is due to allergens, then steam inhalation will deactivate them and also reduce hypersensitivity. Many doctors prescribe steam inhalation along with their prescribed medicine.

After finishing steam inhalation for 5 minutes, please relax for about 10 minutes in your closed room to minimize the adverse effect of sudden temperature difference when you come out of the room immediately after inhaling steam. Repeat the procedure of inhaling steam for 3 to 4 days till your chest gets cleared of congestion. Steam inhalation needs to be done on an empty stomach. So the best time for inhaling steam is in the morning after you wake up or just before you go to bed at night provided that you had no food for at least 4 hours before you inhale steam.