告別胸悶的方法大綱

How to relieve chest congestion
如何緩解胸悶

For too many people, winter equals chest congestion season, when you have a load of mucus in your chest that just won't come up, no matter how hard you cough. Chest congestion can be caused by any number of ailments, chief among them the common cold and the flu.
對很多人而言，冬天就是胸悶的季節，這個時候你的胸腔有一大堆粘液，怎麼咳都咳不出。胸悶可能是由很多毛病引起的，最主要的原因是普通感冒和流感。

Fortunately, chest congestion relief also comes in many forms, from home remedies like hot steam to different kinds of medications. Hopefully one of these ways to break up chest congestion works for you.
幸運的是，緩解胸悶的方法也有很多，從熱蒸汽等家庭療法到不同的藥物治療，不一而足。希望這些方法能讓你告別胸痛。

Plug in a humidifier
打開加溼器

Getting moisture into the air with a humidifier is a great home remedy for chest congestion. The principle is simple: Moisture helps loosen the mucus weighing down your chest so you can cough it up and out more easily.
用加溼器給空氣加溼是治療胸痛的有效家庭療法。原理很簡單：水分有助於鬆開粘在胸腔上的粘液，便於咳出。

Using a humidifier to combat chest congestion doesn't work for everyone, but it's worth a try. If it works for you, just make sure to use it safely, says Alan Mensch, MD, a pulmonologist and senior vice president of medical affairs at Northwell Health's Plainview and Syosset Hospitals in New York. Humidifiers can breed mold and fungi, which can cause infections of their own. Clean your humidifier according to the manufacturer's instructions. "They're probably safe as long as they're kept clean," says Dr. Mensch.
用加溼器緩解胸悶並不適用於所有人，但值得一試。如果你適合用這種方法，一定要確保安全使用，Alan Mensch醫學博士說道。他是美國猶太保健集團Plainview and Syosset醫院的肺病專家、高級副總裁。加溼器會滋生黴菌和真菌，本身就能引起感染。根據製造商的指示清潔加溼器。"只要保持乾淨，加溼器還是很安全的，"Mensch博士說道。

Embrace steam
蒸汽

Lingering in a hot shower is a more targeted way to get the moisture where it needs to go than using a humidifier. Another option: Run the hot water in your sink and cover your head and the faucet with a towel, breathing in the steam.
相比加溼器，泡熱水澡更能直接獲得水分。另一個選擇：在水池中放熱水，用毛巾蓋住頭和水龍頭，吸入蒸汽。

"That warm steam helps the airways open up a little bit," says Alice Hoyt, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
"暖暖的蒸汽有助於打開氣道，"範德比爾特大學醫學中心的醫學助理教授、醫學博士愛麗絲·霍伊特說道。

Another plus: It gets you to take a break from your frenzied daytime activities. "So many people are very, very busy and stressed and aren't able to take time to rest," says Dr. Hoyt. A relaxing shower or a few calm minutes breathing deeply can help-as long as you don't let the water get too hot. Be wary if you have asthma, as inhaling steam may constrict your airways, cautions Norman Edelman, MD, chief scientific officer for the American Lung Association.
另外還有一個好處：一天的瘋狂活動之後，蒸汽能讓你放鬆。"所以很多人非常非常忙、壓力很大、沒有時間休息，"霍伊特博士說道。舒展身心的沐浴或幾分鐘的平靜呼吸就能起到作用--只要水不是太熱就行。如果你有哮喘，那一定要注意，因爲吸入蒸汽可能會壓迫你的氣道，美國肺臟協會首席科學官諾曼·愛德曼醫學博士警告道。