How to Get Rid of Chest Congestion Fast

Ever felt that icky tightness in your chest, like it’s full of gunk? That’s chest congestion.

The flu, COVID-19, and RSV lead to more severe respiratory symptoms than colds do, including chest congestion, wheezing, shortness of breath, and the potential for secondary complications, such as pneumonia, she says.

The duration of chest congestion depends on its underlying cause. “This makes it highly variable and can depend on a lot of factors, such as your immune system, whether you have other health problems, if you are a smoker, etc.,” says Kirti Shanker, MD, a family medicine physician at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “Typically, conditions like the common cold and viral illness last 7 to 10 days.”