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Have you tried a straightforward expectorant? Worse than "hacking" up mucous from the lungs is "sucking" it out of your lower nasal tracks by creating a vacuum with your tongue. This causes significant irritation to the back of the throat, resulting if further inflammation. Very generally when you can treat the nasal drip then the chest congestion will clear up on its own. You will find various approaches to treating the nasal drip. Generally uncomplicated decongestants knock individuals out too significantly for long-term use, so a pattern of 3-6 days on nasal sprays followed by 1-2 days on decongestants will control things with minimal side effects. (The nasal sprays generally have a "rebound" effect that keeps growing so switching to the decongestants for a day or two helps "reset" things. Occasionally one can alternate nostrils with the nasal spray, also reducing rebound problems.) Nasalcrom and a couple of other OTC drugs are obtainable to control nasal allergies. These have virtually zero side-effects (except in a couple of individuals who are sensitive to them), but they're only effective for allergic problems, and then only in some people. Beyond that you've got the prescription steroid nasal sprays. Since these dispense significantly lower doses than normal steriod asthma inhalers, the number of steroid side effects are significantly reduced, but can still occur. But if they might be employed over a comparatively short term to break a cycle of inflammation then they can be really effective treatment. And of course theres surgery for deviated septum, nasal polyps, and the like.
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