Congestion is a condition that causes an accumulation of fluids and mucus in the chest and nose. The condition causes breathing difficulties, acute and persistent coughing, pain, and overall discomfort. While chest congestion may often be a temporary condition, it can sometimes be a symptom of a grave lung or heart disorder. Chest congestion may produce either a dry or mucus expelling cough. Similarly, nasal congestion is primarily a condition that blocks the nasal passage as a result of inflammation of the blood vessels.

While nasal congestion can be a source of a major discomfort in adults, it may become problematic in infants. Infants who have nasal or chest congestion may have problem while being breastfed and breathing. Nasal congestion in small children may lead to respiratory distress and have life-threatening implications. While congestion is a problem, the good news is that it is easy to diagnose it just by listening to the sounds of breathing and checking the X-ray images of the chest. There are several trigger factors and diseases that can cause congestion. Some of the common causes of chest congestion have been listed below.

Bronchitis
This is a viral or bacterial inflammation of the bronchial tubes or airways that is situated within the lungs. Many respiratory infections including chronic bronchitis, cold, and the like may lead to acute bronchitis. Various types of bronchitis can lead to the production of mucus that fills the lungs and makes breathing rather difficult. One of the main reasons behind this type of congestion is believed to be smoking.

Pneumonia
This is one of the most common causes of congestion. Pneumonia is a viral, fungal, and bacterial infection that aggravates to become pneumonia in the lungs. The ailment is caused by autoimmune factors and lead to conditions like fatigue, nasal and chest congestion, breathing trouble, fever, and other life-threatening complications, if not treated. If a patient with weak immune system contracts pneumonia, it is essential that the illness gets treated at the earliest.

Tuberculosis
Chest congestion that is brought about by tuberculosis is known to attack the lungs, kidneys, brain, and spine that leads to pangs of severe coughing, pain, troubled breathing, and congestion. Treating tuberculosis is extremely important as it can be fatal.

Congestive heart failure
This ailment occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood through the body and causes severe congestion. This type of congestion occurs when a large amount of fluid gets caught up in the lungs and makes breathing difficult.

Apart from chest congestion, nasal congestion too causes several problems and possible discomfort. Nasal congestion is caused when the nose, nearby tissues, and blood vessels get inflamed and stuffed up. Nasal congestion can occur due to minor illnesses including the common cold, cough, flu, sinus infection, and other such diseases. While these conditions ideally improve within a week, the type of congestion that lasts longer than that duration may be a result of an underlying illness. Some of the common causes of prolonged nasal congestion have been listed below.

• Exposure to pollution
• Chemical irritants
• Allergies
• Hay fever
• Prolonged and acute sinus infection
• Deviated septum
• Churg–Strauss syndrome
• Dry air
• Stress
• Nasal valve that is narrow or collapsing
• Pregnancy may cause nasal congestion during the end of the first trimester due to hormonal fluctuations
• Substance abuse
• Overuse of decongestant nasal spray
• Rhinitis
• Common cold
• Flu and cold
• Allergic rhinitis
• Nosebleed
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection
• Swine Flu
• Sarcoidosis
• Fifth disease
• Encephalitis
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Autonomic Hyperreflexia
• Cluster headaches
• Leishmaniasis
• Concha bullosa
• Empty nose syndrome

In addition to the underlying disease that causes congestion, many reasons may lead to a nasal or chest congestion. Here are other common causes of congestion.

Abnormality of the mucous membrane
This is a type of mucosal abnormality that is caused by a range of allergens like dust mites, pollen grains, animal dander, and tobacco smoke. Mucosal inflammation causes nasal congestion that can create a lot of discomfort. Apart from allergic rhinitis, non-allergic rhinitis is a condition that may cause nasal congestion due to the side effect of one or more medications. Similarly, some people may experience nasal congestion because of strong odors.

Physical or structural causes
This type of congestion is a result of some obstruction in the nasal passage because of polyps, enlarged adenoid, non-cancerous tumor, and benign anatomical abnormalities. These obstructions or foreign bodies may cause significant congestion by blocking one of the nasal passages. Such nasal obstructions are often characterized by insufficient airflow that leads to severe breathing issues, unusual accumulation of mucus, inflammation, and a whole lot of discomfort. This may become worse especially when there is a longstanding infection. These causes usually may interfere with several bodily processes and responses. For instance, congestion commonly interferes with speech and hearing. It may also cause snoring, sleep apnea, and trouble sleeping. When congestion is a result of enlarged adenoids, it may lead to insufficient oxygen levels, acute sleep apnea, and even heart failure. The problem can, however, be prevented by avoiding the triggers and primary causes.