Lungs breathe air from the atmosphere into the body and keep the organs in the body enriched with oxygen. If any pathogen or microorganism enters the body through the airways, they irritate the lungs and cause infections or lung diseases.

If the infection is in the smaller air sacs of the lungs (alveoli), it is called pneumonia. If it is in the larger airways (bronchi), it is called bronchitis. The airways become swollen and make more mucus or pus, which blocks the airways and makes it hard to breathe.

There are three types of chest infections:

Pneumonia — occurs when the smaller air sacs get infected by communicable and infectious bacteria or viral strains.

Bronchitis — is one of the most common infections seen in people is an infection of the bronchial tubes in the lungs, which are responsible for the transference of air into the lungs and back out.

Bronchiolitis — this infection is mostly seen in young children, and it happens when the bronchioles get affected by a microbial infection.

Chest infections can be spread to others when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The most common symptoms of a chest infection are: cough, with or without brown, yellow, or green mucus, difficult breathing, fever (sweating, shivering, chills), body aches and pains, chest pain or tightness.

Chest infections are usually caused by either bacteria, viruses or by fungi, pneumonia is often caused by bacteria, and bronchitis is often caused by viruses.

According to Ayurveda, many imbalances in the body could contribute to chest pain. This begins especially with digestive disorders, as digestion and elimination can lead to an environment in the bronchial area that makes it easier to become infected.

According to Ayurveda, common causes of chest pain are:

accumulation of toxins in tissues, blocking circulation,

poor nutrition,

exposure to chemicals and pollutants on a continuous basis,

poor digestion,

nervous system imbalance,

mental and physical stress,

constant disruptions in the natural biological rhythms.