You might want to hold off with that wish. Phlegm is actually
good for you. Well, not the thing itself, but what it represents. Phlegm
is mucous that becomes congealed and visible. It's almost always a sign
of your body fighting off whatever infection is wreaking havoc on your
respiratory system - which is actually a good thing. Phlegm is primarily
composed of mucous, dead bacteria and virus, dead white blood cells,
and various tissues and cells. The difference between phlegm and other
mucous is that phlegm comes from your lungs, not from your nasal
passages.
In around 400 B.C. it was thought that phlegm was part
of the four humours, the four basic substances that were supposed to
comprise the human body. The other three humours were black bile, bile,
and blood, and when they were balanced, the body would achieve harmony
and would thus be healthy. A lack or excess of any of the humours
resulted in diseases or disabilities. It was the ancient Greek
philosopher Hippocrates (of the Hippocratic Oath fame) who is credited
for coming up with this theory. For 2,000 years, it influenced medical
thinking until it was discredited in the 1800s.
While phlegm is an
indication that your body's immune system is working overtime to get
rid of those nasty invaders that are trying to make you sick, coughing
up phlegm every few minutes is still a rather unpleasant practice. Here
are several things you can do to get rid of the phlegm quicker so you
won't have to find yourself in potentially embarrassing and totally
awkward situations.
Phlegm Elimination
If you're a smoker,
cut the habit. Everyone knows that smoking aggravates and promotes
several lung and bronchial problems. As if body infections are not
enough, respiratory diseases caused by smoking will give your body
additional health issue baggage it does not need. Smoking interferes
with your body's ability to fight off any infection, so whatever
problems it is currently engaged in that resulted in the formation of
mucous will be prolonged. Thus, your phlegm problem will drag on longer.
Smoking also kills the cilia that line your lungs, making it harder for
you to cough out phlegm. If you've been coughing up brown or
gray-colored phlegm, it means that your body is screaming for you to lay
off the cigarettes. It would do you well to cut out the filthy habit
before those browns and grays become speckled with red - a sure
precursor to something serious, like lung cancer.
Treat any nasal
or sinus infection that you have. As mentioned earlier, phlegm is just
an accumulation of mucous and other dead substances that coagulate and
become visible. Mucous isn't a foreign object - your body's airways
produce mucous regularly. These mucus secretions don't accumulate
because they're regularly cleared to your throat where they are carried
down by the saliva. If you have an infection that blocks normal passage
to the airways and throat, the mucus doesn't get drained down by the
saliva and thus accumulates. Fixing the infection will help fix the
additional congestion, easing the accumulation of mucus and phlegm.
Take
an expectorant. Expectorants are medicines you can take to clear and
loosen up any mucus and phlegm in your respiratory tract. They work by
thinning out the mucus so you will be able to easily dislodge it when
you cough. Common expectorant medicines are those that contain
guaifenesin and bromhexine, so when buying expectorants, be sure to
check if these ingredients are present. As with buying any medicine over
the counter, be sure to consult with your physician first, just in case
you might be subject to complications because of them.
Don't take
cough suppressants. Sure, it is pretty annoying when you have a hacking
cough every five minutes, causing you to spit out phlegm at pretty much
the same rate, but coughing is your body's way of trying to dislodge
the phlegm. If you're taking cough suppressants or anything that
inhibits your ability to cough, you're essentially allowing the
production and build-up of mucus and phlegm in your system since you've
basically shut down your body's mechanism to expel them. The sooner you
get all the phlegm out of your system, the sooner your coughing will
stop, and the sooner you will find relief.
Drink plenty of fluids
and liquids. Plenty of liquids and fluids help loosen up any hard,
sticky phlegm that is congesting your system. Fluids also help wash down
mucus that is regularly deposited on your throat, thereby lessening
their chances of building up and coagulating. There are also herbal teas
and drinks that help you deal with respiratory problems, and the fewer
complications you have, the better your chances of getting rid of
respiratory disease effects - mucus and phlegm included.
Spit the
phlegm out; don't swallow it. Among the many components that make up
phlegm are substances like immunoglobulins and glycoproteins that help
your body fight off the infection. When these substances get killed
(together with the bacteria and virus they were fighting), they become
part of what makes up phlegm. When phlegm gets coughed out, it means
that they have served their purpose - remnants and refuse of the battle,
so to speak - and are no longer necessary in the proper functioning of
the body. They have to be expelled. Therefore, spit them out and don't
swallow them back. Aside from the fact that swallowing phlegm is gross
and unsanitary, it sometimes gets reintroduced to your pulmonary system,
worsening your situation.
There are also home brew remedies you
can try that will help in getting rid of your phlegm. Eucalyptus oil
mixed with boiling water is a good way to decongest your chest and
lessen the abundance of phlegm in your respiratory system. Two to three
drops of the oil in boiling water should be enough to do the trick. Hold
a towel over your head and deeply breathe in the steam. This will help
clear out congested passageways of your respiratory tract, allowing you
to spit out the phlegm more easily. Garlic is also said to have
expectorant properties, and is considered to be a good supplement for
treating congestion.
When your phlegm starts showing up in
different colors, it's about time to have yourself checked by a
physician. Take a sample of your phlegm for analysis. Different colors
usually indicate an underlying condition. Normal phlegm is usually clear
and white. Yellow phlegm means that your immune system is functioning
properly and is responding to something. Greenish phlegm means that
there is definitely an infection in your body. Rusty spots in green
phlegm are often an indication of something serious, like internal
respiratory micro-bleeding or pneumonia. Brownish phlegm can be a sign
of infection, as well as symptoms of too much smoking, as resin is
sticking to the phlegm. When this happens, it is always advisable to
limit or just stop your smoking habit, as it may be exacerbating
whatever respiratory condition you may have.
