Phlegm

That green stuff you just coughed up? That can’t be good for you. Technically, it’s mucus, but when mucus becomes congealed, visible, and disgustingly out of the body, it is considered phlegm, the product of your mucous membranes attempting to fight an infection of sorts–and it is good for you. Phlegm is differentiated from other mucous in that it comes from the lungs rather than from the nasal passages; though, post nasal drip, a common symptom of colds, flus, sinusitis, and inhaling other irritants is often the cause of a phlegm like build up.

If you’re coughing up colored phlegm, it’s usually a sign of bronchial infection, but simple diagnoses can be made from the color of the phlegm. If you’re coughing up yellow, green, or brown phlegm, your body is in the process of fighting an infection. If the color of your phlegm is brown or gray, it may be your body is expelling tars or resins built up from smoking or inhaling large amounts of dust. Regardless of the color of your phlegm, if you’re cough it up, you should go see a doctor. For the time being though, let us focus on getting rid of phlegm, because that’s what you came here to learn, isn’t it?

Blood in Phlegm

If you’re seeing blood streaks in your phlegm, it could be a sign of serious bronchial infection, tuberculosis, or even lung cancer. Sufferers of lung cancer and tuberculosis often describe the presence of blood in their phlegm (or sputum) as resembling coffee grounds. You must seek immediate medical attention if you’re coughing up blood.

Best Ways to Get Rid of Phlegm

Quit Smoking

Are you a smoker? If so, it’s obvious that to get rid of phlegm you’ll need to quit smoking. Lung and bronchial infections are common enough, but they are even more common in people who smoke regularly. If you are cough up brown or grayish phlegm, it’s your body trying to tell you you’re smoking too much. Do yourself a favor and quit smoking now before you start seeing the inevitable streaks of blood in your phlegm that preclude a diagnosis of lung cancer.

Use a Nasal Spray or Decongestant

If you’re suffering from a sinus infectiona cold, or the flu, using a nasal spray or decongestant will help get rid of that phlegm. While post nasal drip isn’t necessarily considered phlegm because it’s produced by the mucous glands in your nasal cavities, it is the most common cause of chest congestion, and can be easily cured by taking a decongestant like Sudafed.

Take an Expectorant

If you’re suffering from bronchitis or a chest cold, then taking an expectorant should help loosen up your phlegm. An expectorant cough medicine is different from a cough suppressant, because an expectorant is supposed to loosen the phlegm and make you cough–what they call a productive cough, which is good for people suffering from chest congestion or an infection in the lungs or bronchial tubes. Mucinex (you can get it at Amazon) and Robitussin are both common OTC expectorants.

Avoid Cough Suppressants and Throat Lozenges

If you want to get rid of phlegm, don’t take a cough suppressant or use throat lozenges. Cough medicines that are not explicitly labeled as expectorants will only serve to exacerbate your phlegm troubles. Anything that helps to numb the pain of a cough or suppress a cough will allow more mucus and phlegm to build up because you’ve essentially shut off the mechanisms in your body that are meant to produce, well, productive coughs.

Don't Swallow It

Don’t swallow that phlegm if you want to get rid of it. Phlegm functions as a sticky film, filled with infection fighting substances like glycoproteins and immunoglobulins, which attaches itself to the lining of your bronchial tubes and lungs. Generally speaking, when phlegm starts to get coughed up, it means that the substance has served its purpose and needs to be expelled. Spit that phlegm into a tissue rather than trying to swallow it, because swallowing often times reintroduces the phlegm back into your pulmonary (lung) system.

Commercial Phlegm Cures

As noted above, products like Robitussin and Mucinex are called expectorants, and there are plenty of them. These are just a few of the most common expectorants available over the counter:

  • GuaiLife
  • Ethex 208
  • Humibid
  • Congestac
  • Vicks 44E
  • Sinufed

Two of these medications listed are not available over the counter: Sinufed and Congestac. These are by no means the only options available to you. There are plenty of natural expectorants to help you get rid of phlegm, some examples are found in the sidebar to your right.

Best Natural Cures for Phlegm

Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus oil in boiling water is far and away the most common natural remedy for chest congestion and an overabundance of phlegm. 2-3 drops of Eucalyptus oil in a pot of boiling water should do the trick. Many people put a towel on their heads, take the water off the stove, and hold themselves over the water to breathe in the resulting steam.

Garlic

Garlic is considered by some in the field of alternative medicine to be an expectorant, and a good supplement to be taking in general. Using fresh Garlic is the key, most experts say. Powdered Garlic supplements are supposed to leave out many of the valuable healing compounds found in the Garlic clove.

Goldenseal

Goldenseal is an herb that has been used for a very long time to cure pretty much anything that ails you. It is particularly useful in treating inflammation and congestion of the lungs. Found in pill form as a tincture, this helpful plant can be procured quite easily from online health vendors. Extended or excessive doses of this herb is not recommended and has been implicated as the cause of some respiratory failures. Don’t take too much of it, yeah? If you wanted to try it, you can order Nature’s Way Goldenseal capsules from Amazon.

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About the Author

Julianne Ragland

Julianne Ragland