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What are the Best Ways of Getting Rid of Phlegm?

Patrick Lynch
Patrick Lynch

Phlegm is different from other forms of mucus because it comes from the lungs instead of the nasal passages. Getting rid of phlegm is important because it can cause illness and congestion if left in the body. Phlegm from sinus infections and chest colds can sometimes be removed by medicine such as nasal sprays and expectorants. Medicines that suppress coughing and swallowing phlegm don't help a person get rid of it.

Colored phlegm may be a sign or bronchial infection, and some people believe that the color can be analyzed in order to find out what is wrong. If the phlegm is green, yellow, or brown, this might indicate an infection. Brown and gray phlegm is usually coughed up by smokers and occurs when their bodies are expelling the tar found in cigarettes.

Nasal sprays may help expel phlegm.
Nasal sprays may help expel phlegm.

Getting rid of phlegm for smokers typically involves quitting, since smokers tend to suffer from a higher rate of bronchial and lung infections than non-smokers. If blood is found in the phlegm, it could be a sign of lung cancer. Quitting smoking will typically see the level of phlegm become reduced after a few months.

Other causes of phlegm include sinus infections, colds, and the flu. Using a decongestant or nasal spray will offer temporary relief for mucus in the sinuses, but this won't necessarily rid the body of phlegm. Chest congestion is often caused by post-nasal drip and is not considered to be phlegm. This is because the mucous glands within the nasal cavities are the cause of the congestion.

Phlegm may be experienced during a bad cold.
Phlegm may be experienced during a bad cold.

Chest colds or bronchitis produce phlegm that can be loosened by cough expectorant medicines. The whole purpose of an expectorant is to loosen the congestion in the chest and make the patient cough. This is often a way of getting rid of phlegm because mucus is expelled with the air of the cough.

Cough suppressants should be avoided as they actually prevent the body from expelling phlegm. Suppressants are designed to numb pain, but they also completely prevent the patient from coughing. This is a problem because the process of suppression allows more phlegm to build up in the lungs.

Expectorant medicines may help expel phlegm.
Expectorant medicines may help expel phlegm.

When phlegm is coughed up, it should be spit out — not swallowed. Phlegm is a sticky substance that clings to the lungs and bronchial tubes, and its function is to fight infections because it possesses glycoproteins and immunoglobulins. When it is coughed up, it is a signal that it has served its purpose. Swallowing the phlegm often results in it returning to the pulmonary system where it initially came from.

Discussion Comments

SarahGen

Ginger is great for cough and phlegm. I make Indian chai with lots of fresh ginger when I'm sick.

fify

Using a humidifier or breathing in steam from hot water are great ways to get rid of phlegm.

Before I had a humidifier, I would put boiled water in a basin with a few drops of eucalyptus oil. I would put my head over the basin and a large towel over my head to keep the steam from escaping and breathe it all in. It made me cough, but that's how the phlegm comes out.

Now I have humidifier so I just have the humidifier run in my room all night. I usually fell much better by morning.

donasmrs

Expectorant medications are very good for getting rid of phlegm but I once had a bad experience with them. I had an upper respiratory infection and my doctor prescribed an expectorant to get rid of phlegm more quickly. The expectorant certainly did that but it did it by making me cough up a lung. I coughed all day and night nonstop and my chest muscles hurt for a week afterward. I never took an expectorant again.

I don't think much has to be done to get rid of phlegm due to infection. Our lungs know to do that on their own. It can take longer, but I think that's okay. When I have phlegm, I make sure to keep tissues with me all the time, I never swallow the phlegm. I also gargle with salt water to kill bacteria and soothe my throat.

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    • Nasal sprays may help expel phlegm.
      By: Ken Hurst
      Nasal sprays may help expel phlegm.
    • Phlegm may be experienced during a bad cold.
      By: karuka
      Phlegm may be experienced during a bad cold.
    • Expectorant medicines may help expel phlegm.
      By: auremar
      Expectorant medicines may help expel phlegm.
    • Coughing is one way to get rid of phlegm.
      By: Ljupco Smokovski
      Coughing is one way to get rid of phlegm.
    • Phlegm that is coughed up should be spit out, not swallowed.
      By: Halfpoint
      Phlegm that is coughed up should be spit out, not swallowed.
    • Nasal swabs can be used to get rid of nasal mucous in babies.
      By: aseph
      Nasal swabs can be used to get rid of nasal mucous in babies.
    • Both smokers and people who are exposed to secondhand smoke may expel gray phlegm.
      By: Photographee.eu
      Both smokers and people who are exposed to secondhand smoke may expel gray phlegm.
    • Chest congestion is often caused by post-nasal drip and is not considered to be phlegm.
      By: Aleksandar Todorovic
      Chest congestion is often caused by post-nasal drip and is not considered to be phlegm.