What is Phlegm, What Causes It, How Can It Be Treated?

Every time we breathe through our mouth and nose, we take in foreign substances, viruses and germs without even realizing it. To prevent all these foreign substances from making us sick, our body produces a secretion called mucus. These foreign substances that stick to mucus come in different types. It is somehow eliminated from our body. But sometimes much more of this mucus is produced than normal.

Phlegm, one of the types of mucus, begins to disturb the person when it is produced in excess. You cough and it doesn’t go away, you wipe your nose and it doesn’t go away, you sneeze and it doesn’t go away. In these cases, it is necessary to seek an answer to the question of how to get rid of phlegm. Don’t worry, phlegm is a very simple condition compared to many diseases and is easy to get rid of. Of course, the treatment of the disease that causes phlegm is up to your physician.

Let’s first understand what it is: What is phlegm?

Phlegm is a type of mucus. It is produced to protect our body’s lower respiratory tract and lungs. The purpose of production is to trap foreign substances, germs, viruses and the like that enter our body every time we breathe, and throw them out of the body. Phlegm, which is also responsible for keeping the area moist, is a transparent liquid, but it changes color and texture as a result of different infections. In the same cases, production intensity also increases and becomes disturbing.

There are different types of phlegm:

• clear phlegm
• Yellow – green sputum
• pink phlegm
• bloody sputum
• brown phlegm
• black phlegm

Transparent sputum:

Clear phlegm is the normal state of phlegm. Due to different lung diseases The amount and density may vary.

Yellow – green sputum:

happening in our body due to an infection The color of the sputum may become yellow – green. The reason it takes on this color is blood cells known as neutrophils.

Pink phlegm:

Pink sputum with a foamy structure, It occurs when a small amount of blood leaks from the capillaries to the lungs. Heart failure and pulmonary edema are the most common causes.

Bloody sputum:

Bloody sputum, which is a condition that should be taken seriously It can be a symptom of many important diseases. Even if you see a small amount, you should definitely be examined by a specialist physician.

Brown phlegm:

Brown sputum can be a symptom of different diseases. It is common in smokers. Because the tar taken into the body by smoking can only be eliminated from the body in this way.

Black phlegm:

Black phlegm is a rare condition. It occurs when coal dust or polluted air is inhaled.

What causes phlegm? Here are some of the diseases that change the density and color of sputum:

• Allergy
• Asthma
• pneumoconiosis
• Cystic fibrosis
• Abscess in the lung
• Congestive heart failure
• lung fungus
• Pulmonary embolism
• COPD
• Lung cancer
• Bronchitis
• Bronchiolitis
• bronchiectasis
• Pneumonia
• Flu
• cold

Some of the diseases known to change the color and increase the density of sputum are as follows. Of course, these diseases are not the only cause of phlegm. Some situations, such as smoking and breathing polluted air, can also cause phlegm problems. Therefore, you do not need to worry immediately except for situations such as bloody or pink sputum.

So how to get rid of phlegm? There are some methods you can apply yourself at home:

• Humidify the ambient air.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Maintain your body temperature.
• Open your sinuses.
• Gargle with salt water.
• Use eucalyptus oil.

Humidify the ambient air:

Since the main purpose of sputum is to moisten the lower respiratory tract and lungs. This means that those areas are dry and therefore a lot of phlegm is produced. Don’t leave this job to your phlegm and humidify the air in your environment yourself. There are different devices you can use to humidify the environment, but the simplest method is to put hot water in a corner of the room, its steam humidifies the environment. You can approach this water carefully and inhale it deeply.

Drink plenty of fluids:

If the phlegm in your body bothers you, it has obviously become very thick and he has lost the ability to glide along like he used to. By consuming plenty of fluids, you can restore it to its former state and get rid of it easily. You can drink water, lemon water, warm fruit juice, and herbal teas, but it is recommended that you stay away from beverages containing caffeine such as coffee and tea.

Maintain your body temperature:

Maintaining your body temperature actually indirectly helps you get rid of phlegm because conditions such as colds will also cause phlegm problems. Control of body temperature is extremely important. Take a warm shower, wear a cardigan, and use a thicker blanket when sleeping. Most importantly, if you sweat, change your clothes. Because your wet clothes will rapidly reduce your body temperature.

Open your sinuses:

This is the article we will most easily implement as a nation. Foods such as licorice root, ginseng, echinacea and pomegranate are recommended, but The easiest way to relax the respiratory tract by opening the sinuses is to consume spicy foods. If you drink soups such as chicken broth, kelle paça, tarhana, which contain foods rich in minerals and vitamins and are easily consumed in a spicy way, you will see that the phlegm softens and is expelled quickly. Consuming hot soups is effective on softening phlegm.

Gargle with salt water:

Salt water will provide a quick solution, especially if you feel a dense accumulation of phlegm in the back of your throat. Add a teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water, stir and gargle. The salt water mixture will kill the bacteria that cause the infection, soften the phlegm, and relieve your sore throat if you have it. If you make a less salty mixture and snort it through your nose, it will also be good for nasal congestion.

Use eucalyptus oil:

Eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil or mixtures with a similar strong scent are effective in softening phlegm. If you apply them to your chest area and smell them at the time, you will see a quick effect. Dropping it into hot water and inhaling the steam will have a similar effect.

When should you go to the doctor?

When you see pink or bloody sputum, you should immediately be examined by a specialist physician. However If you only have phlegm problems without other symptoms Try the above methods first. If you see that it has been a week and other symptoms have started to appear, get examined by a specialist physician immediately.

Part of our respiratory defense mechanism What is phlegm, what causes it, how to get rid of it We answered frequently asked questions such as: What we say is for informational purposes only. Remember that, as with all health issues, you should get the most accurate and personalized information about phlegm problems from a specialist physician.