Coughing up phlegm is a normal symptom of colds and other health conditions. But coughing up phlegm without feeling sick could indicate a more serious underlying issue like heart or lung disease.
Coughing up phlegm when you don't have a cold could be due to a number of different conditions: a sinus infection, allergies with postnasal drip, pneumonia, smoking, asthma, heartburn, or even some medicines like angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for high blood pressure.
“Phlegm can be caused by respiratory infections (such as a cold, flu or sinusitis), allergies or an irritation in the nose, throat or lungs,” says Dr. Nasseri. “You don't need to have a lung disease, such as lung cancer or cystic fibrosis, but they can cause phlegm as well.”
Excess mucus has many potential causes. They can be long- or short-term. Conditions that can contribute to excess mucus include allergies, asthma, and bronchitis. Smoking and conditions like COPD and cystic fibrosis can also cause this symptom.
Too much mucus is a sign of a chronic respiratory condition, acute illness, and some types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 1 While mucus can be beneficial to the body, producing too much mucus can cause breathing difficulties and infection.
Catarrh is a build-up of mucus in your nose and sinuses and phlegm in your throat. It usually clears up by itself but see a GP if it lasts longer than a few weeks.
Possible causes of excess mucus can be food allergies, an acid reflux from the stomach, or an infection. The consistency of mucus in the throat also varies depending on what is going on in your body. Common causes of too much mucus in the throat include a cold or flu, acute bronchitis, sinusitis or pneumonia.
Mucus in the lungs is known as phlegm or sputum. It is a common symptom in chronic lung diseases such as COPD (including chronic bronchitis and emphysema), cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, NTM lung disease or asthma.
When you do cough up phlegm (another word for mucus) from your chest, Dr. Boucher says it really doesn't matter if you spit it out or swallow it.
Postnasal drip refers to excess mucus that someone may feel in the back of the nose and throat, causing a constant need to clear the throat. It may lead to symptoms, such as a sore throat and trouble swallowing. Environmental triggers, such as allergies, cold weather, or dry air, may cause postnasal drip.
All forms of stress may also simply lead to excess mucus, so anxiety itself may cause or contribute to mucosal symptoms.
Other fruits I love to support immune function are berries and citrus fruits especially grapefruit. Grapefruit is wonderful for breaking down excessive mucus and luckily is in season right now. I also love lemon or lime juice in warm water to hydrate (which helps expel mucus) and support immune function.
Dozens of conditions can cause a recurrent, lingering cough, but the lion's share are caused by just five: postnasal drip, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic bronchitis, and treatment with ACE inhibitors, used for high blood pressure and heart failure.
As we've seen, big bursts of mucin secretion and subsequent mucus buildup are driven by abnormal events such as inflammation. In the brain, analogous bursts of high-level secretion, far from being outliers, are critical to nerve cells' normal function: signaling.
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A good way of relieving congestion is to try and improve the overall health of your immune system against respiratory infections to prevent the need for excess mucus and phlegm production to occur in the first place.
Summary: Changes in gut mucus may contribute to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurological disorders.
Mucus and phlegm are similar, yet different: Mucus is a thinner secretion from your nose and sinuses. Phlegm is thicker and is made by your throat and lungs.
Clear. “Normally, mucus is clear. When you have a cold or infection, it might turn green or yellow,” said Alyssa. Clear snot usually signals allergies or some kind of environmental factor that is triggering your nose to start running, such as inhaling dust or allergens.
Allergies, asthma and often viral infections cause white phlegm or phlegm without a lot of color to it.