Phlegm Treatment
Is Your Body In Need Of A Phlegm Treatment?
If you find yourself coughing up some not so appealing substance, you may be in need of some type of phlegm treatment. Technically, this “stuff” is actually mucus but once it becomes visible and congealed, it is then considered phlegm. This product that belongs to your mucous membranes is good for you because it is there to attempt to fight off infection.
Phlegm should not be confused with other types of mucus either. Unlike the mucus that comes from your nasal passages, phlegm comes directly from your lungs. However, it is important to note that common cold, flu and sinusitis symptoms are often due to phlegm build up, as is post nasal drip.
What Does All This Phlegm Mean?
If you find yourself coughing up a little or a lot of colored phlegm, this is typically a sign that you have a bronchial infection and you need a phlegm treatment. If you phlegm is green, brown or yellow, your body is trying to fight a infection however, if it is gray or dark brown, your body is expelling resins or tars from smoking or from inhaling a massive amount of dust.
Natural Home Remedies
If you are coughing up phlegm of any color, you need to see a doctor but below are a few natural home remedies that will help until you can make it to your appointment.
- Garlic – Not only is garlic full of healthy benefits to consume it, is an outstanding phlegm treatment as well. Fresh garlic is always the preferred option by experts because it contains more valuable healing compounds than powder or supplements. If you do not like the taste of garlic or have a hard time squeezing it into your menu, a daily supplement will at least offer your body a little extra assistance in fighting infections.
- Eucalyptus - This oil is a phenomenal natural phlegm treatment. Simply add two to three drops of it into a pot of boiling water and deeply breathe in the steam. For a real treat, you may want to pour the water into a bowl and place a towel over your head as you lean over the bowl. Be sure to stay at a safe distance so that you aren't burned by the steam though.
- Goldenseal – This natural herb is used to pretty much cure just about anything and it is especially useful for congestion and inflammation of the lungs. Goldenseal comes in pill form and it is important to not exceed the recommended dosage as it has been blamed for respiratory failure when used in high amounts.
Other Treatments
- Quit Smoking – This should be the most obvious phlegm treatment since the majority of respiratory and nasal illnesses are due to cigarettes. Both bronchial and lung infections are exceptionally common in smokers. Stop smoking and do yourself a favor before your phlegm has traces of blood in it from lung cancer.
- Mucinex – An expectorant type of cough medicine works by loosening phlegm to actually make you have a productive cough. This is ideal if you have a bronchial tube or lung infection or chest congestion.
- Avoid Cough Suppressants – While you want to take a cough expectorant, you do not want to take a cough suppressant or suck on throat lozenges. Anything that works by numbing pain or suppressing the cough only allows phlegm to build up and do more harm.
- Spit – The last thing that you want to do is swallow that phlegm. When your body starts coughing up phlegm, it is trying to expel infection. Always spit it out into a tissue because if you swallow it, there is a chance of it being reintroduced into your pulmonary system.