How To Loose Up Phlegm And Relieve Cough

By Patricia | August 4, 2009

Glands located in your throat and nose produce over a liter of mucus every day. Under normal circumstances, this mucus or phlegm is responsible for keeping the nasal passages clean and moist and for fighting off infections. Disorders of the throat, allergic reactions, and viral or bacterial infections could cause an over production of mucus or phlegm in the throat and chest.

What is phlegm?

Phlegm is a viscous liquid that is produced by the mucous membranes in mammals. It is a water based gel that consists of lipids, immunoglobulins, glycoproteins, and other substances. The composition of phlegm changes depending on the immunes systems’ state, genetics, and the climate. The color of phlegm can be clear or transparent, dark yellow, brown or green, depending on what the constituents are. It helps to trap foreign bodies, dust, virus, and bacteria. It also helps to prevent an infection of the lungs and damage that can be caused from organisms that are infectious. There are many effective methods on how to get rid of phlegm in the chest naturally.

How to Remove Phlegm Naturally

If you do suffer from a clogged up throat or a chest congested with phlegm and mucus, there are natural ways to remedy the situation. There are certain foods that could aggravate the congestion and increase the amount of mucus produced. Keeping this in mind you should avoid milk and dairy products such as cottage cheese, butter, and yoghurt, caffeine and non-herbal teas, sugary and sweet foods, salty foods and all soy products. On the other hand, foods that contain spices such as pepper, ginger, horseradish, and cayenne pepper can help reduce the build up of mucus in the chest and throat. Drinking plenty of water also helps in the elimination of excess mucus and phlegm.

Apart from changing your diet, there are a number of home remedies you can try to remove or reduce phlegm in the throat. These include:

  • Daily gargle with warm water mixed with a pinch of salt to loosen mucus.
  • Do steam inhalations with eucalyptus oil added to the hot water to relieve congestion and remove mucus from the chest and throat. Other essential oils that may provide relief from an excessive production of mucus include strong smelling oils such as cedar, cypress, peppermint and myrrh oils.
  • Sip on hot drinks such as herbal teas, hot water with lemon and honey and clear chicken broth to help thin out mucus and prevent dehydration. Honey and lemon also possess anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that can treat the infection that may be causing the phlegm and congestion.
  • Add ginger to your food to help treat phlegm. Other ways to increase your intake of ginger is to steep pieces of ginger in hot water and honey to make a soothing drink. Drinking this concoction around five times a day is good remedy to lose phlegm.
  • Eat a clove of raw garlic before you sleep. This is believed to help reduce the production of phlegm and mucus due to the expectorant and antibiotic properties of garlic.
  • An excellent home remedy to get rid of phlegm naturally is to boil a cup of water with 20 fresh basil leaves, a bit of black pepper powder and some fresh grated ginger. Once boiled, strain this decoction and add a teaspoon of honey to taste. Drink this twice or thrice a day until symptoms clear up.
  • Mixing raisins with some seeds of black pepper is another very effective method on how to get phlegm out of the throat.
  • Try soaking some slices of orange in wine and leaving it overnight; you can then cook it the next day and eat it.
  • Prepare a paste of white pepper, granulated sugar, powdered ginger, and the root of liquorice with some honey. Consume this four times a day.

When you get phlegm in your throat, do not swallow it. The phlegm contains dead bacteria and blood cells therefore it should be expelled. Spit it out immediately. Honey and ginger syrup can help relieve you of the phlegm and prevent it from congesting the chest. You could use any of these natural tips to relieve mucus however consult your doctor in case the above remedies do not help.

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