Salt water gargle- Gargling with warm salt water helps remove mucus from the respiratory tract. Inhaling steam- Pour hot water into a bowl, then bend over the bowl with a towel over vyour head. Inhaling the steam and vapors from the bowl will help in loosening phlegm.
Expectorants, such as guaifenesin (Mucinex, Robitussin) can thin and loosen mucus so it will clear out of your throat and chest. Prescription medications. Mucolytics, such as hypertonic saline (Nebusal) and dornase alfa (Pulmozyme) are mucus thinners that you inhale through a nebulizer.
More than just an unpleasant nuisance, mucus that collects in your airways can make breathing more difficult and increase your risk of infection, which can further damage your lungs. Living with a chronic lung disease means you are likely experiencing an excess of this thick and sticky fluid in your lungs.
Drinking warm fluids, breathing in steam, and trying deep breathing and controlled coughing techniques may all help you clear mucus in the lungs without medication.
According to Medical News Today2, common symptoms of mucus build up in your lungs may include: Wheezing. Difficulty Sleeping. Sore Throat.
See a doctor if you have any of the following: Temperature of 100.4 °F or higher. Cough with bloody mucus. Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.
These symptoms can be unpleasant, but they usually get better on their own in about 7 to 10 days. The cough and mucus can last up to 3 weeks.
Symptoms usually start to go away within seven days to two weeks if you don't have an underlying condition like chronic pulmonary disease. Medicines like decongestants may also loosen mucus and ease other symptoms.
Mucus buildup in the lungs can be cased by infection, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), smoking, cystic fibrosis, allergies, bronchiectasis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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.