Drinking enough liquids, especially warm ones can help with mucus flow. Water and other liquids can loosen your congestion by helping your mucus move. Try sipping liquids, like juice, clear broths, and soup. Other good liquid choices include decaffeinated tea, warm fruit juice, and lemon water.
Take a breath that is slightly deeper than normal. Use your stomach muscles to make a series of three rapid exhalations with the airway open, making a "ha, ha, ha" sound. Follow this by controlled diaphragmatic breathing and a deep cough if you feel mucus moving.
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.
Your goal is to use your nose to pull excess phlegm down into your throat, where your tongue and throat muscles can get a good grip on it. “Just make sure you're not chewing anything when you try this, or you could suck food down into your windpipe,” warns Dr. Comer.
Water increases the moisture in mucus making it easier to expel. You can use water as an expectorant by drinking plenty of it alone or in the form of herbal tea or by gargling with salty water. You can also get the effects by using a humidifier or via steam inhalation.
Will phlegm go away on its own? In many cases, phlegm will go away once your body has fought off an infection. In some cases, though, phlegm may be caused by a more serious issue that needs treatment.
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.
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.
How to Clear Phlegm. If you're suffering from allergies, asthma or another condition that is causing excess mucus production, it's important to seek medical treatment. However, in cases where phlegm results from a viral infection, such as the common cold, it will usually resolve on its own within seven to 10 days.
Bronchoscopy can also be used to obtain samples of mucus or tissue, to remove foreign bodies or other blockages from the airways or lungs, or to provide treatment for lung problems.
6. Discreetly get rid of phlegm. When phlegm rises from the lungs into the throat, the body is likely trying to remove it. Spitting it out is healthier than swallowing it.
Mucus thinners, such as mucolytics, are inhaled medications that help thin the mucus in the airways so you can cough it out of your lungs more easily. The three main types of mucus thinners are hypertonic saline, mannitol (Bronchitol®), and dornase alfa (Pulmozyme®).
What is the strongest natural expectorant? The strongest natural expectorant for a cough is honey. Honey has been shown to reduce the symptoms of even chronic or severe coughs.
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.
Expectorants. These cough medicines act to loosen and increase mucus flow in the lungs. Expectorants act by moistening the respiratory tract to break up the mucus. Expectorants like guaifenesin (Mucinex, Robitussin Chest Congestion) help make the wet cough more productive.