Phlegm is a substance like mucus (thick, yellowish, concentrated and viscous fluid) that is produced at your lower airways, such as respiratory system leading to the lungs. Phlegm is produced by nose or sinuses. Phlegm is noticeable only when you cough it up due to chest congestion caused by cold or you are suffering from bronchitis or pneumonia.
It becomes frustrating when phlegm is stuck in your throat. You should get relief from this nuisance as it may make it harder to inhale or swallow. Phlegm is another reason for bad breath. Have you ever woken up coughing with a lot of phlegm and throat congestion? The next thing you will find that you have a burning throat.
There are many ways to get the phlegm out of your throat. Using antibiotics is not the perfect way to get rid of phlegm. One of many adverse effects of using excessive antibiotics is mass resistance to many different drugs. Sometimes it is a good idea to invest some time to research about the infection you have, such as if you have a viral infection then using antibacterial (antibiotic) medicines will not work. Below some of the ways to remove phlegm out of your throat are described.
- Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water is crucial to alleviate phlegm accumulation. Keeping yourself hydrated is vital to overcoming the infection related to phlegm. It is necessary for your immune system to be ready for any infection and you can do it by providing adequate hydration to your body. Water keeps your throat hydrated and keeps the lining of the throat hydrated, thus soothing the stinging throat.
- Consume Honey combined with Lemon
Coughing is a natural reflex of your body to remove any unwanted substance from your throat. If you try to remove phlegm forcefully from your throat, then it could harm your throat and worsen your cough and damage of the lining of your throat.
Consuming honey and lemon together is a great way to remove phlegm out of your throat and get relief from the irritation at the same time. You can mix a teaspoon of honey and lemon juice in a cup of warm water and drink it. Honey has soothing properties, and some vital minerals, which help in the maintenance process of the tissues present in your throat. Drink of a mixture of honey and lemon is a useful and cheap way to treat phlegm problem.
Lemon contains vitamin C that aid in the alleviation process of your throat affected due to phlegm. Vitamin C also plays a significant role in the improvement of your overall immune system.
- Drink hot beverages
Drinking hot beverages loosens phlegm from the lining of your throat, which in turn, help to spit out the phlegm out of your throat or you may swallow the phlegm that goes into your stomach, where phlegm is destroyed in the acidic environment. You should not drink alcohol to avoid dehydration. Otherwise, dehydration may worsen your phlegm problem. Keeping your throat hydrated is extremely necessary to get the phlegm out of your throat as soon as possible.
- Gargle with salt water
Take a glass of water and mix two teaspoons of salt in it. Gargle with the mixture and do not swallow the mixture. Do not mix too much salt in the water as doing so may increase the dehydration in your throat and increase irritation. You should repeat this process few times a day until your phlegm starts to come out quickly out of your throat.
- Avoid smoking
You should not smoke while you have an excessive amount of phlegm in your throat. Smoking will dehydrate your vocal chords creates more phlegm to provide moisture the chords. The toxins present in a cigarette negatively affects your throat. These toxins increase irritations in your throat. If you are a smoker, then stop smoking at while you are experiencing excessive phlegm problem. You may try some nicotine gum for the time being. You should also avoid other smokes, fumes of paint and cleaning products to get the phlegm out of your throat quicker.
- Inhale steam
Inhaling hot water steam is a great way of loosening phlegm and get them out of your throat easily. The proper way of doing this is to take a large bowl of hot water and inhale the steam by placing your head over the bowl. You can maximise the intake of steam by placing a towel over your head.
Taking a hot shower also helps to loosen your phlegm, and it has been found that this technique is the best. In fact, this technique could be your favourite one if it is hurting while you swallow food or drink.
- Eat spicy food
Eating spicy food loosens your phlegm for a while and makes it easier to cough out the phlegm. Hot and spicy food works as a decongestant and helps to loosen up the phlegm.
- Take rest
Taking rest boosts your immune system and helps your body to fight against excess phlegm problem. Increased immunity reduces irritation and phlegm in your throat. This is one of the best ways of reducing phlegm problem.
- Eat toast
Eating toast will also help you to get relief from excess phlegm problem. Toast breaks the phlegm present in your throat and takes it down to your stomach, where the mucus gets digested. Eating toast also scrapes your throat gently and helps to remove the extra phlegm from your throat.
- Spit phlegm out
It is advised to spit the phlegm out and not to swallow it. Always keep a tissue with you and spit the phlegm out.