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In contrast, expectorants lubricate your airway, which helps loosen up the mucus and make the secretions in your airway thinner. By loosening up the mucus, expectorants make your cough more ...
Phlegm (/ ˈ f l ɛ m /; Ancient Greek: φλέγμα, phlégma, "inflammation", "humour caused by heat") is mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that produced by the throat nasal passages. It often refers to respiratory mucus expelled by coughing, otherwise known as sputum.
Sputum is mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways (the trachea and bronchi).In medicine, sputum samples are usually used for a naked eye examination, microbiological investigation of respiratory infections and cytological investigations of respiratory systems.
The production of mucus occurs naturally when the lung tissue is exposed to irritants. In chronic bronchitis, the air passages into the alveoli, the respiratory bronchioles, become clogged with mucus. This causes increased coughing in order to remove the mucus, and is often a result of extended periods of exposure to cigarette smoke.
The type of cough you have is a clue to what's causing it: A wet cough (the type that brings up phlegm or mucus) is often a sign of a lower respiratory infection.
Then mucus can help carry pathogens out of your body, whether you blow your nose or cough it up, she says. How to decode your mucus. The color of your mucus can tell you information about your health.
This explains why coughing often occurs in those who smoke cigarettes. The body's natural reaction is to increase mucus production. In addition, mucus aids in moisturizing the inhaled air and prevents tissues such as the nasal and airway epithelia from drying out. [11] Mucus is produced continuously in the respiratory tract. Mucociliary action ...
You’re coughing up less mucus. Irritation of the back of your throat and voice changes improve. You no longer have a fever, if you had one at all. You’re breathing more comfortably.