Coughing Up Phlegm? Help!

When you cough and it is accompanied with mucus or sputum (phlegm) it is a sign that you have a infection in your lungs. Coughing up mucus can be caused by different things such as allergies, common cold, bacterial infections or the cause of smoking. Coughing phlegm most commonly occurs in the mornings.

The reason why people are coughing up mucus could be divided into two main categories. Lets look at some information below to see what might be responsible for that problem.

Different infections and viruses

People who complain about mucus build up in the morning usually suffer from viral or some bacterial infections such as the common cold or influenza. If these viruses find a way to your throat or nasal passages the bacteria start to produce a large amount of mucus. That usually happens during the night when you aren't drinking anything or clearing your throat. That is the reason when one wakes up and needs to cough up all that build up phlegm.

Bronchitis, allergies or asthma are conditions where the body builds a lot of mucus. When your airways are inflamed by a virus it's commonly referred to as bronchitis. If you inhale particles which cause allergic reaction such as dust, toxic fumes or some chemicals it can cause the airways to swell up. Asthma attack can also be triggered by this. Other reasons why one might have mucus in their lungs are different viral conditions such as strep throat, sinusitis or lung infections.

Ones own fault

Smoking is one of the most common reasons why people cough up phlegm. People who smoke a lot usually cough up phlegm that is brown and looks disgusting. Even after you quit smoking you will still cough up that brown substance for a while. It is normal because the body tries to get rid of all the bad toxins that the smoking has caused. People who have recently quit smoking sometimes cough up black mucus, because the body is getting rid of the tar that you get from smoking.

Another dangerous vice is alcohol. Alcohol dries your membranes and because of that the membranes counter-actively start to produce a large amount of mucus to fight the dryness.

There are some effective ways to make things better: the first and the most important rule is to stay well-hydrated at all times. Fluid intake helps loosening phlegm and makes it easier to cough it out. Another good advice is to gargle with warm salt water

Surprisingly food is one of the causes that will make you cough up phlegm. There are certain food groups that are suggested for people to avoid to help with the mucus problem. One of the most known foods that cause the problem the most are dairy products. Even eating meat could cause the problem and specially fried greasy foods.