Source: Family Doctor Online
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Many people have phlegm as long as they cough, and the phlegm they cough up is different, usually hyaline sputum, purulent mucus sputum, and sometimes blood in the sputum. People are very nauseous at the mention of phlegm, but it is an outward manifestation of lung health, and the disease can be preliminarily judged by observing the texture, color, quantity, and smell of sputum. The most intuitive is the color of the sputum, and different colors indicate different diseases.
What organs are mainly affected by sputum?
1. The spleen is the source of phlegm
If the spleen is dysfunctional, the water and fluid will accumulate in the body, the water will be damp and endogenous, and the phlegm will collect. This condition is generally caused by internal and external evil qi, which is mainly manifested as abdominal distension, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.
2. The kidneys are the foundation of phlegm
The kidneys are mainly responsible for switching water in the body, and if water accumulates in the kidneys, phlegm is produced. Some people present with puffiness and chills, while others may present with dizziness and tinnitus. Therefore, if you want to get rid of phlegm at the root, you may start with the kidneys.
3. The lungs are the organs that store phlegm
The sputum in the lungs can be divided into moist, hot, cold, and dry sputum. Cold and wet sputum is generally not viscous and foamy, hot sputum will have a yellow and sticky texture, and dry sputum is generally not much, and it is difficult to cough and spit out.
Different colors of phlegm represent different diseases
1. White phlegm
Generally, normal phlegm is white, but there is a special serous white phlegm with a thin texture, just like water, and there is no sputum texture at all. During sputum production, due to abnormal contraction and diastolic function of the respiratory tract, sputum cannot be formed, and in addition to the problem of dampness, serous white sputum is produced. Lung diseases such as emphysema and pulmonary edema predispose to this type of sputum.
2. Gray sputum
Generally, mucinous sputum is grayish, but it may also appear grayish-white, and the texture is relatively viscous, which is common in bronchial lesions, pulmonary respiratory diseases, etc., and is usually closely related to fungal infections.
3. Yellow phlegm
After bacterial infection, the metabolites of bacteria are yellow, and after bacterial infection of the lungs, such as bacterial pneumonia, tuberculosis and lung abscess, the sputum is yellow and thick. In addition, in lobar pneumonia or purulent bronchitis, the inflammatory cells can engulf microorganisms, and the inflammatory cells can die to produce pus sputum, which makes the sputum yellow.
4. Red phlegm
Red sputum, which is blood in the sputum, causes bleeding because the airways are congested and edematous and the capillaries rupture. If patients with cardiac insufficiency and pulmonary edema cough up bloody sputum after overwork or at night, presenting foamy sputum, pulmonary edema should be vigilant; if bronchiectasis and tuberculosis patients cough up fresh blood sputum, it means that the lesion has invaded the blood vessels; regular smokers, with blood in the sputum every time, accompanied by body emaciation and chest pain, should think of lung cancer as the first time.
5. Green phlegm
Green sputum is rare and is usually found in bronchial lesions, lung diseases caused by infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, such as lobar pneumonia. In addition to green phlegm, it is also accompanied by weakened immunity, high fever and cough.
What is good to eat for expectorant and cough?
1. Citrus
Citrus has the effect of moistening the lungs and dissolving phlegm, quenching thirst, relieving the symptoms caused by lung fever, cough and gastrointestinal dryness, and also has the effect of diuresis and stomach. In particular, you can't throw away the citrus white tendons, which can have the effect of clearing and dissolving phlegm, especially suitable for chronic bronchitis, and can also relieve chest discomfort caused by long-term cough.
2, pear
At this time, it is a good time to eat pears, pears not only have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, but also can achieve the effect of cough and phlegm, moistening the lungs and rejuvenating the lungs, especially suitable for pulmonary fever cough and elderly cough, and can reduce the symptoms of bronchitis. In addition to eating pears raw, they can also be stewed or made into pear juice.
3. White radish
White radish has the effect of quenching thirst and clearing heat and phlegm, relieving lung fever and cough, reducing phlegm viscosity and other symptoms, in addition to eating white radish alone, it can also be made into juice with sugarcane, lotus root and pear.
A message from the family doctor
In order to dissolve phlegm, you should drink more boiled water, or you can take traditional Chinese medicine under the guidance of a doctor, during which you can not eat fatty, sweet, greasy and high-sugar foods, and you can not drink cold drinks. Proper sun exposure and more than 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day can help the expansion of lung qi, and at the same time, you should stay away from tobacco and alcohol to improve the indoor environment.