In winter, the air is dry, which can easily damage the lungs, causing many people to cough and phlegm. Cough is difficult to cure, and taking medicine has little effect.
When the human body is in a healthy state, it generally does not cough frequently, and even if it does, it does not necessarily have phlegm. If you can cough up phlegm often, and the phlegm you spit out has a special color, maybe our body is sending a warning.
Phlegm is the fluid secreted by irritation of the respiratory tract. Sputum contains mucus, bacteria, inflammatory cells, necrotic and exfoliated mucosal epithelial cells, and other substances.
Phlegm is a physiological response of the human body, if there is a lesion, the phlegm will increase, which is the body's self-protection mechanism. The color of the phlegm is different, indicating that the cause of the cough is different, and different causes can lead to respiratory infections that produce different phlegm.
What does it mean to cough up black phlegm, yellow phlegm, and white phlegm?
Black phlegm can be caused by inhaling a lot of dust or smoking.
Yellow sputum is most often caused by purulent inflammation caused by respiratory infections or tuberculosis.
Because the body's immunity is weakened, bacteria and viruses can easily invade, and if bronchitis is severe, it will stimulate mucus to secrete more phlegm, and finally turn yellow.
White phlegm is generally due to dry phlegm, cold phlegm, and wet phlegm. Dry phlegm is related to dry weather, and you need to eat more foods that nourish yin. Cold phlegm is because the cold enters the lungs and needs to be warmed to ward off the cold. Wet phlegm is more common in people who are obese and alcoholic.
If you cough up white phlegm and there is no other discomfort in your body, it will be fine in about 10 days. But if you keep coughing up white phlegm, you should pay attention to it, and it is best to go to the hospital for a check-up.
Is it harmful to swallow phlegm?
Phlegm is a secretion of the respiratory tract and there is some of it every day to keep the airways moist. If the microorganism is infected, the airways produce more phlegm.
Coughing up phlegm is actually a kind of protection for the body, and when coughing up phlegm, it will also bring out some harmful things.
If you swallow the phlegm, the stomach acid will kill the bacteria in it and will not have much effect on the body.
However, if the bacteria are very strong and can resist stomach acid, then swallowing phlegm may allow the bacteria to spread in the body and even cause gastrointestinal infections, such as tuberculosis patients should not swallow phlegm, and cough should stay away from others to prevent infection.
What are the foods that relieve cough and phlegm?
1.枇杷
Loquat is a sweet-tasting product that is rich in vitamins, organic acids, sugars, and more. When the loquat is ripe, it is sweet and sour and juicy, and it is very popular with people.
2. Pear
Everyone knows that eating fruits is good for the body, because fruits contain vitamins and dietary fiber, which can supplement nutrients and improve constipation.
Pears are a fruit with a lot of water, which can moisten the lungs and relieve cough, clean up the phlegm in the lungs, and can be made into pear tea or rock sugar pear.
3. Yuzu
Grapefruit can strengthen the stomach, regulate qi and dissolve phlegm, moisten the lungs and clear heat, eat in moderation, can increase appetite and help digestion.
Moreover, the limonene and pinene in it can thin the secretions of the airways and facilitate the discharge of phlegm, which is a fruit that is good for the treatment of cough.