I'm over my cold, but I still have phlegm. What should I do to get rid of it?
I'm over my cold, but I still have phlegm. What should I do to get rid of it?
After suffering from a bad cold, you may still have phlegm in your throat even after the cold is gone.
I'm hesitant to take more medicine, but is there any way to relieve the phlegm?
First of all, you should drink water frequently.
Drinking plenty of water increases the water content of your phlegm, reducing its viscosity.
You can also wash away existing phlegm with water. However, it's better to drink lukewarm water rather than cold water.
Nasal compresses may also help.
This is usually due to sinusitis or phlegm caused by cold and dry outside air.
Warming up your nose reduces the amount of mucus secreted excessively from the nasal mucosa.
Also, when the swelling of the nasal mucosa goes down and air circulation in the throat and nose becomes smooth, phlegm goes down easily.
Just soak a towel in hot water and hold it close to your nose.
Another method is to fill a cup with hot water and hold it close to your nose.
If your phlegm does not improve even after changing your lifestyle habits, you can take an expectorant.
Expectorants thin sticky phlegm and stimulate the movement of cilia in the bronchial tubes.
It helps expel phlegm by promoting the movement of fine hairs that filter out foreign substances.
If you have a cough due to phlegm, it is better to take an expectorant rather than cough medicine.
This is because cough medicine is a medicine that suppresses the coughing reflex that occurs when the bronchial tubes try to expel foreign substances.
Taking phlegm to reduce phlegm viscosity may actually be more effective in relieving coughs.