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Phlegm is the mucus, which is secreted by the mucous membrane in the respiratory tract and it is a very common issue. It is formed when the mucous membrane found in your body tries to fight inflammation and infections. Mucus is different from phlegm because mucous is found in the nasal passage while phlegm is found in the lungs. The throat region and chest tend to accumulate phlegm and it is ejected when a person coughs.
Phlegm is an inconvenient and annoying issue as it results in throat congestion, throat clearing, breathlessness and coughing repeatedly. It also leads to disturbed sleep. Though it is not dangerous, this condition should not be ignored because if it persists it could cause clogging and irritation in the bronchial tubes, which could result in secondary respiratory tract infection in the upper region. There are many herbal remedies suggested for phlegm, a few of them are discussed below.
Herbal Remedies For Phlegm
Ginger
For relaxing mucous, a lot of hot drinks work very well. Ginger prepared as a hot tea help in breaking mucous and clearing the throat. To make this tea all you need to do is, take some ginger and mash or slice them.
Add this to water and allow it to boil. Add a few drops of honey to get a sweet touch and ginger tea is ready. Sip this tea throughout the day to get relief from phlegm.
Slippery Elm
Slippery elm is an effective herbal remedy for phlegm. It can be taken in the form of tea. Just add a tablespoon of slippery elm in the powdered form to water and allow it to boil. Consume this concoction to get relief. You can also have it as a tincture, five ml thrice a day is recommended. The herb can also be used as a poultice. To prepare the poultice, take some powdered slippery elm and steep it in water.
Make a paste out of it and apply it as a layer on the chest. Take a plastic wrap and cover it. Above this poultice, place a towel and then a hot water pad on the towel enabling the poultice to remain warm. Let it remain for about fifteen minutes to half an hour. Slippery elm eliminates the mucous making it easier to cough and expel it. This herb contains fibers, which are soluble, hence it dissolves in water and forms a gel, gummy substance that forms a coating on the throat and helps in soothing the inflammation.
Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus when used in the oil form works wonders in the treatment of mucous. Steam inhalation with eucalyptus oil helps loosen the phlegm and mucous and relieves congestion.
Take some hot water and add some eucalyptus oil to prepare the infusion. Inhaling this for a few minutes every day helps in relieving phlegm.
Turmeric
The antiseptic present in turmeric is strong and helps in combating mucus infection. The best way to use turmeric is to mix it with milk and drink.
Just take a tablespoon of the extract of turmeric, add some milk, and drink this regularly to ward off mucous and phlegm.
Oregano Oil
Mucous can be yellow or white. Oregano works effectively in treating mucous infection, which is yellow in color. The herb possesses antibiotic properties naturally and works amazingly well for treating infection in the upper respiratory tract.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.