Flu and Phlegm Information

. . . S T A T U S

Mood : so-so

FLU

My flu is not over yet. My nose is still watery most of the times no matter how hard I try to make my nostrils totally dry. Well, it hurts when I attempt to my nostrils totally dry because I tend to sneeze too hard. Then, the headache is going to strike on me the second after. In short, falling sick is no fun and I really hope that the virus will leave my body as soon as possible! My immune system is going to combat with you, little evil creature!

I discovered something interesting today while I was having my nap. I did not really slept because my brain kept thinking. Thinking of what, um, the list started with driving car, decorating cookies and so on. Then, I started to wonder, what made me sick. I thought and realized that the problem occurred because I CRIED TOO MUCH! True, I do not have any scientific backups to support my opinion here but somehow I think it has some sort of relation to it. Why?

When you cry, do you

1. Suck the mucus in your nostrils back into your lungs?
2. Sneeze them out using tissue or somebody's shirt? 

When you suck in the mucus from your nostrils back to your lungs, I believe that those mucus which consists of dust and every dirty little particles in the air do not just dissolve, evaporate, vanish or whatever term you call it, just like that. I believe that they are stored somewhere in your lungs and they are accumulating. From little to more. Then, what is going to happen next is that you will have sore throat. Phlegm will be formed in your lungs and somehow I don't know how, they tend to move up to your throat and you can JUST feel them there. That is when you have the urge to puke them out but they are just so reluctantly stubborn! Does my hypothesis make sense?? 

Anyway, I did some readings on flu and phlegm. So, check this link out if you are interested to know in details. I think it is very informative for those who wants to know in details what phlegm and flu and stuff are. 

# I'm just noting a few important points here which are extracted from the article in the link below. 

http://www.docflash.com/phlegm.html

http://www.mysinustory.com/green.html

This piece of gross looking jelly-liked thing 

is what most of us used to see before coming out from our mouth. 

So, don't be too surprised.

First of all, we are going to start with the definition of phlegm. 

Its definition is limited to the mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that from thenasal passages, and particularly that which is expelled by coughing (sputum). (wikipedia.com) 

Is bronchitis closely related to phlegm/flu? 

The first thing is to beware overuse of cough and cold remedies!  Most contain strong drying agents which make your nose drip less, by drying it out. Unfortunately, that dries your lungs out, too. You end up with dried phlegm plugging up your chest. This tickles and irritates your bronchial tubes, making you cough. It blocks off small sections of your lungs and your bronchial tubes get infected with bacteria. This is called bronchitis.

How to get phlegm out from your lungs? 

Steam up your lungs. 5 or 10 minutes in a closed bathroom full of steam works fine. Then, lie face down on a bed or couch with your head, shoulders, and back hanging downward over the edge, and have somebody pound your back with cupped hands while you're breathing as deep as you can and coughing hard. Do the chest percussion twice a day if possible. This may help you get some phlegm up and out, which is where you want it. Chest percussion should last about 5 minutes. Have a cup nearby for the phlegm.

Is it bad to swallow phlegm rather than puking them out?

YES, VERY BAD! They are dust! Spit them out at once when you have the urge. 

Different phlegm colours mean what? 

• If it's clear, white, or pale, the infection may still be viral, and antibiotics may not be necessary. 
• If it's yellow, green, brown, or bloody, or if you are having fevers, chills, chest pains, or have other health problems, you might need antibiotics. Contact your health care delivery person.

Clear--this is the normal, healthy type. We produce one pint to a quart of a gallon a day to keep our breathing system working properly.

White--especially produced when one is having sinus problems and cow's milk is used. It can be also an indication of bronchitis.

Pink or bloody--it can be an indication of a serious condition; a physician should be consulted.

Brown--particularly produced by smokers, but also by those who are secondary recipients of the tobacco smoke.

Green--can be an indicate an infection in the respiratory system like bronchitis. If it is accompanied by pain and/or fever for several days it can be an indication of a bacterial infection, which usually requires a visit to the doctor. Green snot, as nasal green mucus is sometimes called, can be a sign of: a common cold, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, upper respiratory infection. Sometimes green mucus can come at the tail end of an infection and following yellow mucus. It should be recognized that green mucus can often have pretty much the same basic meaning as yellow.

Yellow--a dark yellow can indicate a sinus infection, while a light yellow can be produced by dry air; while a thick yellow snot can indicate the presence of a "cold" and that one needs to drink more water.When accompanied by one or more of these symptoms:

• coughing
• wheezing
• fatigue
• chest discomfort
• shortness of breath after small exertions,

then the yellow mucus can be a symptom of bronchitis. A recurring condition with the presence of yellow mucus can also signify that there may be some other underlying problem in the respiratory system that needs to be looked at. A light yellow, thick and sticky mucus can be produced, as already mentioned, just because the air is very dry; and the nasal membrane. Providing additional moisture in the air by a cool or hot steam humidifier can be an excellent idea; since it can keep nasal and sinus membranes moist to help avoid infection.

Green mucus can be a symptom of:

• Cold or flu
• Allergy reaction
• Air dryness
• Bronchitis
• Sinusitis
• Nasal polyps

How to get rid of green mucus(phlegm)

• Taking extra amounts of vitamin C 
• Avoid some foods
• Drink lots of water
• Relax as much as possible
• Avoid coffees and teas (stimulant drinks) 
• Reduce your stress level
• Avoid sugar drinks (packet fruit drinks)
• Avoid cow's milk (normal milk?)
• Avoid milk shakes and ice-cream

How to get phlegm easily out from your body? 

Drink plenty of fluids. If you're dry, the phlegm will be thicker and harder to get up. Drink enough so that when you urinate, it comes out clear. (Remember that B-vitamins will turn your urine darker). Don't use alcohol as a primary fluid source: it dries you out. Coffee and tea do the same thing, to a lesser extent, but the caffeine can help wheezing.

Interesting fact about green mucus, cold and flu 

Often stress related! 

I guess that is all for your information what phlegm and flu are. I hope that this post is informative. Well, it is for me.