Phlegm is the mucus which we can cough up from the lungs. In the mouth it mixes with http://www.answers.com/topic/saliva (spit) to become sputum, which is then expectorated: phlegm plus saliva equals sputum, which is commonly studied by doctors to give signs of what is happening in the lungs.
In health the output of phlegm is too small to be measured accurately, but estimates give values of 15-50 ml/day, a minute amount. This is carried up to the larynx by the ‘ciliary escalator’, the wave-like movement of the hairs on the cells lining the trachea and bronchi. Once in the larynx, the phlegm is either coughed out, or more usually swallowed with, at the most, a throat-clearing ‘huff’. In disease, excessive production of mucus in the airways is characteristic of illnesses such as chronic bronchitis, usually diagnosed by the large production of phlegm; the mucus stimulates nerve receptors in the lining of the airways, which excite http://www.answers.com/topic/cough, and this leads to the removal of the phlegm. The commonest causes of phlegm production are airways infections, such as influenza, and cigarette http://www.answers.com/topic/smoking. Smokers' cough is due to the irritation of smoke stimulating mucus output from the glands in the trachea and bronchi. At night this mucus stays in the lungs, and when the smoker gets up in the morning the accumulated mucus is coughed up. The greatest output of phlegm is seen in a rare condition, bronchorrhoea, in which as much as two litres/day of sputum may be produced.
Asthma doesn't spread. It's not a contagious disease. It's an allergy. You're born with a tendence to hipersensitivity, and can develop it through your life. If you're exposed to allergens at a very young age, you develop asthma as a child.
I have seen cases where bloody phlegm was a symptom of pneumonia. Strong coughing can cause the small blood capillaries to bust and the blood mix up with the phlegm.
The exact cause of this symptom is best investigated by a medical professional in order for a diagnosis to be made you should visit a doctor.
This is not normal although it affects many people. Depending on how much you cough up could be the result of some other underlying issue. Consult your doctor and note if it has gotten worse, how long, and what foods drinks (if any) make it worse.
Bleeding in the lungs is one possible cause of coughing up black phlegm.
Ask someone else.
A person with emphysema would cough up to about 2 cups of phlegm per day. That would mean in 8 days, they would cough up a gallon of phlegm. Drink up!
A nonproductive cough is a cough that does not bring up phlegm or mucus. It is also called a dry cough, and tends to irritate the throat much more than a productive cough (a cough that brings up phlegm and/or mucus) does.
I have a cough then suddenly, the phlegm was blocking my throat.
Phlegm is mucous. It is generally referred to as "phlegm" and sometimes as "sputum" when referring to mucous found in the throat or expelled from the lungs/bronchial passages by way of a cough.
It means you have a sinus infection. Just make sure you cough it all up, and dont swallow it or it will not go away as fast as it will if you cough it up and spit it out.
Phlegm.
If you cough enough to make your ribs sore, a doctor's appointment is necessary to determine the cause, as you may break your ribs if it continues. If your cough is productive = you cough up phlegm, then do not take cough suppressant medication and be sure not to swallow the phlegm. An expectorant will help. If you have a dry cough = no phlegm, then a cough suppressant (antitussive) will do you wonders. However, most OTC products are ineffective, so get a prescription or ask your pharmacist for something with codeine. Alternatively, dark chocolate 100g or over can be very effective.
A "loogie" is a thick ball of phlegm that forms in the trachea or bronchial tubes, and is coughed up. To cough up a ball of phlegm and spit it out is colloquially called " to hock a loogie" or "hawking a loogie" (from the characteristic sound of expectoration, and related to the verb "hack" meaning to cough).
Well I'm not a doctor, but I do know that after you quit smoking you occasionally cough up phlegm for anywhere up to a year after you quit. This is an effect from the lungs healing themselves.
you feel better. makes you cough up the phlegm mate
If you cough up phlegm, it means you could have a cold. If you have flatulence at the same time, it just means you have gas. They may not be related.
Cough medicines may help either to control coughing or loosen the phlegm.