Cold, flu, and upper respiratory infections bring with it phlegm, which can be pretty uncomfortable. It blocks your nasal passages, irritate the bronchial tubes, thereby causing a secondary upper respiratory infection. Phlegm makes you want to clear your throat constantly, cough, deal with a runny nose, experience difficulty in breathing, feeling weak and fatigued, and in some cases, even run a temperature. Phlegm mostly gets collected in the chest and throat, causing congestion. This is usually expelled through coughing, sometimes vigorously.
Suggested read: 14 highly beneficial home remedies for treating bronchitis
Common causes for phlegm formation
The most common causes for the formation of phlegm include:
- Common cold
- Bronchitis
- Sinusitis
- Flu
- Damage to vocal cords
- An allergic reaction to irritants such as in hay fever, rhinitis, or asthma
- Excessive smoking
Home remedies for phlegm
Dealing with phlegm can be very irritating, uncomfortable, and unpleasant. However, there are some easy yet effective home remedies for phlegm that help treat it successfully. Let’s take a look:
1. Apple cider vinegar
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Apple cider vinegar is an easy yet effective home remedy to help clear away phlegm from your system, thus providing relief from chronic sinusitis and allergic symptoms. Thanks to its rich potassium content, it also helps get rid of a runny nose.
Remedies
- Add 1 tablespoon of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to a bowl of boiling water. Inhale the steam rising up and out of it with a towel covering your head. Repeat this process thrice a day for best results.
- To 1 glass of water, add 1 tablespoon of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and mix well. Drink this thrice a day to help get rid of phlegm from your system. Add a bit of honey to make it more palatable.
2. Bay leaf
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Bay leaf is mostly used in cooking, but it also contains vital nutrients that help in clearing away phlegm from your system when it is used in brewing a tea.
Remedy
- To 1 cup of boiling water, add a handful of fresh bay leaves and cover it with a lid. Let it steep for 10 minutes, before straining it. Sip this tea for instant relief from congestion caused by phlegm.
3. Carrots
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Carrots contain rich amounts of vitamin A, and vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps boost your immune system. It also helps build resistance against various kinds of infections. Additionally, carrots also contain other essential vitamins and minerals that help in reducing symptoms of a respiratory infection, as well as phlegm.
Remedy
- Extract the juice from 5 fresh carrots and dilute it by adding a bit of water. To this, add 3 teaspoons of honey and mix well. Drink this through the day to clear phlegm from your system.
4. Cayenne pepper
Cayenne pepper is an amazing remedy to help your body to expel the phlegm collected in the nasal passages and throat. Cayenne pepper is warm and stimulating, which helps lower the pain in the chest caused by congestion and coughing, while also helping soothe an irritated throat.
Remedies
- In a saucepan, mix together a quarter teaspoon each of cayenne pepper, grated ginger, 1 tablespoon each of apple cider vinegar and honey, along with 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well and drink this thrice a day to help reduce the production of phlegm in your system.
- Use cayenne pepper in your dishes while cooking, to help expel phlegm from your system.
5. Chicken soup
Chicken soup is extremely easy yet effective in treating phlegm. It helps moisturize and lubricate the airways, while also helping thinning the stubborn phlegm. Additionally, it also helps soothe and calm an irritated throat, thus inducing relaxation.
Remedy
- Eat some hot chicken soup thrice a day to help clear away the phlegm. To boost its efficacy, add a bit of ginger and garlic to the chicken soup.
Tip: Homemade chicken soup is, any day, better tasting and more effectual than canned or store-bought soup.
Suggested read: 14 highly effective home remedies to cure a common cold
6. Ginger
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Ginger is a natural decongestant, which also helps in combating respiratory tract and throat infections. It has been used extensively in traditional medicine, and its anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and expectorant properties help ease the nasal and throat congestion.
Remedies
- Chew on thin, raw ginger slices several times a day to help ease the congestion, thus making it easier to breathe.
- Add ginger in your dishes to help with treating phlegm.
- To 1 cup of boiled water, add 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger slices and cover it with a lid. Let it steep for 10 minutes, before straining it. Add 2 teaspoons of honey to this and drink it several times a day to help clear away the phlegm.
7. Honey
Honey possesses anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties, that help make it an excellent home remedy to treat phlegm. Additionally, it contains antiseptic properties that help in boosting your immune system to combat any infections that might be causing the phlegm, that much quickly.
Remedies
- To 1 glass of warm water, add 1 tablespoon of honey and dissolve it. Drink this several times a day till the phlegm clears away from your system.
- In a clean cup, mix together a pinch of black pepper powder and 1 tablespoon of honey. Consume this mixture twice a day for a week to help get rid of the phlegm. While the pepper will treat a throat infection, the honey will help soothe the mucous membranes.
8. Lemon juice
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Lemon juice is another simple ingredient which helps treat phlegm and mucous successfully. Additionally, thanks to its anti-bacterial properties and high vitamin C content, it helps fight the infection.
Remedies
- Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on a lemon wedge and suck on it to help force the phlegm from your system. Repeat this remedy thrice a day for best results.
- To 1 glass of hot water, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of honey. Stir well and drink it at least thrice a day to help soothe your throat, while also helping expel the phlegm from your system.
9. Onion
Onion possesses anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and expectorant properties that help relax and soothe your throat, while helping expel the phlegm from your system. Additionally, onion helps boost your immune system, while speeding up the healing process.
Remedy
- Finely chop 1 small onion and mix it with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Let it sit for half an hour, till it attains a liquid texture. Consume 1 tablespoon of this tonic every three hours, or as needed, to help expel the phlegm from your system.
10. Salt water gargle
Gargling hot salt water helps eliminate phlegm. Also, warm water helps soothe an irritated throat, while the salt helps destroy any bacteria that may be causing the infection. Thus, it helps reduce the production of phlegm in your system.
Remedy
- Add 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 glass of warm water and dissolve it completely. Use this solution to gargle for about 30 seconds, before spitting it out with any phlegm that may erupt. Repeat this remedy several times a day to find relief from phlegm.
11. Steam inhalation
Inhaling steam is one of the best and simplest ways to expel phlegm from your system. It clears the nasal passages by liquefying the phlegm, thus making it easier to expel it from the system.
Remedies
- Boil some water in a saucepan. Take it off the heat and add a few drops of eucalyptus oil or small dollop of Vicks VapoRub into it. Inhale the steam rising up and out of it, with a large towel covering your head. Do this for about 10 minutes, or till the steam subsides. It helps loosen the secretions in your lungs, thus making it easier to expel it from your system. Repeat this remedy as needed, through the day.
- Take a hot, steamy shower every day. Stay in the closed bathroom full of steam for about 10 minutes to help loosen up the phlegm. Moisturize your body and face after, so that your skin doesn’t dry out.
12. Turmeric
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Turmeric is known to possess antiseptic properties, which help in reducing phlegm by killing off the bacteria that cause excessive mucous and phlegm in the first place. Additionally, turmeric helps in strengthening your immune system.
Remedies
- Consume half a teaspoon of turmeric with 1 glass of water thrice a day to help get rid of phlegm from your system.
- To 1 glass of hot water, add 1 tablespoon of turmeric and a pinch of salt, stirring it well. Use this solution to gargle several times a day to help expel phlegm.
- Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder to 1 glass of hot milk. Drink this once in the morning and again before going to sleep, to help decongest your throat and chest.
Suggested read: All you need to know about treating a dry throat with home remedies
13. Warm compress
Warm compress helps loosen the stubborn mucous and phlegm, thus helping expel it from your system.
Remedy
- Heat some water in a saucepan. Dip a clean washcloth in it and wring out the excess. Place it over gently over your eyes, nose, and cheeks. Let it stay for about 3-4 minutes, before replacing it. Repeat this process 3-4 times a day to help clear away the phlegm.
These are all the superbly effective home remedies for phlegm. For more updates on health tips and fitness secrets, subscribe to our newsletter today!
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