What Causes Mucus?
Your body naturally makes mucus every day, and its presence isn’t necessarily a sign of anything unhealthy. Mucus, also known as phlegm when it’s produced by your respiratory system, lines the tissues of your body (such as your nose, mouth, throat, and lungs). It cleans your nasal passages, keeps your tissues lubricated, filters out dust and bacteria you might inhale, and helps protect you from infection.
Your body makes about a liter (approximately 1 quart) of mucus a day. But too much of it, especially if it's in somewhere like your lungs, can be annoying and possibly a sign of a health problem.
Acid Reflux and Mucus
If you have acid reflux, the acid in your stomach comes up the esophagus (food pipe) to your throat. This can result in throat soreness and postnasal drip, along with chest congestion.
Postnasal drip
When you have a lot of extra mucus that starts to drip in the back of your throat, that's called postnasal drip. It can be due to acid reflux, but also to a cold, allergies, medications, infections, and other things. Symptoms include:
- A chronic cough, especially at night when you're lying down
- Feeling mucus draining down your throat
- Swallowing often
- An urge to clear your throat
Allergies and Mucus
Allergies can cause a host of symptoms, from itchy eyes and sneezing to congestion, chest tightness, and coughing. A reaction that involves the lungs is more typical if you’re allergic to something airborne, such as pollen or dust mites. Allergies can also cause extra mucus in your nose and throat.
Asthma and Mucus
Along with other symptoms of asthma, such as shortness of breath and chest tightness, asthma can cause you to cough up phlegm. This may be a sign that your airways are inflamed, but small amounts of white or clear mucus aren’t worrisome.
Mucus with Infections
Infections such as the flu, acute bronchitis, and pneumonia can cause your airways to make extra mucus, which you’ll often cough up. It may be green or yellow in color.
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 doesn’t usually cause mucus in your chest. But complications from the virus can include pneumonia, which does involve chest congestion.
COPD and Mucus
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) includes several lung diseases that can make it harder to breathe, like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic bronchitis causes inflammation of the bronchial tubes and more mucus, both of which make it harder for your lungs to work. COPD is generally caused by long-term exposure to things that irritate the lungs, such as cigarette smoke, but people with asthma can also get it.
Mucus and smoking
Smoking increases the amount of mucus in your airways. That's because nicotine paralyzes cilia, tiny hairs that line your lungs. Cilia normally help move mucus out of your lungs, so if they can't do their job, the mucus will build up and get thicker. Since your body doesn't like mucus buildup, you'll start coughing to try and get rid of it, leading to a chronic (ongoing) cough called smoker's cough. This cough often produces phlegm.
Cystic Fibrosis and Mucus
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition from a faulty protein in the body that causes it to make thick, sticky mucus in the lungs and other organs. The mucus can cause blockages, infections, and damage to affected organs, like the lungs, as people age.
Doctors test for cystic fibrosis (CF) in newborns, and 75% of people who have it are diagnosed by age 2. A parent can pass on the CF gene even if they don’t have the condition themselves, and about 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed annually in the U.S.
Home Remedies for Mucus in Your Lungs
Here are some ways to remove mucus from your lungs naturally:
Drink lots of fluids
Drink plenty of water and other fluids, like herbal tea and broth. They thin out mucus. Stay away from fluids that can dehydrate you, such as coffee and alcohol.
Humidify
Try a cool mist humidifier or hop into a steamy shower to keep your airways moisturized.
Spray It
A saline nasal spray (available in drugstores) can clear out debris in your nose, keep it moisturized, and remove extra mucus. You can also make your own saline solution with 1 teaspoon of no-iodine salt, 2 cups of warm distilled or boiled water, and a pinch of baking soda. Pour half of the mix into a neti pot or squeeze bottle and store the rest. To use as a wash:
- Bend over a sink, tilting your head to the left. Breathe though your open mouth.
- Gently pour or squeeze the solution into your right nostril. The water should come out of the left nostril.
- Repeat on the other side, with the solution going into your left nostril and your head tilted to the right.
- You may have to adjust your head tilt so the mixture doesn't go into your throat or ears.
- Afterward, gently blow your nose to remove any remaining water and mucus.
Change positions
If lying down causes snot to drip and you to cough, try propping your head up with pillows or raising the head of your bed, if it's adjustable.
Don’t smoke or vape anything
Whether from tobacco or marijuana, smoke is an irritant and can cause your body to make more mucus.
Cough it up
Controlled coughing helps get rid of mucus, but you have to do it correctly. Sit in a chair with both feet on the floor. Take a deep breath through your nose and hold for 2 counts. Lean forward slightly. Cough twice – make it two short coughs. Then relax. Repeat as needed.
Check air filters
Other irritants in the air can make mucus production worse, so make sure your heating and cooling system filters are clean and up to date.
Take an expectorant
Some cough medicines contain an expectorant called guaifenesin, which loosens mucus so you can cough it up.
When to Seek Help
On its own, mucus isn’t a worrisome symptom. But if it comes with a cough that doesn’t go away after several weeks, it’s greenish-yellow or blood-tinged, or you also have a fever or shortness of breath, you should call your doctor.
Mucus color meaning
Mucus can come in several colors. It can also be clear when you're feeling fine.
White mucus: You're congested. Your body has started to build up mucus because your nose has swollen, inflamed tissues.
Yellow mucus: Your body is fighting an infection. The yellow color is from white blood cells rushing to the infection site to fight it off.
Green mucus: The infection is stronger. As part of their fighting strategy, the white blood cells release enzymes containing iron, which gives off a yellow-greenish color. The color becomes more pronounced when you have a lot of mucus. If your snot is green and it's been more than 10 days, see a doctor.
Pink or red mucus: Blood is involved, usually from your nasal tissues being irritated. If you've been blowing your nose a lot, you may have broken a few blood vessels. If it's a small amount of red mucus, you don't have to worry. If there's a lot, see a doctor.
Brown mucus: This color comes either from dried blood or something you might have inhaled, like dirt or paprika. It could also be a sign of bronchitis, so check with your doctor if you're bringing up brown mucus.
Black mucus: This could come from smoking or working in a place with a lot of dust and dirt. But it could also mean you have a serious fungal infection, though this is pretty rare. If your black snot doesn't go away, see a doctor.
Takeaways
Mucus is actually good for your body. It keeps your airways clear, filters out dust, and helps prevent infection. But too much mucus can be a sign of a health problem, like acid reflux, asthma, a cold, allergies, or an infection. Heavy smoking also produces mucus. To clear it up, stop smoking, if that's the issue. Otherwise, try drinking lots of water, propping yourself up with pillows, and using a humidifier or saline solution. Some cough medicines have an expectorant that helps loosen mucus.
Mucus in Lungs FAQs
What medicine is good for mucus in the chest that won't come up?
Look for a cough medicine listing guaifenesin in its ingredients. The bottle might be labelled "expectorant." Guaifenesin loosens up mucus in your chest, allowing you to cough it up.
What drinks remove mucus from the body?
Water is the best choice, but herbal teas, chicken soup, and clear broths are good too. You'll want to stay away from drinks that could dry you out, like coffee, caffeinated (black) tea, wine, and alcoholic beverages.
Does honey help with phlegm?
Yes, one study suggested that honey may reduce mucus secretion. Honey also soothes your throat and calms your cough for a while. Other studies focusing on children have shown honey to work just as well as cough medicines containing dextromethorphan and slightly better than those with diphenhydramine.
The recommended honey dose for children is 2.5 milliliters (half a teaspoon) at bedtime. Don’t give honey to anyone under 1 year of age, because they may get infantile botulism, though it's rare. Adults can take a teaspoon or two – straight, in their tea, or mixed with a squeeze of lemon as a syrup.
