What should I do if I swallow the phlegm when coughing?

Many people produce phlegm when they cough. Phlegm is a purulent secretion, which mainly contains a lot of white blood cells. However, there are basically not many pathogens in the phlegm. If it is accidentally swallowed into the stomach, generally, the remaining bacteria will be killed after being soaked in stomach acid. It is generally harmful to the human body, so you don’t have to worry too much. But if it is tuberculosis, you must pay attention.

Phlegm is a substance composed of many components. Its high fluid content is the result of epithelial transport of ions and water, while its macromolecules are derived primarily from transudate from the blood or from products of local secretory cells. Our trachea and bronchi secrete a certain amount of fluid to absorb inhaled dust and microorganisms. The cilia of the tracheal mucosal epithelial cells move and swing outward continuously, discharging the tracheal secretions into the pharyngeal cavity and into the stomach along with saliva swallowed.

When we catch a cold, our respiratory tract becomes infected and inflamed, which leads to an increase in secretions and the formation of phlegm. Sputum is a secretion from the human respiratory tract, including adsorbed dust, microorganisms, and necrotic cell tissue. It is pushed from the lungs to the upper respiratory tract through the movement of the bronchial epithelial cilia, and finally coughed out of the trachea and out of the body through the normal cough reflex.

Does swallowing phlegm have any effect on your health?

Phlegm is the waste product excreted from our respiratory tract. It contains a lot of bacteria and viruses, as well as many microorganisms and cell products. If you spit on the ground when you have a cold, a healthy person may also be infected with the cold by breathing in air containing bacteria. If a small number of bacteria are killed by gastric juice after being swallowed, most of the bacteria are still alive. They will enter the intestines and cause intestinal diseases. If the sputum contains tuberculosis bacilli, it may cause intestinal tuberculosis. These bacteria may also spread through the blood to the liver, kidneys, meninges and other parts, causing diseases in these parts. So don't hold your phlegm in, spit it out, and it's best to wrap it in a tissue and throw it into the trash can.

Many people ask, what should I do if I can't cough up phlegm?

Sometimes I feel like there is phlegm in my throat, but I can’t cough it out. At this time, the patient can take some expectorant and cough suppressant medicine appropriately, and avoid clearing the throat forcefully, because clearing the throat forcefully will cause congestion and swelling of the pharyngeal mucosa, which will make it more likely to cause the phlegm to be produced due to inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa. The patient can try to take a deep breath and then cough hard, which may help cough out the phlegm that cannot be coughed out. However, this method also makes it easy to swallow the phlegm, so be careful not to swallow it.