what does it mean when you have a lot of phlegm in your throat?
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When mucus starts to build up or trickle down the back of the throat, the medical name for this is postnasal drip. Causes of postnasal drip include infections, allergies, and acid reflux. A person may also notice additional symptoms, such as: a sore throat.
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The cause of the tightness can vary from an infection like strep throat to a more serious allergic reaction. If you have other warning signs, like trouble swallowing or breathing, throat tightness is an emergency that needs to be treated immediately. Tightness in your throat can take many forms.
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A wet, productive cough is almost always a sign of a viral or bacterial infection, especially in children. When you have an upper respiratory infection, like a cold or flu, your body produces more mucus than normal. In your nose, you may call this mucus “snot.” But in your chest, it's called phlegm.
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The most common causes of globus pharyngeus are anxiety and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a form of acid reflux that causes the stomach's contents to travel back up the food pipe and sometimes into the throat. This can result in muscle spasms that trigger feelings of an object caught in the throat.
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Green or yellow phlegm is commonly caused by: Bronchitis: This usually starts off with a dry cough and eventually some clear or white phlegm. Over time, you may start coughing up yellow and green phlegm. This is a sign that the illness may be progressing from viral to bacterial.
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The takeaway. Producing mucus is one of your body's methods of protecting your respiratory system. When there is an accumulation of mucus, you tend to cough it up. Although the cause is often a response to a viral infection or an allergy, coughing up mucus could be an indication of a bacterial infection.
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That's probably what you're feeling that gives you this globus sensation. Another cause of globus might be post-nasal drainage and excessive mucus from allergies. In this case, the sensation is coming from sticky phlegm and mucus hanging in your throat. You might not be able to clear it as well as you want.
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A chronic cough can irritate the upper respiratory tract and tear the blood vessels resulting in coughing up blood or bloody mucus.
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Two of the most common causes of frequent throat clearing are laryngopharyngeal reflux, or LPR, and seasonal allergies, explains Song. Reflux from the stomach, which may or may not be acidic, comes up through the esophagus and into the back of the throat, where it can irritate the voice box.
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It's produced by mucous membranes that run from your nose to your lungs. Every time you breathe in, allergens, viruses, dust, and other debris stick to the mucus, which is then passed out of your system. But sometimes, your body can produce too much mucus, which requires frequent throat clearing.
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The discoloration may be temporary, caused by exposure to smoke or dirt in the air, or it could be due to a respiratory infection. Black phlegm could also be caused by a more serious condition, such as lung cancer. A prompt medical evaluation is important.
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Phlegm (/ˈflɛm/; Ancient Greek: φλέγμᾰ, phlégma, "inflammation", "humour caused by heat") is mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that produced by the nasal passages. It often refers to respiratory mucus expelled by coughing, otherwise known as sputum.
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That's a good thing -- it helps clean the air you breathe and helps prevent you from getting sick. Most of the time, you probably won't notice it. But if a lot of mucus collects in the back of your throat, you'll swallow more often than normal to get rid of it. This can make you burp.
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When children swallow a lot of phlegm, the excess mucus can irritate their stomachs and cause them to throw up. Coughing can trigger vomiting as well -- a reflex that's actually designed to reduce the cough.
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Brown Phlegm The phlegm is brown because of blood and the intense chronic inflammation that comes with the chronic disease state. The bacteria camp out inside the lungs and cause very gradual changes in the consistency and appearance of phlegm. If you have chronic lung disease, you may be used to seeing brown phlegm.
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1. Dehydration. The dryness in your throat may simply be a sign that you haven't had enough to drink. When you're dehydrated, your body doesn't produce as much of the saliva that normally moistens your mouth and throat.
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So even though a normal amount of mucus is produced, the irritation stimulates bouts of throat-clearing. The feeling of something "stuck" at the back of the throat can also be caused by the backflow of gastric fluids, or acid reflux.