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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Morning Flem(phlegm)
Answered by
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Morning Flem(phlegm)
by Chela, Dec 13, 2003 12:00AM
I wake up every morning with a throat full of green and brown flem (phlegm). It just started about 1 month ago. I have to get it all out because if I don't it will bother me the entire day. However, it does irritate my throat for a couple of hours. Please consider that I am a 20yo female that has never smoked and drinks once or twice a year. I also do not have any medical conditions that I know of. I do have allergy and sinus but they have not been serious latley. What do I have to do to vanish this morning problem.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Dec 18, 2003 12:00AM
, Dec 18, 2003 12:00AM
Your morning problem may be due to postnasal drip. It could also be due to sinusitis.
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes that line the sinus cavities. Inflammation of the sinuses could be due to an allergy, an infection, or ongoing exposure to an irritant, such as pollution or smoke. Symptoms can include a headache or pressure in the area of the sinuses, a stuffy nose, achy teeth, postnasal drip, cough, sore throat, laryngitis, constant low fever, and thick, yellow to green nasal drainage. A CT scan of the sinuses is the best way to identify sinusitis.
This inflammation can block sinus drainage and cause increased phlegm production. The phlegm can drain from the nose and sinuses down the back of the throat causing a constant or intermittent postnasal drip. This can fester sinusitis.
There could be several reasons for postnasal drip. One reason is an allergy. A second reason is a non-allergic, non-infectious inflammation in the sinuses that can linger after a cold. A third reason is chronic sinusitis. Postnasal drip can cause irritation of your throat. You may experience the postnasal drip as a throat full of phlegm every morning. This collects all night long while you are sleeping. The phlegm may "sit" there and become green and brown.
As long as you are not on a fluid restriction you should be drinking 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeine non-alcoholic fluid daily. This will thin the phlegm so that it moves more easily. An antihistamine can dry up the postnasal drip. However, it may make the phlegm thicker and more difficult to move. A decongestant like SudafedŽ (pseudoephedrine) can thin the postnasal drip and relieve your blocked sinuses by decreasing the swelling so they drain easier. Check with your doctor to see if either of these would help you.
A nasal wash helps remove phlegm and germs from your nose and sinuses. This can temporarily decrease the postnasal drip and help your sinuses to drain better. Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique. Share this information with your doctor to see if you would benefit from this daily treatment.
If your morning problem continues, your doctor may recommend a prescription nasal steroid spray. This can decrease phlegm production by decreasing the inflammation in the nose and sinuses. This generally provides a more lasting decrease in sinus pressure, improves sinus drainage, prevents the postnasal drip, and the throat irritation. To get the most help from a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may take several weeks of routine use to become effective.
You will need to see your doctor to learn what is causing your morning problem and what treatment would be best for you. Please read our Sinusitis MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/sinus.html for further information. An ENT would be the type of specialist to identify if blocked sinuses are causing your morning problem and the best treatment.
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes that line the sinus cavities. Inflammation of the sinuses could be due to an allergy, an infection, or ongoing exposure to an irritant, such as pollution or smoke. Symptoms can include a headache or pressure in the area of the sinuses, a stuffy nose, achy teeth, postnasal drip, cough, sore throat, laryngitis, constant low fever, and thick, yellow to green nasal drainage. A CT scan of the sinuses is the best way to identify sinusitis.
This inflammation can block sinus drainage and cause increased phlegm production. The phlegm can drain from the nose and sinuses down the back of the throat causing a constant or intermittent postnasal drip. This can fester sinusitis.
There could be several reasons for postnasal drip. One reason is an allergy. A second reason is a non-allergic, non-infectious inflammation in the sinuses that can linger after a cold. A third reason is chronic sinusitis. Postnasal drip can cause irritation of your throat. You may experience the postnasal drip as a throat full of phlegm every morning. This collects all night long while you are sleeping. The phlegm may "sit" there and become green and brown.
As long as you are not on a fluid restriction you should be drinking 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeine non-alcoholic fluid daily. This will thin the phlegm so that it moves more easily. An antihistamine can dry up the postnasal drip. However, it may make the phlegm thicker and more difficult to move. A decongestant like SudafedŽ (pseudoephedrine) can thin the postnasal drip and relieve your blocked sinuses by decreasing the swelling so they drain easier. Check with your doctor to see if either of these would help you.
A nasal wash helps remove phlegm and germs from your nose and sinuses. This can temporarily decrease the postnasal drip and help your sinuses to drain better. Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique. Share this information with your doctor to see if you would benefit from this daily treatment.
If your morning problem continues, your doctor may recommend a prescription nasal steroid spray. This can decrease phlegm production by decreasing the inflammation in the nose and sinuses. This generally provides a more lasting decrease in sinus pressure, improves sinus drainage, prevents the postnasal drip, and the throat irritation. To get the most help from a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may take several weeks of routine use to become effective.
You will need to see your doctor to learn what is causing your morning problem and what treatment would be best for you. Please read our Sinusitis MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/sinus.html for further information. An ENT would be the type of specialist to identify if blocked sinuses are causing your morning problem and the best treatment.
I had a bad cold for awhile and it has gone but now I get a sore throat every morning (so sore that it hurts to swallow) and I need to clear my throat constantly, especially if I'm talking. I don't smoke but I'm around a lot of 2nd hand smoke and I'm not allergic to anything.