Mucus

[Kirsty002]

I have been an asthmatic from birth and was quite bad with it as a child. I have grown out of it mostly and I am very mild with it. I don't need to take any inhalers for it. The problem is I develop quite a bit of mucus which effects my asthma, making it stick in my windpipes a little. This isn't the main problem though. Very often I feel sick because of the phlegm seeping down into my stomach which supresses my appetite. I also get throat and ear infections quite easily and have had some very serious infections regarding both areas. This has been consistent throughout my life. I often get swelling on the roof of my mouth near the back and also pain between my nose and mouth. I also get a pain in my head, similar to the pain of sniffing water when I sniff air. My main problem is the constant pain in my sinuses around my jaw, browline and under my eyes. This bothers me most days. Has anyone got any clue what causes all of this and possible treatments. I am starting to think I was never asthmatic and that the phlegm was the problem; collecting in my chest, making me cough and weaze. Please help!

[haripriya]

Hi,

Even i faced the problem of sticky mucus coming to throat for the past 1.5 years . Actually it is related to wrong digestion and wrong respiration. If food is not properly digested then it gets converted into phlegm and affects the body as a whole.

In general the ayurvedic treatement and yogasanas helped me a lot.
There is however certain discretion in doing the yogasanas that must be followed :

If you are overweight then you should do mosttly forward bending asanas. Also you can do the pranayamas(breathing exercies) that involve more exhalation exercises like : "kapalbhati pranayama" . You can take a hot water bath.

If you are underweight and malnourished then you should do backward bending asanas : (eg: bhujangasana, ushtrasana). And pranayama that involves internal retention of breath : antar kumbhaka/sitali. You can take a cold water bath.

Try to be out of AC and breathe in the fresh natural air outside.

The yoga must be done under expert advice and guidance and improper practice can be harmful, but with proper practice you can use it for your own benefit. Yoga treatement is long time one but gives sure results.
Also eating habits should be such that you do not overload your digestive systems , too much of chocolate, cheese, mayoneise, pastries is not good. Instead fruits should be amply eaten. Also one should not over-exercise as it burns out the tissues.
All in all a "balanced" diet, exercise, behaviour and meditation will help a lot. Remember, the body has a great feedback mechanism and if you listen to it and alter accordingly then it will respond well too.

[National Jewish Health]

The phlegm may be a manifestation of your asthma.  Rarely, excessive mucus is the primary or even only expression of asthma.  However, given your description, it is more likely that the problem resides in your nose and sinuses, as chronic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis.  These could also account for some of your head pain.  You should seek evaluation with an ENT physician.  The rhino-sinusitis could be on the basis of allergy or infection.  It is likely that you will be able to experience significant relief of your symptoms with the regular use of nasal wash followed by a nasal steroid spray.

Routine use of a nasal steroid spray can be very effective in the treatment of postnasal drip.  It decreases inflammation in the nose and sinuses along with mucus production.  When a nasal steroid spray is used regularly it can prevent postnasal drip.  However it does not provide immediate relief of symptoms.  It may need to be used every day for several weeks to months to notice improvement in the symptoms.  To get the most help from any nasal spray first do a nasal wash to remove mucus from the nose and sinuses.  To learn more about this technique please read our nasal wash treatment information by copying and pasting this address

http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/treatments/alt-ther/nasal-wash.aspx

into the address window of your internet browser.  Share this information with your doctor to see if you would benefit from this daily treatment.