H&W: Today's Word is: Mucolytic
- Fred Lalas
- Nov 14, 2019
- 4 min read
It's that time of the year again. COLD AND FLU SEASON. So,
I'm gonna start off with facts:
Muco- Mucus. You know, when you hock a loogie? That stuff you hocked.
Lytic- from Greek -lutikos ‘able to loosen’.
So a MUCOLYTIC is something that is able to loosen up mucus.
ON THAT NOTE, Mucus is the secretion. The mucous is the lining in your body that secretes the mucus (i.e. in the mouth, nose, eyelids and throat).
SO NOW
When you get congested with mucus, it's actually an immune response to prevent bacteria to further enter your body. So your natural response is to cough it out and get it out of your system, blow it out your nose, or swallow it for digestion and absorption (sounds nasty, but totally normal) Which is why bodies are an amazing force of nature (Praise God).
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING RELATABLE.
What if you get REALLY congested? Some people call it 'being sick'. Others call it "nah man it's allergies." or "nah dawg it's nothing". When you have to go WORK to make a LIVING, you're not gonna care about HOW your body takes care of whatever bacteria is in you, you just want it GONE so you can come back to frickin work. I MEAN YOU GOT A FAMILY TO FEED, RIGHT? The typical response is to find an over the counter med that can either numb the symptoms or something that barely works to break up the snots.
Thankfully, I've got you with some remedies!
There are certain foods you can eat and things you can do to loosen up that mucus.
Ginger - Out of its many benefits, it is anti-inflammatory as well as holds potential to relax the airways to reduce coughing.
Fluids - water, soup broth, and warm fluids are easy to take in. But HOW they help is because fluids (especially water) help your mucus move. When you get dehydrated, you may notice your body having difficulty coughing up phlegm or your sinuses being clogged. Try sipping some water throughout the day to see if that mucus can get moved by a little (or a lot depending on what you did up to that point) hydration.
Pineapples - This is actually the absolute 100% reason why I wanted to do a post about Mucolytics. Pineapples contain bromelain, which is a mix of enzymes that reduce swelling/inflammation especially in the sinuses. I got REALLY excited because I frickin LOVE pineapple juice. If you don't like pineapples, it's all gravy. There are other remedies. Relax.
Steam - When you have a wet cough (a phlegm-producing cough) breathing in steam can help move the mucus out of you. You can use a humidifier. You can also make an essential oil blend with a bowl of steaming hot water to help break up mucus. You could also take a steaming hot shower to breathe in the steam (MAKE SURE TO DRINK WATER TO PREVENT FURTHER DEHYDRATION AFTER THAT THO). What works for me personally, is going to the beach in the morning to inhale that salt-water mist. If you're not near a beach, I'm sorry. I have more remedies.
Salt water gargle - This helps when the snot is dripping in the back of your throat and about to start you a sore throat. Salt water (preferrably sea salt or pink himalayan salt) 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt dissolved in an 8-ounce glass of warm water can basically re-emulate what it's like to have your sinuses exposed to misty salt water from the beach (it's just warm and being gargled by you instead of being slightly cool and breathing it in).
Thyme - (Thymus vulgaris) is an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral herb as well as a great natural expectorant (something that helps you cough up mucus).
Probiotics- They don't directly break up mucus, probiotics are mostly a preventative measure. Probiotics help balance gut health and raise your immune system response. It's 2019. The hot thing out on these mean streets right now is kombucha. If I remember correctly, Dr. Kombu was a Chinese physician who helped cure Emperor Inyoko by fermenting tea and giving it as medication.
"Kombu" - the physician guy
"cha" - "tea"
Honey - I put this at the bottom of the list because after scouring the internet trying to find out HOW honey acts as an mucolytic is still a mystery. The only thing I know is that honey is antibacterial, so it probably discourages the growth and spread of the bacteria which, in theory, could stop your mucus from being so sticky and easy to break up/cough out. Best kind is the raw organic honey. ALSO: PLEASE do NOT give honey to a child under 1 because that causes infantile botulism cuz honey can create toxic spores in the body of a child who is still developing their immune system.
According to THIS SITE:
See a Doctor when your cough comes with:
1.) foul-smelling green or yellow phlegm
2.) chills
3.) dehydration
4.) a fever over 102°F
5.) fever that lasts for more than 3 days
6.) weakness
You get on that phone and call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if a cough:
1.) brings up blood pressure
2.) causes breathing difficulties
Still coughing? The best way to treat a cough is to find it's real cause. In most cases you actually have to find time to rest. Or call in sick from work.
PERSONAL STORY ALERT: I didn't rest too often as a nurse and I was sick with some sort of cold or flu at least once or twice a month because I was always working and never took care of myself and put my job before my family as well as myself. And it hits me HARD. Like I'm almost literally coughing up a lung. (which is why I drew it as the title for this post). Go on, ask my family.
In a world where we are bombarded by stimulus everywhere with no chill, stress and free radicals can weaken the body. So take care of yourself. You only have one life. One body. Immune responses like the cold, flu, congestion, cough, or physical weakness is a sign that your body needs rest.
And remember, if you're down with pineapples, they'll give you somma that good bromelain.
I wish all of you the best of health.
-Frederick Lalas
ex-CNA, ex-LVN, Health and Wellness Enthusiast
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