Activities increasing phlegm

[Lau25]

Hey guys!

Just an observation which I wondered if any of you had found too, or if you have ideas as to why it happens?

I've found that I cough up far more phlegm after the following activities:

Eating (I don't have GERD)

Brushing teeth

Laughing

Exercise

I can understand exercise, and laughing to a degree, loosening phlegm, but the other two have me stumped!

[Lizzab]

I suspect you have your mouth open for all these. I find the more I have my mouth open the more productive the lungs are. I work hard on only nasal breathing, talk as little as possible, and only exercise when I can do it with mouth shut.i can believe it or not do this. It took a long time to build up the skill but I can now walk quite fast, after a slow start, with mouth shut and without getting out of breath....basically it's Buteyko breathing.

[Lizzab]

Also you may have a salicylate intolerance. This was suggested to me by the hospital consultant and I was given a diet sheet. I concluded eventually that the only two things that upset my lungs, I.e.make them very much more productive, are wheatgrass juice and green smoothies.

[TamBell]

Hi Lau25.

My understanding is that anything that helps one cough up phlegm is a good thing. Although it can be exhausting and a total nuisance at times, I would rather cough it up than have it sitting in my airways waiting to become infected.

Like you, eating will start me coughing, as will laughing, chatting, or pretty much any exercise. I even find it satisfying at times when I can clear lots of mucous. Better an empty house than a bad tenant.

The last thing my Respiratory Consultant says when I leave his office is "Keep coughing".

If brushing my teeth did it for me, I thing i would have the cleanest teeth in scotland. Loll

Gill