Copious amounts of clear, thin phlegm usually indicate an allergic reaction the extra volume indicates that your body is trying to flush out the pathogen, and can show up as postnasal drip or a wet cough. But if you have an infection or inflammation in your respiratory tract, your body increases its production of both phlegm and nasal mucus. That’s how much you need to keep your airway clean and well-lubricated. Ordinarily, your body produces about a quart of phlegm - which, if you’re healthy, is colorless - each day.
Phlegm discharged by coughing or spitting is called sputum. When you inhale something nasty, it gets stuck in the phlegm coating your throat or lungs, triggering the cough or throat-clearing mechanism to expel it. (Mucus produced in the nose is still just mucus.) Respiratory mucus serves to lubricate the vocal folds, and also filters out particulate debris like pollen, dander and smoke. Phlegm is a specialized term for mucus that occurs specifically in the lower respiratory tract - that is, the lungs and throat. Mucus also protects and lubricates the eyes and the respiratory system. Mucus occurs throughout the body and functions primarily as a lubricant it is found most abundantly in the digestive tract, a slippery coating that eases the passage of food down the esophagus, protects the lining of the stomach, and helps waste move through the intestines. Mucus is a thin, slick secretion produced by the mucous (with an “o”) membranes - a colorless, watery gel composed of salts, enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins in a viscous suspension. The terms phlegm, mucus and sputum are used interchangeably by many laymen, yet they describe three distinct but related - and disgusting - bodily phenomena.
Honorable Dischargesīefore we tackle the question of color, let’s define just what sort of goo we’re talking about. At a time of year (and an era in history) when people are particularly concerned about respiratory health, it only makes sense to occasionally inspect your output, as it were, to be sure things are working normally.īut when it comes to mucus, what is normal? Would you recognize warning signs even if you saw them? Can the color and consistency of that stuff actually tell you anything useful about your health?ĭoes this seem like an undignified topic for a respectable science website? What can we say, except: it’s not. You’re simply checking that everything looks right. Admit it: After you blow your nose or aggressively clear your throat, you might steal a glimpse at what your body just discharged - maybe not every time, but every once in a while.
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