Allergies: Home Remedies for Mucus

Summer allergies and mucus have been plaguing me this summer. I cannot stand the gagging feel of it in my throat. But I have learned, over time, that everything the body does has a real purpose and benefit. This article is my effort to gain an appreciation of mucus and to find home remedies too eliminate this obnoxious symptom. My appreciation of mucus is a goal—a work in progress. (I’ve been slimmed!)

Michael S. Ellis, MD, a specialist in otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat specialist) at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA says the topic of mucus and phlegm is a common discussion he has with patients.

According to the CDC the healthy body is a mucus-making machine creating about 1 to 1.5 liters every day. Usually mucus trickles down the throat and is not noticed. Mucus is a gelatin-like, sticky substance which the body uses to lubricate and to filter contaminates from the body. Usually these two substances (mucus and water) work together smoothly, and you probably don't even notice them.

Ellis says during an allergy attack or a cold if your nose is running like a faucet there is an excess of watery secretions. Typically, 90 percent of the patients are actually experiencing problems with thick mucus due to the common cold. Thick mucus, which leads to post-nasal drip and congestion, or gets crusty in the nose, tells us the individual is excessively dry. Increase your water intake if you suffer with thick mucus.

As you breathe, mucus protects the lungs by capturing dirt and dust. Mucus or phlegm it can be safely swallowed. The body reabsorbs most of the mucus, while dirt, dust, and debris are eliminated by the intestines. Stomach acids kill off bacteria and viruses.

Allergies, respiratory infections, colds and flu, smoking, and environmental pollutants can trigger changes in mucus consistency and color. These changes indicate what our health concerns are and indicate the treatment path to pursue.

Phlegm is produced by the lower airways and typically goes unnoticed unless it is coughed up as a symptom of bronchitis of pneumonia. Mucus or phlegm that has a color such as green or yellow may indicate infection and if you see blood in the phlegm seek medical attention. A persistent yellow or green color often accompanied by an unpleasant odor is likely a sign of infection.

However, the color does not always indicate a health problem. Mucus color is effected by the dust or pollens in your environment. Mucus may be brown, gray or even black from breathing in smog, smoke, or environmental pollutants, while plant pollens can turn mucus yellowish. The function of the nose and mucus is to protect the lungs.

Thick mucus, which post-nasal drip, is usually an indication of being over-dry. Factors that lead to thick, clogging mucus are:

1   Dry indoor environment from air conditioning and heating

2   Not drinking enough water and other fluids

3   Drinking beverages such as coffee, tea, and alcohol that lead to dehydration

4   Certain medications that are drying

5   Smoking

Easy home remedies for temporary relief from thick, crusty mucus includes using small facial steamer or humidifier, taking a hot steamy shower, or even breathing through a warm wet washcloth.

Dr. Ellis warns that a large quantity of thick mucus may not indicate an allergy. Allergies are actually demonstrated by a lot of watery secretions (watery eyes, runny nose) accompanied by allergy symptoms (sneezing, itchy eyes/ears, hives, inflammation/congestion, etc.). To mistakenly take antihistamines, when you don’t have an allergic reaction, will end up drying out the nose making the effect of thick mucus worse.

Follow proper hygiene after blowing your nose and carefully dispose of the facial tissue, wash your hands and avoid spitting out your mucus in public. Ellis recommends treatments:

•    Post-nasal drip or thick mucus, take an expectorant (this thins mucus and phlegm), drink lots of fluids, breathe through a warm washcloth, and use steam to make the mucus more liquid.

•    Congestion (blocked nose). This is mostly due to inflamed nasal membranes, so shrinking those membranes is the goal. Use an oral decongestant or decongestant nasal spray (for up to three days only), breathe through a warm wet washcloth, and use steam to ease congestion.

•    Runny nose (with sneezing and/or itching). Take an antihistamine.

Excessive mucus production is the body’s way of clearing the body of illness and contaminants trying to enter the body.  The body’s production of phlegm, mucus and sputum is intended to keep nasal passages and lungs moist and infection resistant by trapping viruses/bacteria before they penetrate tissues.

Causes of white mucus

More than 200 viruses can cause the common cold. Symptoms include sore throats, watery eyes, sneezing and white mucus discharge. Mucus color changes as the cold runs its course. 

Sinusitis is caused by an infecting virus and is characterized by nasal congestion and white mucus discharge that may become yellow or green. Other symptoms are pressure in the face, fever, fatigue, and may include ear pain, or pain along the jaw and teeth. A child’s symptoms tend to be more severe and include vomiting, gagging and constant nasal discharge. 

Bronchitis is an inflammation in the airways caused by exposure to irritants or viral infections. Severe cold-like symptoms will be displayed. The excess white mucus may change to yellow or green, which is a sign that the inflammatory cells have moved into the airway, coloring the sputum there. Persistent symptoms, shortness of breath and wheezing that last more than 2 weeks should be reported to a doctor. 

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD, is a condition where stomach fluids backflow into the esophagus. This irritated throat creates white phlegm that is coughed up. GERD symptoms also include sore throat, feeling of lumps in the throat and chest pain. 

Asthma is a chronic condition where breathing has become difficult because of constricted airways. Asthma is an allergic reaction where the bronchial tubes are inflamed and swollen. Asthma symptoms also include coughing up white or pink mucus.

Milk does not directly cause white phlegm, but it does cause mucus to thicken making it harder to expel it from the body. If you have a sinus or throat infection, dairy allergy, or GERD avoid excessive consumption of milk and dairy products. 

Swallowing mucus, or phlegm, can cause bloating in your stomach. Most people prefer to cough it up and spit it out. Expel mucus into a trash can, sink or tissue and avoid spitting in the presence of others to limit their exposure to viruses, bacteria, and contaminants.

Home remedies

·      Keep hydrated by drinking herbal teas water and soups to help thin and break down mucus and shorten infection time.

·      Try having bell pepper in at least one meal a day since contain natural expectorants and help to thin out mucus.

·      A warm/hot salt water gargle brings mucus to the upper throat making it easier to coughing out while soothing the throat. Boil 3 cups of water and add 4 tbsp. of salt to it. Gargle 3-4 times a day. Or add ¼ spoon if myrrh to warm water, gargle for a few seconds and then swallow. Myrrh is a cleansing herb that helps to expel mucus and decrease infection.

·      Garlic has antibiotic and antifungal properties, and is also a natural expectorant. To help you to cough up mucus and phlegm crush 2-3 garlic cloves and eat them throughout the day until your infection ceases.

·      Licorice tea, a natural expectorant, helps to soothe the throat. Peppermint and honey added to licorice tea is soothing.

·      Ginger has properties that help to get rid of excess mucus and fight infection, while honey coats the throat and soothes inflammation. A mixture of fresh ginger and honey chewed slowly will rid the body of excess mucus, fights infection, coat the throat and sooth inflammation.

·      Lemon juice loosens mucus/phlegm, contains antibacterial property and is high in vitamin C content that improves the body’s resistance to infections. (Drink two teaspoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey in a glass of hot water at least three times a day. Or sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper on to cut a slice of lemon and then suck on it two or three times a day to force the phlegm out of the throat)

·      Turmeric has antiseptic properties, strengthen the immune system and helps reduce phlegm. One teaspoon of turmeric added to a glass of hot milk and drink it in the morning and before going to bed. Or add one-half teaspoon of turmeric into a glass of water and drink two or three times a day. Create a gargle by adding one tablespoon of turmeric and a pinch of salt to a glass of hot water. Use it to gargle several times a day.

·      Breathing in steam helps keep mucus/phlegm in a liquid.  Steam shower twice daily and stay in the closed bathroom for 10 minutes to help thin the mucus. Or pour hot boiling water in a large bowl, drape a towel over your head and inhale the steam for five to 10 minutes to loosen mucus in the lungs.

·      Drinking warm/hot chicken soup will help moisturize the airways, thin the phlegm/mucus, soothe an irritated throat and induce relaxation.
Eat hot chicken soup two or three times a day to clear phlegm from your throat adding increased ginger and garlic increases the benefits. Homemade soup is often more effective and recommended.

See a doctor immediately if you are coughing up mucus that is bloody, brown or green. Mucus/phlegm/sputum colors reflect health concerns. Black mucus can be due to: smoking marijuana, cigarettes, cocaine or other substances, air pollution, coal workers (black lung disease), fungal (mold) lung infection, or old blood (bronchitis or emphysema, tuberculosis, cancer or other bronchial or pulmonary disorder.) Vomiting black liquid is a symptom of bleeding from the stomach and has to be checked by a doctor as soon as possible.

If you have red streaks, brown mesh or obviously red blood in mucus or sputum see a doctor immediately. Pink mucus contains eosinophils is a type of white blood cells appearing in bronchial wall in certain allergies. Frothy mucus originates from lungs in pneumonia or lung edema. Fluid washes some surfactant, which keeps lung vesicles dilated, from vesicular walls into the inflammatory fluid making it frothy. Frothy mucus may be also caused by GERD.

http://www.med-health.net/White-Mucus.html

http://www.healthhype.com/mucus-causes-of-white-yellow-brown-grey-black-phlegm.html

http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-phlegm.html

http://www.everydayhealth.com/cold-flu/everything-you-ever-wondered-about-mucus-and-phlegm.aspx

Saunas Flush Out Toxins and Disease

Human beings have used sweat baths for hygienic and health purposes since the Stone Age. Our ancestors saw the value of sweating and flushing out toxins and disease as a way to maintain optimal physical and mental health.

Cultures around the world have versions of the sweat bath: The ancient Roman Thermae, the Japanese Onsen, the Russians Banya, and Native North American’s Inipi (sweat lodge), and the Turkish bath or Hamam. However, in the U. S. the Finnish Sauna seems most popular.

The Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines sauna as: 1. A special heated room in which people sit or lie down in order to get hot and sweat, 2. A Finnish steam bath in which the steam is provided by water thrown on hot stones, and 3. A dry heat bath; also: a room or cabinet used for such a bath.

The skin, largest organ in the body plays a major role in the detoxifying toxins through the pores. To regulate the body's elevated temperature, the skin produces sweat. The skin transforms toxins from lipid-soluble, fat or oil-based, into easier to eliminate water-soluble forms and flushes them out through the pores.

Our modern lifestyles can lead to inactive skin. Many of us don't sweat, especially during the winter months. Modern synthetic fibers, tight clothing that doesn't allow the skin to breathe, excessive prolonged sun exposure, and a sedentary lifestyle can damage our skin and inactivate the natural ability to eliminate toxins.

We are exposed to hundreds of chemicals during the course of our lives and our health is negatively impacted. Physicians and scientists are now acknowledging that regular sweating is a safe and natural way to heal. Sweating can detox toxic chemicals and metals from the body faster than any other method.

Physicians and scientists are now acknowledging that regular sweating is a safe and natural way to heal. From innocent bath products such as shampoos, shower gels, lotions and soaps to deodorants. Household cleaning solvents, detergent residues on clothes and chemicals from the bath or shower water also affect the skin. 

Benefits of regular sauna use include: healthy sweating; toxin elimination; releases built up body tensions, aches and pains; peace of mind; and may stimulate the skin to produce white blood cells and strengthen the immune system. Sauna use increases and improves the rate of blood circulation and breathing creating an effect similar to mild exercise. It burns about 300 calories per average session and combined with a healthy diet and moderate exercise helps you lose weight, stay fit, and be healthy.

By enhancing circulation cells, tissues and organs receive greater oxygenation. Oxygen increases the body's energy and promotes healing. Heating the body’s tissues and speeds up the metabolism, as a result the cells are gradually capable of eliminating toxins much more effectively.

Dr. Whitaker, on his website, tells us there are tens of thousands of man-made chemicals in our environment, food, water and air. “No matter how pure your diet or lifestyle, I guarantee that your body contains traces of hundreds, if not thousands, of chemicals such as pesticides, drugs, solvents and dioxins.” Sweating is an effective way to get rid of them. According to Whitaker, your eccrine glands put out about a quart of sweat a day but in a sauna, they pump out a quart of sweat in 15 minutes.

A recent research study, the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project looked at the health of the firemen, policemen, and other rescue and cleanup workers bore the brunt of this environmental disaster when the World Trade Center buildings collapsed on September 11, 2001. As a result of the massive amounts of toxins that were released, they experienced acute respiratory distress and a wide range of health issues including gastrointestinal complaints, worsening pulmonary problems, depression, irritability and cognitive disorders.

The 500 rescue workers, mostly firefighters between the ages of 35 and 45, completed a sauna detox program with excellent results. After treatment the number missed work days per month dramatically decreased, symptom scores dropped dramatically, 84 percent of participants discontinued all their drugs because their symptoms had cleared up, and there was significant improvements in thyroid function, balance, reaction time and even IQ!

According to Whitaker, in article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reports a study in which endothelial cells lining the arteries improved functioning by 40 percent when participants spent15 minutes a day in a sauna a day for 14 days. Researchers in Japan found that sitting in a sauna is very beneficial for congestive heart failure. The Japanese subjects, with serious heart failure, took daily saunas for four weeks and 13 of 15 patients had significant decreases in blood pressure. The Japanese subjects also demonstrated improvements in the heart’s pumping ability, exercise tolerance, and oxygen uptake.

Sauna use is considered helpful for:

                        Chronic fatigue

                        Mild depression

                        Rheumatoid arthritis

                        Musculoskeletal pain

                        Skin conditions

Some individuals prefer a far infrared sauna because it is part of the natural light spectrum.  Many consider it to be more comfortable. Typical saunas heat the air when the hot air contact the skin the body heats up. Far infrared light heats up the core body temperature by penetrating tissues directly and deeply. Because the air in the far infrared sauna is much cooler it easier to breathe and this allows you to stay in longer and work up a better sweat.

David Ewing Duncan published an article titled "The Pollution Within", in the 2006 October issue of National Geographic Magazine. His goal was to investigate what chemicals were hiding in his body. He found high levels of flame-retardants, pesticides, and dioxins that must have been acquired more recently. He also found high levels of DDE and PCBs that he had most likely absorbed as a child, which had never been processed out of his body.

A sauna assists the liver and kidneys with the process of body detoxification and is the only way to detoxify fat stored poisons. The heat loosens stored toxins, which are temporarily deposited into the bloodstream causing some first time sauna to experience a really bad headache when toxins enter the bloodstream.

The blood is pumped out to the surface of the skin to be cooled. The cooling process causes toxins to be expelled through the skin’s pores in the sweat solution. In other words the sauna facilitates the body’s natural working process of detoxification and powerful healing abilities.

If you find yourself trapped in a sedentary lifestyle because of work and family commitments or physical limitations, consider getting a home sauna and developing the sauna habit. I have recently started using a traditional sauna, hot air only, after my swimming session---three times a week for three weeks. I am thrilled by the results: decreased allergies, lungs feel stronger, skin looks livelier, muscle tension/cramping decreased, and I feel energized.

http://www.drwhitaker.com/health-benefits-of-a-sauna/

http://saunabenefits.com

http://www.pureinsideout.com/articles.html

http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/sauna_health_benefits

Learn to Manage Vertigo Migraine

For many of us migraine and vertigo are related to lifestyle choices. This is not a criticism: it is an acceptance of reality because sometimes we do not even know which choice led to manifesting a migraine. Modern life can be toxic—especially modern chemistry. Migraine triggers include: Foods, Stress, Sensory stimuli, Changes in wake-sleep pattern, Physical environment factors, Changes in the weather, Hormonal changes, and Medications.

I painted my living room—the chemicals in the paint created a feeling of anxiety, my throat and lungs hurt, and my vision blurred. In another case I did not realize that I was hyper-reactive to the nitrites and sulfites used as food preservatives. I was drinking red wine for my health and the next thing I know I have a headache, blurred vision and racing heart. 

I have learned from experience that the toxicity, in processed foods and manmade environmental toxins, has an accumulative effect—especially when mixed with emotional and mental stress. It is the accumulative effect that is never or seldom scientifically researched. Each individual chemical or medication is studied on its own and this skews the information we are given on product usage, or from physicians. For me it is the cumulative effect of food sensitivities along with my individual structural self that creates the “perfect storm” that are my migraines.

Food and chemical sensitivities, and allergic reactions are a huge, complex, and highly individual topic. If you have true allergic reactions, it is essential to understand these thoroughly with the help of a physician, as allergic reactions can be deadly. Many of us are aware of foods, medications, chemicals, and other issues that trigger our migraines. However we also need to be aware that physical body structural issues and concerns can trigger migraines.

Migraine symptoms can be frightening. Some individuals experience extreme head pain while others do not. Others will have very odd visual experiences. I once watched the face of the person I was talking to pixilate into colored lights. I have also had objects disappear from my visual field. It is not unusual for one’s first reaction to be—do I have a brain tumor? Stay calm, to avoid panic and anxiety, as these will worsen symptoms by raising your blood pressure. If you are away from home I recommend you do not drive and be honest enough to call family or friends for help.

 Many people get nauseous, sensitive to light and sound, or have visual disturbances. If your migraine symptoms are severe and include vertigo you may require a trip to a physician. You can learn to deal with migraine and vertigo to limit their severity. 

It is thought that a migraine occurs when swollen blood vessels in the brain press on nearby nerves, causing pain. Migraines can trigger feelings of vertigo. Vertigo occurs when there is a mismatch of information from two or more of these systems in the Central Nervous System. Central Nervous System coordinates and integrates sensory input from the visual, vestibular, andproprioception systems. (Proprioception is the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself.) 

It is important to know the difference between dizziness and vertigo. Vertigo is the feeling that you or your environment is moving or spinning. Dizziness is a disturbed sense of one’s relationship in space. To physicians dizziness refers to problems with a variety of body systems including circulation, cardiovascular, eyes, brain, and ears. Vertigo is a hallucination of motion frequently caused by inner ear dysfunction. Unsteadiness is a sense of “falling” and may be due to problems with the ear, brain, or nerves. Lightheadedness typically occurs with rapid changes in position and is usually due to a circulation problem such as low blood pressure.

A vertigo migraine is simply another name for what many medical professionals call a vestibular migraine, which is ultimately a migraine that is accompanied by a sense of vertigo. Cervical vertigo is a vertigo or dizziness that is provoked by a particular neck posture. Misaligned Temporo-mandibular joints can cause migraine because of their proximity to the ear. 

Vertigo Symptoms

•                Visual Aura

Manifests as a flicker in your peripheral vision, spots in your visual field or flashes of light. 



•                Altered Perception

The room may begin to spin around you, or your surrounding may begin to tilt either up or down. 


Dizziness

Caused by that spinning or tilting impression from the vertigo.



•                Instability

An overwhelming sense of instability, wobbliness, shakiness, or lack of coordination that may force to sit back down or find a chair almost immediately. 



•                Nausea

Queasiness which may result in vomiting or retching


•                Head Pain

Vertigo migraine will be the severe head pain, overarching throb or a sharp, piercing pain (not every one experiences severe head pain)



•                Ringing in the ears

30% of the population will experience vertigo symptoms at sometime in their lifetime. Vertigo, which is an inner ear (vestibular) disorder, can be treated with pharmacological therapy, physical therapy, psychotherapy, surgery or a combination. Because vertigo can be caused by problems in the brain or the inner ear it is important to get a specific assessment from a physician.

Vertigo can be caused by:

•                Migraine, a severe form of headache may also cause vertigo. The vertigo is usually followed by a headache. There is often a prior history of similar episodes but no lasting problems. 


•                Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is rarely serious and can be treated. It is characterized by the sensation of motion initiated by sudden head movements or moving the head in a certain direction. 


•                Vertigo may also be caused by inflammation within the inner ear due to a viral or bacterialinner ear infection is characterized by the sudden onset and may be associated with hearing loss.

•                Meniere's disease has abrupt onset of severe vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, as well as periods in which the individual is symptom-free. 


•                Acoustic neuroma is a nerve tissue tumor that can cause vertigo with one-sided ringing in the ear and hearing loss. 


•                Vertigo can be caused by: 1.) Decreased blood flow to the base of the brain or, 2.) Bleeding into the back of the brain characterized by vertigo, headache, difficulty walking, and inability to look toward the side of the bleed. 


•                Vertigo is often the presenting symptom in multiple sclerosis.

•                Head trauma and neck injury may also result in vertigo, which usually goes away on its own

For certain vertigo conditions a physical therapist will teach the patient the Epley or Semont maneuvers. The Epley or Semont maneuvers movements are designed to help to move calcium debris from any sensitive parts of the inner ear. Gaze Stabilization exercises for vestibular rehabilitation work by improving the neurological connection between the eye and the ear. Balance Exercises are used to improve the neurological reflexes between movement and visual input. Alternative activities such as yoga, Tai Chi or sports like golf and bowling can also improve balance and ease dizziness. 



I developed a personal protocol for dealing with my migraine symptoms. My first step is to take an antihistamine. Antihistamines can be used to short circuit migraine and vertigo symptoms in the early stages by helping to eliminate inflammation. If the migraine is food related I take a digestive enzyme and drink plenty of water.

I once had a strong reaction to food preservatives at a restaurant. I was a little bit panic-ed as I get visual disturbance and should not drive. I ordered a big cup of black coffee and the caffeine worked!

For a migraine put your hands in hot water, as hot as you can stand, to help equalize blood circulation away from your brain—or try a hot pack on you stomach. Homeopathic treatments work quiet well but should be tailored to you as a whole person—check with a homeopathic physician or a good homeopathic website. For visual aura problems homeopathic Belladonna works for me. Cervical vertigo and misaligned Temporo-mandibular joints can be treated by a chiropractor. 

For my particular needs, I have experienced great improvement by taking supplemental magnesium. Also, have found that if I feel dizzy, disoriented, and clumsy this signals avestibuloocular reflex issue. In this case I go to the chiropractor as soon as possible to check  forCervical vertigo (provoked by a particular neck posture) or Misaligned Temporo-mandibular joints.

On occasion I have had a vertigo migraine that caused me to go to the emergency physician and stay in bed for a couple of days. Obviously, my inner ear (balance reflex) was off. When this occurred I found I needed to practice sitting up and walking in order to short circuit the vertigo.

A natural migraine management plan might include supplemental B vitamins, Coenzyme Q10, Magnesium, Calcium, Folate, Omega 3, Vitamin D, Biotin, and Melatonin. If you have a tendency to migraine you might try these lifestyle changes if they are appropriate to you as a unique individual.

1 Rise slowly in the morning to a sitting position at the edge of your bed. Find a spot on the nearest wall to fix your eyes on to steady any dizziness you feel. Stay in bed sitting upright until the dizziness subsides. 



2
 Limit your exposure to bright light and loud noises. Avoid direct sunlight during the onset of this condition for at least three consecutive days. 





3 
Sit quietly away from noise. Sitting with your feet up, comfortably relaxing, will help abate the headache. 



4
 Drink plenty of water, because hydration is a key component to recovery. Avoid alcohol consumption, which will aggravate the condition and/or lengthen your recovery period. 



5
 Eat a balanced diet. Choose foods like sweet potatoes or a whole grain like brown rice, quinoa, barley and oats. Limit caffeine and chocolate intake over the three days following an acute onset of migraine vertigo. 



6 
Breathe in slowly and fully expanding your lungs to ease the headache and the pressure. Inhale through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth five times, repeating three times or more, if needed. 



7
 Move your neck slowly from side to side, shoulder to shoulder. Gently roll your head forward and around while sitting upright in a chair. Do this movement three times with 20 to 30 seconds rest in-between. 



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002631/

http://www.ehow.com/list_7172616_vestibular-ocular-reflex-exercises.html#ixzz2LqUY3pJG

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1836134-overviewhttp://ptjournal.apta.org/content/84/4/373.full#sec-19

http://www.ehow.com/how_6854303_remedy-migraine-vertigo.html#ixzz2MQ6vmAAS

http://hpathy.com/cause-symptoms-treatment/vertigo/