What should I do if I have phlegm in my throat during confinement?

Many women suffer from constipation and sometimes phlegm in their throats during the confinement period because they often eat high-nutrition foods and do not exercise regularly. However, they cannot take medication because they are breastfeeding. These medications may have an impact on the baby. So, what should you do if you have phlegm in your throat during the confinement period? What is the reason for this phenomenon?

There are many reasons for excessive phlegm:

First, the physique is weak and the vital energy is insufficient. Due to the spleen's insufficiency, water and moisture can remain and condense into phlegm.

Second, the spleen and stomach are weak, and stagnation of water can damage the spleen and stomach; or eating too much raw food, melons and fruits can damage the middle yang; or drinking too much water due to fever and inadequate spleen function can cause water and moisture to retain and gather into phlegm. In addition, eating too much fatty and sweet food can cause turbid air to accumulate in the stomach, generate dampness and heat, and turn into turbid phlegm.

Third, if exogenous infection is not treated properly, or if a person is weak and suffers from exogenous infection repeatedly, the lung qi will be damaged and unable to transport fluid to the four parts of the body and regulate the water channels to transport it to the bladder, causing the fluid to retain and form phlegm. The phlegm is stored in the lungs, the lung qi is not well affected, and the phlegm rushes into the airways, which will inevitably cause coughing and excessive phlegm.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the production of phlegm is mainly related to the lungs and spleen. The lungs control breathing and regulate the entry, exit, and rise and fall of zongqi (vital energy). If the lungs fail to descend, symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and uneven sleeping may occur. When wind or cold invades the lungs, the body fluid in the lungs condenses into phlegm. The spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation, that is, digesting and transporting nutrients to various organs. If dampness invades the human body, or if one thinks too much, is overworked, or has an unhealthy diet, the spleen can be damaged and lose its function of transporting and transforming water, causing dampness to stagnate inside the body and condense into phlegm.

Chinese patent medicine for expectoration:

1. Fresh bamboo juice: 3 to 4 times a day, 10 to 15 ml each time.

2. Compound Bamboo Juice Water (Expectorant): 2 bottles 3 times a day.

3. Clear up phlegm and cough: 3 times a day, 1 spoon each time.

If your throat experiences any abnormalities during the confinement period, it is best not to take medication if the symptoms are mild. Instead, drink more water, eat more fruits, eat lighter meals, avoid eating too much greasy food, and adjust your diet as much as possible. If the cough symptoms are more serious, you can take some Chinese patent medicines for conditioning. Chinese patent medicines have relatively small side effects, but of course they must be used under the guidance of a doctor.