Common cold

[andygeog]

I have a nasty cold.  What causes all this mucus and why????

[willow74]

Phlegm is released from glands in the walls of the bronchi (airways) and from cells lining the nose and sinuses.

[willow74]

Cough
Basically there are two kinds of coughs: productive and non-productive. A productive cough is one that allows the mucus accumulated in your air passages, to come forth. This mucus or phlegm is produced as white blood cells and attempt to rid you of infection.

The quicker you get the mucus out or your system, the quicker you'll be feeling better. If you need help getting rid of the excess mucus, an expectorant may be in order. Expectorants help loosen secretions and mucus in the airway, thus making it easier for you to cough the mucus out.

A non-productive cough is dry and is usually caused by mucus dripping from your nasal passages to your throat. This type of cough can be treated with what are known as suppressants. Cough suppressants block your cough reflex so that you don't cough as much when your throat is irritated. Most cough suppressants block the cough reflex in the part of the brain that regulates automatic cough. You may also find relief in sucking on a cough drop or lozenge. The objective is to lull the brain's cough center to be less responsive to signals of irritation.

[Mowbray]

If you have a cold it's advised not to drink milk and other dairy products i.e yoghurt, fomage fairs as these are all mucus producing.

Hope you get well soon.

[morg_monster]

a large proportion of the mucus is actually 'viral shedding' ie when you have the cold virus, as viruses do, it makes millions of copies of itself, and all the extra virus material clogs together with saliva and snot to make all the extra mucus you get.  Nice huh!  By the by, I have read in a medical journal that dairy products are not actually mucus producing, it is just that they create a similar 'mouth feel' to mucus which can make it seem like there is more there.