Even if it is kind of gross when you're full of it and wrestling with it, phlegm actually serves a useful purpose: The thick, sludgy substance—made up of mostly water, salt, and antibodies—is designed ...

Black mucus is rare. It can be the sign of a fungal infection, or exposure to pollutants such as coal, dust or cigarette ...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Confirming widespread beliefs by doctors and parents alike, the color of phlegm coughed up by people is indeed a good indicator of whether that person has a bacterial ...

Healthy phlegm is usually clear and runny, but many different health conditions can change the consistency or color. Phlegm, also called sputum, is mucus produced by your lungs that helps protect your ...

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Having a congested chest can be uncomfortable to say the least. And when you’re feeling under the weather ...

Barking out a loud cough in the middle of a big meeting or on a quiet train car is enough to make you want to be invisible. But trying to stifle your cough is way worse than dealing with any possible ...

People often dismiss a cough as a minor ailment, but sometimes it can be a sign of an underlying problem, especially when ...

Your snot provides crucial insights into your health, acting as an early warning system. Clear mucus indicates healthy sinuses, while yellow or green often signals infection. Red or pink suggests ...

Mucus is a perfectly normal fluid that helps to keep our bodies running smoothly, but not all forms of the slimy substance are created equal. People with chronic respiratory diseases tend to produce ...