Mucus, Phlegm, Colds: Nose Blowing & Your Health
This podcast delves into the marvels of mucus and phlegm, highlighting their crucial role as a natural defense mechanism within your immune system against viruses, bacteria, allergens, and other inhaled irritants. It explains how excess mucus is produced during colds or infections, leading to symptoms like nasal congestion, runny nose, post-nasal drip, and cough.
The overview emphasizes the impact of nose blowing on these symptoms, noting that forceful nose-blowing can increase pressure in nasal cavities, potentially pushing mucus into sinuses or ears, causing irritation, inflammation, swelling, and an increased risk of secondary bacterial infections or nosebleeds. It provides guidance on gentle nose-blowing techniques and other symptom management tips, such as maintaining hydration, using saline nasal sprays or humidifiers, and considering over-the-counter medications like expectorants, decongestants, or antihistamines to thin mucus and ease drainage. Additionally, it covers the significance of various mucus colors (e.g., clear, white, yellow, green, red, brown, black) as potential indicators of infection or other issues.
0.000000 6.000000 Welcome to everyday explained your daily 20-minute dive into the fascinating house and wise of the world around you.
6.000000 11.000000 I'm your host Chris and I'm excited to help you discover something new. Let's get started.
11.000000 13.000000 Welcome to the deep dive.
13.000000 20.000000 Today we're getting into something we all know, something often annoying and let's be honest, a little bit gross.
20.000000 21.000000 Snot.
21.000000 27.000000 You know the feeling that endless stream when you're sick and you just wonder, where is all this slimy stuff actually coming from?
27.000000 28.000000 Yeah.
28.000000 35.000000 Why is there suddenly so much of it? And the big one, why does blowing your nose feel completely pointless sometimes like it's back instantly?
35.000000 36.000000 Right.
36.000000 40.000000 Okay, let's unpack this sticky, surprising secret.
40.000000 45.000000 It's a great topic actually because while we tend to think of it as just, you know, a nuisance,
45.000000 50.000000 total mucus, including what we call snot, is really quite a biological marvel.
50.000000 55.000000 What's fascinating here is that it's this unsung vital part of our body's defense system.
55.000000 57.000000 Unsung hero maybe?
57.000000 58.000000 Exactly.
58.000000 65.000000 Terrillously working, often completely unnoticed and get this, your body makes a huge amount of it every single day.
65.000000 66.000000 Okay, now I'm intrigued.
66.000000 69.000000 You said me this and I think most people like me just picture no stuff.
69.000000 70.000000 Right.
70.000000 72.000000 But this not is just one type, isn't it?
72.000000 74.000000 I've heard flim, sputum.
74.000000 75.000000 Correct.
75.000000 79.000000 Those are other terms, often depending on location, like flim from the lungs.
79.000000 84.000000 But fundamentally, it's all this slippery gel-like substance.
84.000000 88.000000 And it's way more important than its slimy reputation suggests.
88.000000 90.000000 So what is it made of then?
90.000000 92.000000 And how does it tie into the immune system?
92.000000 95.000000 Okay, so its power comes from its composition.
95.000000 97.000000 It's mainly water, sure.
97.000000 102.000000 But the key ingredient, what gives it that gel quality, are special proteins called musins.
102.000000 103.000000 Musins, got it.
103.000000 106.000000 Think of them like building blocks for a microscopic net.
106.000000 108.000000 But it's also packed with other important things.
108.000000 113.000000 Specific sugars, electrolytes, enzymes, antibodies, like tiny guided missiles for germs.
113.000000 115.000000 And even white blood cells.
115.000000 116.000000 Wow, okay.
116.000000 117.000000 An arsenal.
117.000000 118.000000 Pretty much.
118.000000 119.000000 And where does it come from?
119.000000 122.000000 Specialized cells, famously these goblet cells.
122.000000 124.000000 And others that line our mucus membranes.
124.000000 125.000000 And you said a lot.
125.000000 126.000000 A lot.
126.000000 130.000000 Even when you're totally healthy, your body produces somewhere between one and one and a half liters.
130.000000 132.000000 Every single day.
132.000000 133.000000 Hey, hold on.
133.000000 134.000000 A liter and a half.
134.000000 137.000000 That's like two big water bottles of mucus.
137.000000 138.000000 Just flowing around.
138.000000 139.000000 To flow and work in.
139.000000 141.000000 I always thought it's not.
141.000000 143.000000 But it sounds like it's everywhere.
143.000000 144.000000 Almost.
144.000000 147.000000 It lines nearly every moist surface that kind of interacts with the outside world.
147.000000 148.000000 And some internal ones too.
148.000000 149.000000 Like where?
149.000000 151.000000 Your lungs, sinuses, definitely.
151.000000 154.000000 Your mouth, stomach, intestines, even your eyes.
154.000000 155.000000 Eyes too?
155.000000 156.000000 Yep.
156.000000 157.000000 And reproductive tracks.
157.000000 159.000000 It main jobs are basically two-fold.
159.000000 161.000000 First, it's a physical barrier.
161.000000 164.000000 Like super sticky fly paper.
164.000000 165.000000 Catching all the bad stuff.
165.000000 166.000000 Exactly.
166.000000 170.000000 Germs, dusk, pollen, pollutants, microorganisms.
170.000000 173.000000 It traps them before they can get deeper.
173.000000 175.000000 Second, it's a lubricant and moisturizer.
175.000000 177.000000 Keep tissues from drying out.
177.000000 179.000000 Helps things move smoothly.
179.000000 180.000000 Like food in your gut.
180.000000 182.000000 So it's always there.
182.000000 183.000000 Always working, protecting us.
183.000000 186.000000 Even when we feel perfectly fine and have no idea.
186.000000 187.000000 Constantly.
187.000000 189.000000 And what's amazing is how it gets cleared out normally.
189.000000 192.000000 We have these microscopic hair-like things called silia.
192.000000 193.000000 Silia.
193.000000 194.000000 Yeah, and they're always beating.
194.000000 195.000000 Like tiny gores.
195.000000 198.000000 Constantly sweeping this mucus with all the trap gunk slowly up and out.
198.000000 201.000000 And the lungs, for example, up to the back of your throat.
201.000000 202.000000 And then what?
202.000000 203.000000 Usually you just swallow it.
203.000000 204.000000 Completely unnoticed.
204.000000 205.000000 It gets passed out of the body.
205.000000 206.000000 It's incredible.
206.000000 209.000000 You're going to inhale thousands of bacteria in the next hour.
209.000000 211.000000 But you'll likely never know it.
211.000000 213.000000 Thanks to this slime.
213.000000 214.000000 It's a self-cleaning conveyor belt.
214.000000 216.000000 That is pretty cool, actually.
216.000000 217.000000 A silent guardian.
217.000000 220.000000 But then the cold hits.
220.000000 221.000000 Ah, yes.
221.000000 223.000000 And suddenly it's not silent anymore.
223.000000 227.000000 It feels like someone turned on a faucet inside your head.
227.000000 229.000000 Here's where it gets really interesting.
229.000000 230.000000 What's going on then?
230.000000 231.000000 Right.
231.000000 234.000000 So when you get sick, a cold, flu, some infection.
234.000000 235.000000 Yeah.
235.000000 237.000000 Your normal mucus system basically kicks into a hyperdrive.
237.000000 238.000000 Overdrive.
238.000000 239.000000 Yeah.
239.000000 242.000000 The infection causes inflammation in those mucus membranes we talked about inflamed glands.
242.000000 244.000000 They just start churning out more mucus.
244.000000 245.000000 Makes sense.
245.000000 246.000000 Fight fire with mucus.
246.000000 247.000000 Sort of.
247.000000 248.000000 And the mucus itself can change.
248.000000 250.000000 It often gets thicker, stickier.
250.000000 253.000000 Because it's busy collecting all the invaders, the viruses, bacteria.
253.000000 255.000000 Plus all the immune cells rushing to the scene.
255.000000 257.000000 And that makes it produce even more.
257.000000 258.000000 It can, yeah.
258.000000 260.000000 It becomes this cycle, this feedback loop.
260.000000 264.000000 The goal is trap and flush, trap and flush as fast as possible.
264.000000 266.000000 And it definitely feels different too.
266.000000 269.000000 Sometimes it's like water, other times, not so much.
269.000000 270.000000 Exactly.
270.000000 274.000000 Colds, which are mostly viruses, and bacterial sinus infections.
274.000000 278.000000 They tend to give you that thicker, goopier mucus.
278.000000 279.000000 Right.
279.000000 281.000000 But allergies, that's a different reaction.
281.000000 285.000000 Your immune system freaks out over something harmless, like pollen.
285.000000 286.000000 Oh, allergies.
286.000000 288.000000 And releases histamine.
288.000000 292.000000 That triggers swelling and this flood of watery leakage.
292.000000 295.000000 Your body's desperately trying to wash away the perceived threat.
295.000000 300.000000 You can get a similar watery rush from spicy food or even just cold air irritating things.
300.000000 301.000000 Okay.
301.000000 302.000000 And the colors, the snot rainbow.
302.000000 303.000000 You blow your nose.
303.000000 304.000000 Well, it varies.
304.000000 305.000000 What do the colors actually tell us?
305.000000 308.000000 Because everyone thinks green equals antibiotics, right?
308.000000 309.000000 Yeah, the color code.
309.000000 310.000000 It's a common idea.
310.000000 312.000000 But it's not quite that simple.
312.000000 313.000000 Normal, healthy mucus.
313.000000 314.000000 Clear.
314.000000 315.000000 Okay.
315.000000 317.000000 If it turns white, cloudy, maybe light yellow.
317.000000 321.000000 That often means your immune system is kicking in, fighting maybe a virus.
321.000000 324.000000 The color comes from the buildup of immune cells.
324.000000 326.000000 Like blood cells and stuff, precisely.
326.000000 328.000000 Now, bright yellow or green.
328.000000 332.000000 That can signal an infection, maybe bacterial sinusitis.
332.000000 338.000000 It's partly due to proteins from the inflammation and an enzyme from specific white blood cells called neutrophils.
338.000000 340.000000 So green could mean bacteria.
340.000000 341.000000 It could.
341.000000 345.000000 But, and this is key color alone isn't a definitive diagnosis.
345.000000 346.000000 Yeah.
346.000000 350.000000 Your body might just be mounting a really strong defense against a virus, and it still turns green.
350.000000 353.000000 Green doesn't automatically mean you need antibiotics.
353.000000 356.000000 That's really good to know, so don't rush to the doctor just based on green.
356.000000 357.000000 Generally, no.
357.000000 358.000000 Look at the whole picture.
358.000000 359.000000 What about other colors?
359.000000 361.000000 Red or pink is usually a bit of blood.
361.000000 362.000000 Okay.
362.000000 363.000000 That happens.
363.000000 364.000000 Dry air.
364.000000 365.000000 Blowing too hard.
365.000000 370.000000 Irritated nasal passages, fragile blood vessels breaking, brown or black.
370.000000 374.000000 Could be from smoking or inhaling dirt, a pollution, sometimes infection.
374.000000 379.000000 Rarely, black mucus can mean a serious fungal infection, especially if your immune system is weak.
379.000000 380.000000 Right.
380.000000 382.000000 And that horrible drip down the back of your throat.
382.000000 383.000000 Post nasal drip.
383.000000 388.000000 It's all that excess mucus pooling and dripping down, often making you cough, super annoying.
388.000000 389.000000 Understatement.
389.000000 390.000000 Okay.
390.000000 392.000000 So the body is making all this stuff to protect us.
392.000000 393.000000 Great.
393.000000 399.000000 When you're sick, blowing your nose constantly and boom, it's instantly back, it feels like pushing a rock uphill.
399.000000 400.000000 What gives?
400.000000 401.000000 Why is it so futile?
401.000000 402.000000 The frustration.
402.000000 403.000000 Totally valid.
403.000000 406.000000 And it highlights what we sometimes call the blowing paradox.
406.000000 407.800000 The the blowing paradox.
407.800000 412.000000 When you blow really hard, think about the force.
412.000000 415.000000 You're massively increasing the pressure inside your nasal cavity.
415.000000 416.000000 Yeah.
416.000000 417.000000 It feels necessary sometimes.
417.000000 418.000000 I know.
418.000000 424.000000 But that pressure can actually push mucus backwards into your sinuses, which are already struggling,
424.000000 427.000000 or even up towards your ears through the eustachian tubes.
427.000000 428.000000 Oh no.
428.000000 429.000000 Seriously.
429.000000 430.000000 Seriously.
430.000000 434.000000 Instead of clearing it out, you can end up trapping it, leading to more blockage, more pressure,
434.000000 435.000000 more discomfort.
435.000000 436.000000 You feel more stuffed up.
436.000000 438.000000 So my desperate honking could be making me feel worse.
438.000000 439.000000 I had no idea.
439.000000 440.000000 It's possible.
440.000000 441.000000 Yes.
441.000000 446.000000 Plus, all that forceful blowing, especially with dry tissues, really irritates the delicate lining inside your nose.
446.000000 447.000000 Right.
447.000000 453.000000 And that irritation causes more inflammation and swelling, which restricts airflow.
453.000000 455.000000 Again, making you feel more congested.
455.000000 456.000000 It's just cycle.
456.000000 457.000000 It can be.
457.000000 458.000000 And there's another risk.
458.000000 460.000000 Secondary infections.
460.000000 465.000000 If your hands aren't clean or you're blowing bacteria around, you might introduce new germs
465.000000 468.000000 into those raw, irritated nasal passages.
468.000000 469.000000 Oh, lovely.
469.000000 470.000000 So adding insult to injury.
470.000000 471.000000 Potentially.
471.000000 476.000000 And the reason it comes back so fast is just the factory is still open for business, still churning it out.
476.000000 478.000000 That's a huge part of it.
478.000000 480.000000 Remember, bucust production is continuous.
480.000000 484.000000 When you're sick, the factory is working overtime, double shifts, triple shifts.
484.000000 485.000000 Right.
485.000000 488.000000 Its job is to trap and remove those pathogens.
488.000000 493.000000 So even when you clear some out, the production line is still running full tilt to keep up the defense.
493.000000 496.000000 Rapid replenishment is just part of the process.
496.000000 500.000000 So if blowing hard is bad, I'd just let it run.
500.000000 501.000000 This grosses that sounds.
501.000000 503.000000 The million dollar question.
503.000000 505.000000 There are pros and cons.
505.000000 507.000000 Letting it run is the body's natural way.
507.000000 509.000000 It lets the clearance mechanism work.
509.000000 511.000000 Maybe it helps flush things out faster theoretically.
511.000000 513.000000 It keeps things moist too.
513.000000 514.000000 Maybe less irritation.
514.000000 515.000000 Exactly.
515.000000 516.000000 Prevents build up.
516.000000 518.000000 But the downsides are obvious.
518.000000 519.000000 Socially.
519.000000 520.000000 Difficult.
520.000000 521.000000 Yeah, not obvious.
521.000000 523.000000 In irritation around your nose.
523.000000 527.000000 And importantly, you're still shedding virus or bacteria in those trips.
527.000000 531.000000 So hygiene washing hands constantly is critical either way.
531.000000 533.000000 Okay, so maybe not just letting it drip everywhere.
533.000000 538.000000 For those of us who want to manage it without making things worse, what's the smart way to blow?
538.000000 540.000000 Gentle is the key word.
540.000000 542.000000 Blow gently.
542.000000 543.000000 And here's a key tip.
543.000000 545.000000 Blow one nostril at a time.
545.000000 547.000000 Oh, why is that?
547.000000 552.000000 It dramatically reduces the pressure buildup compared to clamping both shut and forcing it.
552.000000 554.000000 You soft tissues, maybe ones with lotion.
554.000000 560.000000 And if your nose gets raw, a little petroleum jelly or gentle moisturizer on the nostrils can protect the skin.
560.000000 562.000000 One nostril at a time, gentle.
562.000000 563.000000 Got it.
563.000000 567.000000 So what does this all mean, then, for managing this mucus Niagara Falls when you're sick?
567.000000 569.000000 Beyond careful blowing.
569.000000 570.000000 It means working with your body.
570.000000 571.000000 Support its efforts.
571.000000 572.000000 Number one, hydration.
572.000000 575.000000 Drink loads of water, herbal tea, broth.
575.000000 577.000000 Why does that help mucus specifically?
577.000000 578.000000 It thins it out.
578.000000 581.000000 Think of thick, sticky mucus like sludge.
581.000000 587.000000 Water helps make it more fluid, easier for those silly to sweep away, easier to expel when you do blow gently or cough.
587.000000 588.000000 Makes sense.
588.000000 589.000000 Keep the river flowing.
589.000000 590.000000 Exactly.
590.000000 595.000000 Using a humidifier or vaporizer, especially at night, can also really help.
595.000000 599.000000 Moist air, sooths, irritated passages, keeps things from drying out.
599.000000 602.000000 Might even calm down production a bit, even just a steamy shower.
602.000000 603.000000 Simple stuff.
603.000000 606.000000 What about saline, sprays or netty pots?
606.000000 607.000000 Excellent tools.
607.000000 609.000000 Saline sprays or rinses.
609.000000 614.000000 Hydrate the tissues directly and physically wash out excess mucus allergens debris.
614.000000 621.000000 Just be sure, especially with netty pots or homemade rinses, to use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled water.
621.000000 623.000000 You don't want to introduce new problems.
623.000000 624.000000 Good point.
624.000000 626.000000 And what about meds from the pharmacy?
626.000000 629.000000 Do decongestants and things actually target the mucus?
629.000000 630.000000 Some do.
630.000000 631.000000 Some target the symptoms around it.
631.000000 632.000000 Yes.
632.000000 636.000000 Expectants like wifenesson are designed to thin mucus, mostly in the chest, making coughs more productive.
636.000000 637.000000 Okay.
637.000000 642.000000 De-congestants, sprays or pills shrink swollen blood vessels in the nose.
642.000000 646.000000 It reduces swelling and can decrease mucus production temporarily.
646.000000 649.000000 But you can get rebound congestion if you use sprays too long.
649.000000 651.000000 Right, where it gets worse when you stop.
651.000000 652.000000 Yeah.
652.000000 656.000000 And if allergies are the main culprit behind your runny nose, then anti-histamines are the way to go.
656.000000 658.000000 They block the histamine reaction.
658.000000 659.000000 Okay.
659.000000 660.000000 Anything else?
660.000000 661.000000 One simple thing.
661.000000 663.000000 Check your air filters.
663.000000 664.000000 Home.
664.000000 665.000000 Car.
665.000000 671.000000 If they're clogged, they're not removing dust, pollen, mold spores, which can all irritate your airways and trigger mucus.
671.000000 672.000000 Keep them clean.
672.000000 673.000000 Smart.
673.000000 674.000000 Practical.
674.000000 678.000000 And finally, when is it time to waive the white flag on home care and see a doctor?
678.000000 679.000000 Definitely listen to your body.
679.000000 686.000000 If symptoms drag on for, say, more than three weeks, or if they get significantly worse, like a high fever that won't quit,
686.000000 692.000000 really persistent sinus pain or pressure, shortness of breath, wheezing frequent nose bleeds,
692.000000 700.000000 or if that mucus stays a really dark color, like green or yellow, for many days, especially with other worsening symptoms.
700.000000 701.000000 Yeah.
701.000000 707.000000 That's when you need a professional look to rule out a bacterial infection that needs antibiotics or something else going on.
707.000000 708.000000 Got it.
708.000000 709.000000 Good guidelines.
709.000000 710.000000 Yeah.
710.000000 718.000000 So what started as a dive into something kind of gross, turns out mucus is this amazing essential protector.
718.000000 725.000000 Produce constantly everywhere, kicks into high gear when we're sick, and blowing your nose like a trumpet might actually be counterproductive.
725.000000 727.000000 Pretty much sums it up.
727.000000 729.000000 The management supporting your body, that's the key.
729.000000 732.000000 It really does make you think differently about a running nose, doesn't it?
732.000000 734.000000 It really does. And you know, this raises an important question.
734.000000 738.000000 We talked about mucus this thing with a bad reputation, doing all this incredible work, unnoticed.
738.000000 739.000000 Yeah.
739.000000 748.000000 How many other things does your body do day in day out that seem maybe annoying or just normal, but are actually these complex vital processes keeping you safe and healthy?
748.000000 753.000000 What else could we discover if we took a deep dive into those everyday functions?
753.000000 755.000000 Makes you appreciate the machinery a bit more, doesn't it?
755.000000 758.000000 And that wraps up today's episode of Everyday Explained.
758.000000 761.000000 We love making sense of the world around you five days a week.
761.000000 766.000000 If you enjoyed today's deep dive, consider subscribing so you don't miss out on our next discovery.
766.000000 769.000000 I'm Chris, and I'll catch you in the next one.