Expectorants

[AnnettStudent]

This may sound like a funny question because the very definition of expectorant is to expel mucus etc. But…

I am currently sick with something in my lungs (and throat) which is painful. I am taking herbs to help. One of them is an expectorant. I feel like mucus is breaking up and my coughs are moist after I take an expectorant but I never actually expel anything and never have seen anyone in my family expel anything from expectorant usage in the past. Therefore, my question:

When an expectorant is used does it mean that the ailing person will expel something, for it to be beneficial? Or do expectorants sometimes just break things up to be eliminated through via another function? or what?

[IdahoHerbalist]

My feeling is both cases would be true depending on the degree of congestion being experienced. Remember, our lungs are eliminating mucus constantly and we rarely have to cough it out. Last year I had a really bad lung thing going on. I took some elecampane and within 15 minute a very large chunk of gunk (Patrick says that is a medicinal term) was coughed up and my condition improved immediately.

The various expectorants works through different means. You may or may not see actual goobers (another medical term) coming up. But things should clear in the lungs.

[Author]

Posts