DiscoverDr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your HealthWhat Phlegm Color Reveals About Your Respiratory Health
What Phlegm Color Reveals About Your Respiratory Health

What Phlegm Color Reveals About Your Respiratory Health

Update: 2025-12-27
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  • Phlegm color shifts give you immediate clues about what's happening in your airways, helping you judge whether irritation, inflammation or infection is building before symptoms intensify
  • Yellow and green tones reflect immune activity, while pink, red, brown or black phlegm signal bleeding, long-standing lung issues or fungal infection, giving you clear markers for when to act quickly
  • Sudden changes from your normal phlegm pattern matter more than the color itself, allowing you to use your personal baseline as a reliable guide for when something is wrong
  • Texture changes — such as thick, sticky or chunky phlegm — often point to uncontrolled airway inflammation, giving you another early sign that your respiratory system is under strain
  • Nebulized hydrogen peroxide, when properly diluted, helps lower viral load in your nasal passages, sinuses and lungs, easing phlegm triggered by viral irritation and helping you recover faster
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What Phlegm Color Reveals About Your Respiratory Health

What Phlegm Color Reveals About Your Respiratory Health

Dr. Joseph Mercola