Mucus is a secretion generated by your mucus membranes. Excess mucus production is a symptom of another health problem and is not itself considered a disease. There are many possible causes of excess mucus, including acute sinusitis, bronchitis and hay fever. Britannica Online Encyclopedia states that mucus helps moisten, lubricate and protect your respiratory and digestive tracts. Before using herbs to help clear excess mucus, talk with your health care provider about the risks and benefits associated with herbal remedies.
Mucus
Phyllis A. Balch, a certified nutritional consultant, nutrition researcher and author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," writes that many different health conditions can cause mucus to accumulate in your body, including allergies, head colds and infection. Excess mucus may develop in your eyes, lungs and respiratory tract and intestines. Excess mucus accumulation in your lungs is a common symptom of cystic fibrosis -- an inherited condition that causes the production of thick and sticky mucus that is difficult to cough up.
Herbs for Mucus
The best, or most effective, herbs in treating excess mucus possess expectorant action. In her book "Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth," naturopathic physician and herbalist Sharol Tilgner reports that an expectorant is an herb that helps rid your respiratory tract of bronchial secretions by decreasing the viscosity, or thickness, of mucus and increasing the volume of respiratory tract fluid. Examples of expectorants include violet, slippery elm, comfrey, licorice, marshmallow, gumweed, bloodroot and elecampane.
A Powerful Expectorant
Hyssop is one of the most powerful expectorants and is often helpful in expelling excess mucus from the lungs and other respiratory tract structures. Hyssop, or Hyssopus officinalis, is commonly prescribed to help reduce congestion, normalize blood pressure and decrease intestinal gas. Various parts of the hyssop plant are used to make herbal medicines, including the leaves, shoots and flowers. Hyssop is considered a sacred plant in Judaism.
Warning
Herbal medicines perform many of the same functions as prescription drugs, and herbs should be treated with the same degree of caution as pharmaceutical agents. Like prescription drugs, some herbs may sometimes cause undesirable side effects. Talk with an herbalist, a naturopathic physician or a botanically trained medical doctor before using herbs, so that you may better understand the health ramifications associated with herbal supplementation. Ask your health care provider what herbs are best for you.
References
- Britannica Online Encyclopedia: Mucus
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC; 2010
- "Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth"; Sharol Tilgner, N.D.; 1999
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