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Phlegm friend

Not the nicest of topics but anyway. Basically my flatmate every morning and every evening religiously goes about hocking up as much phlegm as possible. She says its necessary because she can 'feel it'. I've tried to tell her that I don't think it's good for her to keep on so violently hocking up everyday but she doesn't believe me and wants me to stipulate what kind of damage/problems it could cause. So which one of us is right? I've always heard that it's not good for you but she's thinks otherwise although I think if I stipulated an actual problem she would stop and hopefully go to the doctor if it was still troubling her. And before anyone says anything I'm not being selfish just wanting her to stop because the sound is disgusting :redface:

Thanks to anyone who replies. :smile:

Reply 1

Nudlz

i wouldnt think it would be healthy hocking up as much as possible every morning does she do this in front of you ?

Is she a smoker?

OP

Robin_Hood90

i wouldnt think it would be healthy hocking up as much as possible every morning does she do this in front of you ?

That's what I thought but I can't just suggest what kind of problem it may cause. She rarely does it in front of me, only be accident, but the flat we're sharing is very small so unfortunately i can hear everything :eek:

Reply 4

Nudlz

different?

That's what I thought but I can't just suggest what kind of problem it may cause. She rarely does it in front of me, only be accident, but the flat we're sharing is very small so unfortunately i can hear everything :eek:

it cant be very nice, i do it sometimes without thinking but i tye not to, i hope you can handle it, have a hug to go on with :hugs:

Reply 5

different?

OP

2

3232

Is she a smoker?

She's not a smoker anymore, she used to casually smoke (like not even one a day I don't think) for a a few years but has not done so for about four years. However, she has does have asthma- i don't know if that would have an effect? Her mother has suffered quite badly sporadically from chest problems, she has asthma too but she is a heavy smoker which my friend never was.

Reply 6

--

3

Coughing up phlegm isn't necessarily bad, in fact i think its a fairly natural process (after you've had an infection the phlegm then 'comes up' and its better to spit it out rather than swallow it). But if she's doing it every day then she's either got a permanent infection (which isn't even remotely likely without other symptoms), or she's naturally got a lot of phlegm from smoking or some other reason. It could potentially stip her airway of the protection phlegm (or mucus) provides and leave her more open to infection, but you can't really say whether she's doing that or not. I'd just put up with it, she's probably not doing any harm and it is, after all, her flat too and if she feels the need to cough up phlegm then thats her choice - i mean, where else is she going to do it if not in her own house?

Reply 7

sweet_fluffy_nuke

different?

Not the nicest of topics but anyway. Basically my flatmate every morning and every evening religiously goes about hocking up as much phlegm as possible. She says its necessary because she can 'feel it'.

Poorly controlled asthma can cause this.
Asthma is an inflammatory disorder and the bronchial goblet cells produce far more mucous than normal. She may need to see a doctor.

Reply 8

ßlαcksωαn

17

I say leave her alone. If you don't like it then bugger off. If one needs to cough it up, then let them. I know when I have a cold I hate the feeling of a big goo ball stuck in my throat.
My grandfather coughs up one like this every morning, I believe this is because he is a heay snorer..

Reply 9

Rutter knows best!

12

if you get lik a funnel or a gravy boat fill it with water and lean over something like your toilet or bathroom sink.
tilt your head to the side and try to like inhale the water through one nostril and let it run through so it comes out the other.
it cleans you right out and you its not noisy or anything , she can do it in the privacy pof the bathroom.
saw it on a program and it works surprisingly well. spech if u got a cold or summit similiar.

Reply 10

Dan167

2

negated enigma

if you get lik a funnel or a gravy boat fill it with water and lean over something like your toilet or bathroom sink.
tilt your head to the side and try to like inhale the water through one nostril and let it run through so it comes out the other.
it cleans you right out and you its not noisy or anything , she can do it in the privacy pof the bathroom.
saw it on a program and it works surprisingly well. spech if u got a cold or summit similiar.

Thats a good idea but when I inhale water through my nose, it really hurts. Anyone else get this?

Reply 11

different?

OP

2

acolyte

Poorly controlled asthma can cause this.
Asthma is an inflammatory disorder and the bronchial goblet cells produce far more mucous than normal. She may need to see a doctor.

That's actually really likely as she's been really lazy with her inhalers for a while now. *rep*

Phlegm friend

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