Is it better to swallow or spit out mucus?

If you're in the middle of battling a cold, you might be surprised to find out the truth about whether or not you should swallow your phlegm. ... In reality, you can feel free to spit or swallow your phlegm and it shouldn't have any overall impact on your health. read more

Better to hock it up and spit it at all times, mucus (phlegm) carries bacteria which if swallowed enters a wet zone creating infection. When the body has no use for the phlegm then it gets rid of it by coming up or having you hawk it up hoping you will spit it to get rid of it. read more

Whether you spit it out or swallow it will not change the course of your upper respiratory illness. Most URIs are viral and will run their course in about a week; the first 3-4 days tend to be the worse, followed by a progressive recovery. read more

Understanding what mucus does in the body — and what it can indicate about your health — may help you feel better about this admittedly gross subject, but ultimately whether you spit or swallow is up to you. read more