any pathogens in the mucous that are swallowed will be destroyed by the harsh acidic stomach environment. 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. failure to improve may indicate a secondary infection or another cold. since there are over 200 respiratory viruses a person can get them back to back especially during this cold/flu season.
will i get better faster if i spit out the mucus i hack up instead of swallowing it? . i'm not sure if i've got a cold or some kind of infection but i've noticed that my throat feels a bit more clear if i spit out whatever i cough up instead of just swallowing it back down. obviously my throat is cleared out until new stuff forms. it actually feels less scratchy and sore too. i'm just wondering if this cold or whatever it is will run its course faster if i continue to spit the gook out.