Green sputum needs antibiotics. What does green, yellow, white and brown sputum mean? Folk methods of treatment

Green sputum when coughing: causes

Cough is not an independent disease, rather it is a symptom of other unpleasant conditions. It is about the causes of the occurrence of such a condition and the nature of its course that the sputum released during a cough can indicate.

Sputum contains a sufficient number of immune cells that can provide reliable protection of the body against pathogenic microorganisms. With the development of inflammatory processes, sputum appears in the bronchi and trachea, in combination with mucus. It contains in its composition products that provide resistance to the body of microbes, viruses and various fungi.

If the sputum that is released when coughing is green, this indicates its bacterial nature. Its causes may be hidden in the presence of pus in the respiratory tract, as well as suspensions of a liquid consistency from dead microbes and leukocytes. The hues of sputum can have a different color, depending on the microbes that caused it.

In addition, the development of a cough with green sputum may indicate purulent inflammation in the lungs. Another cause may be sinusitis.

Yellow-green sputum when coughing

If, when coughing, sputum is released, which has a yellow-green color, therefore, there are consequences of purulent discharge. Thus, the human body signals the development of processes in the organs respiratory system. The color of the secreted sputum is the basis for making a preliminary diagnosis. If the sputum has a yellow-green color, therefore, there is a certain threat to human health. To eliminate it, a medical examination is necessary.

Green sputum when coughing in the morning

Green sputum when coughing in the morning does not appear out of nowhere by itself. In order for the human body to be reliably protected from the effects of pathogenic bacteria on its respiratory system, it contains a healthy bronchial secret without color and odor. If this secret acquires a green color and manifests itself in morning time, therefore, the development of a certain pathology is evident.

Most often, this happens when a person develops chronic bronchitis. This is especially evident in cases with children. If a child has green sputum in the morning against the background of a continuing cough, you should consult a doctor to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe timely treatment.

Also, similar symptoms are typical for smokers with many years of experience. They very often notice the appearance of green sputum in the morning when they cough, as a reaction of the body to the action of nicotine.

Severe cough, green sputum

The appearance of green sputum with a strong cough indicates the addition of pus to the sputum. Depending on its quantity, the color of the sputum itself also changes. You can also talk about the development of chronic forms of diseases in a patient.

Many people perceive the appearance of green sputum when coughing as a discharge of pus, but this is far from always true. In fact, pus is always mixed with mucus and in pure form it can be seen only after the opening of the lung abscess. In addition, the appearance of pus becomes possible with purulent pleurisy.

The combination of a strong cough with purulent sputum occurs in various diseases, among which the most dangerous are lung cancer and tuberculosis. This is also noted with lung abscess and bronchial asthma. One more possible cause the appearance of a strong cough with sputum sweat in the morning becomes the reaction of the human body to external irritating factors. Similar is observed in the development of allergies. Most often, its cause is chemical products, upon contact with which such symptoms appear.

Cough with green sputum without fever

The cough itself has beneficial effect on the human body, since it contributes to the removal from the body of excess sputum and foreign bodies that clog the respiratory tract. Ultimately, this has its direct impact on the cure of the existing disease.

If there is a cough with green sputum without a rise in temperature, the causes of this condition may be different. Most often, this occurs in smokers with a long history. The absence of temperature indicates that there is no infection in the body with which it will fight. At the same time, green discharge means the development of a pathological process in the bronchi caused by the action of nicotine.

In addition, the cause of a cough with green sputum without raising the temperature may be hidden in the development of inflammation processes in the bronchial system. True, in this case, sooner or later, the temperature will begin to rise with the development of a painful condition. The appearance of green sputum indicates the need to consult a doctor regarding the reasons for its appearance in order to take it in time necessary measures precautions.

Green sputum when coughing: treatment

Isolation of green sputum when coughing is not uncommon when it comes to diseases of all kinds of bronchitis or respiratory viral infections. In addition, there have been cases when such discharges were observed in the mornings for no apparent reason. So the respiratory system of the body can spontaneously cleanse itself.

However, with an increase in the secretion secreted in the human body, a pathological process develops, or this indicates that it enters the respiratory tract foreign objects and microorganisms. In such cases, sputum discharge takes on the character of a pathological process and requires medical intervention for treatment.

Cough with green sputum in adults

In an adult, the appearance of a cough with sputum indicates that the body has an urgent need to thin the sputum and bring it out. There are many ways to treat this condition and right choice method to be used should be consulted with a specialist.

Most often, in such cases, an adult is shown to use drugs for expectoration, such as Lazolvan, Ambrobene, Bromhexine, Ambromhexal. At the same time, it can be applied to medicinal purposes infusions of medicinal herbs that can promote expectoration and eliminate the course of inflammatory processes. It can be breast fees, infusions of wild rosemary, St. John's wort, all kinds of herbal-based syrups. Effective in the fight against secretions of green sputum, the use of compresses, which are used as jars, mustard plasters, as well as overlays of grated black radish wrapped in gauze. In addition, radish juice can be used alone and in combination with honey and sugar in different proportions.

Adults with green sputum discharge are recommended to use inhalers and nebulizers for inhalation. With a medical prescription, repeat such procedures should be at least five times a day.

Green sputum when coughing in a child

Depending on the cause that caused the release of green sputum when a child coughs, a treatment method is also selected. If it is definitely established that the cause of the child's condition is the effect of a viral infection on him, you should competently care for the patient and determine the treatment for him corresponding to the symptoms that occur. Therapy should be started in a timely manner in order to avoid connecting a bacterial infection, in which the principles of treatment will already become different. If it is definitely established that the green sputum in the child is caused by the action of a bacterial infection, antibiotics should be used for treatment. Moreover, the selection of drugs should be made in accordance with medical recommendations.

If the cause of green sputum in a child is bronchitis, he should be prescribed mucolytic or expectorant drugs. Their action ensures the liquefaction of the secret and its removal to the outside. Antitussive drugs should not be used in this case, since they do not remove sputum, but only block it in the airways.

In the event that the cause of green sputum coughing in a child is tuberculosis, cancer or pulmonary edema, it should be treated in a hospital setting. The sooner the disease state is established, the better it will ultimately be for the child, the sooner it is fashionable to begin treatment and the more efficiently it will be carried out.

Green sputum without cough

Isolation of green sputum without coughing is not in itself a separate disease. This is just a signal that a focus of inflammation has settled in the human body. In this case, the symptoms are simple - the person begins to feel a lump in the throat, there may be pain when swallowing, but there is no serious discomfort.

If the discharge of green sputum is not accompanied by a cough, as well as an increase in temperature, pain in the throat and wheezing in the lungs, you can try to eliminate the condition with local treatment. In this case, it is not necessary to use medications, since this is not particularly necessary.

good effect gives treatment with herbs, thanks to their mild action, the process itself proceeds painlessly. The duration of the treatment course should not be more than a month. Eliminates the likelihood of the spread of pathogenic bacteria and viruses in the patient's body, clears the throat.

In the event that green sputum without coughing is observed for a week or more, the patient should be examined in the clinic. It involves a medical examination and testing to determine the cause of what is happening. Based on the results, the cause of sputum production is determined and adequate treatment is prescribed.

cashelb.com

Cause of sputum: in the throat and bronchi, with and without coughing, green, yellow, thick

By sputum, health workers understand the secret that is secreted by the cells of the bronchi, where the contents of the nose and its sinuses, as well as saliva, are mixed. Normally, it is transparent and mucous, there is not much of it, and it is released only in the mornings from people who smoke, work in dusty industries or live in dry air conditions.

In these cases, it is called tracheobronchial secretion, not sputum. With the development of pathologies, sputum can get: pus, when there is bacterial inflammation, blood, when a vessel was damaged on the way from the nose to the end of the bronchi, mucus in cases of inflammation of a non-bacterial nature. This content may become more or less viscous.

Pathological processes as the causes of sputum accumulation in the throat without coughing usually occupy localization from the nasopharynx, where the contents of the nose and its paranasal sinuses drain, to the trachea. If the disease has affected deeper structures: the trachea, bronchi or lung tissue, sputum will be accompanied by a cough (in children younger age vomit with a lot of mucus or other contents can become an analogue of coughing up). Bronchitis and pneumonia can, of course, occur without coughing, but then the sputum will not bother you either.

When is sputum production considered normal?

The mucous membrane of the bronchi consists of cells on the surface of which there are cilia - microtubules that can move (normally - in the upward direction, towards the trachea). Between the ciliated cells are small glands called goblet cells. There are 4 times fewer of them than ciliated, but they are not located in such a way that after every four ciliated there is 1 goblet: there are areas consisting of only one, or only of cells of the second type. Glandular cells are completely absent in the small bronchi and bronchioles. Goblet and ciliated cells unite common name- "mucociliary apparatus", and the process of movement of mucus in the bronchi and trachea - mucociliary clearance.

Mucus produced by goblet cells is the basis of sputum. It is needed to remove from the bronchi those dust particles and microbes that, due to their microscopic size, were not noticed by the cells with cilia that are in the nose and throat.

Vessels adhere tightly to the bronchial mucosa. Immune cells come out of them, which control the absence of foreign particles in the air going into the lungs. Some immune cells are present in the mucosa itself. Their function is the same.

Therefore, sputum, more precisely, the tracheobronchial secret, is also normal; without it, the bronchi would be covered from the inside with soot and impurities, would be constantly inflamed. Its amount is from 10 to 100 ml per day. It may contain a small amount of white blood cells, but it does not detect any bacteria, abnormal cells, or fibers contained in lung tissue. The secret is formed slowly, gradually, and when it reaches the oropharynx, a healthy person, without noticing, swallows this minimum amount of mucous content.

Why can you feel phlegm in your throat without coughing?

This is due to either increased secretion production, or deterioration in its excretion. There are many reasons for these conditions. Here are the main ones:

• Work in enterprises with increased level air pollution by particles of silicates, coal or others.
• Smoking.
• Throat irritation alcoholic drinks, cold, spicy or hot food can cause a feeling of phlegm without coughing. In this case, there is no malaise, no worsening of breathing, no other symptoms.
• Pharyngo-laryngeal reflux. This is the name of the reflux of the contents of the throat, where the ingredients of the stomach, which do not have a pronounced acidic environment, are brought closer to the windpipe. Other symptoms of this condition are sore throat, cough.
• Acute sinusitis. The main symptoms will be deterioration, fever, headache, copious amounts of snot. These symptoms come to the fore.
• Chronic sinusitis. Most likely, it is this pathology that will be described as "sputum in the throat without coughing." It is manifested by difficulty in nasal breathing, deterioration of the sense of smell, fatigue. Thick sputum is secreted from the sinuses into the pharynx, and this happens all the time.
• Chronic tonsillitis. Here a person is worried about "sputum", bad smell from the mouth, on the tonsils, whitish masses can be seen, which themselves and with certain movements of the muscles of the mouth stand out, their smell is unpleasant. The throat does not hurt, the temperature can be increased, but - within 37 - 37.3 ° C.
• Chronic catarrhal rhinitis. Here, without exacerbation, the nose stuffs up only in the cold, and then only one half; sometimes a small amount of mucous discharge comes out of the nose. With exacerbation, thick, abundant snot appears, and they create a feeling of sputum in the throat.
• Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis. Here, the main symptom is difficulty breathing through the nose, one half of it, because of which a person may be disturbed by a headache in this half. The sense of smell, taste also worsens, a slight nasality appears. The discharge accumulates in the throat or is excreted outward.
• Vasomotor rhinitis. In this case, a person can periodically "overtake" bouts of sneezing, which occurs after itching in the nose, mouth or throat. Nasal breathing is periodically difficult, and liquid mucus is released from the nose outward or into the pharyngeal cavity. These attacks are associated with sleep, may appear after a change in air temperature, overwork, taking spicy food, emotional stress or high blood pressure.
• Pharyngitis. Here, sputum in the throat occurs against the background of perspiration or pain in it. More often, however, the sum of these sensations causes a cough, which is either dry or a small amount of liquid sputum is secreted here.
• Sjögren's syndrome. At the same time, there is a decrease in the production of saliva, and due to dryness in the mouth, it seems as if phlegm has accumulated in the throat.

Color of sputum without cough

According to this criterion, one can suspect:

• mucous white sputum testifies in favor of fungal (more often candidal) tonsillitis;
• clear sputum with white streaks may accompany chronic catarrhal pharyngitis;
• green sputum, thick, may indicate chronic hypertrophic pharyngitis;
• and if yellow sputum comes out, and there is no cough, this speaks in favor of purulent process upper respiratory tract (rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis).

If sputum is felt only in the morning

Sputum in the morning can talk about:

• reflux esophagitis - reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus and throat. In this case, there is a weakness of the circular muscle, which should not let what has got into the stomach back. This pathology is usually accompanied by heartburn, which occurs when taking a horizontal position after eating, as well as periodically occurring belching of air or acidic contents. Occurring during pregnancy and accompanied by constant heartburn, is its symptom associated with organ compression abdominal cavity pregnant uterus;
• chronic sinusitis. Symptoms: difficulty in nasal breathing, deterioration of the sense of smell up to its complete absence, mucus in the throat;
• chronic bronchitis. In this case, sputum has a mucopurulent (yellow or yellow-green) character, accompanied by weakness, low body temperature.
• be the first sign of acute bronchitis. Here there is an increase in temperature, weakness, deterioration of appetite;
• developing in the spring-autumn period, talk about bronchiectasis. Other symptoms include malaise, fever. In summer and winter, a person again feels relatively well;
• appearing against the background of heart diseases, testify to their decompensation, that is, the appearance of stagnation in the lungs;
• developing in young children, talk about adenoiditis. In this case, nasal breathing is disturbed, children breathe through their mouths, but there is no temperature or signs of acute respiratory infections.

Phlegm when coughing

If a person notes the appearance of a cough, after which sputum is released, this indicates a disease of the trachea, bronchi or lungs. It can be acute and chronic, inflammatory, allergic, neoplastic or congestive. It is impossible to make a diagnosis based on the presence of sputum alone: ​​examination, listening to pulmonary noises, an X-ray image (and sometimes computed tomography) of the lungs, sputum tests - general and bacteriological are necessary.

In some way, the color of sputum, its consistency and smell will help to navigate the diagnosis.

color of sputum when coughing

If you cough up yellow sputum, this may indicate:

• purulent process: acute bronchitis, pneumonia. It is possible to distinguish these conditions only according to instrumental studies (X-ray or computed tomography of the lungs), since their symptoms are the same;
• the presence of a large number of eosinophils in the lung or bronchial tissue, which also indicates eosinophilic pneumonia (then the color is yellow, like a canary);
• sinusitis. Here there is poor breathing through the nose, separation of not only sputum, but also yellow mucopurulent snot, headache, malaise;
• bronchial asthma. The disease is characterized by exacerbations when there is difficulty in breathing (it is difficult to exhale) and wheezing audible at a distance, and remissions when a person feels satisfactory;
• yellow liquid sputum with a small amount of mucus, which appeared against the background of icteric staining of the skin (with hepatitis, tumors, cirrhosis of the liver or blockage of the bile ducts with a stone) indicates that lung damage has occurred;
• yellow and ocher speaks of siderosis, a disease that occurs in people who work with dust that contains iron oxides. With this pathology, there are no special symptoms, except for coughing.

Yellow-green sputum indicates:

• purulent bronchitis;
• bacterial pneumonia;
• be normal sign after tuberculosis, which was cured with specific drugs.

If a rusty discharge is coughed up, this indicates that the vessels were injured in the respiratory tract, but the blood, while it reached the oral cavity, was oxidized, and hemoglobin became hematin. This may be when:

• strong cough (then there will be rusty streaks that will disappear in 1-2 days);
• pneumonia, when inflammation (purulent or viral), melting the lung tissue, led to damage to the vessels. There will be: fever, shortness of breath, weakness, vomiting, lack of appetite, sometimes diarrhea;

If brown mucus is coughed up, this also indicates the presence of “old”, oxidized blood in the airways:

• if the lungs had such, almost always, congenital pathology as bullae (cavities filled with air). If such a bulla lay close to the bronchus, and then ruptured, brown sputum will be separated. If at the same time air also got into the pleural cavity, shortness of breath will be noted, a feeling of lack of air, which may increase. The “sick” half of the chest does not breathe, and pain was noted during the rupture of the bulla;
• gangrene of the lung. Here, a significant deterioration comes to the fore. general condition: weakness, clouding of consciousness, vomiting, high temperature. Sputum is not only brown, but also has putrid smell;
• pneumoconiosis - a disease that occurs due to industrial (coal, silicon) dust. Characterized by chest pains, first dry cough. Gradually, bronchitis becomes chronic, often leading to pneumonia;
• lung cancer. The disease does not make itself felt for a long time, coughing attacks gradually occur. A person loses weight dramatically, begins to sweat at night, it becomes more and more difficult for him to breathe;
• tuberculosis. There is weakness, sweating (especially at night), lack of appetite, weight loss, prolonged dry cough.

Sputum in color from light green to dark green indicates that there is a bacterial or fungal process in the lungs. This:

• abscess or gangrene of the lung. Symptoms of pathologies are very similar (if we are talking about an acute rather than a chronic abscess, the symptoms of which are more scarce). This is a pronounced weakness, malaise, shortness of breath, chest pain, very high, practically unresponsive to antipyretic, body temperature;
• bronchiectasis. This is a chronic pathology associated with the expansion of the bronchi. It is characterized by a course with exacerbations and remissions. With exacerbation in the morning and after being on the stomach, purulent sputum(green, yellow-green). A person feels unwell, he has a fever;
• actinomycosis process. In this case, it is noted for a long time fever, malaise, mucopurulent greenish sputum is coughed up;
• cystic fibrosis is a disease when almost all the secrets produced by the glands of the body become very viscous, poorly evacuated and suppurate. It is characterized by frequent pneumonia and inflammation of the pancreas, lag in growth and body weight. Without a special diet and enzyme intake, such people can die from complications of pneumonia;
• sinusitis (its symptoms are described above).

Sputum white color typical for:

• ARI: then the sputum is transparent white, thick or foamy, mucous;
• lung cancer: it is not only white, but there are streaks of blood in it. There are also weight loss, fatigue;
• bronchial asthma: it is thick, glassy, ​​released after a coughing fit;
• heart diseases. The color of such sputum is whitish, the consistency is liquid.

Diagnosis of sputum by consistency and smell

In order to evaluate this criterion, it is necessary to expectorate sputum into a transparent glass container, evaluate it immediately, and then remove it, cover it with a lid, and let it brew (in some cases, sputum may exfoliate, which will help in diagnosis).

• Mucous sputum: it is secreted mainly during SARS;
• Liquid colorless is characteristic of chronic processes developing in the trachea and pharynx;
• Foamy sputum of white or pinkish color is released with pulmonary edema, which can accompany both heart disease and inhalation gas poisoning, and pneumonia, and inflammation of the pancreas;
• Mucopurulent sputum can be secreted in tracheitis, tonsillitis, bacterial bronchitis, complicated cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis;
• Vitreous: characteristic of bronchial asthma and bronchitis with an asthmatic component.

An unpleasant odor is characteristic of complicated bronchiectasis, lung abscess. A fetid, putrid odor is characteristic of lung gangrene.

If the sputum separates into 2 layers during settling, it is probably a lung abscess. If there are three layers (the top is foamy, then liquid, then flaky), it may be lung gangrene.

What does sputum look like with underlying diseases

Sputum in tuberculosis has the following characteristics:

• slimy texture;
• not abundant (100-500 ml / day);
• then streaks of greenish or yellowish pus appear, white blotches;
• if cavities appeared in the lungs that violated the integrity of the tissue, streaks of blood appear in the sputum: rusty or scarlet, larger or smaller, up to pulmonary bleeding.

With bronchitis, sputum is mucopurulent in nature, practically odorless. If a vessel is damaged, bright scarlet streaks of blood enter the sputum.

With pneumonia, if purulent fusion of the vessels has not occurred, the sputum has a mucopurulent character and is yellow-green or yellow in color. If pneumonia is caused by the flu virus, or a bacterial process has taken over large area discharge may be rusty or streaked with rusty or scarlet blood.

Asthma sputum is mucous, viscous, whitish or clear. Standing out after a fit of coughing, similar to molten glass, it is called vitreous.

What to do when sputum appears

1. Contact a doctor. The first should be a therapist, then an otolaryngologist (ENT) or pulmonologist. The direction to them will be given by the therapist. You also need to talk about the advisability of sputum delivery.
2. Buy 2 sterile jars for sputum collection. Throughout the day, take plenty of warm liquids. In the morning, on an empty stomach, take 3 deep breaths and cough up (do not spit) sputum. In one jar you need more discharge (this should go to the clinical laboratory), in the other - less (to the bacteriological laboratory).
3. If the symptoms resemble tuberculosis, sputum should be taken to the clinical laboratory, where Mycobacterium tuberculosis will be detected under a microscope, three times.
4. You don't need to do anything on your own. The maximum is to inhale with Berodual at an age dosage (if sputum was separated after coughing) or dissolve an antiseptic such as Strepsils, Septolete, Faringosept (if there was no cough). Without knowing some of the nuances, for example, that it is impossible to take mucolytics (ACC, carbocysteine) with hemoptysis, you can greatly harm your body.

zdravotvet.ru

Cough is a symptom that may indicate whole line various pathologies. To determine the causes that provoke this symptom, the type of cough and accompanying symptoms should be determined. A very important role in the diagnosis is occupied by sputum or its absence. Dry and wet cough indicate different diseases, therefore, their treatment should be carried out in different ways. When a patient has a cough with sputum, it is very important to pay attention to its color and understand what causes the formation of such symptoms. The link describes why yellow sputum occurs when coughing. About green sputum will be written in this article.

Causes of pathology

Very often, people do not attach much importance to such a manifestation of the disease as green sputum. But, in fact, this is a very important reason for seeking help. In this case, the green cough discharge may be accompanied by a rise in temperature or flow without a rise in temperature, which indicates easy current diseases

no temperature

If the sputum secreted by coughing is green, then this may indicate the presence of a lung abscess or the initial stage of gangrene. Green mucus is a symptom that indicates the presence of puffiness. Most often this occurs with sinusitis, inflammation of the bronchi. This color of sputum suggests the presence in the body of an infection that has begun to multiply. As a rule, this occurs with tracheobronchitis. Moreover, the disease begins to manifest itself with a common cold. Green mucus is secreted from the nose. She descends along the walls of the nasopharynx and departs during a cough. As a rule, green sputum has an unpleasant odor.

If you are tormented by coughing fits with a discharge of thick green sputum, and you do not have a temperature, then the following diseases may be the cause of this pathology:

• bronchiectasis;
• sinusitis (here you can learn about the signs of sinusitis and how to treat it);
• inflammation of the bronchi;
• cystic fibrosis;
• tracheitis (here it is described which antibiotics are taken for tracheitis and laryngitis);
• asthma; with frequent smoking.

In young patients, the discharge of green sputum without temperature can be provoked by:

• helminthic invasions;
• the reaction of the body to chemical products;
• lack of humidity in the surrounding air;
• psychological factors;
• the presence of a foreign object in the lung;
• whooping cough;
• pathology of the digestive system.

The video talks about the causes of green sputum when coughing:

With temperature

There are a number pathological processes, which are characterized by the accumulation of a large amount of mucus in the airways. If the sputum is accompanied by a rise in temperature, then we can talk about the presence of the following pathologies:

If you cough up green sputum, then you should immediately go to the clinic for an appointment. It doesn’t matter if you have a temperature or not, such a symptom already indicates the presence of a certain pathology.

Therapeutic activities

To achieve maximum results during treatment and a speedy recovery, you must adhere to the following tips:

1. Therapy should begin only after the preliminary cause of the cough has been determined.
2. Determine the type of cough: dry or wet (read what to do if the cough does not go away for a long time).
3. All medications and their dosage must be administered individually. Here it is worth taking into account the main diagnosis, concomitant diseases, symptoms, individual characteristics. It is also worth paying attention to the properties of the drugs used in order to avoid side effects.

Read how to take ammonia anise cough drops.

Find out what to do if your cough doesn't go away.

Reviews about the effect of radish with cough honey: http://prolor.ru/g/bolezni-g/kashel/redka-s-medom-recept.html.

Treatment in adults

The success of the treatment is to reduce the amount of sputum. This factor indicates a positive trend. Also, a positive effect of therapy will be observed when green sputum gradually acquires a light color. The liquefaction of sputum also speaks of recovery. All these symptoms indicate an improvement in the condition if the patient was prescribed the following treatment:

The video talks about the treatment of green sputum when coughing:

Therapy for children

Therapy for coughing with discharge of green mucus in young patients is compiled taking into account the cause of the underlying ailment. If there is a viral infection, the doctor will prescribe symptomatic treatment. This must be done on time, otherwise a bacterial infection may join the virus. If the exact nature of the disease is known, then therapy should include the use of antibiotics. The choice of medication should be carried out only by the attending physician. Here is the treatment of cough with sputum in infants.

If the cause of a cough with green sputum is bronchitis, then children are prescribed expectorant and mucolytic drugs. Their action is aimed at liquefying sputum, as a result of which it is possible to easily remove the pathological secret. It is not recommended to use antitussives, as they will not remove sputum, but, on the contrary, will keep it in the airways.

When a cough with green sputum arose against the background of tuberculosis, cancer, edema and pneumonia, then treatment should take place in a hospital setting. Here it is very important to diagnose the disease in time, and in order for the treatment to be effective, it is necessary to undergo regular medical examinations.

Cough with green sputum is a very important symptom of the disease. Such a pathology can proceed both with temperature and without it. Bacteria and harmful microorganisms can provoke an illness. It is very important to determine the cause of the disease in time so that all unpleasant symptoms leave the body and a speedy recovery occurs. You may also find information about the causes of coughing in the morning helpful.

ProLor.ru

Cough with green (purulent) sputum

Phlegm is a secret secreted by the bronchi and trachea. In a healthy person, it is produced in small quantities, however, if any pathology is present, then the secreted mucus becomes much larger, in addition, it changes its color and consistency.

Green (purulent) sputum when coughing, as indicated by the color of the discharge

At the very beginning, it must be said that green, yellow and purulent sputum indicate one thing: there are impurities of pus in the mucus and the color of the content depends on its amount. In addition, this nature of the discharge indicates the presence of chronic diseases.

Many people, when they come to see a doctor, say that pus is released when they cough. However, this statement is incorrect. In fact, pus in its pure form can be seen only at the opening of bronchial abscesses or at the breakthrough of purulent pleurisy. In addition, this component is always mixed with mucus.

Green viscous sputum when coughing indicates that a person has diseases in which mucus discharge is difficult. Such ailments include:

Yellow sputum may indicate the presence of chronic inflammation. As a rule, such discharges are accompanied by:

• Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract, manifested by bouts of painful coughing, suffocation. As a rule, yellow mucus is coughed up in the morning or after the person has woken up.
• Sinusitis. The cause is a bacterial or viral infection. As a rule, such an ailment is accompanied by a long cough and the release of a meager secret of a yellow-green color.
• Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane. This disease is characterized by an increase in bronchial secretion, which leads to a significant release of yellow sputum during expectoration.

Brown sputum may accompany a reflex act in lung cancer, tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis. At the same time, an abundant secretion, which looks like small clots of impurities, is observed in people who smoke for a long time. Here the color of the content can be different. It depends on the duration of smoking and the degree of damage to the bronchi and lungs.

The peculiarities of the excreted secret in some diseases of the respiratory organs can serve as an important tool for making the correct diagnosis. Therefore, it is very important for complications of any ailments to consult a doctor and conduct research on the secretion secreted.

pro-kashel.ru

Medical specialists apply the term "productive" to such a concept as a cough with sputum. This means that during a coughing attack, bronchial products are released - mucous secretions, which are excreted with coughing movements to the outside.

It is believed that such discharge is a sign of purification of the pulmonary system, and therefore one of the symptoms of a speedy recovery. However, we should not forget that the presence of a mucous secretion can also indicate the development of serious diseases, such as bronchial asthma, pneumonia, respiratory oncology, coronary heart disease.

Causes of cough with phlegm

Expectoration discharge may appear exclusively in diseases of the respiratory tract, representing the result of increased production and secretion of the bronchi (during bronchitis or asthma), effusion of blood plasma from vasculature into the lung cavity (during pulmonary edema), the release of pus from the cavities (with an abscess, tuberculous caverns, bronchiectasis).

The most common reasons are:

• upper respiratory tract infections (respiratory viral infections and pathologies);
• obstructive form of inflammation of the bronchi;
• pneumonia;
• allergic conditions, including bronchial asthma;
• rhinitis;
• lung abscess;
• tuberculosis.

The exact cause of the cough reflex can only be determined diagnostically, while the characteristics of bronchial secretions, as well as the presence of other accompanying symptoms, are of great importance.

Is cough with phlegm contagious?

Is a person contagious if they cough productively? This question is often of interest to many patients, especially mothers of small children, who doubt whether it is possible to take the child to kindergarten if the seizures have become productive and mucus has begun to be coughed up.

It is worth noting that cough syndrome is contagious regardless of whether it is wet or dry if it is caused by a viral infection. On average, the period of "contagiousness" (in medicine - contagiousness) of a viral disease ranges from 5 to 10 days from the moment the first symptoms appear. However, some diseases can pose a danger to others for a longer period:

• diphtheria - up to 2 weeks;
• whooping cough - up to 18 days from the onset of the disease. As a rule, after 28 days, a patient who has had whooping cough will definitely not pose a danger, even if coughing attacks continue to bother the patient.

Therefore, it is not entirely correct to believe that if the child's temperature has stabilized and a mucous secretion has appeared, then the risk of infecting other children is canceled. The virus often still exists in the body and is excreted by the patient through exhalation and sneezing.

Symptoms of cough with sputum

As the symptoms of the disease progress with the accumulation of secretions from the bronchial tree, it becomes necessary to clear the airways from the accumulated secret. In this case, the cough reflex is triggered - the urge to sharp exhalation of air, due to irritation of the walls of the bronchi with a mucous secretion.

When an abundance of mucus appears, it is important to distinguish the cleansing process from the transition of an inflammatory pathology to a chronic form.

Usually, the coughing movement begins with a sharp and deep breath, which lasts no more than 2 seconds. After that, the laryngeal muscles covering the glottis also sharply contract. Bronchial muscles instantly come to tone, abdominal muscles contract - this action of muscle fibers is aimed at overcoming the resistance of the closed glottis. At this point, the pressure inside the chest cavity is about 100 mm Hg. Art. Next, there is a sudden opening of the glottis and increased exhalation. Basically, if the bronchi have accumulated secretions, the cough reflex is triggered involuntarily, but the patient himself is able to cause it on his own.

As a rule, in itself, a cough attack and mucous secretions of the bronchi are not a disease - these are just symptoms of another disease that is important to detect and cure. Other signs indicating the presence of the disease should not be ignored:

• difficulty breathing, shortness of breath;
• temperature increase;
• loss of appetite;
• pain inside the chest;
• wheezing when breathing;
• change in color and other properties of sputum.

Cough with phlegm during pregnancy

During pregnancy, any disease is perceived extremely negatively: still, it is not known how the disease will affect the fetus, as well as the pregnancy itself, and medications during this period must be taken very selectively. However, there is an indisputable fact that in pregnant women the immunity is obviously weakened, therefore, acute respiratory infections with acute respiratory viral infections during gestation, unfortunately, are not uncommon.

Cough syndrome during pregnancy is also common: it is not only possible to treat it, but also necessary. Illiterate or untimely treatment may represent serious threat for pregnancy. First of all, coughing shocks can provoke an increased tone of the uterus, which can lead to painful spasms and even detachment. At the same time, arterial and intra-abdominal pressure rises, which can provoke a miscarriage for early dates or premature birth at later stages of gestation.

In case of respiratory diseases, it is imperative to see a doctor, and not only: it will be better if a woman remembers the doctor with any alarming or suspicious symptoms. It must be borne in mind that coughing attacks and the release of mucus from the bronchi can accompany not only a cold, but also diseases of the stomach, thyroid gland, and heart. You should not start treatment on your own, let a medical specialist do it.

Types of sputum when coughing

Bronchial mucous accumulations are pathological discharge, which come out in the process of coughing shocks from the respiratory tract. Healthy people also produce mucus inside the bronchi: this mucus performs protective function, preventing dust, chemicals and bacteria from reaching the lungs. If the amount of this mucus increases, pus with other impurities is added to it, then they usually talk about the appearance of wet discharge. Allocations are divided into several types, depending on their quantity, color, smell, density, layering.

Let's talk about the varieties of mucous secretions in respiratory diseases.

• green phlegm when coughing, it is usually a companion of many inflammatory pathologies involving the bronchi and lungs in the process. Such diseases can be provoked by a bacterial and viral infection, or have an allergic nature. The listed diseases include prolonged bronchitis, lobar pneumonia, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, oncology, etc. As a rule, green dense mucus is a sign of a congestive purulent process in the lungs.
• Cough with sputum that is difficult to separate appears most often as a result of acute respiratory viral infections or acute respiratory infections, and can also be the result of congestion in the lungs. If the mucous secret has too dense consistency and viscosity, then it is difficult for it to leave the respiratory tract, it accumulates inside the bronchi, provoking constant coughing shocks that do not bring relief.
• Blood in the sputum when coughing can appear both as a result of a small and harmless bleeding from the capillary vessels of the bronchial tree, which could burst during a cough attack, and as a result of a serious illness. Therefore, the presence of blood should alert, especially if such a sign is present for several days, or if the discharge contains a large amount of blood. We should not forget that an admixture of blood can get into the secret from sick tonsils, nasopharynx, bleeding gums.
• Yellow sputum when coughing is a consequence of the appearance of pus in the secretions. Most often, this is a sign of undertreated bronchitis, or its transition to a chronic form. If you continue to neglect the treatment, then over time, such a secret can change color from straw yellow to rusty or green (a clear sign of a purulent process).
• A cough with purulent sputum often indicates the development of congestion inside the lungs, especially if the secretions become much thicker. It becomes difficult for the bronchi to remove a purulent secret that accumulates and can acquire an unpleasant odor and taste. As a rule, antibiotic therapy in such a situation is indispensable.
• White sputum when coughing can potentially appear with pneumonia. If the white secret is secreted in lumps, or resembles cottage cheese, then this clearly means that the causative agent of pneumonia is fungal infection. In such a situation, antibiotics will not help: you will need special antifungal therapy.
• Black sputum when coughing in most cases is a professional sign - such secretions are typical for miners, masons, and diggers. To learn more about the presence or absence of the disease, you will have to pass the separated secret for analysis.
• Gray sputum when coughing, as well as black, often accompanies respiratory diseases in representatives of some professions, whose work is associated with the presence in the air and inhalation of large amounts of dust with suspended particles. This category also includes heavy smokers, inside the respiratory organs of which nicotine resins are deposited, giving the secreted secretions a gray tint.
• Pink sputum when coughing is a sign of the presence of a small amount of blood inside the mucus. Most often, this is the result of bleeding of broken capillaries, which can occur with cough attacks that are too aggressive. However, such pink secretions must be observed: if they continue for more than 3 days, or change color to intense red, then you should immediately contact a specialist.
• Red sputum when coughing indicates the appearance of blood impurities in the secretions. This can be considered as hemoptysis in tuberculosis, actinomycosis, respiratory oncology, abscess, pulmonary infarction, heart failure or pulmonary edema. This condition is considered very dangerous and requires immediate medical attention. IN rare cases redness of the secret can be caused by taking certain medications.
• Transparent sputum when coughing is the most harmless type of mucous secretions. Usually, such a sign accompanies the onset of respiratory diseases, when there are still no complications, and the disease can be cured without any negative consequences. However, if the mucus is viscous, "glassy", then this may be a sign of bronchial asthma.
• Foamy sputum when coughing appears with anthrax or pulmonary edema. Both diseases are considered very serious, which requires immediate medical attention.
• Thick sputum when coughing usually appears in the initial stages of the transition from a dry process to a wet one, or when congestion. So that the mucous secret is not thick, thinning medications, chest massage are used. It is also recommended to drink a large amount of alkaline warm liquid.

As you can see, the characteristic of secretions has the most important diagnostic value. An equally important role is played by the description of coughing attacks, so we will dwell on this symptom in more detail.

Varieties of cough syndrome

Wet cough syndrome is considered natural physiological phenomenon, with the help of which the accumulated mucus is removed from the tracheobronchial tree. However, many are alarmed that such a symptom is not always the same. Could this be indicative of anything? In some cases, it really can, because the manifestations of the cough reflex are a valuable informative point in making the correct diagnosis.

• A painful cough with phlegm can indicate that the mucus is too viscous to pass freely. Therefore, in order to push out thick secretions, the airways require much more effort, which causes soreness or even heaviness along the bronchi. To facilitate the release of mucus, medications are used that thin it.
• A cough with viscous sputum is often characteristic of lobar pneumonia, an inflammatory reaction in the respiratory system. With properly prescribed treatment, after a short time, such mucus becomes liquid, begins to be expectorated well.
• Attacks of coughing with sputum can be observed with a large accumulation of mucus in the bronchi. If there is a lot of secretions, they gradually begin to irritate the bronchial walls, which provokes a cough attack. This attack continues until all the secretions leave the respiratory tract. Further, the accumulation occurs again, and the process repeats. In order for mucus not to accumulate in large quantities, it is recommended to periodically move, walk around the room, do light gymnastics. Beneficial chest massage.
• Cough after eating with phlegm is most often not a sign of respiratory disease. It has other causes associated with the pathology of the digestive system. This symptom is characteristic of gastric ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux, and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. For specification of the diagnosis it is better to address to the gastroenterologist.
• Cough with sputum without fever is a characteristic symptom of acute respiratory infections or a viral infection in immunocompromised patients. The absence of fever at this stage is not a reason to ignore the disease. Treatment is prescribed according to other symptoms present.
• Cough with sputum and a temperature of 37 ° C is considered one of the typical signs of acute respiratory infections. This temperature is not dangerous, it does not require the appointment of antipyretic drugs. Moreover, the use of tablets and potions that “knock down” the temperature is highly discouraged in such a situation. Temperature values ​​around 37-37.8 ° C mean that the immune system is working, and the body is fighting the disease on its own. In this case, he does not need to interfere.
• An allergic cough with sputum is less common than without it. Usually not accompanied by fever, a runny nose may occur. If the bronchial secret is secreted, then, as a rule, it does not contain impurities of pus or blood - the discharge looks transparent. Attacks occur more often at night or after contact with an allergen: animal hair, dust, pollen, etc. 8.
• Cough with sputum and runny nose is a common occurrence in SARS or allergies. These two diseases should be distinguished: with ARVI, there is often an increase in temperature, and with allergies, it should not be.
• Shortness of breath and cough with sputum in many cases mean the initial stage of bronchial asthma. This disease consists in the deterioration of bronchial patency due to bronchospasm, inflammatory swelling of the mucous membranes, and mucus entering the bronchi. All of these factors are collectively called "bronchial obstruction". Shortness of breath with deterioration occurs paroxysmal: in the intervals between attacks, the patient usually feels quite satisfactory.
• Smoker's cough with sputum - heavy, with wheezing, occurs more in the morning. Mucus from the bronchi can be light, sometimes with a gray tint, with an unpleasant smell of nicotine resins. The cough reflex is triggered in response to irritation of the bronchial walls. cigarette smoke, on the blockage of bronchioles with tobacco tar, on the accumulation of protective secretions in the respiratory organs. Observed regularly, almost constantly, may be accompanied by inflammatory processes (chronic) of the trachea, bronchi, larynx.
• Cough with sputum in the morning is observed with bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, as well as in smokers with experience. To determine the cause of morning attacks, it is often necessary to check not only the respiratory system, but also the digestive organs, since often the mucus inside the lungs is the secretion of the stomach, thrown into the respiratory tract during night sleep. This happens during diseases of the esophagus - reflux esophagitis.
• Night cough with sputum occurs with bronchial asthma, heart failure, sinusitis, whooping cough. When diagnosing this type of cough manifestations, attention should also be paid to other symptoms: soreness inside the chest or in the heart, the color of the discharge, the presence of fever, runny nose.
• A barking cough with sputum can be a sign of obstructive bronchitis, whooping cough, false croup, which is often found in pediatric patients. In adults, this may be a sign of pharyngitis, laryngitis, as well as an inflammatory process in the bronchi and (or) in the trachea.
• Coughing up to vomiting with sputum in children is common, since the cough and vomiting centers are almost nearby. Therefore, even a mild attack can provoke vomiting, especially if the baby has recently eaten. In adult patients, such a reaction may be a sign of malfunction. digestive system namely peptic ulcer disease.
• A persistent cough with sputum is a clear sign of a chronic lesion of the respiratory system. This condition can be observed in heavy smokers, in people working inside dusty unventilated rooms or in chemical industries, as well as in patients who have not adequately treated acute bronchitis. Chronic respiratory diseases are more difficult to treat. If the disease is related to professional activities, then a change of job may be mandatory.
• Paroxysmal cough with sputum is a frequent companion of allergies, for example, bronchial asthma. During attacks, the patient experiences shortness of breath, a mucous transparent secret can be released from the bronchi. In the intervals between attacks, the patient, as a rule, does not worry about anything - he feels almost healthy.

As you can see, a cough reflex with secretion can be observed when various lesions trachea, bronchi, lungs, larynx, heart, or digestive system. Therefore, it is very, very difficult to independently determine the cause of the ailment. Trust a good doctor: a comprehensive diagnosis will help determine the disease in order to start treatment of respiratory problems in a timely manner.

Who to contact?

Pulmonologist General practitioner Family doctor

Diagnosis of cough with sputum

The collection of data on the history of the disease is of great importance for the diagnosis of respiratory pathologies. The doctor will begin by obtaining the following information:

• When did the disease start?
• Was it preceded by other illnesses, such as viral infections?
• Is there a seasonality of the pathology, are there attacks of shortness of breath or shortness of breath?
• Are there additional symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, heartburn, stomach pain, etc.?
• Is there an increase in temperature?
• What is special about bronchial secretions? What color are they? Is there a smell?
• Are there any chronic diseases, bad habits?
• What are the features of professional activity?
• Is there a tendency to allergies?
• Did the patient take ACE inhibitor drugs (captopril, enalapril, prestarium, etc.)?

After clarifying the anamnesis, the doctor proceeds to a number of additional studies.

• Physical examination (general examination). Includes detection of signs of heart disease, examination of the mouth, throat. The doctor pays attention to the enlargement of the lymph nodes, the presence of free nasal breathing, the cleanliness of the surface of the tongue and tonsils. He listens to the lungs for the presence of wheezing, whistles, crepitus, as well as the nature of these symptoms.
• Chest radiograph. It is carried out to detect neoplasms and tuberculous changes inside the lungs, bronchiectasis and sarcoidosis can also be detected.
• Functionality evaluation external respiration- allows you to detect bronchial obstruction, interstitial lung disease, bronchial asthma.
• Analysis of bronchial secretions with microscopy of the material. Smears are stained according to Gram and Ziehl-Neelsen, mucus culture and cytological examination are carried out.
• Instrumental research methods. Bronchoscopy methods with cytology and histology are used (mainly with suspicion of oncological disease), biopsy of suspicious tissues, transbronchial lung biopsy, CT scan.

The diagnosis is made on the basis of a complex of studies, according to the results of a general examination, analyzes of the coughed up material and an instrumental assessment of the state of the respiratory system.

Treatment of cough with phlegm

Some believe that if bronchial mucus is secreted, then the disease does not need treatment. This is a big misconception. Treatment at this stage is mandatory. It should be aimed at facilitating the discharge of secretions and eliminating the underlying disease.

If the secretions are poorly expectorated and stay in the bronchial cavity for a long time, this can lead to bacterial complications. Therefore, the most used medicines in this situation are expectorants, mucolytics and combined drugs. Some of them make the mucus thinner, while others control its production in order to produce exactly the amount of secretions that the body can easily remove.

Thinning of sputum when coughing can occur when taking expectorants:

• vegetable (based on plants) - represented by pectusin, solutan, tussin, breast fees, Doctor Mom syrup;
• synthetic - represented by bromhexine, lazolvan, ambroxol, ACC.

Herbal preparations may have fewer side effects, but they are more likely to cause allergies, especially in pediatric patients. All this must be taken into account when choosing means of treatment.

Treatment of cough with sputum that is difficult to separate should be carried out only with the help of expectorant and mucolytic medications. In no case should you use antitussives - they block the cough reflex, and mucus that is difficult to excrete generally ceases to be excreted. As a result, we get the accumulation of mucus inside the bronchi and lungs, the addition of a bacterial infection and complications, sometimes in the form of pneumonia. Medicines should be selected carefully, after consulting with a doctor. We remind you that such drugs should thin and facilitate the removal of mucus from the bronchi, clearing the airways from the inside. At the same time, the underlying disease is treated, symptomatic treatment, and immunostimulating therapy are carried out.

Cough medicines with phlegm

If the mucus from the bronchi is difficult to separate and excrete, doctors recommend drinking plenty of warm liquids, including herbal teas and compotes. Medicines are used that eliminate inflammation, have an enveloping, expectorant and bronchodilator effect, reduce the sensitivity of the bronchial walls, and increase the cough threshold. If not contraindicated, you can use steam inhalation with the addition of various drugs and herbs. Inhalations help to moisturize the mucosa, relieve pain, improve the composition of mucus, and relax smooth bronchial muscles.

At the same time, drugs based on thermopsis or ipecac should not be used in early childhood, as they can stimulate increased irritation of the respiratory system and the appearance of vomiting.

Consider the most effective means more.

Inhalations when coughing with sputum most often involve the use of herbal remedies: leaves of eucalyptus, sage, calendula, chamomile, St. John's wort, as well as preparations of Salvin and Romazulon. When inhaling with steam, it is recommended to use phytoncides - the well-known onion or garlic, a ratio of 1:50. In the pharmacy you can buy onion tincture for alcohol - it is used in the amount of 25 drops / 100 ml clean water. A good effect is expected from such simple products that are used in 0.5 liters of water:

• sea ​​salt or baking soda (1 tsp);
• essential oil 10 cap. (eucalyptus, mint, needles, anise, peach);
• balm "Asterisk" - on the tip of a spoon.

You can use oils for inhalation - from sea buckthorn, olives, rose hips, rosemary.

Medicines for cough with phlegm are divided into several categories:

• products based on bromhexine (Bromhexine, Ascoril, Solvin);
• ambroxol-based products (Ambrobene, Ambrosal, Flavamed, etc.);
• products based on carbocysteine ​​(Bronhobos, Fluifort);
• products based on acetylcysteine ​​(ACC, Fluimucil);
• herbal preparations based on marshmallow, anise, elecampane, plantain, etc. (Mukaltin, Pectussin, Bronchicum, etc.).

Cough tablets with phlegm:

• Carbocisteine ​​- stabilizes the consistency of mucus, promotes its exit from the broncho-pulmonary system. Assign 2 capsules three times a day, as they improve, they switch to 1 capsule three times a day;
• Lycorine - normalizes the secretion of bronchial glands, relaxes spasmodic smooth muscle structures of the bronchi. Take ½ or whole tablet 3 to 4 times a day after meals;
• Likviriton - a preparation of licorice, eliminates inflammation, spasm, improves expectoration. Assign 1-2 tablets up to 4 times a day half an hour before meals;
• Mukaltin is a preparation of marshmallow, a mild expectorant. Apply orally 1-2 tablets up to 3 times a day before meals.

Antibiotics for coughing with sputum are prescribed only in advanced cases of the disease, as well as if there is a suspicion of the possibility of developing complications. In most cases, the following antibiotics are considered effective:

• the penicillin series is represented by amoxicillin (Flemoxin), augmentin, amoxiclav, ampicillin, etc. The listed medicines have a detrimental effect on most bacteria that cause an inflammatory reaction in the respiratory system. If one of these drugs does not show the expected effect, it is replaced by another belonging to a different group of antibiotics;
• the fluoroquinolone series is represented by levofloxacin, moxifloxacin (Avelox). Such drugs are usually prescribed if antibiotics from the penicillin series are ineffective;
• the cephalosporin series is represented by cefuroxime (aka Zinnat, Aksetin), cefixime (Supraks), etc. These antibiotics are often used to treat inflammatory processes in the bronchi, lungs, pleura, etc .;
• the macrolide series is represented by azithromycin (Sumamed), which is often taken for atypical pneumonia, where the causative agents are mycoplasma or chlamydia.

Cough syrup with sputum is a very popular remedy, especially in pediatric practice. Many syrups are analogues of tablets, with a similar composition and action. Children are more willing to take syrups: it is easier for them to swallow a sweet aromatic liquid than to swallow a bitter pill. It is advisable to choose a syrup, guided by the doctor's recommendations:

• Linkas is a herbal medication that eliminates fever, spasms of the respiratory system, improves the production of mucus by the bronchi. It is prescribed for pharyngitis, tracheobronchitis;
• vegetable syrup Suprima-Broncho - can be prescribed for laryngitis, pharyngitis, pneumonia, whooping cough, tracheobronchitis. Can cause allergic reaction;
• Syrup Lazolvan is a remedy from the Ambroxol group. A very common and effective drug. Used for inflammation of the bronchi, lungs, bronchial asthma, congestion, bronchiectasis;
• Gerbion - plantain syrup. Treats inflammation of the respiratory system, helps even with the smoker's cough syndrome;
• Bromhexine syrup is a mucolytic, promotes expectoration, liquefaction of viscous mucus. Improves and facilitates the secretion of secretions;
• Erespal when coughing with sputum - a syrup based on Fenspiride, an anti-bronchoconstrictor. It relieves spasms, eliminates inflammation, reduces the secretion of mucus by the bronchi. It is actively used for bronchial asthma, bronchospasm, chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, pharyngitis. Can be used in children from birth, from 2 tsp. up to 6 tbsp. l. a day before meals. When taken, drowsiness, gastrointestinal disorders may occur. \

Herbs for cough with phlegm are the most acceptable treatment without the use of drugs. As components for fees or medicinal mixtures use pine buds, onions, garlic, marshmallow, mint, chamomile, plantain, coltsfoot, St. John's wort, elecampane, sage. Herbs can be used in the form of decoctions, infusions for inhalation, herbal teas for oral administration. A good effect is given by special breast fees, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. There are 4 types of fees:

• No. 1 - althea rhizome, oregano, coltsfoot leaf;
• No. 2 - coltsfoot, plantain, licorice rhizome;
• No. 3 - marshmallow rhizome, anise, licorice rhizome, pine buds, sage;
• No. 4 - chamomile color, wild rosemary, calendula, violet, licorice rhizome, mint.

Plant components in the composition of such fees have a complex mucolytic, expectorant, bronchodilatory and anti-inflammatory effect. The secret begins to depart in time, the cough reflex is gradually stopped.

Folk remedies for cough with phlegm

What other folk remedies are used in the treatment of respiratory diseases with expectoration of secretions:

• Put a whole lemon in water, boil for 10 minutes. Remove from fire, cool. Cut the lemon into 2 equal parts, squeeze the juice into which we add 2 tbsp. l. glycerin, add up to 200 ml of honey, mix. We accept 1 tbsp. l. the resulting mass three times a day before meals and at bedtime.
• Mix equal parts of freshly squeezed carrot juice, black radish and milk. We use 6 times a day for 1 tbsp. l.
• Mix two chicken yolks, 2 tbsp. l. fresh butter, 2 tsp natural honey, 1 tsp flour. We use the resulting mass of 1 tsp. throughout the day, multiple times.
• We take black radishes (7 pcs.), Cut into slices, sprinkle each piece with sugar, leave for 6 hours. Drain the resulting juice, then take 1 tbsp. l. every 60 minutes.
• Cooking jelly from viburnum on honey, drink throughout the day.
• We prepare an infusion of sage (1 tablespoon per 250 ml of hot water), insist, filter, add an equal amount of boiled milk. We drink 100 ml several times a day, with honey or sugar.
• Finely chop 0.5 kg of onion, add 400 g of sugar and 40-60 g of honey, boil with 1 liter of water for 3 hours over low heat. Let cool, then drain the liquid. We use 1 tbsp. l. about 5 times a day, it is possible during coughing attacks.

The use of folk remedies can be more effective if combined with steam inhalations, using baking soda, medicinal herbs. A positive effect is observed when fir, cedar, eucalyptus oils are added to the liquid for inhalation. Such procedures are best done at night, before going to bed.

What to do if the cough with sputum does not go away?

The appearance or increased presence of pus in the mucous secretions, a significant increase in the amount of secretion, an increase in temperature indicators (preliminary signs of exacerbation) may be the reason for the earliest and soonest possible prescription of antibiotic therapy. Such treatment begins with the use of ampicillin (1 g from 4 to 6 times a day), chloramphenicol (0.5 g four times a day), tetracycline, cefazolin, lincomycin.

To activate the protective immune mechanism, it is recommended to take vitamin drinks and multivitamin preparations. In order to stimulate the nonspecific resistance of the body, biogenic stimulants are used:

• aloe extract liquid injection i / m or s / c 1 ml per day for a month;
• Biosed IM injection 1 ml (2 ml) every day. For 20-30 days.

If the condition steadily worsens, then self-treatment is out of the question. Therapy should be carried out under the supervision of a general practitioner, pulmonologist, otolaryngologist, phthisiatrician.

Help with coughing up phlegm

During an attack, the main type of assistance may be to accelerate the removal of mucous secretions from the respiratory tract. Pathogenic microorganisms can accumulate in the laryngeal or bronchial cavity, and they can be removed only with good expectoration. How quickly it will be possible to clear the respiratory tract from secretions, the faster the body will feel relief and begin to recover.

Simultaneously with the use of medicines prescribed by the doctor, the patient should drink a large amount of warm liquid to facilitate the discharge of mucus. This will greatly improve the excretion of secretions and the cleansing of the respiratory system. As a drink, it is useful to use herbal teas based on lime blossom, wild rose, raspberries, currants, other medicinal plants.

If there is a mucous secret in the bronchi, then drugs that block the cough reflex should not be used in any case. These drugs include, for example, codeine, as well as all products based on it.

Here are some tips for those who cannot cope with the disease:

• monitor the humidity of the air in the room (normally, the humidity should range from 40 to 60%);
• if you smoke, quit. Moreover, avoid smoky places;
• avoid hypothermia and sudden overheating, do not leave a hot room into frosty air;
• avoid inhaling vapors of various chemical sprays, detergents and cleaners;
• do not suppress the desire to cough - in this way you clear the bronchi, alleviating your condition.

Prevention of cough with sputum

The triggering of the cough reflex in most cases is a symptom of a disease of the respiratory system, so it can be prevented if you think about the prevention of respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, laryngitis, etc.

For prevention, factors that can provoke such diseases should be avoided: these are hypothermia, drafts, weakened immunity, physical overload, stress, vitamin deficiency.

Avoid situations that can lead to lung irritation: leave smoky, smoky, dusty and chemically treated rooms. Working with chemicals, varnish-coloring substances can provoke the development of chronic damage to the respiratory system. If it is unavoidable to stay in such premises, use appropriate protective measures - this gauze bandages, respirators, etc.

If you are prone to allergies or have bronchial asthma, try to avoid provoking factors (contact with potential allergens).

Needless to say, smoking - one of the main factors in the appearance of chronic cough syndrome - is very harmful to health in general. If you smoke, give up this habit. The rest can be advised to avoid places where people smoke. Passive smoking irritates the respiratory tract no less than active smoking.

Good preventive effect gives hardening of the body. It is best to start procedures in the summer, when it is easier for the body to endure temperature changes, and immunity in summer period considered to be stronger. Cool water douses are suitable, cold and hot shower, swimming in open water, air and sunbathing, outdoor sports. In winter, it is better to do hardening under the supervision of a specialist, because illiterate excessive cooling of the body can have the opposite effect.

Prognosis of cough with sputum

The prognosis directly depends only on the underlying disease that triggered the cough reflex. If this symptom accompanies an acute viral or microbial infection of the respiratory system, then it is safely eliminated after the underlying disease is cured.

If the cause of the attack is an allergy or the use of certain medications, then eliminating the allergen with the replacement of drugs with others will help eliminate the unpleasant symptom.

A healthy lifestyle, good nutrition, no bad habits, active pastime can be the key to a favorable prognosis of respiratory diseases.

If the cough with sputum is chronic, then getting rid of it will be more difficult - it may require complex complex treatment, often using strong drugs and antibiotic therapy.

ilive.com.ua

Sputum is secreted from the trachea and bronchi. It is present in many diseases. At first glance, sputum looks like saliva with impurities of various particles (pus, mucus or blood), as well as small secretions from the nose.

If you look, then sputum production is very useful. Thus, the bronchi and trachea are cleared of dust particles, diseased microorganisms, excess mucus, microbes and many other harmful particles that adversely affect health. In the mucus itself, there are immune bodies that can move along the cilia inside bronchi. In a day, a person can produce up to 100 milligrams of sputum. At the same time, he swallows it completely unnoticed by himself and does not make any problem out of it until it manifests itself.

In a sick person, sputum has a completely different character. Its number is greatly increasing. Therefore, up to 1.5 lira of liquid can be released per day. Depending on the aggravated disease, the color of the mucus acquires a characteristic color. According to its appearance, sputum is divided into:

• blood;
• mucous;
• serous;
• vitreous;
• purulent mucous.

Having cured the disease itself, you can get rid of abundant sputum. But, first, it is necessary to identify the main reasons for its appearance and begin a comprehensive fight against them.

Phlegm causes

Sputum can have a variety of causes. Much depends on the depth of the course of the disease and its nature. Depending on where the focus of the disease is located, an excess of staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci and other pathogenic bacteria can be observed in its composition. The greater the amount of sputum secreted, the deeper the disease has settled in the human body. The severity of the ongoing disease is evidenced by the color of sputum, smell and density.

The causes of sputum are different, their manifestation may be preceded by diseases such as:

• lung abscess;
• bronchial asthma;
• bronchitis;
• lungs' cancer;
• pneumonia;
• pulmonary infarction;
• chronic lung disease;
• anthrax;
• catarrhal bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• tuberculosis;
• pulmonary edema and other diseases.

Depending on the progressing disease, a different color, impurities and even pain appear during sputum production.

Quite often, the causes of sputum are not noticed by the patient, and he is quite calm about the abundant sputum. So, chronic inflammation of the lungs imperceptibly manifests itself or the first signs of tuberculosis begin. Similar weak activity symptoms, is due to the fact that the ciliary epithelium of the inner side of the bronchi for a long time well preserved, which contributes to minor impurities in the sputum and the retreat of pain during discharge. As soon as the disease begins to progress, the picture changes. If earlier they managed with a simple cough, then at this stage the cough becomes protracted and severe. Quite often painful. Due to the fact that mucus is difficult to excrete and similar exacerbations are observed, as well as bronchospasm.

If the causes of sputum lie in bronchial asthma, then due to a change in the very structure of the bronchi, the type of mucus changes. It becomes viscous at first, and later lumpy. The discharge becomes painful and problematic. Whatever the causes of sputum, as soon as its amount begins to increase significantly, you should immediately contact a specialist. And if characteristic impurities are present in sputum, then it is not worth postponing a visit to the ENT, since the underlying disease has begun to progress.

Sputum analysis

In order to identify the root cause, you need to conduct a sputum analysis. There are two methods of analysis: bakposev to identify pathogenic flora and microscopy. Depending on the type of bronchial mucus and the alleged mucus, various elements are considered: alveolar macrophages, Cushman spirals, neutrophils, eosinophils, squamous epithelium, elastic fibers.

Bacteroscopy should be performed several times if the probability is below 95%. When pathogenic microbes are not detected, bacteriological culture should be carried out in appropriate nutrient media. In this case, it is important not to miss the time, since it must be carried out no more than 2 hours after the sampling of the material. Otherwise, the results obtained will not be reliable.

Sputum analysis for suspected tuberculosis should be done three days in a row. Since in saliva and in a healthy person there are pathogenic elements that affect the development of tuberculosis, but they are not so active in their activity.

Sputum collection

It is very important, to obtain reliable results, to carry out the correct collection of sputum. Therefore, before collecting morning sputum, it is necessary to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. Before breakfast, after a thorough brushing of the teeth, it is necessary to collect sputum. Thus, the analyzes will have less deviations, because due to the bacteria that multiply in the oral cavity, they have significant deviations.

Before direct collection of sputum, it is necessary to actively cough and take a deep breath and exhale three times. Sometimes, sputum collection is quite problematic. In this case, inhalation with a mixture of distilled water, salt and soda will be effective. Inhalation time from 5 to 10 minutes. To collect mucus, take disposable dishes or a pre-sterilized glass jar. It is best to use sterile samples sold in pharmacies. To hand over no later than two hours after collection. If it is not possible to take tests so quickly, then it is better to place the collected sputum in the refrigerator.

Phlegm treatment

In order for sputum treatment to be effective, it is necessary to combine folk remedies and medical preparations. If the causes of sputum are inflammation of the respiratory system, then inhalation gives an excellent effect. A good result is achieved if you combine inhalation with essential oils and decoctions of herbs.

Among the procedures, a positive result can be achieved by combining drainage massage of the bronchi, a compress and warming up. In any case, self-treatment should be carried out only after consulting with your doctor, since with bronchitis and exacerbation of other diseases, warming up should be abandoned. In addition, warming up is not recommended at elevated temperatures and cardiovascular diseases.

When it is necessary to carry out a drainage massage of the lungs, this procedure can be carried out at home. In order for sputum treatment to be effective, it is recommended to take a warming bath before drainage. During the reception, you should actively rub the areas of the bronchi, both from the back and in front. This procedure helps to increase blood circulation directly in the focus of inflammation. It is important that massage movements were originally light and stroking. Only after the site is prepared can you proceed to an intensive massage. Good for pressing, rolling and pinching. The massage should be completed less intensively, weakening the tingling and facilitating the movements. After the drainage of the bronchi, it is recommended to rest calmly under a warm blanket for 1-2 hours.

Inhalations contribute to the fact that sputum is released more easily and the treatment is much more effective. The procedure is recommended to be carried out both using a special inhaler and in a simple way brewing herbs and breathing procedures over the pan. It is important to remember that in order to achieve a positive effect, on the day when the lung drainage or inhalation was performed, the subsequent exit to the street is prohibited. Sputum treatment should bring results and only compliance with all the rules will help to achieve it.

If the secretion of bronchial secretions has sharply increased, then the patient will be disturbed by coughing with sputum. As a result of coughing, an excessive amount of escudate may form in the bronchi. First of all, you should pay attention to the appearance of the mucus. Further treatment will depend on it.

If a cough with sputum is accompanied by a copious secretion of mucus and pus, then an abscess of the respiratory organs may have occurred. With an increase in cough and an increase in the amount of sputum, and with it mucus, it should be borne in mind that the process becomes chronic. The patient's condition may worsen in a matter of days. Almost always, a cough with sputum, in these cases, is characteristic of a change in body position (a sharp rise from the bed).

Phlegm in the throat

Quite often, phlegm in the throat may collect without visible signs and is not a cause for concern. Only the functional state of the respiratory system during this time changes greatly. In this case, it is recommended to undergo an examination of the respiratory organs and listen to the recommendations of a specialist. Drug treatment in combination with folk remedies almost always gives the desired effect. Phlegm in the throat passes quite quickly.

When bronchitis is the cause of phlegm in the throat, one of the most effective drugs antibacterial agents should be isolated. They will help ease the process of passing sputum and relieve coughing. Herbal and oil inhalations should also not be abandoned.

When the cause of sputum in the throat is pneumonia or a lung abscess, then the patient in as soon as possible must be hospitalized. Medical emergency treatment should be done in a hospital. The outcome of the disease depends on the speed of action.

In any case, whatever the reason for the appearance of sputum in the throat, self-treatment should not be carried away. Only after consultation with a specialist can the prescribed treatment be carried out or alternative methods be used.

Sputum with blood

If the patient has sputum with blood, then this is a sure sign to sound the alarm, since untimely treatment can lead to negative consequences. Sputum with blood is observed in diseases:

• lungs' cancer;
• lung abscess;
• bronchiectasis;
• inflammation of the lungs;
• chronic or acute bronchitis;
• rheumatic disorders of the heart valves;
• cystic fibrosis;
• tuberculosis;
• pulmonary embolism.

What disease causes the appearance of blood in the sputum, more precisely, it will help to establish the correct and timely diagnosis. Sputum with blood is diagnosed using:

1. analysis of sweat secretions;
2. chest x-ray;
3. electrocardiograms;
4. computed tomography;
5. bronchoscopy;
6. sputum analysis;
7. general blood test;
8. gastroscopy;
9. coagulograms.

Only after it becomes clear why sputum with blood appeared, it is recommended to prescribe drug treatment. Without establishing the root cause, you can only harm the patient.

Phlegm in a child

When a child suddenly develops sputum, it is very important that both the parents and the child behave correctly in this situation. Namely, you can not cause forced coughing attacks to increase the amount of sputum and remove excess mucus from the body. Sputum in a child is a natural process of removing pathogenic bacteria from the body. In this case, it is better to calm down and try to distract the child from the hysterical cough. For this, resorption of a piece of refined sugar with mint essence or mint sweets is suitable. Thanks to the action of coughing, the throat ligaments will relax for a while and the child will have the desired relief from excruciating attacks. In addition, mint will help to remove some mucus from the body. Which is also a good indicator.

When a child has sputum, it is very important that cold air does not get into his throat and lungs. Therefore, it is better to reduce his stay on the street or at least cover his mouth with his hand during coughing fits.

Depending on the presence of impurities in the sputum, one can judge its nature. So, if the sputum with mucus is greenish-yellow, then this means that pathogenic microbes or viruses are involved in the procession. In this case, tests for the microflora are prescribed. Sputum in a child responds well to treatment with a course of antibiotics. a wide range actions. In this case, it is very important to follow all the recommendations of the doctor. Significant relief of symptoms occurs in 3-4 days. But, you should drink the antibiotic to the end, since you need to overcome the root cause completely.

green phlegm

If green sputum appears, then this indicates an activating pathology and an exacerbation of the inflammatory process. Almost always, such sputum appears with sinusitis or acute bronchitis. At the same time, viruses began to actively multiply and increase their detrimental effect on the body. It is best to consult with a therapist or ENT, who will definitely prescribe the right treatment and identify the root cause of green sputum.

Phlegm in the morning

Phlegm in the morning worries many people. At the same time, it occurs when a person gets out of bed or abruptly changes the position of the body. For some, such manifestations may be a continuation of bilateral pneumonia that has not been properly treated. For others, phlegm in the morning indicates congestion in the lungs. For third, sputum discharge may be the first sign of acute bronchitis. Whatever the cause of morning sputum, it should be addressed to an ENT or therapist. This may be the first symptom of a serious illness, which will be very difficult to get rid of in the future.

Purulent sputum

First of all, purulent sputum is a sign of a long-term inflammatory process in the body. If purulent sputum comes out abundantly, then such a manifestation suggests that the patient most likely has bronchial asthma. When purulent sputum has a specific unpleasant odor, this indicates the decay of the lung tissue and the destructive processes taking place in it.

Whatever the cause of purulent sputum, it should be identified as soon as possible, since the presence of pus indicates that destructive processes in the body have been going on for a long time and actively, so immediate consultation is necessary.

A healthy person should not be bothered by sputum. And if its amount daily exceeds 100 milligrams and it creates a certain discomfort, then this indicates the presence of a disease. Only a timely appeal to a specialist will help to cope with the disease and avoid negative consequences.

cashelb.com

Mucus when coughing - the etiology of the disease

Mucus secreted when coughing can accumulate in the nasopharynx, bronchi or lungs. It happens by different reasons and is not always associated with respiratory diseases. Mucus when coughing irritates certain receptors and, in simple non-medical terms, actively asks to come out. It is different in color and consistency, as well as in quantity. Going to the doctor for an appointment and saying, "I'm coughing up mucus" is not enough. It should be explained when you have attacks, dry or wet symptom they are accompanied by fever, and so on. In order to determine the etiology of sputum, the specialist will prescribe laboratory tests.

Smoker's cough with mucus

Heavy smokers often report that they produce yellow sputum when they cough. This happens most often in the morning. In this case, the attack does not stop until the person completely clears his throat. This happens due to the constant irritation of the respiratory mucosa with tar and other harmful substances contained in nicotine products.

The tissues of the lungs and bronchi of a smoker gradually undergo changes, which leads to chronic bronchitis and other more dangerous diseases. Notable among these are lung cancer and emphysema, in which a smoker's cough also produces yellow to brownish mucus.

When coughing, mucus is secreted in bronchitis and pneumonia

If you cough up white or green mucus and are excruciating, debilitating, and painful when you cough, pneumonia is a possible cause. This disease develops due to untreated colds and respiratory infections, as well as as a result of severe hypothermia. The color of the mucus in pneumonia can vary from clear and white to green, occasionally becoming brownish-yellow. The secret of inflammation of the lungs departs a lot. In this case, the secretion of mucus when coughing is also accompanied by weakness, profuse sweating and a strong increase in temperature up to fever.

White secretory fluid that does not change color may indicate the presence of bronchitis. A disease affecting the bronchi most often develops after the flu or a cold.

Cough with white and green mucus with pneumonia and bronchitis requires treatment with antibiotics, as well as expectorants. The latter are aimed at relieving inflammation, thinning sputum and removing it from the lungs and bronchi.

Mucus in the throat and cough with laryngitis

Laryngitis is a disease in which the throat becomes inflamed. Cough with mucus in this disease is barking and paroxysmal. It can last for a long time, causing asthma attacks. Laryngitis is most often accompanied by swelling of the larynx, in this case, patients are shown a course hormonal drugs aimed at normalizing the state of the mucosa.

During laryngitis, when coughing, mucus comes out in a small amount. It can be white or transparent.

White mucus is expectorated when coughing, what is the reason?

Cough with clear or white sputum is not always caused by respiratory and broncho-pulmonary diseases. Sometimes this symptom indicates prolonged contact with chemicals, fuel combustion products, epoxy resins and dust. We are talking about harmful production. People who work on it often complain that they expectorate when they cough. white slime. However, its color may be different depending on which substance irritates the respiratory system.

Such a cough, the treatment of which should also be prescribed by a doctor, requires an extended diagnosis, which includes not only laboratory, but also x-ray studies.

Tuberculosis as the cause of this symptom

If, when coughing, mucus of a yellow and green hue or with impurities of blood flies out, then, perhaps, we are talking about tuberculosis. This is a dangerous disease caused by Koch's wand. It is sown using special laboratory research. On early stage Tuberculosis affects only lung tissue. In addition to the above symptoms, it is accompanied by pain in the chest area. It is worth noting that this disease in the early stages is completely cured by taking strong antibacterial drugs.

The third and fourth stages of tuberculosis cannot be completely cured. However, even in this state, a sick person is successfully supported with medicines. advanced disease it is especially dangerous because, in addition to lung tissues, it affects the intestines, organs of the gastrointestinal tract and joints.

Tuberculosis is transmitted by airborne droplets and household contact. Prevention of its development is regular medical examination, during which it is necessary to undergo fluorography.

If you have these symptoms for a long time, and the condition gradually worsens, be sure to consult a doctor. Remember that diseases are easier to prevent at an early stage through competent treatment.

Doctors divide infectious and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system into two groups: diseases of the upper respiratory tract and diseases of the lower respiratory tract. The first group includes the well-known tonsillitis, tonsillitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis. To the second - bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia. These diseases are accompanied by a whole bunch of various unpleasant symptoms, each of which emphasizes the severity of the disease and points to the disease itself. For example, high fever, dry cough, aching joints, flushing of the skin say that the patient may have a common flu. One of important symptoms- phlegm that is secreted when coughing. Its green or yellow-green hue will explain to the specialist what the person is sick with and how seriously.

The pathogenesis of green sputum

In order to understand what is indicated green color sputum, you need to understand the nature of this phenomenon.

The nature of sputum

The sputum that is secreted by the bronchi can be of different colors, textures, and smells. In a normal state of health, the bronchial secret is colorless, liquid in consistency and odorless. It is produced by the respiratory mucosa in order to destroy harmful microorganisms and neutralize mechanical microparticles inhaled by a person along with the air. Such microparticles can be household dust or plant pollen. A change in the color of sputum indicates that pathogenic processes are taking place in the body. As a rule, their onset is accompanied by an increase in the density of secretions, the appearance of white mucous lumps, and an increase in cough. Later, green sputum appears in the morning with cough and coryza. Green sputum has a dense structure and an unpleasant, pungent odor. It contains pus and pathogenic microbes. Her appearance means only one thing - the disease has become more severe.

Discharge when coughing

If a patient coughs up green sputum during a cough, this is an alarming sign indicating that treatment should be started immediately! Any treatment is preceded by a diagnosis of the disease, and therefore we will try to figure out during which diseases green sputum most often appears when coughing.

The body tries to get rid of excess phlegm by coughing. Cough is a very unpleasant symptom, many patients treat it negatively, not realizing that it is with the help of cough that the ronchi are released from excess bronchial secretions, dead actors and leukocytes. Therefore, most treatments for bronchitis are associated with liquefaction of sputum, because the more liquid it is, the easier it leaves the bronchi. A greenish tinge to sputum is due to impurities

The green tint of sputum released when coughing indicates that the causative agent of the disease is bacteria. More often it is staphylococci or streptococci, as well as Klebsiella, Proteus. These microorganisms can cause inflammatory diseases in any part of the respiratory system, so green sputum is not a characteristic sign of any certain disease. it only indicates that there is intense inflammation provoked by bacteria. Sputum is stained due to the fact that pus, consisting of particles of dead bacteria and leukocytes, is mixed with bronchial secretions.

Treatment

Green sputum is just one of the symptoms of the disease. Thus, when we talk about the treatment of green sputum when coughing, we mean the treatment of a specific disease, during which the green motor leaves.

Traditional Treatments

Treatment of green sputum involves, first of all, the elimination of the infectious agent of the disease. For this purpose, antibacterial drugs are used, which are prescribed by the doctor after determining the type of pathogen that provoked the disease. You can’t choose an antibiotic on your own - this can only provoke the appearance of microbes that are resistant to antibiotics. antibacterial agents and thus hinder treatment. In addition, expectorant drugs accelerate recovery, plentiful drink, inhalations - everything that is aimed at thinning sputum and its speedy removal from the bronchi.

Folk methods of treatment

Academic medicine has used and continues to use folk remedies for the treatment of various diseases, primarily colds. Some of the proposed methods are quite effective, they are passed down from generation to generation and are recommended to patients by general practitioners along with conventional medicines.

In the arsenal of remedies offered by folk medicine for the treatment of bronchitis, there are such useful, natural products as honey, propolis, black radish, onion, lemon, garlic, horseradish and their combinations. For example, honey infused with black radish is said to be an excellent remedy for coughs with green phlegm. The recipe for a medicine that has been repeatedly tested in practice is as follows: you need to scrape a small black radish from the inside, fill it with a third of honey, let it brew for five to six hours, and then take the resulting solution three or four times a day, a tablespoon after meals. Children should reduce the portion by half (replace a tablespoon with a teaspoon).

In any case, qualified assistance in the treatment of diseases complicated by a cough with green sputum can only be provided by a doctor - a specialist in the field of respiratory diseases. Green sputum is an alarming symptom in itself, so you should not self-medicate, it is better to seek medical help as soon as possible.

Normally, it is transparent and mucous, there is not much of it, and it is released only in the mornings from people who smoke, work in dusty industries or live in dry air conditions.

In these cases, it is called tracheobronchial secretion, not sputum. With the development of pathologies, sputum can get: pus, when there is bacterial inflammation in the respiratory tract, blood, when a vessel is damaged on the way from the nose to the end of the bronchi, mucus in cases of inflammation of a non-bacterial nature. This content may become more or less viscous.

Pathological processes as the causes of sputum accumulation in the throat without coughing usually occupy localization from the nasopharynx, where the contents of the nose and its paranasal sinuses drain, to the trachea. If the disease has affected deeper structures: the trachea, bronchi or lung tissue, sputum production will be accompanied by a cough (in young children, vomiting with a lot of mucus or other contents can become an analogue of coughing up). Bronchitis and pneumonia can, of course, occur without coughing, but then the sputum will not bother you either.

When is sputum production considered normal?

The mucous membrane of the bronchi consists of cells on the surface of which there are cilia - microtubules that can move (normally - in the upward direction, towards the trachea). Between the ciliated cells are small glands called goblet cells. There are 4 times fewer of them than ciliated, but they are not located in such a way that after every four ciliated there is 1 goblet: there are areas consisting of only one, or only of cells of the second type. Glandular cells are completely absent in the small bronchi and bronchioles. Goblet and ciliated cells are united by a common name - "mucociliary apparatus", and the process of movement of mucus in the bronchi and trachea - mucociliary clearance.

Mucus produced by goblet cells is the basis of sputum. It is needed to remove from the bronchi those dust particles and microbes that, due to their microscopic size, were not noticed by the cells with cilia that are in the nose and throat.

Vessels adhere tightly to the bronchial mucosa. Immune cells come out of them, which control the absence of foreign particles in the air going into the lungs. Some immune cells are present in the mucosa itself. Their function is the same.

Therefore, sputum, more precisely, the tracheobronchial secret, is also normal; without it, the bronchi would be covered from the inside with soot and impurities, would be constantly inflamed. Its amount is from 10 to 100 ml per day. It may contain a small amount of white blood cells, but it does not detect any bacteria, abnormal cells, or fibers contained in lung tissue. The secret is formed slowly, gradually, and when it reaches the oropharynx, a healthy person, without noticing, swallows this minimum amount of mucous content.

Why can you feel phlegm in your throat without coughing?

This is due to either increased secretion production, or deterioration in its excretion. There are many reasons for these conditions. Here are the main ones:

• Work in enterprises with high levels of air pollution particles of silicates, coal or others.
• Smoking.
• Irritation of the throat by alcoholic beverages, cold, spicy or hot foods can cause a feeling of phlegm without coughing. In this case, there is no malaise, no worsening of breathing, no other symptoms.
• Pharyngo-laryngeal reflux. This is the name of the reflux of the contents of the throat, where the ingredients of the stomach, which do not have a pronounced acidic environment, are brought closer to the windpipe. Other symptoms of this condition are sore throat, cough.
• Acute sinusitis. The main symptoms will be deterioration, fever, headache, copious amounts of snot. These symptoms come to the fore.
• Chronic sinusitis. Most likely, it is this pathology that will be described as "sputum in the throat without coughing." It is manifested by difficulty in nasal breathing, deterioration of the sense of smell, fatigue. Thick sputum is secreted from the sinuses into the pharynx, and this happens all the time.
• Chronic tonsillitis. Here, a person is worried about “sputum”, bad breath, whitish masses can be seen on the tonsils, which can stand out on their own and with certain movements of the muscles of the mouth, their smell is unpleasant. The throat does not hurt, the temperature can be increased, but - within 37 - 37.3 ° C.
• Chronic catarrhal rhinitis. Here, without exacerbation, the nose stuffs up only in the cold, and then only one half; sometimes a small amount of mucous discharge comes out of the nose. With exacerbation, thick, abundant snot appears, and they create a feeling of sputum in the throat.
• Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis. Here, the main symptom is difficulty breathing through the nose, one half of it, because of which a person may be disturbed by a headache in this half. The sense of smell, taste also worsens, a slight nasality appears. The discharge accumulates in the throat or is excreted outward.
• Vasomotor rhinitis. In this case, a person can periodically "overtake" bouts of sneezing, which occurs after itching in the nose, mouth or throat. Nasal breathing is periodically difficult, and liquid mucus is released from the nose outward or into the pharyngeal cavity. These attacks are associated with sleep, may occur after a change in air temperature, overwork, ingestion of spicy food, emotional stress, or high blood pressure.
• Pharyngitis. Here, sputum in the throat occurs against the background of perspiration or pain in it. More often, however, the sum of these sensations causes a cough, which is either dry or a small amount of liquid sputum is secreted here.
• Sjögren's syndrome. At the same time, there is a decrease in the production of saliva, and due to dryness in the mouth, it seems as if phlegm has accumulated in the throat.

Color of sputum without cough

According to this criterion, one can suspect:

• mucous white sputum testifies in favor of fungal (more often candidal) tonsillitis;
• clear sputum with white streaks may accompany chronic catarrhal pharyngitis;
• green sputum, thick, may indicate chronic hypertrophic pharyngitis;
• and if yellow sputum comes out, and there is no cough, this speaks in favor of a purulent process of the upper respiratory tract (rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis).

If sputum is felt only in the morning

Sputum in the morning can talk about:

• reflux esophagitis - reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus and throat. In this case, there is a weakness of the circular muscle, which should not let what has got into the stomach back. This pathology is usually accompanied by heartburn, which occurs when taking a horizontal position after eating, as well as periodically occurring belching of air or acidic contents. Occurring during pregnancy and accompanied by constant heartburn, is its symptom associated with compression of the abdominal organs by the pregnant uterus;
• chronic sinusitis. Symptoms: difficulty in nasal breathing, deterioration of the sense of smell up to its complete absence, mucus in the throat;
• chronic bronchitis. In this case, sputum has a mucopurulent (yellow or yellow-green) character, accompanied by weakness, low body temperature.
• be the first sign of acute bronchitis. Here there is an increase in temperature, weakness, deterioration of appetite;
• developing in the spring-autumn period, talk about bronchiectasis. Other symptoms include malaise, fever. In summer and winter, a person again feels relatively well;
• appearing against the background of heart diseases, testify to their decompensation, that is, the appearance of stagnation in the lungs;
• developing in young children, talk about adenoiditis. In this case, nasal breathing is disturbed, children breathe through their mouths, but there is no temperature or signs of acute respiratory infections.

Phlegm when coughing

If a person notes the appearance of a cough, after which sputum is released, this indicates a disease of the trachea, bronchi or lungs. It can be acute and chronic, inflammatory, allergic, neoplastic or congestive. It is impossible to make a diagnosis based on the presence of sputum alone: ​​examination, listening to pulmonary noises, an X-ray image (and sometimes computed tomography) of the lungs, sputum tests - general and bacteriological are necessary.

In some way, the color of sputum, its consistency and smell will help to navigate the diagnosis.

color of sputum when coughing

If you cough up yellow sputum, this may indicate:

• purulent process: acute bronchitis, pneumonia. It is possible to distinguish these conditions only according to instrumental studies (X-ray or computed tomography of the lungs), since their symptoms are the same;
• the presence of a large number of eosinophils in the lung or bronchial tissue, which also indicates eosinophilic pneumonia (then the color is yellow, like a canary);
• sinusitis. Here there is poor breathing through the nose, separation of not only sputum, but also yellow mucopurulent snot, headache, malaise;
• yellow liquid sputum with a small amount of mucus, which appeared against the background of icteric staining of the skin (with hepatitis, tumors, cirrhosis of the liver or blockage of the bile ducts with a stone) indicates that lung damage has occurred;
• ocher yellow indicates siderosis, a disease that occurs in people who work with dust that contains iron oxides. With this pathology, there are no special symptoms, except for coughing.

Yellow-green sputum indicates:

• purulent bronchitis;
• bacterial pneumonia;
• be a normal symptom after tuberculosis that has been cured by specific drugs.

If a rusty discharge is coughed up, this indicates that the vessels were injured in the respiratory tract, but the blood, while it reached the oral cavity, was oxidized, and hemoglobin became hematin. This may be when:

• strong cough (then there will be rusty streaks that will disappear in 1-2 days);
• pneumonia, when inflammation (purulent or viral), melting the lung tissue, led to damage to the vessels. There will be: fever, shortness of breath, weakness, vomiting, lack of appetite, sometimes diarrhea;
• PE thromboembolism of the pulmonary artery.

If brown mucus is coughed up, this also indicates the presence of “old”, oxidized blood in the airways:

• if the lungs had such, almost always, congenital pathology as bullae (cavities filled with air). If such a bulla lay close to the bronchus, and then ruptured, brown sputum will be separated. If at the same time air also got into the pleural cavity, shortness of breath will be noted, a feeling of lack of air, which may increase. The “sick” half of the chest does not breathe, and pain was noted during the rupture of the bulla;
• gangrene of the lung. Here, a significant deterioration in the general condition comes to the fore: weakness, clouding of consciousness, vomiting, high fever. The sputum is not only brown, but also has a putrid odor;
• pneumoconiosis - a disease that occurs due to industrial (coal, silicon) dust. Characterized by chest pains, first dry cough. Gradually, bronchitis becomes chronic, often leading to pneumonia;
• lung cancer. The disease does not make itself felt for a long time, coughing attacks gradually occur. A person loses weight dramatically, begins to sweat at night, it becomes more and more difficult for him to breathe;
• tuberculosis. There is weakness, sweating (especially at night), lack of appetite, weight loss, prolonged dry cough.

Sputum in color from light green to dark green indicates that there is a bacterial or fungal process in the lungs. This:

• abscess or gangrene of the lung. The symptoms of pathologies are very similar (if we are talking about an acute rather than a chronic abscess, the symptoms of which are more meager). This is a pronounced weakness, malaise, shortness of breath, chest pain, very high, practically unresponsive to antipyretic, body temperature;
• bronchiectasis. This is a chronic pathology associated with the expansion of the bronchi. It is characterized by a course with exacerbations and remissions. With an exacerbation in the morning and after being on the stomach, purulent sputum (green, yellow-green) leaves. A person feels unwell, he has a fever;
• actinomycosis process. In this case, there is a long-term fever, malaise, mucopurulent greenish sputum is coughed up;
• cystic fibrosis is a disease when almost all the secrets produced by the glands of the body become very viscous, poorly evacuated and suppurate. It is characterized by frequent pneumonia and inflammation of the pancreas, lag in growth and body weight. Without a special diet and enzyme intake, such people can die from complications of pneumonia;
• sinusitis (its symptoms are described above).

White sputum is characteristic of:

• ARI: then the sputum is transparent white, thick or foamy, mucous;
• lung cancer: it is not only white, but there are streaks of blood in it. There are also weight loss, fatigue;
• bronchial asthma: it is thick, glassy, ​​released after a coughing fit;
• heart diseases. The color of such sputum is whitish, the consistency is liquid.

Transparent, glassy, ​​difficult to separate sputum is characteristic of bronchial asthma. The disease is characterized by exacerbations, when there is difficulty in breathing (it is difficult to exhale) and wheezing audible at a distance, and remissions, when the person feels satisfactory.

Diagnosis of sputum by consistency and smell

In order to evaluate this criterion, it is necessary to expectorate sputum into a transparent glass container, evaluate it immediately, and then remove it, cover it with a lid, and let it brew (in some cases, sputum may exfoliate, which will help in diagnosis).

• Mucous sputum: it is secreted mainly during SARS;
• Liquid colorless is characteristic of chronic processes developing in the trachea and pharynx;
• Foamy sputum of white or pinkish color is released with pulmonary edema, which can accompany both heart disease and inhalation gas poisoning, and pneumonia, and inflammation of the pancreas;
• Mucopurulent sputum can be secreted in tracheitis, tonsillitis, bacterial bronchitis, complicated cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis;
• Vitreous: characteristic of bronchial asthma and COPD.

An unpleasant odor is characteristic of complicated bronchiectasis, lung abscess. A fetid, putrid odor is characteristic of lung gangrene.

If the sputum separates into 2 layers during settling, it is probably a lung abscess. If there are three layers (the top is foamy, then liquid, then flaky), it may be lung gangrene.

What does sputum look like with underlying diseases

Sputum in tuberculosis has the following characteristics:

• slimy texture;
• not abundant (ml / day);
• then streaks of greenish or yellowish pus appear, white blotches;
• if cavities appeared in the lungs that violated the integrity of the tissue, streaks of blood appear in the sputum: rusty or scarlet, larger or smaller, up to pulmonary bleeding.

With bronchitis, sputum is mucopurulent in nature, practically odorless. If a vessel is damaged, bright scarlet streaks of blood enter the sputum.

With pneumonia, if purulent fusion of the vessels has not occurred, the sputum has a mucopurulent character and is yellow-green or yellow in color. If inflammation of the lungs is caused by the flu virus, or the bacterial process has captured a large area, the discharge may be rusty in color or streaked with rusty or scarlet blood.

Asthma sputum is mucous, viscous, whitish or clear. Standing out after a fit of coughing, similar to molten glass, it is called vitreous.

What to do when sputum appears

1. Contact a doctor. The first should be a therapist, then an otolaryngologist (ENT) or pulmonologist. The direction to them will be given by the therapist. You also need to talk about the advisability of sputum delivery.
2. Buy 2 sterile jars for sputum collection. Throughout the day, take plenty of warm liquids. In the morning, on an empty stomach, take 3 deep breaths and cough up (do not spit) sputum. In one jar you need more discharge (this should go to the clinical laboratory), in the other - less (to the bacteriological laboratory).
3. If the symptoms resemble tuberculosis, sputum should be taken to the clinical laboratory, where Mycobacterium tuberculosis will be detected under a microscope, three times.
4. You don't need to do anything on your own. The maximum is to inhale with Berodual at an age dosage (if sputum was separated after coughing) or dissolve an antiseptic such as Strepsils, Septolete, Faringosept (if there was no cough). Without knowing some of the nuances, for example, that it is impossible to take mucolytics (ACC, carbocysteine) with hemoptysis, you can greatly harm your body.

Very good article. Thank you.

Thanks for the help.

Thanks a lot! Now I know why I only get phlegm in the morning.

thanks very important information

Add a comment Cancel reply

Do you know about colds and flu?

© 2013 Azbuka zdorovya // User agreement // Personal data policy // Site map self-treatment. To establish a diagnosis and receive recommendations for treatment, a consultation with a qualified doctor is necessary.

Why is there phlegm in the throat without coughing?

Complaints of phlegm in the throat without coughing can often be heard. You can get rid of this condition only after examination and identification of the causes of sputum. If the sputum is not expectorated, this may indicate the onset of the disease. Symptoms may get worse over time. The sooner treatment is started, the more effective it will be.

Phlegm in the throat in any case indicates an increased secretion of the bronchial tree and nasal mucosa, which is a sign of an infection that needs to be treated. Ignoring this symptom can lead to various diseases upper respiratory tract and various complications.

Causes and possible diseases

Phlegm in the throat without coughing indicates the development of the disease, in order to find the cause, you need to be examined by a doctor

Phlegm in the throat is a rather unpleasant symptom. Without expectoration and cough reflex, it causes discomfort. Thick sputum is expectorated with great difficulty.

If this phenomenon is also observed severe runny nose, then when the mucus thickens, it begins to flow into the throat. This lasts no more than a week until the runny nose passes. This sign is not considered dangerous, but the nasal mucus contains bacteria and viruses, as a result, the throat can also become inflamed.

Phlegm in the throat without coughing appears with the following diseases:

• Rhinitis. With rhinitis, mucus is actively secreted. Because of the swelling, it can be difficult to blow her nose. Mucus flows down the back wall of the nasopharynx into the throat, and can enter the stomach if swallowed. In this case, you need to regularly gargle, washing out the mucus, so that viruses and bacteria from the nose do not cause inflammation of the throat mucosa.
• Pharyngitis. With pharyngitis, the mucous membrane of the pharynx becomes inflamed. This often causes severe sore throat, painful swallowing, and sputum may accumulate in the throat. With pharyngitis, the cough can be quite painful, so phlegm continues to accumulate in the throat, increasing inflammation. Pharyngitis often occurs against the background of rhinitis, sinusitis, and also due to the excessive use of vasoconstrictors.
• Hormonal disorders. Increased secretion of the bronchi may be the result of hormonal disruptions in the body.
• Latent form of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis occurs when the lungs and bronchi are affected by Koch's wand. With a latent form of the disease, a person is not contagious, but the infection inside him begins to form foci. Latent tuberculosis manifests itself in the form night sweats, fatigue, phlegm in the lungs and throat, a slight cough, and then subsides again.
• Bronchitis. With inflammation of the bronchial mucosa, secretion increases significantly, sputum is released. At the initial stage of the disease in its chronic form, cough and sputum discharge may either appear or disappear. The sputum is yellow or greenish in color.
• Allergy. An allergic reaction can manifest itself not only in coughing, but in increased bronchial secretion, when sputum is actively secreted and accumulates in the throat.

Phlegm in the throat can also appear due to dry indoor air, atmospheric pollution, or while taking certain medications.

Medical treatment

Drug treatment depends on the cause of sputum in the throat and additional symptoms.

The accumulation of mucus in the throat increases at night, when the patient is in bed for a long time. horizontal position. In the morning the mucus is easily spit out without coughing. This symptom can often be seen in heavy smokers.

You should pay attention to the accumulation of green-colored sputum, as it indicates a bacterial infection. If at the same time the temperature begins to rise, you should immediately consult a doctor.

The accumulation of mucus in the throat creates a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. Mucus can enter the stomach, causing nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite. Similar symptoms also require medical advice.

Treatment of sputum in the throat is prescribed depending on the causes of:

• Antihistamines. Antihistamines are prescribed for sputum accumulation during allergies. In addition to the drugs themselves, you need to stop contact with the allergen. Antihistamines (Suprastin, Diazolin, Loratadin, Zodak, Zirtek) have a decongestant effect, block allergen-responsive receptors, relieve inflammation and reduce mucus secretion.
• Antibiotics. Antibacterial drugs should be prescribed only by a doctor. They differ in the nature of the action and the severity of side effects. Antibiotics may only be effective for a bacterial infection. First, the doctor takes sputum for analysis and identifies the causative agent of the infection, its sensitivity to certain drugs. With bronchial and pulmonary infections, Azithromycin, Amoxicillin, Sumamed are more often prescribed.
• Antivirals. Antiviral drugs such as Ergoferon, Kagocel, Ingaverin are most effective at the initial stage of a viral infection. They help stop the spread of inflammation, strengthen the body's immune response. The effect can be observed with SARS and influenza, but not with a bacterial infection.
• Topical sprays and aerosols. Topical sprays help loosen phlegm, reduce inflammation, and relieve sore throats. Some local preparations have antiviral and antibacterial effects. Most often, Lugol, Tantum Verde, Strepsils aerosol, Kameton are recommended.
• Pastilles and tablets. Cough lozenges also relieve pain and inflammation, relieve coughing, if any, help to remove sputum. These include Strepsils, Faringosept, Geksoral, Septolete, Grammidin.

Folk methods and gargling

Gargling is one of the best practices throat phlegm treatment

In the initial stages of the disease, folk remedies for sore throat and for removing sputum can be very effective. Even with a bacterial infection, they are often used as adjunctive therapy.

The choice of folk remedies should be approached carefully. Some of them can cause severe allergic reactions and mucosal burns.

The best folk recipes:

• Gargling with decoctions of herbs. Gargling not only relieves inflammation, but also allows you to remove phlegm and prevent the spread of infection. It is best to use decoctions of chamomile, sage, oak bark for the throat. Rinsing should be done 3-4 times a day. After them, it is not recommended to eat and drink for some time. Gargle well for half an hour or an hour before using local preparations.
• Gargling with a solution of soda or salt. Solutions of salt and soda relieve inflammation, eliminate redness and slightly dry the mucous membrane, eliminating sputum. For rinsing, use clean or boiled water. 1 teaspoon of salt or soda is enough for a glass of water. It is not recommended to increase the dosage, as this will not bring a positive effect.
• Honey and radish. Honey itself is very effective for colds and sore throats. It can be absorbed, added to a warm drink. This will help relieve pain, relieve coughing and eliminate the feeling of a scratchy throat. A medicine made from black radish, onion and honey is very effective. To prepare it, you will need 1 black radish, in which you need to cut out the middle. Liquid honey is poured into the resulting bowl of radish and left for a couple of hours. The resulting medicine can be mixed with onion juice or taken as a tablespoon per day.
• Propolis. You can prepare an alcohol tincture of propolis yourself or purchase it at a pharmacy. A teaspoon of the finished tincture is added to warm water and milk and drunk at night. This medicine helps to increase immunity, eliminate pain and sore throat, remove sputum.
• Aloe vera. The washed leaf of aloe vera must be kept in the refrigerator for a while, then crushed and mixed with liquid honey. The finished medicine is taken orally in a teaspoon per day. Excess aloe vera can cause mucosal irritation and a severe allergic reaction. The medicine is not used to treat young children and pregnant women.

Inhalation with sputum

Inhalation with a nebulizer is a safe and effective method for the treatment of diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract.

Inhalations with a nebulizer very effectively thin and remove sputum not only from the throat, but also from the bronchi. When inhaled, drugs penetrate deep into the respiratory tract, without getting into the bloodstream and without irritating the walls of the stomach.

If there is no serious bacterial infection, but thick sputum in the throat and nose torments, you can use saline or mineral water for inhalation without the addition of drugs. Such cold steam inhalations are safe for children and pregnant women, do not have side effects and do not cause an allergic reaction.

The inhalation procedure is carried out in courses, 2 times a day during the day. The duration of one procedure without the use of drugs lasts 5 minutes for a child and 7-10 minutes for an adult.

The inhalation procedure may slightly increase body temperature, so it is not recommended to perform it at a body temperature above 37.5 degrees.

After inhalation, sputum begins to be actively excreted, so the cough may intensify. You should not do such inhalations at the same time as taking antitussive drugs, as sputum will linger in the lungs, causing inflammation.

If sputum is not expelled with simple inhalation, you can add drugs such as Lazolvan or Ambrobene. These funds can not be used for inhalation in its pure form. They are added to saline in a certain dosage. It is not recommended to dilute drugs with ordinary water, only saline can be considered sufficiently sterile and safe. The dosage of the drug is prescribed by the doctor. It must not be exceeded, as this will not increase healing effect but will only lead to side effects.

You can learn more about the causes of mucus in the throat from the video:

After each procedure, you need to rinse the tubes and the drug case, and also treat the mask with alcohol, even if only one person uses it. If the doctor has prescribed a hormonal anti-inflammatory agent for inhalation, after such a procedure, rinse your mouth with water and wash your face well.

After inhalation, you need to give rest to the throat, do not drink or eat for an hour, and also do not smoke or go out into the cold. If dizziness occurs during inhalation, you need to interrupt the procedure for a while, lie down calmly, and then repeat the inhalation. If the head continues to spin and the state of health worsens, inhalations will have to be abandoned. ABOUT similar condition must be reported to the doctor immediately.

Noticed an error? Select it and press Ctrl+Enter to let us know.

Readers liked:

Share with your friends! Be healthy!

leave a comment

Discussions

• Kristina - Once a year I suffer from a sore throat. – 07.03.2018
• Kristina - And I use grammidin tablets. – 07.03.2018
• Alice - The topic is right about me. – 07.03.2018
• Anastasia - And I have more grammidins. – 07.03.2018
• Anna - Cough enough serious symptom illness. – 03/06/2018
• Katya - I once made a tonic wine on. – 03/06/2018

The medical information published on this page is strictly not recommended for self-medication. If you feel negative changes in your well-being, contact an ENT specialist without delay. All articles published on our resource are informational and educational in nature. In the case of using this material or its fragment on your site, an active link to the source is required.

green sputum when coughing

Green sputum when coughing indicates an inflammatory process in the bronchi, trachea or lungs with the formation of mucopurulent or purulent exudate.

With intense inflammation, the exudate accumulates and enters the secretions of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract affected by the infection.

Causes of green sputum when coughing

The main causes of green sputum when coughing are directly related to those diseases, the symptom of which is a productive (wet) cough. Such diseases are tracheobronchitis, acute bronchitis and exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, bronchiectasis, post-pneumonic purulent pleurisy(pleural empyema) and lung abscess.

According to experts, if green sputum comes out when you cough, it means that such gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, How Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus viridans, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella spp., Serratia marcescens, etc.

Bronchotracheitis of infectious etiology develops from tracheitis against the background of a sufficiently high temperature, rhinitis, pharyngitis or laryngitis, when the inflammatory process descends from upper divisions respiratory tract to the lower. If at the beginning of the disease the cough is dry, with attacks in the morning, then on about the 4-5th day the cough becomes productive, and yellow-green sputum appears when coughing.

For acute bronchitis, as well as exacerbation of its chronic form, a strong cough is characteristic, in which the patient coughs up a mucopurulent exudate of a viscous yellow or greenish consistency.

Among the clinical signs of bronchiectasis resulting from damage to the walls of the bronchi and their expansion, there is green sputum when coughing, often with bloody inclusions and particles of dead bronchial epithelial tissues.

And with special severe forms inflammation of the lungs in their tissues, a pyogenic capsule can form - a cavity with purulent-necrotic contents. In this case, a lung abscess is diagnosed, which, in the end, breaks into the bronchi, and then, when coughing, green sputum with pus comes out, which has a pronounced putrid odor.

Who to contact?

Diagnosis of green sputum when coughing

The exact cause of respiratory diseases, which are accompanied by a cough with green sputum, is called upon to establish diagnostics. Unfortunately, the presence of green sputum when coughing is not always subjected to a comprehensive study using proven diagnostic methods. This leads to the fact that when prescribing antibiotics, the causative agent of the inflammatory process is not taken into account, which means that with the same symptom, antibacterial drugs may not work and may not lead to a cure for the disease, or much slow down recovery and cause complications.

To find out the true origin of the cough, a more thorough examination is necessary based on:

• general blood test;
• biochemical blood test;
• blood test for eosinophils, mycoplasma, etc.;
• sputum culture for microflora;
• bacterioscopy sputum smears;
• general urine analysis;
• urine analysis for antigens;
• coprological research (fecal analysis);
• chest X-ray;
• spirometric study of respiratory parameters;
• bronchoscopy;
• Ultrasound or CT scan of the chest.

Treatment of green sputum when coughing

Currently, in clinical practice, the etiological treatment of green sputum when coughing, or rather diseases that have this symptom, is carried out with the help of antibiotics.

Ampicillin is prescribed (synonyms - Ampexin, Domipen, Opicilin, Pentrexil, Riomycin, Tsimexillin, etc.): adults - 500 mg 4 times a day; the daily dosage for children is calculated at 100 mg per kilogram of body weight and is divided into 6 doses within 24 hours.

Amoxicillin (synonyms - Augmentin, Flemoxin) adults and children over 10 years old take 0.5 g three times a day after meals, children 5-10 years old - 0.25 g each, children 2-5 years old - 0.125 g three times per day. The minimum course of treatment is 5 days.

In the treatment of green sputum when coughing in adults (with pneumonia), an effective third-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic Levofloxacin (Levoflocin, Tavanic, Tigeron, Flexid, etc.) in tablets can be used: before meals twice a day, 0.25-0.5 g; duration of admission - 5 days.

A five-day course of treatment of streptococcal infections of the respiratory tract with the antibiotic Rovamycin is practiced (in tablets of 1.5 and 3 million IU). Adults should take it at 3 million IU three times a day, for children the daily dose is calculated per kilogram of body weight - 150 thousand IU per day - and is divided into three doses. Azithromycin (Sumamed) and Erythromycin are also used. And Josamycin (Vilprafen) is especially effective in inflammation of the respiratory tract, provoked by Peptococcus spp. or Peptostreptococcus spp. Doctors recommend taking the drug 500 mg three times a day.

With pneumonia of fungal etiology, treatment of green sputum when coughing should be carried out with antifungal antibiotics, for example, Amphoglucamine. The recommended use of this is from 10 to 14 days: adults - potys. ED twice a day (after meals); children - depending on age (polys. ED. 2 times a day).

At drug therapy viral bronchitis and pneumonia antibiotics should be supplemented antiviral agents(Remantadine, Acyclovir, Virazole, etc.), which the doctor prescribes individually - depending on the specific pathogen.

Treatment of green sputum when coughing: means for thinning and coughing up sputum

The key principle that all doctors adhere to when prescribing symptomatic treatment of green sputum when coughing is in no case to suppress the cough reflex, but to promote the coughing up of accumulated exudate.

Expectorants work by dilating the bronchioles, which makes it easier to expel mucus. Terpinhydrate tablets (0.25 and 0.5 g each) are prescribed one tablet three times a day. Mukaltin (based on Marshmallow officinalis) should be taken before meals, 0.05-0.1 g 2-3 times (before meals). Lycorine hydrochloride - 0.1-0.2 mg 3-4 times a day (about a minute before meals). Ammonia-anise drops should be taken when coughing in the following dosage: for adults - a drop 2-3 times a day; children - at the rate of one drop for each year of life. Finally, Pertussin, which contains thyme extract and potassium bromide, stimulates the physiological activity of the ciliated epithelium and the peristalsis of the bronchioles, due to which any, including green sputum, is coughed up from lower divisions respiratory tract to the upper, and from there it is brought out. Adults should take Pertussin in a tablespoon three times a day, children in a tea or dessert spoon 2-3 times.

Mucolytic drugs make sputum less viscous, which greatly facilitates its removal from the respiratory tract. Bromhexine recommended by doctors (Bronchostop, Solvin) is used by adults and children over 14 years old at 8-16 mg 3-4 times a day; children 6-14 years old - 8 mg three times a day, 2-6 years old - 4 mg each, children under 2 years old - 2 mg 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 5 days.

Ambrohexal (other trade names - Ambroxol, Lazolvan, Bronchopront, Mucosan, Mucovent, Mucobroxol, etc.) increases the production of mucus in the respiratory tract. For adults, the drug is prescribed one tablet 2-3 times a day (after meals) or 10 ml of the drug in the form of syrup three times a day. For children over 6-12 years old, the recommended dose of syrup is 5 ml (2-3 times a day); children aged 2-5 years - 2.5 ml; up to 2 years - 2.5 ml twice a day.

Acetylcysteine ​​(Acestin, ACC, Mukoneks and other trade names) for adults and children over 14 years old is prescribed 200 mg 3 times a day; children 6-14 years old - 200 mg twice a day; children 2-5 years old are recommended to take the drug in the form of effervescent ACC tablets- 100 mg 2 times a day.

You can also use pharmaceutical herbal preparations for coughing with green sputum, which include licorice or marshmallow root, coltsfoot grass and oregano, black elderberry flowers, large plantain leaves, anise seeds. Preparing a medicinal decoction is simple: a tablespoon of the mixture is poured with 250 ml of boiling water (or two tablespoons per half liter of water) and infused under a lid in a water bath for a quarter of an hour; then the broth should be cooled, strained and taken half a cup twice a day (after meals).

Prevention of green sputum when coughing consists in effective treatment cough in any pathologies of the respiratory tract, without bringing it to the state of stagnation of sputum in the bronchi and lungs. The faster you get rid of sputum, the more favorable the prognosis for green sputum when you cough will be. So, acute bronchitis can be overcome in ten days, but chronic bronchitis will have to be fought much longer - one and a half to two months, or even more.

Remember that inflammation in the airways can lead to purulent bronchitis, chronic pneumonia, bronchiectasis, lung abscess. In the latter case, according to pulmonologists, there are serious problems which may require urgent surgical intervention.

Therefore, it is necessary to consult a doctor if you have green sputum when you cough.

Medical Expert Editor

Portnov Alexey Alexandrovich

Education: Kyiv National Medical University. A.A. Bogomolets, specialty - "Medicine"

Share on social networks

Portal about a man and his healthy life iLive.

ATTENTION! SELF-MEDING CAN BE HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH!

Be sure to consult with a qualified specialist so as not to harm your health!

Cough is the body's response to colds. Spasm of the bronchi is necessary to get rid of harmful microorganisms. If no measures are taken, green sputum may occur when coughing.

Many are accustomed to seeing transparent selection from the oral cavity, but sometimes you can see a shade, panicky. Everyone should know the reasons for such allocation, especially when it comes to children.

Why does cough produce green sputum?

Bronchospasm cannot be an independent disease, it is a symptom of some disease. Cough with green sputum is always alarming for therapists and pediatricians. Mucus protects the respiratory organs from pathogenic microorganisms. Sometimes in the morning a person complains of a large accumulation of sputum in the mouth. This is nothing special if the patient abuses smoking. At the same time, the person does not experience weakness, there is no fever and the appetite is normal. Yellow-green sputum will pass if you completely abandon the bad habit.

Green mucus can be in adults and children. This color indicates that the disease is bacterial in nature. In its composition, such secretions contain special components that protect the body from bacteria that actively affect the respiratory system.

Yellow-green sputum is alarming for doctors, since such mucus can still indicate inflammation of a purulent nature. It may be too thick and hard to move away. In this case, it is necessary to correctly establish the diagnosis and prescribe therapy.

Green mucus when coughing: why is it dangerous

Phlegm in itself does not pose a danger to the human body. This is a normal reaction of the respiratory organs to foreign objects, bacteria or viruses. Mucus consists of water, salts and proteins that protect the mucosa from the penetration of harmful microorganisms. If there is no discharge during a cold, then this is not a very good indicator, especially when the doctor hears characteristic sounds in the lungs.

With green sputum in adults, dead bacteria come out, treated protective proteins. Shades of green in the mucus are an indicator that streptococci or staphylococci have become the causative agent of the disease. This is the most popular type of bacteria, which becomes active in the autumn and winter periods of the year.

Causes and treatment of chronic cough

The more actively the immune system fights such “enemies”, the thicker and darker the discharge during bronchospasm. If green sputum is expectorated, then you only need to help the body by increasing the protective function, decoctions of herbs or special inhalations.

In half of the cases, expectoration is absent. It is impossible to be inactive, sputum with dead microorganisms will accumulate in the respiratory tract, causing decay. Therefore, if a child is seen when coughing greenish discharge then you should go to the pediatrician.

Serious diseases passing with green sputum

If green sputum is coughed up, then you do not need to be negligent about it. Why the mucus is painted in such a shade, only the doctor will tell, after complete diagnostics. Here are the most dangerous diseases why green mucus appears when coughing:

• purulent bronchitis - a neglected form of colds that affect the respiratory system;
• pneumonia - untreated pneumonia;
• lung abscess - occurs in every 100 cases if the patient does not apply on time after severe hypothermia. Another disease occurs when the bronchus is blocked;
• asthma that is not treated with medication;
• tuberculosis;
• respiratory oncology.

When coughing, green sputum can stand out in various quantities. It depends on the neglect of the disease and the focus of inflammation. If the sputum is not treated, then the complication occurs within a few months. Even deaths are known, most often due to the negligence of patients.

Here is what one of the patients of the Moscow polyclinic says: “Every day I expectorate sputum of an unpleasant color and smell. In the morning, it is dense and even creates a sensation of a lump in the throat. At the same time, I thought that the spasm was due to a cold. But every week the expectorated mucus became darker. Then I noticed that the snot contained streaks of blood. It became very scary, I went to the clinic. Tests showed that I had lung cancer. It’s a pity I didn’t come earlier, now I’m going through chemistry and I hope for a miracle.”

What is a barking cough, clinical picture, symptoms, treatment methods

How to treat dark green discharge during bronchospasm

Green sputum without cough is rare. It can be seen only with tobacco abuse or while in a dirty room where it is hard to breathe. Other diseases with greenish sputum colors require immediate medical attention.

Appropriate therapy is selected only with the attending physician. If yellow sputum when coughing occurs due to a purulent inflammatory process, then hospitalization will be prescribed. You should not refuse it, otherwise you can get serious health problems or even die.

Outpatient treatment is carried out in the normal condition of the patient and the absence of threats to life. Only a therapist or pediatrician will competently tell you how to help a person suffering from spasms with the release of clots with a greenish tint. Antibacterial therapy impossible without a course of antibiotics. Green sputum with bronchitis is generally treated only with the use of strong drugs.

Antibiotics also fight sputum without fever:

1. Remantadine - is prescribed after complications from the flu. This drug can only kill viruses, if the source of the disease is bacteria, then the medicine will not help.
2. Rovamycin - helps to overcome a cough with green sputum, which contains streptococcus.
3. Ampicillin - is prescribed for prolonged acute respiratory infections.
4. Levofloxacin - helps well during inflammation of the lungs of a purulent nature.
5. Vilprafen - the drug should be bought if the disease was caused by streptococcus.

Without a temperature in an adult, purulent inflammation rarely occurs. But oncological formations can grow unnoticed by the body.

Green sputum when coughing is most often a sign of a bacterial infection of a primary or secondary nature, which provokes an inflammatory process in the respiratory tract. Pus, dead bacteria and leukocytes, the number of which increases sharply in the presence of infection, give such a shade of coughing up liquid. Specialists can often determine the diagnosis even by the color of sputum. It varies from yellow-green to brownish green, depending on the type of bacteria present in the liquid.

Normally, expectorant fluid is colorless and odorless, thick, or viscous, but green sputum usually indicates a bacterial infection, which is also accompanied by slight increase body temperature (about 37 degrees). These include various bronchitis, tracheobronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, laryngitis, etc. In this case, the sputum becomes thick and viscous, and particles of dead bacteria and accumulating pus give it various greenish hues. With some pathologies, an unpleasant odor may appear.

Sometimes green sputum can appear in smokers with impaired lung function due to the intake of large amounts of nicotine.

The reason for the change in color of the coughing up mucus can also be the defeat of the upper respiratory tract, for example, sinusitis or some other types of rhinitis, or enlarged adenoids.

In addition to bacterial infections, the presence of green sputum can sometimes indicate a number of more serious diseases, such as:

• Malignant or benign neoplasms;
• cystic fibrosis;
• lung abscess;
• Purulent pleurisy;
• Tuberculosis.

Therefore, if you cough up mucus with any greenish tint, you should contact a specialist for medical help as soon as possible.

By the way, sometimes green sputum when coughing may have nothing to do with respiratory diseases, in this case there is no increase in temperature. For example, it might be the result of:

• A sharp decrease in immunity;
• Entry of foreign objects into the respiratory tract;
• helminth infections;
• Severe intoxication.

If the body temperature is normal, and the cough with green mucus lasts longer than a week, then you should seek the advice of a specialist.

What characterizes green sputum

The appearance of green sputum in the body when coughing is caused by the appearance of some gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, for example: streptococci, staphylococci and others.

Green sputum, separated immediately with the appearance of productive cough, against the background of a runny nose, pharyngitis, high temperature indicates the development of bronchotracheitis. Yellow or greenish purulent-mucous sputum indicates the development of acute bronchitis. Coughing up greenish mucus with blood impurities suggests the presence of bronchiectasis.

Sputum of various shades of green may also indicate the occurrence of pneumonia, regardless of which pathogens caused this disease. Sometimes, as a complication of pneumonia, a lung abscess may develop, then the color of the separated exudate will be greenish, with impurities of pus and an unpleasant odor.

Changes in color, odor and density of the secret released during expectoration indicate a complication of the existing disease. When given symptom, you should not delay the trip to a specialist, especially if a high temperature is also observed.

Diagnostic methods

Even a therapist can diagnose the type of disease by the color of sputum. At the appointment, he will listen to the bronchi and lungs, examine the throat, feel the lymph nodes and be able to make a diagnosis, or refer the patient to additional research. For example, on bacteriological analysis sputum.

In especially severe cases, the therapist may refer you to a consultation with another specialist (for example, a pulmonologist) and instrumental diagnostics– CT, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI and more.

Before treating the disease, it is important to accurately identify the pathogen, otherwise the prescription of antibiotics may be useless. For this, in addition to the listed instrumental studies, the following activities can be performed:

• Blood test, general, biochemical, for the presence of mycoplasma and eosinophils;
• Examination of sputum for the presence of bacteria and microflora;
• Bronchoscopy;
• Urinalysis, general and for antigens;
• Spirometry study of respiratory function;
• Fecal analysis.

Sputum for analysis is collected in the morning, trying not to get saliva into it. It is coughed up directly into the prepared container. So the results of the research will be more accurate. A correctly identified cause of the disease is the key to successful treatment.

Treatment

Treatment is selected depending on the type of pathology detected. In addition to medicines, it is often recommended to use various procedures from traditional medicine, for example, inhalations and not only.

Medical

In the treatment of medicines, various antibiotics are prescribed that suppress bacterial infections, for example: Unidox, Cefix, Doxycycline. In addition to them, it is recommended to take funds belonging to the following groups:

• Mucolytics - ACC, Mukaltin;
• Antihistamines - Suprastin, Loratadin;
• Expectorants - Bromhexine, Ambroxol;
• Means that strengthen the immune system - Anaferon, echinacea tincture, ginseng tincture.

In most cases, a cough with green sputum is treated with Ampicillin and its analogues at a dosage of 500 mg four times a day (the dose for children is calculated separately). Another commonly used antibiotic is Amoxycycline, 500 mg three times a day (for children, the dosage is reduced). Sometimes it is justified to use a fluoroquinol antibiotic - Levofloxacin, 250-500 mg twice a day. The course of treatment with these antibiotics is usually 5 days.

In situations where the disease is viral in nature, in addition to antibiotics, antiviral drugs- Acyclovir, Remantadine, etc., which the specialist selects depending on the type of pathogen identified.

It also happens that the defeat of the respiratory tract has a fungal nature. Then the patient is prescribed antibiotics that kill the identified fungus. Most often, it is recommended to take Amphoglucamine up to 500 thousand units twice a day after meals (for children, the dosage is up to 200 thousand units). The course of treatment in this case can be from one and a half to two weeks.

Phytotherapy

For inhalation, as well as the preparation of various medicinal tinctures and decoctions, herbal preparations, which can be purchased at pharmacies, are perfect. As part of the collection for the treatment of respiratory diseases, there should be such plants as: marshmallow root, licorice root, black elderberry flowers, coltsfoot, plantain leaves, oregano, anise seeds. Cooking instructions are often indicated on the packaging, but other folk recipes can also be used.

In addition to herbal infusions and decoctions, it will be useful to eat foods such as black radish, propolis, honey, horseradish garlic, lemon, onion. There are many traditional medicine recipes based on a combination of these products.

For example, one of the most effective remedies is honey infused with black radish. Such a potion is made as follows: the insides are removed from the middle radish, and it is filled with honey by a third. All this is infused for about 6 hours, and then the composition is ready for use. The resulting honey is eaten in a tablespoon immediately after meals, up to four times a day. Children drink the drug in a teaspoon according to the same rules.

Radish with honey - a proven folk remedy for cough

It is important to remember that the appearance of green sputum is a sign of a serious disease that cannot be treated with traditional medicine alone, since without the timely use of suitable antibiotics, the disease can be very sad consequences up to and including death in extreme cases.

The only exception is a wet cough non-infectious nature at which body temperature remains normal. But even in such a situation, if after a week the cough with green mucus has not gone away, you should seek medical help.

In addition to medication and herbal medicine, it is important to follow a few simple rules:

• If there is no temperature, it is useful to walk outside;
• It is important to regularly ventilate the room in which the patient lives;
• It is advisable to use a humidifier;
• To speed up the healing process, it is recommended to drink warm water in large quantities.

Prevention measures

As a preventive measure, it may be recommended to healthy lifestyle life, as well as standard measures aimed at increasing immunity. For example, moderate physical exercise, proper nutrition. It is advisable to observe the sleep and wakefulness regimen. If possible, it is worth protecting the body from overheating, hypothermia and various stresses.

In order not to bring the disease to the appearance of green sputum, it is important to treat the cough in a timely manner, not allowing the fluid to stagnate in the respiratory organs. So, for example, timely treatment of acute bronchitis will reduce the course of therapy to 10 days, but neglected forms will have to be treated for about two months.