Yellow-green sputum. Green sputum in the morning without cough

Green sputum when coughing indicates an infectious inflammation of the upper or lower respiratory tract. This symptom indicates the bacterial nature of the disease in the respiratory system. Many ENT diseases are caused by allergies or viruses, but with untimely treatment, a bacterial infection joins them. In this regard, when coughing, a green or yellow bronchopulmonary secret (sputum) is separated. This color is associated with the content of dead bacteria and immune cells in the mucus.

Causes of cough with green sputum and their features

Most respiratory diseases are accompanied by activation of the cough reflex. It occurs in response to irritation of sensory receptors in the ENT organs by dust, pathogens, allergens, etc. Cough with green sputum indicates the nature of the inflammatory processes. In a laboratory study, dead immune cells and pyogenic bacteria - Klebsiella, meningococci, staphylococci, etc. are found in the mucus.

Pneumonia

This disease of bacterial etiology is accompanied by damage to the alveoli and inflammation of the lung tissue. Pneumonia is caused by various bacteria:

• staphylococcus;
• Pneumococcus;
• klebsiella;
• streptococcus, etc.

This is indicated by thick, yellowish sputum that is coughed up. Typical manifestations of the disease include:

• coughing fits;
• chest pain;
• temperature increase;
• hard breathing;
• wheezing in the lungs.

Green mucus when coughing indicates suppurative processes in the lower respiratory tract.

Pneumonia requires antibacterial treatment, since untimely destruction of the infection leads to complications - respiratory failure, pulmonary edema, pleurisy.

Bronchiectasis

Expectoration of green mucus in the morning in some cases indicates bronchiectasis. Most often, it occurs against the background of other ENT pathologies:

• pneumofibrosis;
• pulmonary tuberculosis;
• bacterial pneumonia.

For a long time, the disease does not cause much discomfort, but in the spring-autumn period, inflammation worsens. This is indicated by the following symptoms:

• spasmodic cough on waking;
• green thick sputum;
• dyspnea;
• cyanosis (blue) of the skin;
• fast fatiguability;
• moist rales in the lungs.

In the first hours after awakening, a large amount of purulent mucus is separated. Also, patients complain of putrid odor from the mouth, a feverish state.

Bronchitis

Inflammation of the bronchi of bacterial origin is accompanied by a cough with the separation of green viscous mucus. The disease is caused by pyogenic bacteria - Haemophilus influenzae, streptococcus, pneumococcus. When coughing, a child or adult expectorates green or light yellow sputum. The appearance of the disease is also indicated by:

• coughing fits;
• fatigue;
• apathy;
• elevated temperature;
• headache.

With timely treatment, acute bronchitis lasts 10 days. Sometimes it occurs against the background of other diseases - influenza, tracheitis, tonsillitis. Delayed therapy is fraught with the transition of acute inflammation to a chronic form.

Abscess in the lung

Abscessing pneumonia is characterized by the formation of cavities inside the lung with a green purulent fluid. The disease is caused by pathogenic microorganisms:

• klebsiella;
• Staphylococcus aureus;
• Pfeiffer's stick (hemophilic), etc.

Lung abscess is accompanied by severe poisoning of the body, which causes:

• cough with fever;
• fever;
• malaise;
• chest pain;
• chills.

When the abscesses rupture in the lungs, green sputum is expectorated, in which blood impurities are sometimes found.

Tuberculosis

The disease occurs when the lungs are affected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The clinical picture is determined by the immune status of the person and associated complications.

Green sputum when coughing without fever for a long time remains the only manifestation of tuberculosis. As the inflammation progresses, the following symptoms occur:

• weakness;
• sweating;
• fatigue;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• low temperature;
• weight loss.

Tuberculosis is accompanied by a wet cough, wheezing in the lungs, chest pain and hemoptysis.

Cancer

In some cases, a cough with green sputum indicates the formation of malignant tumors in the lungs. Symptoms of bronchogenic carcinoma (lung cancer) are determined by the localization of neoplasms. Often, the pathology is asymptomatic until the tumor affects the pain endings in the lung. Her appearance is also indicated by:

• hoarseness of voice;
• mucus with blood when coughing;
• dyspnea;
• weight loss;
• deformity of the fingers (symptom of "drumsticks").

Due to the weakening of local immunity and purulent inflammation of the lungs, coughing separates sputum, in which green clots of pus are found.

Other reasons

Expectoration of green or yellow mucus in 93% of cases indicates an infectious inflammation of the respiratory system and purulent complications. A strong cough with green or yellow sputum is included in the symptoms of such diseases:

• sinusitis;
• adenoiditis;
• cystic fibrosis;
• purulent pleurisy;
• bacterial tracheitis;
• helminthic invasions;
• lung infarction.

Purulent inclusions in the bronchopulmonary secretion are an alarming symptom, indicating a bacterial inflammation of the ENT organs. Pathologies require adequate and timely treatment, since the lack of antimicrobial therapy is fraught with life-threatening complications.

How to diagnose

The treatment regimen for the disease is drawn up only after determining the causative agent of the infection. Diagnosis of cough with green sputum involves consultation of highly specialized specialists (phthisiatrician, ENT doctor, pulmonologist, infectious disease specialist), laboratory and hardware examination:

• Ultrasound of the chest organs;
• radiography;
• CT scan;
• clinical blood test;
• bronchoscopy;
• culture of sputum for microflora.

To exclude bronchogenic carcinoma, a blood test for tumor markers is taken, and if pneumonia is suspected, a lung biopsy and a computed tomogram are prescribed.

Features of treatment

Treatment of green sputum when coughing involves the use of antibiotics and medications aimed at relieving symptoms.

Bacterial inflammation is eliminated with two types of drugs:

• etiotropic (affecting the cause of the disease) - in this case, antibiotics;
• symptomatic - antitussives, expectorants, painkillers, etc.

When coughing, antibiotics destroy the pathogenic flora in the upper respiratory tract, thereby eliminating inflammation and green bronchopulmonary mucus.

Pharmacy medicines

How to treat respiratory diseases depends on the cause of their occurrence. If you cough up green sputum, use the following drugs:

• expectorants (Pertussin, Flavamed, Gerbion) - remove mucus from the bronchi and upper respiratory tract;
• anti-allergic (L-Cet, Claritin, Zirtek) - eliminate swelling, itching and burning in the throat;
• mucolytic (Pectolvan, Mukaltin, Acetin) - dilute green sputum that is difficult to separate;
• immunostimulating (Immunorix, Lavomax, Umckalor) - increase the body's resistance to bacteria and viruses;
• antibiotics (Unidox, Hemomycin, Augmentin) - destroy the bacterial flora in the ENT organs and at the same time, unfortunately, in the intestines.

Taking antibiotics when coughing eliminates the very cause, that is, a bacterial infection. Symptomatic drugs remove green viscous sputum from the respiratory tract. When taking antibiotics, the occurrence of dysbacteriosis is not excluded. Therefore, the therapy regimen includes drugs that restore the intestinal microflora - Bionorm, Bifidumbacterin, Picolax.

Physiotherapy and drainage massage

Physiotherapy treatment is aimed at restoring the mechanism of self-purification of the bronchi. Hardware procedures stimulate the excretion of green mucus and eliminate coughing. To improve well-being with bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia are used:

• UHF therapy - relieves inflammation and bronchospasm, reduces chest pain, increases local immunity;
• magnetotherapy - eliminates puffiness and increases the lumen in the bronchi, stimulates the expectoration of green viscous sputum;
• electrophoresis - prevents inflammation of the respiratory system, relieves swelling, enhances the effect of drugs;
• UVI - disinfects mucous membranes, restores blood circulation in the upper respiratory tract.

To eliminate cough with sputum without fever in an adult, drainage massage is used. Before the procedure, the patient is given expectorant tablets to help clear mucus from the lungs. Sessions of manual therapy are carried out 1-2 times a day for the speedy restoration of the drainage function of the bronchi. Massage is performed taking into account the following rules:

• the patient is placed on the stomach so that the chest is higher than the head;
• rub the back for 3-7 minutes, making movements in the direction of the head;
• to activate breathing, gently tap in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ribs with fingertips;
• at the end, rubbing is done so that the palms slide only in the direction from the lower back to the neck.

After the massage, patients are asked to stand up and take a deep breath. This contributes to the appearance of cough and expectoration of sputum.

Therapy with home remedies

Traditional medicine is recommended to be used in the fight against diseases of the upper respiratory tract in the absence of high temperature. Paroxysmal cough with green purulent sputum is treated with herbs and products that have mucolytic properties.

Effective remedies include:

• Phytocollection. 5 g of coltsfoot and lungwort are mixed with 25 g of mallow flowers. Pour a mixture of herbs with 1 liter of vegetable oil and insist for at least 3 days. With a spasmodic cough with discharge of green mucus, take 50 ml 5 times a day.
• Althea decoction. 10 g of the plant is poured into 250 ml of water and boiled in a steam bath for 10 minutes. The filtered liquid is taken on an empty stomach, 150 ml per day.
• Ginger with sugar. 3 tsp crushed ginger root fall asleep 200 g of sugar. A thoroughly mixed mixture is taken in 1 tsp. 20 minutes before meals 3-5 times a day.

In the complicated course of bacterial diseases, herbal remedies should be taken only after the approval of the doctor.

What is the dangerous condition

Green secretions from the respiratory tract when coughing indicate the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria in the body. Their outdated destruction causes serious complications:

• emphysema;
• pleurisy and pleural empyema;
• respiratory failure;
• gangrene of the lung;
• meningitis;
• endocarditis;
• sepsis.

A bacterial infection leads to intoxication, that is, poisoning of the body with toxic substances. Because of this, the risk of obstruction (narrowing) of the bronchi, swelling of the airways and suffocation increases.

Prevention

To prevent a cough with green sputum in adults, it is necessary to treat ENT diseases in a timely manner. The likelihood of their occurrence depends on the immune status of a person and lifestyle. To reduce the risk of bacterial diseases, you must:

• take vitamin and mineral complexes;
• avoid hypothermia and overheating;
• stop smoking;
• take medicine when coughing;
• wash your hands regularly with antibacterial soap;
• take immunostimulants in the spring and autumn;
• include vegetables, fruits and dried fruits in the menu;
• humidify indoor air.

Many diseases occur as a result of a decrease in immunity caused by mineral or vitamin deficiency. Correction of nutrition, taking dietary supplements and vitamins increase the body's resistance to infections and prevent purulent inflammation of the respiratory tract.

Cough is a symptom that can indicate a number of different 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 proceed without a rise in temperature, which indicates a mild course of the disease.

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 of pathological processes, which are characterized by the accumulation of a large amount of mucus in the respiratory tract. 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.

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, postpneumonic purulent pleurisy (pleural empyema), and lung abscess.

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

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 the upper respiratory tract to the lower ones. 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 especially severe forms of pneumonia, a pyogenic capsule can form in their tissues - 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 techniques. 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 - 200-500 thousand units twice a day (after meals); children - depending on age (25-200 thousand units 2 times a day).

In drug therapy of viral bronchitis and pneumonia, antibiotics should be supplemented with 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 30-45 minutes before meals). Ammonia-anise drops should be taken when coughing in the following dosage: adults - 10-15 drops 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, when coughing, moves from the lower 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 aged 2-5 years are recommended to take the drug in the form of ACC effervescent 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 the effective treatment of cough in any pathologies of the respiratory tract, without bringing it to a state of sputum stagnation 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 that may require urgent surgical intervention.

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

Cough with sputum without fever

Cough is a reflex act, expressed by a strong exhalation, the cause of which is a spasmodic contraction of the muscle tissues of the respiratory tract, which occurs as a result of irritation of certain receptors. Often you can observe a cough with sputum without fever.

Such a clinical picture is not a disease, but only its defining symptomatology.

Causes of cough with sputum without fever

Cough can also be called an assistant to the body, because during a cough, excess sputum and foreign bodies are removed from the respiratory tract, which “clog” the human respiratory tract, which invariably helps in the fight against the disease.

Phlegm, on the other hand, is a secretory secretion, which begins to be actively produced against the background of an inflammatory process that affects the respiratory organs, as well as when the respiratory tract is invaded by an infection of various etiologies.

The excretion of secretory may well be a normal factor, because the respiratory organs of people constantly produce mucus (for example, a smoker's morning cough), but it is quite likely that this is a symptom of pathological changes in the human body. The causes of cough with sputum without fever can be different, but only a specialist can identify the source of the pathology. Indeed, such symptoms can be caused by:

• An allergic reaction of the human body to any external allergen.
• A malfunction in the cardiovascular system, namely in heart failure, is also capable of provoking a cough with sputum without fever.
• The presence in the hollow organs that conduct air to the pulmonary alveoli, foreign bodies.
• Impact on the walls that limit the respiratory trunk, toxic substances that penetrate from the environment during inhalation.
• Sexually transmitted diseases can also lead to similar symptoms.
• Bad habits such as smoking can cause a cough with sputum without fever. In this way, the lungs try to clear themselves of nicotine resins deposited on the walls of the respiratory organs.

Acute and chronic forms of respiratory diseases of various etiologies. It can be:

• bronchiectasis pathologists.
• Pulmonary edema.
• Tracheitis.
• Pneumonia.
• Bronchitis.
• Mycoviscidosis.
• Sinusitis.
• Lung abscess.
• Tuberculosis.
• Bronchial asthma.
• Anthrax spores.
• Such symptoms, manifested during sleep and in the morning, immediately after a person wakes up from sleep, can be shown by bed mites, which live, for the most part, in feather pillows.
• Malignant tumor in the lungs.
• Lung infarction.

In children and adolescents, other sources that can provoke the onset of the symptoms in question may be added to the above list:

Sputum is a secretory product that is excreted from the human body together with a cough. Depending on the color and texture of the outgoing secret, the symptoms of a cough with sputum without fever "tell" the specialist what kind of disease the patient's body is affected by. Another answer may be to state that there is no pathology, since the secrets of the respiratory organs constantly produce mucus. After all, it protects the human respiratory organs from foreign substances (for example, toxic chemical compounds, dust, foreign objects) entering them, and the immune defense cells contained in it are among the first to fight pathogens trying to invade the human body.

The inner walls of the bronchi are lined with an epithelial layer equipped with cilia. It is their movement that allows you to remove mucus, cleansing the organs. A healthy body secretes about 100 ml of exudate per day, which is a small volume. Mostly it is reflexively swallowed by a person, without even noticing it.

If a pathologically developing process is present in the human body, the volume of mucus produced is rapidly increasing, and is quite capable of reaching 1.5 liters per day. Swallowing such an amount is problematic, and not necessary, and even dangerous.

The shade of the outgoing mucus, its composition and texture also matter. The exudate can be in structure:

• With blood streaks.
• Vitreous mucus.
• Serous discharge similar to blood serum.
• Purulent - mucous discharge.
• Just slime.

Who to contact?

Diagnosis of cough with sputum without fever

There are a number of pathological diseases, with the progression of which a large amount of outgoing mucus is observed. At the same time, an experienced specialist is able, by the structure and even by the color of the exudate, to make a completely correct assumption about the disease present in the patient's body.

Therefore, the diagnosis of cough with sputum without fever begins with an assessment of the structure of the secretions and their color. It may, of course, be the case that the shade of sputum is obtained by staining it with food. For example, after taking dishes that include beets or carrots. Red wine, coffee and many other products can color mucus. Therefore, it is primarily necessary to exclude this factor. But, in most cases, the shade of the exudate is given by the disease and the processes that are negative for the patient's health.

• For example, in the case of asthma with a cough, clear mucus of increased density comes out.
• In the case of diagnosing pneumonia, the exudate comes out greenish-yellow or yellow.
• With croupous inflammation of the lungs, the color of sputum has a rusty tint.
• In case of damage to the patient's body with bronchitis or various strains of influenza, purulent mucus comes out with a cough, which is painted greenish-yellow. Blood streaks may well appear.
• With a lung infarction, one of the symptoms of this pathology is exudate of a bright red hue.
• In the case of progression of pulmonary edema, the discharge is foamy, with bloody streaks.
• Yellowish-brown exudate is present in the symptomatology of a lung abscess.
• A bronchogenic form of cancer in the lungs, marks the joint exit of cough and mucus with red (bloody) color fibers.
• If a specialist observes sputum discharge in white flakes, he may assume that the lungs are affected by fungal forms.
• Pulmonary abscess, bronchiectasis, and necrotic processes (eg, gangrene) produce greenish sputum. Mucus of this color always speaks of diseases in which a characteristic feature is the suspension of outflow. Green exudate indicates that the body is affected by an infection that has already begun to multiply, and, therefore, the disease continues to progress. For example, tracheobronchitis tritely begins with the usual trivial cold. Part of the mucus is blown out, but some of it runs down the back of the throat. This sputum leaves the patient's body together with a cough. Moreover, such discharges have a very unpleasant "aroma".

After a visual examination of the patient, the doctor prescribes an additional examination, which may include:

• Analysis of sputum for the presence of infection, bacterial and fungal infections, as well as determining the causative agent of the disease.
• An X-ray may be ordered.
• Other clarifying diagnostic techniques.

In any case, with the appearance of tangible sputum, it will not be superfluous to seek the advice of a specialist. And the sooner a person decides to take such a step, the sooner doubts about the cause of the appearance of a cough with sputum without fever will be dispelled, and, accordingly, appropriate adequate therapeutic measures will be taken. Sometimes, not only his health, but also his life depends on how quickly the patient turned to a specialist. After all, even pneumonia can pass without an increase in body temperature.

Treatment of cough with sputum without fever

It should be remembered that if a person is worried about coughing, sputum is coming, and the temperature indicators remain normal, the amount of liquid that a person drinks throughout the day should be increased. This approach will thin the viscosity of the mucus, which will make it easier to cough it out, clearing the airways. You should not prescribe antibiotics on your own, such a step can only worsen the situation.

Before proceeding to stop the problem, it is necessary to correctly establish the cause, only from this approach can one expect effective treatment and a favorable outcome of the disease.

After the correct diagnosis is made, the treatment of cough with sputum without fever begins with a treatment protocol schedule corresponding to the established pathology. It should also determine the quality of the cough: it is wet or dry.

The treatment protocol is signed by the patient purely individually. The attending physician should not only start from a specific disease, but take into account the severity of the pathology and the changes that have already occurred in the patient's body, the patient's history and individual characteristics. When prescribing medications, the doctor should also take into account the pharmacodynamics of drugs, their characteristics for interaction with other drugs, as well as contraindications, side effects that the prescribed drug can cause and the patient's age data.

The patient is diagnosed with a wet cough, then it is advisable for him to drink plenty of fluids, which may include various herbal tinctures and decoctions. For their preparation, medicinal natural material is used, which has enveloping, expectorant, bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory characteristics, as well as such medications should effectively stop the excitation of the bronchial mucosa. There are many such plants, but the most used in therapy are oregano, common calamus, common coltsfoot, medicinal sweet clover (yellow), naked licorice (smooth licorice, licorice), pharmacy chamomile, lanceolate thermopsis, marshmallow, high elecampane, plantain large, sage and others.

In the absence of contraindications, such a patient is prescribed inhalation and irrigation of the nasopharynx with sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, soda solutions, sodium benzoate, as well as using plant extracts that have the above properties.

After such procedures, irritation of the respiratory mucosa is reduced, which reduces the spasmodic reflex that provokes coughing attacks, the smooth muscle tissues of the lungs relax. Against the background of the work of these drugs, there is a decrease in the viscosity of the exudate, which facilitates its withdrawal. One has only to know the parents of infants that steam inhalation for babies who are not yet a year old is strictly contraindicated. For older children (up to six years old), such a procedure is carried out only as directed by a doctor and under the vigilant attention of a health worker or parents.

If in the anamnesis of a patient of any age there is a lesion of the central nervous system, then such patients are strictly contraindicated in such drugs as thermopsis and ipecac. The combination of pathology and these drugs, on the contrary, increases the spasm of the smooth muscles of the bronchi, activating the cough, which can even cause vomiting. The combination of gag reflex and coughing can lead to asphyxia (a state of increasing suffocation associated with a sharp lack of oxygen in the body) and aspiration (penetration of vomit into the respiratory tract).

Of the medications for coughing with sputum without fever, the following are prescribed:

• Expectorant drugs: bronchopam, amtersol, gelicidin, Dr. Mom, mukaltin, pulmotin, sinupret, travisil, eucalyptus Dr. Theiss and many others.

Travisil is available on the pharmacological market in the form of absorbable tablets, syrup and lozenges. The drug is taken orally.

In the case of its appointment in the form of syrup, travisil is taken by adult patients and adolescents over 12 years old, 5-10 ml three times a day. The syrup is taken undiluted. Before the procedure, the medicine should be shaken well. The duration of the drug course is determined by the attending doctor, based on the clinical picture of the disease and the characteristics of the patient's body. The daily dosage should not exceed 30 ml.

For small patients, whose age falls in the range from three to twelve, the dosage is prescribed individually at 2.5 - 5 ml three times a day. The daily dosage should not exceed 15 ml.

Travisil in the form of lozenges is prescribed for oral administration. The procedure is that the medicine is placed in the oral cavity, where it is kept until completely dissolved. Adult patients and adolescents over 12 years of age, the drug is prescribed two to three lozenges, absorbed three times a day. For children whose age falls in the range from three to twelve, the dosage is prescribed individually one by one - two lollipops three times a day.

Similar dosages are also prescribed for the tablet form of administration.

The drug is perfectly perceived by the patient's body, its only contraindication is the individual intolerance of the components of the drug.

The expectorant Sinupret is administered orally. If the medicine is prescribed in the form of a dragee, then it must be drunk without chewing, together with a sufficient volume of liquid. If the synupret is in the form of drops, it should be diluted with a small amount of water.

Adult patients are prescribed a dosage of two tablets three times a day. Children of school age - one tablet three times a day.

Adult patients take drops in the amount of 50 drops three times a day. Children of school age - 25 drops three times a day. If up to twelve years of age it is not recommended to take synupret in the form of a dragee, then small patients who are already two years old can be given the drug in question in the form of drops - 15 drops three times throughout the day.

The duration of the drug course largely depends on the individual characteristics of the patient's body, as well as the clinical picture of the disease. Mostly this period is from one to two weeks. If after this period the pathological symptoms do not go away, it is necessary to consult a specialist who prescribes another drug, or takes a break with a second course of treatment.

• Mucoregulatory drugs. These include ambroxol, lindoxyl, ambrolithin, lasolvan, mucosan, bromhexine, lazolvan, mucovent, acetylcysteine, fluixol, mukosolvan, bronchopront, secretyl, ambronol, mucofar, ambrolytic, carbocysteine, viscomcil and some others. These drugs help to restore the characteristics of sputum, which helps to effectively eliminate it. Mucoregulatory drugs well normalize the amount of exudate produced by bronchial secretions.

Ambroxol is introduced into the patient's body at the rate of a daily dosage of 10 mg per kilogram of the patient's weight, divided into three to four doses. To achieve therapeutic efficacy, it is better to take the medicine immediately after a meal, drinking the necessary amount of liquid.

The dosage for adult patients is one tablet, which corresponds to 30 mg, two to three times a day. The same dosage is maintained in the case of prolonged treatment.

The dosage directly depends on the age of the small patient:

• babies who are not yet two years old - 2.5 ml twice a day;
• small patients whose age falls within the age limit of two to five - 2.5 ml three times a day.
• children older than five years - 5 ml two to three doses throughout the day.

If necessary, the dosage can be doubled.

For adult patients, syrup is prescribed in an amount of 10 ml - the first two - three days, then this amount can be doubled.

If the clinical picture of the disease "requires", Ambroxol can be prescribed to the patient in the form of intravenous or intramuscular infusions.

• while adults are administered two to three ampoules, which corresponds to 30 to 45 mg of ambroxol two to three times a day;
• babies who are not yet two years old - half an ampoule twice a day;
• small patients, whose age falls within the age limit of two to five - half an ampoule three times a day.
• children over five years old - one ampoule, two to three doses throughout the day.

A contraindication to the use of the drug in question is hypersensitivity to ambroxol hydrochloride or other components of the drug.

Preparations of this group make it easier for antibiotics to seep into the secret of the bronchial tree. It should only be remembered that some drugs of this group are not recommended for patients with a history of bronchial asthma. Such a combination can only aggravate the already serious condition of a person.

The considered group of drugs has analgesic characteristics, and is also a light anesthetic.

• Mucolytic drugs normalize the production of bronchial secretions, as well as activate the process of removing excess mucus from the bronchi. The drugs of this pharmacological group include solutan, hexapneumine, opsonin, stoptussin, transferrin, lysozyme, lorain and others.

A drug containing essential oils - hexapneumine - in the form of tablets is taken orally. Adult patients - one tablet three times a day, children who have not reached the age of 15 - one tablet twice a day.

In syrup form:

• adult patients - three to six tablespoons of liquid, divided into three doses;
• babies who are not yet two years old - from one to two teaspoons of hexapneumine, divided into several daily doses;
• small patients, whose age falls within the age limit of two to eight years - two to three teaspoons (or one - one and a half tablespoons), taken throughout the day;
• children whose age falls within the range of eight to 15 years - four to six teaspoons (or two to three tablespoons) per day.

Hexapneumine is contraindicated if the patient has glaucoma, asthmatic cough, hepatic and pulmonary insufficiency, urinary retention, as well as with increased individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

• If a cough with sputum without fever is a consequence of an allergic reaction of the body to any external irritant, antihistamines are prescribed, such as loratadine, alerpriv, lotaren, clarisence, fexofenadine and others.

The antihistamine drug loratadine is prescribed to adult patients and adolescents over 12 years of age, one tablet, which corresponds to 10 mg of the active ingredient, once a day. For babies who have reached the age of two, but who are less than 12 years old, the dosage is distributed according to body weight: with a weight of less than 30 kg - half a tablet; with a weight of more than 30 kg - one tablet once a day.

The duration of therapy is mainly from 10 to 15 days, in rare cases, the attending physician can adjust the period of taking the drug for a particular patient, and schedule from one day to one month. It is not recommended to prescribe the drug in question if the patient's body is hypersensitive to the components of the drug, as well as during lactation in women and children under two years of age.

For small children who still find it difficult to swallow a “big” pill, the attending physician prescribes antihistamines in the form of a syrup.

• Mast cell membrane stabilizers are also prescribed. These drugs include: vividrin, kuzikrom, sodium cromoglycate, cromogen, intal, cromoglin, lecrolin, stadaglycine, nalcrom and others.

Sodium cromoglycate, the active ingredient of which is cromoglycic acid, is used in the form of inhalations. In this case, the dosage of the drug is prescribed depending on the diagnosed pathology and the age of the patient.

In the case of bronchial asthma, adult patients and children who are already five years old, the starting dosage is prescribed one to two doses (special metered aerosols are measured), four to six inhalations throughout the day.

Ingestion is also possible: adults and adolescents who are already 12 years old - two capsules of the drug (0.2 g), taken four times a day 30 minutes before the intended meal. Babies from two to twelve years old - one capsule (0.1 g), taken four times a day, half an hour before the intended meal.

Through the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx (intranasally), one aerosol dose can be taken three to four procedures per day (in each nasal passage).

It is not allowed to take the drug in question in case of hypersensitivity to the components of the drug, including benzalkonium hydrochloride, in case of pregnancy, during lactation, to children whose age has not yet reached two years.

If the result of drug treatment has not brought a therapeutic effect, and the cough with sputum does not go away without fever, you should inform your doctor about this, who will prescribe several additional examinations that can "shed light" on the situation, indicating the cause.

Additional testing may include:

• General blood analysis.
• Carrying out the Mantoux test.
• Biochemistry of blood (or a detailed study).
• X-ray of the chest area.
• If necessary, a study is prescribed for chlamydia and mycoplasma.
• A bioanalysis of bacteriological seeding on the exudate flora is carried out.

A very important point of the examination is to clarify the question: was the cough the root cause of the disease or its consequence. But it should be remembered that in any situation only a specialist should make a diagnosis and prescribe therapeutic treatment.

Prevention of cough with sputum without fever

No one argues that any pathological change in the human body is much better to prevent than to undergo painful procedures and a long course of treatment. Much more desirable for the body itself. Therefore, the prevention of cough with sputum without fever, like any disease, occupies a significant place in the life of every person.

• The first point of these recommendations should be the hardening of the body, which should begin from the first minutes of the child's life, but if this period is missed, it is never too late to start at any time.
• Air baths.
• Cold and hot shower. For a baby, you can recommend starting with dousing the legs.
• You should not wrap a child, however, like an adult, in a large amount of warm clothes. Many mothers, trying to protect their child, protect him from drafts, and 15 - 20 degree frost is considered an indicator of the cancellation of walks. But you can give a small example: our face. After all, wrapping the body, we do not think that the face is quite comfortable even in such a cold, so how does our body differ from it. We do not urge to exclude clothes from our wardrobe, by no means, but you should not wrap yourself up if you do not want to constantly get sick. Both adults and children must be dressed appropriately for the weather.
• In the summer, it is not only pleasant, but also very useful to walk barefoot on grass, pebbles and other soil structures. Such procedures are not only an element of hardening, but also a massage of the human sole, on which, as the great ancient Chinese healers determined, there are a great many acupuncture points. By influencing them, it is possible to stimulate the work of the whole organism, including internal organs, while hardening will be more effective, since the zones of the foot activate the immune system.
• At any time of the year, you should spend a lot of time outdoors, communicating with nature. Such relaxation is also beneficial for the nervous system, which is a possible source that can provoke the appearance of a cough with sputum without fever.
• Get rid of bad habits. And if you haven’t smoked before, then you shouldn’t start.
• Avoid smoky, dusty and smoky places.
• Very carefully, following all safety regulations, work with combustible and toxic materials.

In the off-season, when the risk of contracting infectious diseases increases:

• If an infected person appears in the family, it is advisable to isolate the patient as much as possible from the rest of the family, highlighting his own set of dishes and bath accessories.
• It is necessary to minimize visits to public places and mass events.
• Family nutrition should be complete and varied, with plenty of vegetables and fruits that are rich in minerals, trace elements and vitamins, so necessary for the full functioning of the human body.
• Not the last place in prevention is occupied by general hygiene. Adhering to all the rules of self-care: for the oral cavity and your body, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of infectious and helminthic infection.
• In the winter-spring period, it will not be superfluous to take a preventive course by drinking multivitamins.

Such activities will protect your body from many pathologies. But a cough with sputum without fever can be a sign of quite serious illnesses, so one of the points of preventive measures can be called the fact that if such symptoms occur, you should definitely see a qualified specialist. It is better if it is a false alarm, and the source of the pathology is banal, than to miss the development of a dangerous disease, which, the earlier it is recognized, the less effort will have to be made to stop it.

Prognosis of cough with sputum without fever

Mostly, the prognosis of cough with sputum without fever has a favorable outcome, but only if the cause of the disease causing such symptoms was established at an early stage of its development and did not have serious complications and dangerous etiology.

For example, if the cause of a cough with such characteristics is a malignant tumor, then any prognosis can be given only by analyzing a specific clinical picture.

If the source of pathological symptoms are diseases of another genesis, then everything depends on the disease itself, the severity of its course, as well as the timeliness of establishing the cause of the pathology and the effectiveness of the therapy. Advanced diseases, as a rule, lead to serious complications and transformation into more dangerous diseases, which may well lead to death.

It would seem that a banal cough, which every person has encountered more than once. But ignoring it, especially if the attacks are aggravated by other symptoms, can become a threat not only to health, but also to human life. Cough with sputum without fever - this combination may be a consequence of a minor cold, but it may also be a signal that indicates the development of a deeper and more serious pathology in the patient's body. Therefore, do not pay attention to the resulting discomfort is not worth it. When such symptoms appear, it would be right to make an appointment with a specialist. Only he is able to dispel your suspicions, or, conversely, after conducting the necessary examination, to identify the true cause of pathological manifestations. Only after making the correct diagnosis can we talk about adequate therapeutic treatment. Therefore, do not ignore the signals of your body, because timely treatment is the preserved health of your body!

Cough with phlegm

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

Discharge during expectoration can 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 the vasculature into the pulmonary cavity (during pulmonary edema), pus exit 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. The bronchial muscles immediately come to tone, the abdominal muscles contract - this action of the 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 can pose a serious threat to 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 an early miscarriage or premature birth in the 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 secretions that come out of the respiratory tract during cough shocks. Healthy people also produce mucus inside the bronchi: this mucus performs a protective function, preventing dust, chemicals and bacteria from entering 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 sputum when coughing 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 a 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 during 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 is of great 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 a 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, and 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 a deterioration in 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 by cigarette smoke, to blockage of the bronchioles by tobacco tar, to 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 disorders of the digestive system, namely peptic ulcer.
• 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 with various lesions of the 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.
• Assessment of the functionality of 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. Methods of bronchoscopy with cytology and histology are used (mainly for suspected cancer), biopsy of suspicious tissues, transbronchial lung biopsy, computed tomography.

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 sputum

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 discharge is poorly expectorated and stays in the bronchial cavity for a long time, then 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 in more detail.

Inhalations for coughing with sputum most often involve the use of herbal remedies: eucalyptus leaves, sage, calendula, chamomile, St. John's wort, as well as Salvin and Romazulon preparations. 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 of pure 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 medicine 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. May cause an 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. Pine buds, onions, garlic, marshmallow, mint, chamomile, plantain, coltsfoot, St. John's wort, elecampane, sage are used as components for collections or medicinal mixtures. 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, rose hips, raspberries, currants, and 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 phlegm

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 staying in such premises is unavoidable, use appropriate protective measures - these are 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.

A good preventive effect gives hardening of the body. It is best to start the procedures in the summer, when it is easier for the body to endure temperature changes, and immunity in the summer is considered stronger. Pouring with cool water, a contrast shower, swimming in open water, air and sunbathing, outdoor sports are suitable. 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 it will be more difficult to get rid of it - this may require complex complex treatment, often with the use of potent drugs and antibiotic therapy.

Coughing up sputum

Sputum is the discharge from the respiratory organs that occurs during expectoration and coughing. It includes saliva, secretions of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and sinuses.

The development of the patient's pathology determines the nature of the secreted sputum. As sputum comes out when coughing, the nature of the disease itself also changes, as can be judged by the nature of sputum discharge. For example, if sputum that has a putrid odor comes out when you cough, this may indicate that there is a severe damage to the bronchi and lungs.

It is allowed to collect sputum from patients for laboratory tests. During the day, up to one and a half liters of sputum can leave the patient.

We should not forget that sputum, as a biologically active liquid, can be a danger to others. In the case of the development of certain forms of tuberculosis, sputum may contain a high concentration of pathogens. When the patient coughs, such sputum can be a danger to others, so it should be collected and handled very carefully. For its collection, special vessels with glass lids are used.

Phlegm, which is formed in the respiratory organs, interferes with the breathing process, so it should be eliminated. This contributes to the expectoration of sputum. The special drainage position given to the patient helps speed up the process.

Types of sputum when coughing

Sputum when coughing can have a liquid, viscous and thick consistency. The presence of viscous sputum is characteristic of a disease such as lobar pneumonia, such sputum is present during inflammation in the airways, in which case it gradually turns into liquid. The presence of mucus in the sputum and its total amount determines the viscosity of the sputum. A large number of formed elements, such as: leukocytes, a variety of epithelium, determines the density of sputum. When a large amount of sputum is plasma, the sputum becomes liquid. This happens with pulmonary bleeding, pulmonary edema or various poisonings.

Heavy sputum when coughing

Strong sputum when coughing is observed in the case of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system, when significant amounts of purulent and serous secretions accumulate in the lungs and bronchi. Most often, this phenomenon is caused by viral diseases that are in the resolution stage, when a bacterial infection joins. The sputum at the same time becomes thick and plentiful, often pus is mixed with it. It is possible that a strong sputum will appear when a child coughs after he has had a cold or SARS - in this case, you should carefully monitor his condition: whether the temperature has risen, whether the general condition has worsened. Both of these, in the presence of a strong and frequent cough, indicate the penetration of the infection into the lungs and lower sections of the bronchi.

Bloody sputum when coughing

Sputum production when coughing is characteristic of many diseases of the respiratory system. However, in the absence of pathologies, the mucus that is released when coughing is clear. If sputum with blood is released when coughing, this indicates quite serious diseases of the human body. These may include:

- Lungs' cancer. A very common symptom of this disease is bloody sputum that is coughed up when coughing. Blood is present in the sputum in the form of streaks of bright red color. It is necessary to immediately take an x-ray of the lungs in case of manifestation of such symptoms, but do not panic until the patient has rapid weight loss, sweating, feeling of lack of air.

- Bronchitis. Sputum with blood often accompanies bronchitis. During this disease, the patient's condition may change at different times. We can talk about chronic bronchitis if bloody sputum is observed for more than three months a year.

- Pneumonia. Often, bloody streaks in expectorant sputum are observed with pneumonia.

- Tuberculosis. Bloody sputum, which is coughed up in the morning, is a characteristic sign of a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis. At the same time, in addition to blood streaks in expectorant mucus, impurities of pus can also be observed. The causes of this painful condition may also be in diseases of the cardiovascular system or the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

- Lung abscess. When coughing, it is also possible to produce sputum with blood, however, with this disease, the patient has bad breath, fever, weakness, lack of appetite and sweating.

Purulent sputum when coughing

Cough with purulent sputum is characteristic of a number of diseases and in itself is an insufficient basis for making any definitive diagnosis. Everything is determined by additional consideration of side symptoms characteristic of a particular disease. In particular, purulent sputum when coughing occurs in chronic bronchitis. Such a cough can manifest itself in damp and cold weather and have a paroxysmal character. Mucous sputum with impurities of pus secreted during coughing contains a diverse microbial flora. Sometimes purulent sputum appears only in the morning, the rest of the day the cough is convulsive and dry. In other cases, coughing fits occur all day long, accompanied by shortness of breath with vomiting. The temperature is kept at a normal level, rising only during an exacerbation of the disease.

Against the background of chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis often appears - accumulating pus, pathological expansions of the lungs. In the event that a cough with purulent sputum is caused precisely by bronchiectasis, its course is more painful and prolonged, the patient is not always able to cough up to the end.

Prolonged cough with purulent sputum in the morning is typical for long-term smokers. The bronchi are exposed to the harmful effects of tar and nicotine contained in cigarette smoke, and this effect is many times more harmful than the action of pathogenic bacteria that are constantly present in the bronchi. Long-term smoking decomposes the bronchi, wears out the respiratory system and often causes lung cancer.

Thick sputum when coughing

Abundant accumulations of thick sputum can contribute to a significant difficulty in the respiratory process. Thick sputum when coughing is characteristic of diseases such as respiratory infections, it can be caused by inhaling polluted air and smoking. In this case, the cough has a cleansing function, facilitating the removal of sputum clots from the organs of the respiratory system.

However, not only smoking can cause the appearance of thick sputum in the respiratory tract, which must be expectorated, many diseases, such as asthma, tuberculosis, and chronic forms of bronchitis, can cause its appearance. For example, asthma, developing from a dry cough and slight hoarseness, reaches the form of a cough with a large amount of expectorated thick sputum, which has the form of dense mucous secretions. When ill with tuberculosis, a sick person often expectorates sputum that has a dense consistency, often containing impurities of pus and blood. Moreover, thick sputum when coughing can also occur with the common cold. Therefore, we can conclude that thick sputum, which is coughed up during a cough, is not a symptom of any one specific disease, but only indicates that there is a problem in the body that requires intervention and resolution. The diagnosis should be made individually and, depending on it, treatment should be prescribed. In any case, sputum thinners help to remove sputum, which make the consistency of sputum less dense, thereby facilitating its expectoration.

Salty sputum when coughing

Salty sputum when coughing is characteristic of a disease such as allergic bronchial asthma. With this disease, salty sputum often appears along with streaks of blood, there may be an increase in temperature up to 37 degrees and above, but normal temperature can also be observed. Another symptom of allergic bronchial asthma is chest congestion - as if there is not enough air. At the same time, appetite does not suffer - its loss does not occur. In the treatment of the disease, agents that expand the bronchi, such as ventolin and berodual, help well.

color of sputum when coughing

The color of sputum when coughing cannot be associated with any specific disease. However, you should definitely consult a doctor if yellow, green, brown, or rusty sputum appears, especially if any of these colors has been observed for more than a week. Especially if it takes place against the background of fever, chills, shortness of breath.

green sputum when coughing

Green mucous sputum when coughing is characteristic of many inflammatory diseases that affect the lungs and bronchi. The causative agents of such diseases are a variety of allergens, infections and colds. These can be bronchitis of various etiologies, lobar pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, cancer, and so on.

In addition to coughing, other symptoms may be present, such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, and fever. In order to accurately identify the causes of the disease, a sputum examination is carried out in the laboratory, an x-ray of the lungs, magnetic and computed tomography. If we are talking about a suspicion of an oncological disease, a thoracoscopy is performed - a certain amount of the affected tissue is taken for a histological examination.

If the green sputum has a viscous consistency and has an unpleasant odor, we can talk about stagnant processes in the lungs. This is a rather dangerous sign, especially when it comes to a child. The treatment process consists in taking antibiotics and strong drugs. Bronchitis can be treated with mucolytics and expectorants. As for tuberculosis, lung cancer and pulmonary hemorrhage, these diseases should be treated in a hospital setting.

Yellow sputum when coughing

Yellow sputum when coughing is released in the following diseases: sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia.

The greatest danger is a cough that begins suddenly, in which the release of yellow sputum is accompanied by the presence of blood and pus, which gives the secreted sputum a characteristic shade. The presence of blood enzymes in yellow sputum indicates an urgent need to see a doctor, since the presence of a tubercle bacillus is very likely. By the color shades of sputum, you can determine the cause of the onset of bronchitis. If the sputum released when coughing has a yellow tint, it means that a bacterial infection has been found in the lower respiratory tract.

In order to diagnose the disease, it is necessary to analyze the sputum secreted when coughing. For its implementation, sputum is collected on an empty stomach in a glass jar, specially prepared and washed for this purpose. At the same time, immediately before expectoration of sputum, the patient is recommended to rinse his mouth with an antiseptic solution, and then with ordinary boiled water.

However, yellow sputum when coughing does not always indicate any serious illness, it is often a companion of long-term smokers.

White sputum when coughing

The appearance of white sputum when coughing (as well as any other) indicates the accumulation of excess mucus in the respiratory tract, the production of which is caused by various diseases.

Coughing up white, clear sputum, which has a thick consistency, indicates the presence of a cold in the body. The production of such mucus is provoked by the course of allergic reactions, bronchitis, asthma and pneumonia. It is strongly not recommended to hold back a cough or swallow sputum. Mucus in this case accumulates, it stagnates, which can result in poisoning of the body. These factors necessitate the use of drugs in the treatment that provide mucus thinning and facilitate expectoration.

Sputum, which has a gray tint and endowed with an odor characteristic of decay, indicates the development in the late stages of oncological diseases of the respiratory system. At the initial stages of the development of cancer, sputum is transparent, white with impurities of blood streaks. The mucus may be gray in color as a result of the deposition of tobacco combustion products in the respiratory tract and be characteristic of heavy smokers. In people with cardiac asthma, sputum may also be serous in color and runny.

Brown sputum when coughing

As mentioned above, there is no such color of sputum by which it would be possible to determine with certainty the onset of the disease. This explains the fact that for an accurate medical diagnosis, the patient is forced to undergo a long series of examinations and take numerous tests. However, if the sputum produced by coughing is brown, this may indicate a viral or bacterial infection that occurs with inflammation. It can be an ordinary cold, pneumonia or bronchitis. With the onset of internal bleeding, the appearance of brown expectorant sputum is also possible.

When brown sputum appears when coughing, self-medication should not be done, as this can provoke the appearance of more serious diseases. In view of this, it is necessary, without delay, to seek help from a doctor. At the same time, in order to carry out the treatment process as efficiently as possible, it is desirable to take as much liquid as possible. In this case, it is likely that the sputum, which has a brown tint, will liquefy and be removed from the lungs as quickly as possible. In no case should you take drugs that suppress cough, because when it is suppressed, sputum is not removed from the body.

pink sputum when coughing

The pink color of sputum when coughing indicates the presence of bleeding, although not as profuse as in the case of red sputum. It is also possible to change the color of the secreted mucus and display blood in the form of spots and streaks. If the clotting process of the excreted blood has already begun, the sputum may have a rusty tint, indicating that the red blood cells have already been destroyed.

The presence of blood in the sputum may indicate diseases such as:

- pneumococcal pneumonia: sputum in this case has a red-rusty color;

- lungs' cancer: sputum color varies from pink to red, turning into brown and black;

- tuberculosis: in this case, there are bright red streaks in the sputum;

- pulmonary embolism: bright red blood.

The presence of blood in expectorated sputum when coughing indicates a danger, which is why an appeal to a doctor should be made immediately.

Treatment for cough with sputum

In the treatment of cough with sputum, drinking plenty of water, including herbal remedies, is effective. It is appropriate to use herbal ingredients that have anti-inflammatory, expectorant, bronchodilator and enveloping effects, while reducing irritation of the bronchial mucosa.

In the absence of contraindications, the use of inhalations with sodium chloride and benzoate, plant extracts, soda, ammonium chloride is allowed. As a result of this procedure, the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract is moistened, the excitability of the reflex cough center decreases, sputum is liquefied and the smooth muscles of the bronchi are relaxed. In addition to all this, all of the above drugs play the role of anesthetics and analgesics.

Thinning sputum when coughing

Long-term medical practice has developed methods that contribute to the speedy recovery by thinning sputum when coughing. These can be folk recipes and proven facts.

The maximum increase in fluid intake during the day. Drinking normalizes the water balance of an exhausted body, while the sputum secreted acquires a liquefied consistency. With a hard cough, the use of alkaline nutrition is acceptable. The chemical composition of mineral water contributes to easier sputum production and subsequent disposal of it. It is also very important to include fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.

Carrying out inhalations. These procedures carried out with a solution of medicinal herbs also have a liquefaction effect. The composition is as follows: one tablespoon of sage, thyme, coltsfoot and chamomile. Everything is poured with boiling water, after which it is infused for an hour, after which one tablespoon of soda and eucalyptus oil is added. Inhalation should be done twice a day

Liquefaction of sputum with medications. The use of the following agents is effective: lazolvan, ambroxol, ACC. All of them are prescribed by the attending physician and are indicated for tracheitis and bronchitis, when sputum is difficult to come out.

A decoction of pigeon cyanosis. This is an old folk remedy that greatly facilitates the process of liquefying sputum. Moisturizes the mucous membrane of the bronchi, makes it possible to simplify the waste of sputum by alleviating dry cough.

Figs. Very good when it comes to annoying cough or viscous sputum. Figs should be cut into two halves and placed in a glass of milk. The appearance of the desired shade indicates that the composition is ready.

Yellow sputum when coughing

Often, during an illness that is accompanied by a cough, many people notice sputum production. Can this be considered normal? What should be sputum and are its characteristics so important? For example, yellow sputum when coughing - what does this mean? Let's try to briefly answer all these questions.

Sputum is secretions produced in the bronchi and trachea. Such secretions are not always considered a sign of illness, as the respiratory organs regularly produce small amounts of mucus. This is necessary in order to create an obstacle at the right time for the penetration of foreign particles (for example, dust or chemicals) into the lungs along with air. In addition, the mucus contains special cells that help fight bacteria. Normally, sputum can only be transparent.

Sputum is considered pathological when its characteristics change - color, composition, quantity, etc. Doctors attach particular importance to the color of bronchial secretions.

Causes of yellow sputum when coughing

Sputum can be secreted in various diseases of the respiratory tract and excreted from them during coughing and expectoration. The amount of discharge can also be different, from a single appearance in the initial stage of bronchitis or pneumonia to one and a half liters with purulent pulmonary pathologies.

The degree of expectoration depends on how passable the bronchi are, as well as on the position of the patient's body (the discharge may increase in a horizontal position, lying on the healthy side).

Expectoration of secretions in most cases indicates the presence of a disease, especially if the sputum differs in any characteristic color. For example, yellow sputum when coughing can go away with pneumonia, with a viral infection and bronchitis, with purulent processes in the lungs (abscess, bronchiectasis).

However, yellow discharge is not always a sign of the disease. For example, it may be a characteristic cough symptom in heavy smokers. Sometimes yellow sputum appears due to the use of yellow-colored foods or drinks (for example, citrus fruits, carrot juice, etc.).

Who to contact?

Pulmonologist Family doctor General practitioner

Diagnostics

Sputum is a pathological secret of the bronchi and trachea, which is brought out with the help of coughing movements. These secretions are a very important diagnostic material. They are collected in a special transparent glass container: this is usually done in the morning, before meals, after brushing your teeth and washing your throat.

Also, a good material for diagnosis can serve as a liquid after bronchoscopy (bronchial lavage).

The study of bronchial secretion can be carried out in several ways. Let's consider each of them separately.

• Macroscopic analysis determines the main characteristics of sputum: volume, shade, odor, density, composition. For example, the yellow color is explained by the presence of a purulent component in the discharge, and the greater the percentage of pus, the more the yellow color changes towards greenish. Yellow-green sputum when coughing is an indicator of a purulent process in the respiratory system. Sometimes pus is present even in the form of clots or lumps.
• Microscopic analysis of sputum is carried out with staining of the preparation and without staining. In the secretions, cells of squamous and cylindrical epithelium, macrophages, siderophages, coniophages, atypical cells, and blood cells can be found. In some cases, you can find a number of fibrous formations (elastic, fibrous fibers, Kurshman's spirals), as well as Charcot-Leyden crystals, cholesterol, fatty acids.
• Bacteriological seeding on nutrient media - helps to determine the causative agent of the disease, assess its sensitivity to antibacterial drugs.

In rare cases, additional types of diagnostics may be prescribed, such as a luminescent microscopy method, flotation and electrophoresis (as methods for the accumulation of microorganisms).

Treatment of yellow sputum when coughing

To effectively treat yellow sputum when coughing, the following points must be considered:

• treatment is prescribed only after determining the cause of the disease;
• medications and doses can only be prescribed on an individual basis, taking into account the underlying disease, comorbidities, and the patient's response to drugs.

In the presence of secretions during a cough, it is recommended to take a large amount of liquid, mainly in the form of warm tea or herbal infusions. Herbs with expectorant, anti-inflammatory, enveloping action are used - these are sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, marshmallow, etc.

In the absence of contraindications, inhalations are carried out with sodium bicarbonate, essential oils.

Of the drugs shown are the following:

• means with an expectorant effect that reduce the concentration of bronchial secretions and facilitate its excretion (ammonium chloride, thermopsis);
• agents with mucoregulatory action (carbocysteine, ambroxol) - contribute to the expulsion of sputum from the bronchi, help antibacterial drugs get into the bronchi;
• mucolytics (ACC) - normalize coughing up secretions from the bronchi;
• antihistamines (with allergic etiology of cough).

Antibiotics are taken only when necessary, and only after an accurate diagnosis of the cause of the cough has been made.

Prevention

Prevention of yellow sputum when coughing is determined by the prevention of complications of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. What should be taken into account in order to prevent the development of purulent processes in the lungs?

It must be remembered that the inflammatory process in the bronchi most often occurs as a result of improper or insufficient treatment of acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections. Therefore, a cold or flu should be treated rather than expected to "go away" on its own.

Regardless of the presence of diseases of the respiratory system, as a preventive measure, you can adhere to the following rules:

• smoking is harmful, even if it is not you who smoke, but someone nearby. Inhaling nicotine increases the risk of chronic bronchitis or emphysema;
• during epidemics of colds and viral diseases, it is necessary to avoid crowded public places;
• sometimes it makes sense to get vaccinated against influenza or pneumonia, especially with reduced immunity or a tendency to respiratory diseases;
• do not forget about personal hygiene, wash your hands after you come from the street, and also before each meal;
• Include more fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet. It is useful to drink infusions and fruit drinks from berries, rose hips, citrus fruits, mint;
• eat fully, because in the cold season it is highly recommended not to adhere to "strict" and even more so "hungry" diets, as this significantly weakens the immune system;
• dress according to the weather, do not allow hypothermia and overheating of the body.

When a cough appears, it is better to postpone all affairs for a while and consult a doctor: timely treatment started often serves as the best prevention of complications and undesirable consequences.

Forecast

Often a wet cough seems to us a common and non-serious disease, however, this is not so, especially since yellow sputum when coughing is not at all a harmless symptom. If the disease is ignored, then without the necessary treatment, quite serious health consequences can occur. Insufficiently cured cough with acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections, as well as with acute bronchitis or tracheitis, can contribute to the development of pneumonia. Inflammation of the lungs is a rather dangerous and insidious disease that requires mandatory treatment in a hospital with the use of antibacterial potent drugs.

The acute form of bronchitis, which many people prefer to carry on their feet, can become chronic without appropriate therapy. The chronic form of bronchitis may require a long and difficult treatment. Improper treatment of chronic inflammation of the bronchi can serve as a factor in the development of an abscess, bronchial asthma or pneumonia.

Yellow sputum when coughing is more than enough reason to see a doctor. In no case should purulent processes in the respiratory tract be started, otherwise the consequences may be unpredictable.

What can cause a strong cough with phlegm

A strong cough with sputum is always unpleasant, constant attempts to cough up, the release of a bad-smelling liquid irritate the patient and others, this condition occurs in various diseases, but in order for the treatment to be effective, it is necessary to accurately determine the cause of the disease.

Cough with sputum is a syndrome of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, in which purulent or serous secretions accumulate in the bronchi and lungs.

Causes of cough with phlegm

1. The most common cause is viral diseases in the resolution stage, the cough is not too strong, there is little sputum, it is clear and liquid, in case of a bacterial infection, the sputum becomes more abundant, thick, yellow or greenish in color, mixed with pus. If, after an acute respiratory viral infection or a cold, the child’s cough intensified and copious sputum appeared, then his condition should be carefully monitored: an increase in body temperature, a sharp deterioration in the condition, frequent, severe cough indicate the spread of inflammation to the lower bronchi and lungs.

2. Sinusitis and sinusitis - inflammatory diseases of the sinuses are often accompanied by a strong wet cough due to fluid draining into the respiratory tract. In this case, the patient has a cough without fever, aggravated in the morning. In such a situation, the underlying disease should be treated, not the symptom.

3. Bronchitis - a strong wet cough with sputum difficult to separate - the main symptom of progressive inflammation of the bronchi, as the disease progresses, the cough becomes more severe, and sputum is excreted in greater quantities.

4. A painful frequent cough with sputum difficult to separate in a child occurs with an infectious disease such as whooping cough, this disease is characterized by very strong painful attempts to cough up, possibly vomiting, loss of consciousness and shortness of breath. If a child has an increase in body temperature, wheezing and frequent bouts of coughing, it is urgent to consult a pediatrician, since whooping cough needs to be treated in a hospital.

5. Pneumonia - frequent and severe cough, accompanied by the release of a large amount of purulent sputum, occurs with inflammation of the lungs, in this case, the child or adult has a sharp increase in body temperature to 39-40, weakness, chest pain and general deterioration.

6. Chronic diseases - persistent cough with sputum, without fever, can be a symptom of chronic lung diseases such as tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, oncological processes in the lungs.

7. Allergic diseases - constant irritation of the mucous membranes in case of allergies can provoke the appearance of a wet cough, which intensifies in the morning with a meager separation of transparent "glassy" sputum.

Treatment

Treating a wet cough should begin with determining the cause of its occurrence. Most often it occurs due to a viral or bacterial infection, in this case, the main goal of treatment is to remove microorganisms from the respiratory tract, cleanse and regenerate them.

1. Mucolytic and expectorant drugs - dilute sputum and contribute to its removal from the bronchi and lungs. When treating a child, they most often use: Bromhexine, Ambro (Ambroxol, Ambrobene), licorice syrup, ACC, Lazolvan and other expectorant sprays or syrups.

2. It is necessary to drink several liters of alkaline liquid per day, this will help to avoid dehydration and facilitate the removal of sputum.

3. Physiotherapy procedures are very useful - especially when treating a child of the first years of life, consult your doctor about the possibility of prescribing physiotherapy or do it at home - for this, warming ointments and compresses on the chest, mustard plasters or just dry heat on the neck and chest area are used.

4. Folk methods - "grandmother's recipes" can be used as an additional treatment or for mild forms of the disease, but, in any case, you should definitely consult with your doctor.

• lemon with honey - mix 100 g of honey and 1 crushed lemon, use 1 teaspoon before meals,
• infusion of sage - pour a full tablespoon of dry leaves with 200 ml of boiling water, insist, dilute with the same amount of warm water or milk and drink throughout the day. The infusion is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating mothers,
• black radish juice with honey - mix 100 g of honey with the juice of 1 black radish, the dose for an adult patient is half a teaspoon of the composition 2-3 times a day.

Treatment of wet cough should be carried out under the supervision of a physician, since only a qualified specialist can accurately determine the cause of the disease.

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

Many are accustomed to seeing clear discharge from the mouth, but sometimes you can see a shade that causes panic. 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.

Dead bacteria treated with protective proteins come out with green sputum in adults. 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 has greenish discharge when coughing, 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 a complete diagnosis. Here are the most dangerous diseases, why green mucus appears when you cough:

• 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 sputum discharge of a greenish color require immediate contact with the clinic.

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 tinge. Antibacterial therapy is 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.

Abundant or scanty green sputum when coughing is an alarm signal that characterizes a number of diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract.

Self-medication in the presence of such a symptom is dangerous development of serious, life-threatening consequences.

Coughing is a natural clearing mechanism respiratory tract from foreign particles or bacteria.

According to its intensity, color and density of the separated secret, pathogenic processes occurring in the human body are judged.

Normally, it is colorless, has a liquid consistency and is easily removed from the tracheobronchial tree.

Green or yellow-green sputum indicates damage to the respiratory system by a bacterial agent.

Most often in the study of biomaterial streptococci, staphylococci, Klebsiella and various protozoa are found.

A similar color is formed due to the presence of pus in the mucus, dead cells of the pathogen, leukocytes, the number of which increases sharply with inflammation in the lower airways.

Note! As a rule, this color is not typical for the acute form of the disease, it rather indicates the activation of the bacterial flora, which is a complication of its course or chronic processes.

Accompanying symptoms

A productive cough with a characteristic color of secretions is not a unique symptom that can accurately determine the type of pathology.

He only talks about severe inflammation that cannot be ignored.

Let us consider in more detail the main symptoms of each disease, in which green sputum is coughed up:

Not always coughing up greenish mucus indicates pathologies of the lower respiratory tract.

Sinusitis, sinusitis, laryngitis are diseases in which greenish mucus is also expectorated. However, in this case, the nasopharynx becomes the place of its accumulation.

Also, a similar symptom is observed in smokers.. Often a viscous greenish secret in this case is separated in the morning.

Diagnostics

Since expectorant thick green sputum is a symptom of many respiratory diseases, differential diagnosis is necessary.

The patient's first priority is immediate appeal to the doctor - the local therapist.

To establish the reasons leading to a thickening of the secret and a change in its color, sometimes general research methods are sufficient: questioning, examining the lymph nodes, throat, and listening to the lungs using a phonendoscope.

As a rule, during auscultation, moist rales are recorded, indicating an inflammatory process in the tracheobronchial tree of a chronic or acute nature.

The exceptions are sinusitis and adenoiditis - diseases in which mucus accumulates in the nasopharynx and does not descend into the respiratory tract.

• clinical blood test;
• Analysis of urine;
• radiography;
• bacteriological examination of sputum.

Depending on the alleged diagnosis, in order to confirm or refute it, the therapist has the right to refer a person for additional advice from highly specialized specialists - a pulmonologist, a phthisiatrician, an oncologist.

Also, during the examination, additional diagnostic measures may be prescribed:

1. Computed or magnetic resonance imaging.
2. Bronchoscopy.
3. Spirometry.
4. Ultrasound diagnostics.

Based on all the data obtained, the optimal therapy for a particular case is selected.

Treatment

To eliminate congestion in the lungs, medication and physiotherapy are used.

In addition, traditional methods treatments are often supplemented with traditional medicine recipes:, herbal decoctions and infusions.

Medical

Since in most cases green sputum is a sign of bacterial infection, antibacterial drugs form the basis of treatment.

In modern medical practice, the following groups of antibiotics are used for respiratory diseases:

In case of pathology of the lungs or bronchi caused by a fungal pathogen, the antimycotic drug "Amphoglucamine" is used 2 times a day for 2 weeks.

In addition to antibiotic therapy, which directly affects the focus of inflammation, are used drugs that reduce the viscosity of the discharge -.

They have a devastating effect on protein bonds, due to which the secret is liquefied and more easily released from the bronchi. This pharmacological group is represented by medicines with synthetic and natural composition.

The most famous and effective representatives of mucolytics are "Acetylcysteine", "Prospan".

An equally important part of the treatment of productive cough are expectorant drugs based on ambroxol or bromhexine.

They are used in conjunction with mucolytics and contribute to the speedy release of the respiratory tract from accumulated pathogenic mucus.

Important! A productive cough cannot be suppressed by taking drugs that depress the cough reflex (Stoptussin, Sinekod), as this will provoke mucus stagnation and complications in the form of pneumonia.

Way of life

In addition to drug therapy, it is necessary to follow general recommendations that facilitate the removal of mucous secretions from the respiratory tract, namely:

Folk methods

Alternative medicine recipes for respiratory pathologies are indispensable. However, it should be borne in mind that they directly affect only the discharge of sputum, diluting it.

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The inflammatory process, which has become the cause of abundant pathological discharge, is stopped only by medication.

Therefore, a variety of decoctions are prescribed exclusively in addition to the main therapy.

Consider a few effective recipes:

Important! Any warming procedures are strictly prohibited to use when the body temperature rises. Any thermal effect provokes a worsening of the condition and an increase in fever.

Despite the safety of alternative medicine, they should be used after consulting a doctor.

Prevention

As you know, most of the above diseases can be prevented. Moreover, this is quite simple and less expensive to do than to treat it later.

To prevent the appearance of green sputum, doctors advise following these recommendations:

In addition, we must not forget to undergo preventive examinations with a therapist and take basic tests: a clinical study of blood, urine and fluorography once a year.

The appearance of a cough during a disease indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the respiratory organs or nasopharynx. By the nature and frequency of coughing, it is possible to determine which organ is affected and what kind of pathology is present.

A detailed study of the nature of the cough, along with other symptoms, can help make the correct diagnosis, and therefore contribute to the appointment of adequate treatment and a quick recovery.

The cough may be dry or wet with exudate. Sputum or secretory fluid in the body of a healthy person is excreted in small quantities, has no color and has a protective function. In the patient's body, its amount increases, and it begins to change color. Green sputum when coughing means that pathogenic microbes from the source of infection in the respiratory or nasopharyngeal organs, as well as sputum of a different color, enter it.

With a pathological inflammatory process, the color of the expectorated mucus may vary and indicate various diseases. For example, sputum with red patches may indicate the presence of tuberculosis or oncology in a patient, and vitreous mucus may indicate bronchial asthma.

But most often there is a cough with yellow sputum. Liquid yellow exudate is a sign of a viral disease.

Thick pale yellow or yellow mucus when coughing indicates the presence of a bacterial infection and purulent inflammation. Green sputum when coughing means that the inflammation is congestive.

Mucus stagnation can occur with sinusitis, tracheobronchitis, acute or chronic bronchitis during an exacerbation, pneumonia, purulent pleurisy or lung abscess.

All these diseases are accompanied by a productive cough, and occur as a result of the penetration of Gram-positive and Gram-negative coccal or other types of bacteria, virus or fungus into the body by airborne droplets. And if at the beginning of the disease the expectorated sputum is most often yellowish, then on the 4-5th day of the course of the disease, with insufficient or no treatment, it acquires a purulent green color and even an unpleasant odor.

In addition to a productive cough, infectious diseases of the respiratory tract and nasopharynx may be accompanied by other symptoms: purulent mucous discharge from the nose, chest pain, shortness of breath, fever.

Important

The absence of fever when coughing with green sputum may indicate either the inability of the body to fight the infection on its own, or other causes of coughing, for example, nicotine pathology.

The presence of green sputum when coughing and the absence of fever is a serious reason to see a doctor. Another important reason to see a doctor is a prolonged productive cough. A cough that does not go away for a month or less, but against the background of the received treatment, is called chronic and protracted.

Such cases of persistent cough require additional examination to determine the causes of occurrence and prescribe treatment in accordance with the results of the examination. To the standard diagnostic methods for coughing with green sputum - X-ray of the lungs and a blood test, with a prolonged cough, it is necessary to add a laboratory analysis of sputum and blood for mycoplasmas and chlamydia, bronchoscopy, spirometric examination of respiratory parameters, ultrasound of the lungs and chest, tomography, Mantoux test and histological research to rule out cancer.

Green sputum: how to treat it

Green sputum and the principles of its treatment for coughing in adults and children are similar.

Therapy should be carried out only after determining the preliminary cause of the cough and in accordance with the individual characteristics of the organism.

However, in children it is more difficult to establish the cause of such a cough, especially in the absence of fever.

Also, the influence of individual characteristics of the organism on therapy for coughing with green sputum in children is much higher than in adults. Some medications recommended for the treatment of wet cough in adults are contraindicated in childhood.

In addition to infectious etiology, in children, a cough with green sputum can be caused by:

The productive cough therapy system focuses on several areas:

1. Destruction of viruses, bacteria and fungi that caused the disease.
2. Mucus liquefaction.
3. Efficient expectoration.

Based on this system, patients are prescribed:

1. Antibiotics, antiviral and antifungal drugs.
2. Expectorant drugs that reduce the density of sputum.
3. Mucolytic agents that promote the discharge of liquefied sputum.

In some cases, antihistamines are added to this regimen. It is categorically impossible to limit cough and suppress this reflex in the treatment of productive cough. To achieve the maximum effect, it is recommended to combine drugs of synthetic origin and herbal medicine.

Many herbal antitussive preparations, for example, with plantain, are of a combined nature, which allows you to simultaneously alleviate the course of the inflammatory process, contribute to the thinning and discharge of sputum and get rid of cough of any origin. The versatility of herbal remedies makes it possible to effectively use them in the treatment of cough in children and adults.

Expectorant medicines have a different principle of action: resorptive and reflex. The drugs of the first group act on the bronchi, thinning and removing sputum directly through the blood, and the drugs of the second group, which include some essential oils, licorice, marshmallow and others, stimulate the receptors of the stomach, salivary glands and bronchial mucosa, contributing to the thinning of mucus.

What to do if green sputum is coughed up

All medications for the treatment of wet cough must be taken strictly according to the doctor's prescription in exactly the indicated dosage. However, folk remedies can also alleviate the condition of a patient who expectorates green sputum.

There is an alternative therapy when green sputum is coughed up when coughing:

1. A warming cocktail made with fresh strong tea, salt, butter and 1/4 cup milk. It must be drunk hot and in small sips.
2. A compress of boiled potatoes crushed with soda or black bread with honey. Such compresses effectively warm, help thin the exudate and help you fall asleep.
3. Mustard plasters have a similar effect to compresses.
4. Circular chest massage. It must be performed often, but smoothly, while rubbing a cough remedy with essential oils.
5. Inhalations increase the outflow of mucus, reducing the effects of stagnation. Good for coughing with green sputum inhalation with soda, salt or decoction of pine buds. Breathe in concentrated steam slowly and deeply, covered with a blanket. Inhalation is not recommended for very young children.
6. Herbal decoctions, herbal teas. Herbs that are part of ready-made pharmaceutical herbal medicines can be brewed on their own and drunk throughout the day.
7. Black radish juice with honey is considered a very effective remedy for a productive cough.

The patient at home needs rest and plenty of fluids.

A large amount of liquid will help reduce the viscosity of mucus and its better expectoration.

To relieve nasal congestion and to avoid mucus running down the nasopharynx into the bronchi and subsequent stagnation, it is necessary to rinse the nasal passage with saline as often as possible. Fresh air is also useful for patients, but at the same time, walks should be short, instead of walking, each room can be well ventilated separately.

The room should be quite humid - dry air dries out the mucous membranes and irritates the cough center.

To prevent a cough with green sputum, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner and treat the existing pathologies, preventing the occurrence of complications in the form of congestive processes. For the general prevention of diseases of the respiratory tract and nasopharynx, you need to: strengthen the immune system, sleep enough, eat varied and high quality, avoid stress, be physically active.