What does a sputum cough talk about and how to treat it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

There are several dangerous signs that you should run to the doctor.

Doctors call a wet cough productive - because it produces phlegm. It is mucus from the bronchi, lungs, or sinuses.

A wet cough is a sign that more mucus is being produced than normal. This can happen for a variety of reasons.

Where does the cough with phlegm come from?

The main task of mucus is to envelop and remove various pathogens from the body. Therefore, a cough with sputum production, as a rule, indicates that the respiratory system has been attacked by foreign particles, be it viruses, bacteria or something else. Here are some of the most common causes of these irritants:

• Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) … In the case of colds, a productive cough is caused by mucus running down the back of the throat.
• Other infections … With a wet cough, the body can react to viral and bacterial inflammations in the lungs and upper respiratory tract: pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis and other sinusitis, tuberculosis.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease … Usually, a sputum cough is a sign of an exacerbation of existing COPD.
• Heartburn … A burning sensation that occurs behind the sternum and rises to the throat is a sign that gastric juice is entering the esophagus. In order to prevent possible irritation of the nasopharynx, mucus begins to be released - the same one that makes a person cough up.
• Runny nose … It doesn't matter what caused it: even a cold, even an allergy, even dust, cigarette smoke or other irritant. Mucus in the nose runs down the back of the throat and causes a wet cough.
• Smoking or the habit of chewing tobacco … In this case, coughing up phlegm may indicate irritation of the throat, esophagus, or damage to the lungs.

There are also less common reasons. This, for example, asthma - asthma cough is most often dry, but sometimes it can be productive, associated with increased production of mucus. Or cystic fibrosis is a congenital disease in which excessively thick and sticky mucus is formed in the body, especially in the lungs.

A wet cough can also be a symptom of heart failure. In this case, coughing up usually produces white or pink mucus.

What to do if you have a wet cough

Observe your condition. If a cough is caused by relatively safe reasons - a cold, heartburn, runny nose, it will last no more than 2-3 weeks, gradually becoming less pronounced. This option does not need treatment and usually goes away on its own.

But there are a few additional signs that suggest that you should consult with a therapist as soon as possible. Here they are:

• Coughing up mucus with streaks and blood clots.
• You feel severe chest pain.
• You have severe shortness of breath.
• The cough is accompanied by a high fever.
• You smoke a lot.
• You have been in contact with a person with tuberculosis or have recently been to a region where the disease is common.
• You have a seriously reduced immunity: for example, you have been diagnosed with AIDS, HIV infection, or you are undergoing treatment related to taking immunosuppressive drugs.
• You have any kind of cancer.

It is also necessary to consult a doctor and determine the exact diagnosis if there are no dangerous symptoms and conditions, but a wet cough has become chronic - that is, it lasts more than 8 weeks.

How to treat a cough with phlegm

It depends on its cause. If you have consulted a doctor and the examination revealed this or that disease, it will be necessary to cure it. Then the wet cough - as a symptom - will also disappear.

If there is no reason to suspect that a productive cough is caused by a dangerous illness, it is enough Cough / NHS just not to overexert yourself, drink more fluids and wait for the body to cope with it. To alleviate the condition and recover faster, experts from the American medical resource Medical News Today recommend this:

1. Take over-the-counter expectorants and mucolytics. These medications thin the mucus, make it less sticky, and make it easier to flush out when you cough up. But before buying even over-the-counter drugs, it is worth consulting with your doctor.
2. Gargle with salt water. To do this, combine half a teaspoon of table salt with a glass of warm water. This solution reduces the amount of mucus in the back of the throat, thereby reducing the need to cough.