Causes of wet cough
In a healthy person, phlegm or mucus is constantly excreted without irritating the receptors in the bronchi.
But during the inflammatory process, the composition of mucus and its consistency changes: viscosity increases, water content decreases and protein increases. In most cases, the causes of productive cough are infectious diseases of the respiratory tract (respiratory infections), including:
- viral infections;
- pneumonia;
- acute and chronic bronchitis;
- laryngotracheitis;
- whooping cough, etc.
The following can also trigger a cough with phlegm:
- allergy;
- heart failure;
- tuberculosis;
- cystic fibrosis;
- oncological diseases.
Any of these factors can cause mucus (phlegm) to build up, resulting in a cough. On the one hand, coughing helps remove mucus from the respiratory tract, and on the other hand, it leads to the spread of inflammation in the bronchi.
Cough in children: causes and treatment
Associated symptoms
Rusty sputum is never the only symptom of certain diseases. Most often we are talking about the following manifestations:
- Hyperthermia. Simply put, an increase in body temperature. It is observed in the range from 37.1 to 39 degrees Celsius, depending on the nature of the current pathological process. With cancer, patients and doctors note constant hyperthermia at the level of low-grade fever. Infectious diseases are classified by high thermometer readings.
- Pain syndrome behind the sternum. When inhaling and exhaling. A nonspecific manifestation, typical of many pathologies.
- Respiratory failure. Shortness of breath, suffocation. Paroxysmal character or constant breathing problems. It all depends on the type of pathogenic process.
- Heaviness in the chest, whistling, wheezing when breathing. Indicate narrowing of the bronchi due to stenosis or occlusion (blockage).
Thus, sputum is not the only symptom, but allows you to determine the vector for further diagnosis.
Color of sputum when coughing
Remember that a diagnosis cannot be made based solely This requires competent advice from a specialist.
Yellow color of sputum
Yellow mucus occurs when there is an infection in the respiratory system. At the initial stages of a cold, a yellow color appears, which later, during the inflammatory process, can turn into a greenish tint. Yellow sputum may contain pus.
Yellow color appears with sinusitis, influenza and ARVI, bronchitis, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, abscess, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis. Bright canary-colored sputum may indicate pulmonary aspergillosis.
Green phlegm
Green sputum occurs due to a bacterial infection (streptococci, staphylococci). The green color of mucus is characteristic of diseases: sinusitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, purulent bronchitis, pneumonia, lung abscess.
Rust-colored sputum
Brown or rust-colored sputum occurs mainly in people who smoke, as combustion products accumulate in the lungs of smokers.
A reddish-red hue indicates the appearance of blood in the respiratory system. This happens due to severe coughing, which causes small blood vessels to rupture.
Sputum of this color can be caused by inflammation of the bronchopulmonary system, lung abscess, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, and blockage of blood vessels.
Sputum with blood
Pink mucus can form with mild bleeding, and if this symptom does not go away within three days, the mucus takes on a reddish tint. Then you should definitely and immediately consult a doctor.
Red color of mucus can be due to diseases: lung abscess, pulmonary edema, tuberculosis, cancer, pulmonary infarction.
Foamy sputum
The appearance of a pinkish foamy formation sometimes indicates dangerous heart failure. If the mucus has a reddish tint and has a foamy structure, this may be a sign of anthrax.
Types of sputum
The following is a list of types of sputum and conditions/diseases in which such sputum can occur:
- viscous mucous sputum - bronchospastic processes, bronchial asthma - yellowish sputum with streaks of pus - pneumonia (pneumonia) - rusty sputum - lobar pneumonia - bright red sputum with blood content - necrotic process (infarction) of the lungs - yellow-brown sputum - lung abscess - foamy bloody sputum - pulmonary edema - clear sputum and blood fibers - bronchogenic lung cancer - bloody sputum - lung cancer - sputum with a sweetish unpleasant odor - purulent bronchitis - foul-smelling sputum - gangrene of the lung
Treatment of cough with phlegm
Expectorants
Expectorants include herbal preparations: licorice, marshmallow, thyme, ivy and others. They enhance the secretion of bronchial glands and facilitate the removal of mucus.
The effect of herbal medicines is short-lived: usually about 2-3 hours, so their use in pediatric practice is not recommended. Small children cannot cough up accumulated mucus themselves. Frequent use can lead to the accumulation of excessive secretions in the lungs, a gag reflex, and sometimes worsening the infection. It is also necessary to take into account that allergic reactions to medicinal plant extracts are possible.
Mucolytic drugs
Mucolytic drugs thin the sputum, making the mucus less thick and viscous, but its volume does not increase. Drugs in this group improve the physicochemical properties of sputum and reduce the adhesion of secretions to the walls of the respiratory tract. In combination with stimulation of the ciliated epithelium, the sliding and removal of mucus is facilitated.
Drugs that combine mucolytic and secretomotor effects are the most reasonable choice for the treatment of productive cough. Such drugs include: bromhexine, ambroxol, acetylcysteine and their analogues.
From dry cough to productive cough
Respiratory infections often begin with a dry cough. In this case, sputum is not released, and the pathogen that led to the cough begins to multiply and accumulate. This causes further inflammation of the respiratory system.
Very often, mucolytic drugs are used to convert a non-productive cough into a productive one. This is explained by the fact that with a non-productive cough:
- increased viscosity of secretions in the bronchi,
- the sliding of mucus along the bronchial tree is impaired,
- the activity of ciliated epithelial cells is insufficient.
In order to bring the pathogen out, you need to use medications that will not only promote expectoration, but also protect epithelial cells and restore their activity, which will affect the movement of mucus in the respiratory tract.
Classification
The consistency of sputum can be thick, viscous or thin and watery. When settling, in some cases it is divided into 2 or 3 layers. Based on physical properties (color, smell, transparency, other macroscopic characteristics), the following types of sputum are distinguished:
- Serous.
Isolated in acute left ventricular failure accompanied by pulmonary edema. Characterized by the absence of odor, watery consistency, and an abundance of foam. Serous sputum is usually colorless, sometimes has a pinkish tint. - Mucous.
The appearance of mucous discharge indicates the onset of inflammation of the respiratory tract or the attenuation of the activity of an acute pathological process. Sputum is coughed up in small quantities and is colorless, viscous mucus. - Mucopurulent.
Formed in the acute period of many respiratory diseases. This type of secretion is characterized by increased viscosity and the presence of yellow or green impurities. - Purulent.
Appears with severe inflammation, suppurative processes of the respiratory system. The consistency of the purulent secretion is liquid, the color is green or yellow-green, and sometimes there is a putrid odor.
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Purulent sputum
Bromhexine for cough with sputum
Bromhexine has a pronounced mucolytic and expectorant effect. It reduces the viscosity of sputum, increases secretory activity, and activates the movement of epithelial cilia in the bronchi. Thanks to these effects, mucus is removed and it does not accumulate in the lungs. In addition, the drug enhances the effect of antibiotics, increasing their effectiveness in fighting bacterial infections.
Bromhexine is used to treat respiratory diseases in all age groups. It is available in various dosage forms, has no toxicity to the body, combines well with many other drugs and has few contraindications.
Bromhexine: use and dosage
Diagnostics
Diagnosis is carried out by pulmonologists and phthisiatricians if there is a suspected tuberculosis process. In the case of cancer, you cannot do without consulting an oncologist.
At the initial appointment, the specialist interviews the patient about complaints, their nature, duration, and limitation. An anamnesis is collected, that is, the doctor determines what diseases the patient has suffered during his life.
It is important to identify the presence of a focus of chronic infectious lesions in the body, contact with tuberculosis patients and other important factors.
To put an end to the issue of the origin of the symptom, a number of instrumental and laboratory studies are carried out aimed at differentiating individual diagnoses.
Accordingly, the following are required:
- Bronchoscopy. An absolutely necessary study aimed at identifying bronchial pathologies. The doctor can evaluate the condition of the anatomical structures with his own eyes.
- X-ray of the lungs. It is carried out first.
- Fluorography. Reveals only the most severe changes in the condition of the chest organs.
- MRI/CT diagnostics. It can replace most studies and allows you to give a comprehensive picture of the disease-causing condition.
- Biopsy followed by histological and morphological examination.
- General blood analysis.
- Biochemistry of blood.
In total, these studies are sufficient to make a diagnosis.
Foamy and viscous cough
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Sputum may become slightly foamy when passing through the respiratory tract.
Normally, the volume per day should not exceed 10 ml. When it comes out, it is swallowed back. If everything is in order with a person’s health, the discharge has no odor.
Viscous sputum appears with allergies:
- if the pathological condition is severe;
- with frequent contact with a provocateur (allergen): the mucous membrane swells because of this, swelling occurs.
If the discharge is caused by an allergic reaction, there should be no admixtures of pus or blood clots in the mucus.
White or yellowish viscous sputum occurs with bronchial asthma and indicates a prolonged course of the disease. When the pathological condition worsens, the mucus becomes viscous and transparent. Sputum of this nature is called glassy.
If viscous mucopurulent discharge is observed, this indicates the addition of an infectious agent.
If viscous sputum occurs, you need to undergo diagnostics. If its consistency is quite thick, the mucus can clog the airways. This will lead to serious complications.
Symptoms
Characteristic symptoms of the pathology include:
- Intense hyperthermia.
- The release of a large amount of sputum of a rusty or reddish hue (with an active process).
- Chest pain.
- Shortness of breath.
- Suffocation.
- Cough.
- Blue discoloration of the face and nasolabial triangle due to hypoxia.
- Headaches and symptoms of general intoxication of the body.
It is impossible to distinguish lobar pneumonia from its other forms without radiography and other studies.
Rusty sputum is an alarming symptom that indicates many life-threatening diseases. Mandatory consultation with a specialist is required.
