(5) In fact, people who smoke frequently are prone to chronic mucus hypersecretion (CMH), also called chronic bronchitis. Smoking can irritate the respiratory lining in the nose and the lungs and trigger the excessive secretion of mucus and phlegm. This mucus often becomes condensed and sticky, thereby forming phlegm. Dehydrationĭehydration can activate histamine in the airways, which often leads to an overproduction of mucus in the respiratory tract. This leads to the buildup of phlegm in the respiratory tract. Indoor thermoregulation (heating or air conditioning) can suck the moisture from your surrounding environment.īreathing in arid air for prolonged periods can dry out your airways, which reduces the effectiveness of the cilia, which are tiny hair-like projections that line the respiratory passages and propel the movement of mucus. The following factors can trigger the production of phlegm: 1. Charcoal-grey or blackish phlegmĬharcoal-grey or blackish phlegm, also known as melanoptysis, is common in chain smokers and certain pathologies such as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (anthracosis). However, bloody sputum, especially when caused by infection, can look brownish. Brown phlegmīrown phlegm may be observed in smokers and patients who have cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis. White phlegm is produced during allergies, asthma, and viral infections. However, pink, especially frothy, phlegm can also indicate increased pressure in the lung vessels associated with congestive heart failure (CHF). In such a case, the blood can seep out of the vessel and mix with the mucus to give it pink or red streaks. Pink, red, or bloody phlegm is, usually, the result of excessive, forceful, or prolonged coughing fits that exert a lot of pressure on your lungs and can rupture small blood vessels. The greater the number of these cells, the greener your phlegm will be. Your body directs an increased number of white blood cells to the respiratory tract to fight the infection, some of which contain a green-colored protein that discolors the mucus. Yellow-green phlegm is suggestive of an infection. Phlegm can be of different colors depending upon the underlying issue: 1. The dense mucus coughed up from the lungs is known as phlegm or sputum. Mucus is naturally colorless and runny, but it usually becomes thick and discolored during an infection or some other health problem. (2) Even in children, it is the second most common symptom of respiratory disease, next only to runny nose. Nearly 10% of the entire adult population of the world suffers from chronic wet cough. The excessive production of mucus and phlegm in the respiratory tract over a prolonged period is the starting point of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).ĬOPD affects more than 200 million people globally and is likely to become the third leading cause of mortality in the world by 2030, according to the WHO estimates.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |