Introduction
Phlegm is mucus produced in the respiratory system, but it requires attention when it changes color. Ideally, it is mucus from the throat. When the respiratory tract gets infected, it usually changes its phlegm to different color depending upon the difference in the infections. Some of the common types of infections that affect the phlegm by changing its color are bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and rhinitis. This topic describes the different colors of phlegm because of different infections. The texture of phlegm changes because of the respiratory tract infection and the treatment for the phlegm.
What Is Phlegm?
Phlegm is a mucus that comes from the lungs. It is usually clear but can be green to yellow in the presence of bacterial infections. It can be of brown or black color, presenting the color of bleeding in the cough or mucus.
Why Does Phlegm Change Its Color?
Phlegm changes its color from clear form to different colors of green or yellow due to the presence of infections. Until the patient gets affected by the bacteria or any issues, it will not be noticed by the patient.
What Are the Different Colors of Phlegm?
On getting infected, the color of the phlegm also changes.
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Clear: It involves the water, salts, antibodies, and cells of the immune system. When it is produced in the respiratory system, most phlegm goes back into the throat before swallowing. It is sometimes associated with allergic rhinitis, viral bronchitis, and viral pneumonia.
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Black or Brown: Brown or black form of the phlegm is produced when bleeding is also seen. If the bleeding has happened before, it indicates chronic infections such as bronchitis; usually, people who smoke have been seen with brown phlegm. Sometimes, a fungal infection also presents with black phlegm. It is associated with bacterial bronchitis, bacteria bronchitis, pneumoconiosis, cystic fibrosis, and lung abscess. Black specifically can be related to smoking, fungal infections, and pneumoconiosis.
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White: When whitish phlegm is seen, it presents nasal congestion. When the patient suffers from nasal congestion that causes the tissues to inflame and discharge phlegm through the nasal tract, in this state, the phlegm is thicker, cloudy, and whitish. It is associated with viral bronchitis, GERD, COPD, and congestive heart failure.
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Yellow: Yellow phlegm is seen in cases of the infection sites as the white cells work there to control germs attack, and the phlegm takes that yellowish tinge. It is mostly associated with bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, and sinusitis.
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Green: Greenish phlegm indicates a robust immune response. It involves white blood cells, immune cells, germs, and proteins. They usually represent a viral infection and do not require any antibiotic treatment, as they can be treated in a few days. But if it does not get healed, then it can be a bacterial infection. It is also associated with bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, and sinusitis.
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Red: When a red color phlegm appears, it means the presence of blood in the phlegm. When the cough and the respiratory infection lead to blood vessels of the lungs breaking or bleeding, the presence of nasal passage swells and bleeds, and even the nose gets bleeds. It is associated with tuberculosis, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, lung cancer, and congestive heart failure.
What Are the Textures of Phlegm?
Phlegm has a different texture which can be thick, watery, or tacky. At the same time, the healthy texture of the phlegm is thin and watery. The texture changes in the infection, as the infection forms a thicker, sticker, and cloudier phlegm.
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The coughing and sneezing remove the excess phlegm and mucus from the nasal passage, but they do not involve the respiratory tract.
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Illness, infection, sleeping, and dehydration are some of the reasons for the slow removal of phlegm.
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Pink and frothy phlegm is sometimes present due to heart failure or other associated symptoms like shortness of breath, sweating, or chest pain.
How Is Phlegm Treated?
The abnormal phlegm is treated with antibiotics to treat the green or yellowish phlegm. But there are different remedies for phlegm. Some of them are:
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Humidifiers: The use of humidifiers loosens the sticky phlegm by keeping them moist, which makes it easy to cough the phlegm from the throat.
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Saltwater Gargles: Gargling with salt water to ease the clearance of the throat in viral and bacterial infections. Usually, a cup of warm water with a half teaspoon or quarter teaspoon of salt is added and dissolved for the gargles. The gargling process moistens the throat's sticky phlegm and loosens them to clear the throat.
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Eucalyptus or Peppermint Oil: Eucalyptus or peppermint oil are the active ingredients that work as chest rubs. As these are rubbed over the chest, they cause a bit of relaxation, improve the breathing of the patient, and lead to productive coughs to clear the phlegm out of the throat.
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Expectorants: Using the expectorants like Guaifenesin and others like potassium iodide loosens the mucus as they are very sticky. These expectorants instead loosen them by thinning the phlegm. It can be used to clear phlegm in both children and adults.
What Is the Exact Time to See the Doctor?
Phlegm is normally released from the respiratory tract by the left unnoticeable. If the phlegm color is clear, yellow, and green, then the patient should wait a few days as it can get healed and stop coming. But if the patient gets black, brown, or red color phlegm, then it needs medical attention as it can be a very serious type of lung infection, so the doctor requires different types of tests like sputum culture and X-rays for the initial causes of the infections. The doctor can also ask the patient about other symptoms like cough and cold for the proper diagnosis of the condition.
Conclusion
Phlegm is mostly produced to protect the respiratory system of the body. Therefore, it is left unnoticeable by the healthy patient. Suppose the patient is dealing with some respiratory tract infection like bronchitis, a viral and bacterial infection; then, the phlegm changes its color to yellow or green depending upon the type of infection. Different colors and even the texture of phlegm change if the infection is serious and requires medical attention. Although some of the phlegm color changes can be treated by them, it mostly requires a dose of antibiotics or some home remedies to treat them all.
