What could be the tar-like thing seen after brushing?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a smoker for the past 10 years. Now reduced from last two to three months. During morning cough I can see tar kind of things after brushing. Why is it so?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You have been a smoker for 10 years, and I am not sure how many sticks or packs you consume in a day, that may help in quantifying your pack year. Now this cough is productive of dark tar stained mucus. Going by your symptoms and body weight, it seems you have really lost so much weight. I want to know for how long your cough has lasted whether it is more than three weeks or three months.

I want to know if you have drenching night sweat, and anorexia that is loss of appetite. Is there any change in your voice like hoarseness, do you have pains in your chest when you cough, any halitosis (smell mouth) difficulty with breathing or any pains with breathing. Do you get breathless on mild or moderate exertion, any dwellings of your feet?

Is your fever continuous and not relieved by Paracetamol or Ibuprofen? From all these, based on the history of long years of smoking, and the obvious wasting (weight loss) it is suggestive of a possible COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder), to rule out malignancy also possible ptb (pulmonary TB). Try and do a sputum microscopy culture and sensitivity, do a chest X-ray, but if you can afford a chest CT scan that will give a better image of your lungs. Do sputum AFB for TB get the results of the test for further review.