Phlegm is a gelatinous liquid that traps foreign agents in the respiratory tract. Its color indicates the type of infection, with yellow or greenish-yellow mucus indicating an active infection, and red mucus indicating bleeding. Brown mucus is caused by old, stagnant blood, and pink, foamy mucus is a sign of pulmonary edema.
Phlegm is a sticky, gelatinous liquid secreted by the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract of humans and mammals in general. It consists mainly of lipids, glycoproteins and immunoglobins, as well as other substances. Its function is generally to trap foreign agents that could enter the body through the respiratory tract. Excess phlegm is produced as a sign that the body is fighting some sort of infection. The composition and color of phlegm can vary greatly, from watery to thick or clear to brownish, depending on the environment and the state of the body’s immune system at any given time.
Working to not only lubricate the airways and nasal passages, phlegm can also trap dust, allergens, viruses and bacteria that enter the body from the outside. These foreign bodies are trapped and neutralized by the mucus and then expelled from the body through coughing or sneezing. This is why, while cough suppressants may provide relief, they may also suppress the immune system’s necessary waste clearance.
The color of the mucus that is expelled is generally an indicator of the type of infection a person has. Normal mucus from a healthy body is typically, but not always, light in color and usually thin in composition. An irritation of the nasal passage, such as that caused by allergies or asthma, can result in whiter, thicker mucus. White or clear mucus may still be present during the initial stage of the flu, but will still be contagious during that time. Constantly coughing up white or clear mucus could indicate a mild viral infection, most of which clear up on their own within five to seven days.
Yellow or greenish-yellow mucus generally indicates an active infection. During this time, the mucus will consist more of dead white blood cells and dead bacteria or viruses. This is because dead cells that had been fighting infection are cleared from the body through phlegm, resulting in a yellowish color.
Green mucus still indicates an infection, but increasingly inactive. The green color is essentially caused by active yellow phlegm that has become stagnant and has turned green. More rarely, coughing up green mucus can be a symptom of cystic fibrosis.
Red mucus, or redness within healthy-looking mucus, is usually a sign of bleeding. This may have a benign cause, such as a nosebleed or a cut in the nostril from scratching or rubbing. A high concentration of blood in the mucus, or small spots or streaks of blood over a long period of time, can indicate something more serious, such as bleeding in the lungs, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Coughing up blood can be a symptom of a serious internal injury or disease, such as tuberculosis, and should be checked out with a doctor as soon as possible.
Brown mucus is typically caused by old, stagnant blood. Smokers may also have brown mucus, and many will often pass it as a response to the chronic bronchial inflammation caused by smoking. A smoker’s mucus will typically have a gritty texture when examined. This is because the cilia that normally trap foreign bodies such as dust and dirt have been damaged by smoking. Increasingly brownish mucus in a smoker can indicate underlying breathing problems.
Pink mucus can sometimes be an indication of asthma due to a specific type of white blood cell present during the condition. Pink, foamy mucus, however, is a classic sign of pulmonary edema, a serious disease that, if left untreated, could lead to coma or death. Foam in mucus usually comes from a buildup of fluid in the lungs. Any case of foamy mucus should be checked with a doctor as soon as possible.
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