Sputum
Sputum is known as mucus, which is produced when the lungs become infected or infected. The body works to get rid of it by coughing. The body increases the mucus secretion of the phlegm when exposed to the infection to protect the lungs from the lingering foreign objects.
Causes of sputum
The components of phlegm differ depending on the health of the person. The color may change to another color, such as yellow or green, and may contain pus or blood. The most prominent diseases accompanied by the secretion of phlegm include:
- Smoking: Smoking accounts for 87% of lung cancer deaths. It is one of the main causes of a number of cancers and diseases. It affects the heart and blood vessels. It contributes greatly to pneumonia due to its weakening of the immune system in the body. It also causes cancer of the lips and tongue. , Mouth, pharynx, esophagus, lungs, and others. It is important to note that smokers suffer from a distinctive cough that the color of sputum is green and sometimes yellow, and can be accompanied by sputum in some cases, so it is recommended to abstain or reduce smoking to reduce the risk of all symptoms and associated diseases.
- Asthma, Asthma is one of the most common and chronic diseases in the world. Asthma sufferers are allergic to allergens such as dust, pollen, and animal feces due to bronchitis and constriction. The exposure to these triggers is difficult to breathe. , Chest pain, and cough (Cough). It is worth noting that the cough associated with asthma may be dry or accompanied by phlegm.
- Cystic Fibrosis: A genetic disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs of the body. It affects the mucus-producing cells, increasing its quantity, its wife and its thickness, thus increasing the chances of closing the air sacs. Get out of the lungs and enter them. The most common suffering of cystic fibrosis difficulty breathing, and accompanied by large quantities of sputum, in addition to a large number of diseases.
- Bronchitis: This infection affects the airways that carry air from the trachea to the alveoli. The most common complaint of this type of infection is coughing, and the sputum associated with the cough Transparent, yellow or green, and may have some blood. The disease is divided according to the duration of the cough accompanied by sputum, divided into two parts, one acute and continue to cough for three weeks, and the other chronic to continue coughing for at least three months.
- Pneumonia, Pneumonia is an inflammation of the alveoli of one or both lungs due to bacterial, viral or fungal infection. Vesicles are filled with fluid or pus, causing sputum and sputum. The phlegm may be yellow, green, or brown color, the sputum may appear in some blood. It is worth mentioning that some types of pneumonia may occur as a result of the entry of food or drink to the lung; the food caused by difficulty breathing and a state of fluctuation in consciousness.
- Tuberculosis (Tuberculosis): It is a serious infectious disease that affects the lungs in general. The disease can be transmitted from one person to another through a spray of sneezing or coughing. Although there is a vaccine for tuberculosis, it remains the leading cause of death among infectious diseases worldwide, with one out of three people infected, according to WHO statistics. The patient who has the signs of the disease suffers from general fatigue, loss of appetite, coughing; the color of sputum is green or maybe mixed with blood.
- Pulmonary embolism: Known as the blockage of a pulmonary artery in the lungs, this blockage occurs in most cases as a result of the transmission of blood clots from the legs to the lungs. Symptoms of pulmonary embolism vary depending on the size of the clot, the area of the affected part of the lung, and the presence of heart and lung diseases in the patient, including chest pain, difficulty breathing, cough accompanied by phlegm and blood.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease): chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract, preventing air from exhaling. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the most common causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and in fact does not appear symptoms of the disease until the lungs become severely damaged, and the most prominent symptoms of this disease, shortness of breath, especially in the exercise of physical activities, and acute cough accompanied by a spade, and the color of phlegm can be yellow, Or transparent.
Check with your doctor
Phlegm is associated with many diseases, as it is difficult to determine the seriousness without knowing the symptoms associated with it. It is recommended to see a doctor if phlegm accompanied by the emergence of one of the following:
- Symptoms of TB, accompanied by blood, exhaustion and night sweats, have been treated with antibiotics for six months if diagnosed.
- Symptoms of pneumonia such as difficulty breathing, fever, rapid heartbeat, treatment may vary depending on the severity of the disease.
- Severe cough for more than three weeks.
- Body temperature above 38 ° C for more than three days.
- Frequent bronchitis.
- The presence of blood with phlegm, in addition to difficulty, breathing, and chest pain; these symptoms may indicate a serious condition such as lung cancer.