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Cough with yellow sputum treatment. Video about the prevention of lung-related diseases. Causes of yellow sputum

They say cough is not a disease. This is a manifestation of a particular disease. Hand in hand with a cough in a sick person is phlegm.

In fact, coughing is the body’s defense mechanism against external influences - any obstacles, bacteria, viruses. This could be dust, inflammation in the form of swelling of the throat, spasm or exposure to temperatures.

Often a cough is accompanied by phlegm. This is a companion to many diseases: bronchitis, sinusitis, asthma, pneumonia and even cancer.

Phlegm is the release from the respiratory tract of a mixture of saliva and secretions from the nasal sinuses. It must be said that a certain amount of mucus constantly comes out of the bronchi, because it contains protective elements. A person simply does not notice this, but in 24 hours he secretes up to a hundred millimeters of this secretion.

But if the respiratory system is penetrated pathogens, mucus secretion triples and takes on a variety of colors. may be caused by the following diseases:

  • Frontit
  • Bronchitis
  • Pneumonia
  • Flu

When making a diagnosis, the color of the secretion is very important. If sputum is detected yellow color, the help of a doctor is needed. This is dangerous because pus can give this color.

Attention! If you notice pus or blood in your sputum, go to the hospital immediately. Should be excluded serious problems, up to lung abscess

Cough with yellow sputum is a problem for many heavy smokers. However, most often, this is a manifestation of a bacterial infection entering the bronchi.

It is difficult to find a child who has never coughed in his life. A wet cough is the production of sputum. And this is good. Because all the child has to do is cough and the phlegm will come out. It is worse if the sputum begins to become thick and viscous.

Cough is known to be a defense mechanism. To help a child recover, we must try to alleviate his condition. It is impossible to cure a cough! It is possible to make a coughing child feel better. To do this, you need to follow two rules:

  • Give your child plenty to drink
  • Provide moist and cool air in the children's room

If you don't have a fever, walk outside as much as possible. But what to do if your child has sputum with a yellow tint?

We hasten to reassure impressionable mothers and fathers. Yellow sputum may indicate simple sinusitis or a cold. In this case, increase the amount of fluid your child takes. Doesn't drink water? Make compote, it's better than nothing.

When yellow sputum is dangerous, other symptoms usually accompany:

  • Severe weakness, lethargy. The child constantly sleeps
  • Body temperature is elevated, drops briefly, then rises again
  • The cough is simply painful, almost non-stop
  • Dyspnea

In this situation, there is a danger of a bacterial infection in the respiratory system and the development of pneumonia or bronchitis. It is necessary to consult a pediatrician.

Attention! Call urgently ambulance if you notice blood in your child's sputum. There is a possibility of having tuberculosis

When a cough with yellow sputum appears, a person goes to a therapist. The doctor first asks the patient about the onset of the disease, finds out whether there is a fever, how long the cough lasts, what is the amount of sputum and its nature, that is, the color of the fluid released.

After this, a sputum test may be ordered. For this purpose, microscopic or macroscopic examination is used.

In the case of microscopy, a laboratory assistant examines pathological cells and elements: elevated eosinophils, neutrophils over 30, fibers, as well as indicators of asthma or allergies.

Bacterioscopy allows you to determine the presence of microbes in sputum. If none are identified, then they take an analysis for mucus bacteria. The laboratory technician must conduct the study no later than two hours after receiving the mucus. The doctor knows that healthy person in saliva, in the trachea and bronchi there is a certain amount pathogenic microorganisms. However, their number should not exceed a certain number.

When tuberculosis is detected, bacterial culture is generally carried out at least three times. Only then can a conclusion be drawn based on the presence or absence of Koch’s bacillus in the body.

You need to prepare for the analysis:

  • Two days before sputum collection, you need to increase your fluid intake. Minimum two liters per day
  • Treat your mouth with Miramistin or Furacilin
  • Sputum should be collected in the morning, before meals.
  • Before getting ready, perform morning hygiene: brush your teeth, rinse your mouth

Now the procedure itself: breathe. Inhale and exhale several times, cough deliberately. Collecting sputum must be done in a sterile jar, such as can be purchased at a pharmacy.

If you cannot cough up the mucus, perform an inhalation procedure with plain water. It is enough to collect only 6 mm of mucus.

It is necessary to take the analysis to the laboratory as early as possible; after two hours it will no longer be informative. However, if this is not possible, then place the well-sealed jar in the refrigerator. There, sputum can be stored for about two days.

The hospital may suggest doing a bronchoscopy. This is a very reliable study

Collection of sputum in children

Sometimes parents encounter difficulties when collecting sputum from a child, especially if he is still a baby.

It is wrong to force a child to cough on purpose. Try to play with your baby, let him be distracted. You can give him some tasty treat.

The presence of yellow sputum in a child along with additional symptoms tells the doctor about a bacterial infection. Then they do microscopic examination mucus, and the child is prescribed antibiotic therapy.

Depending on the diagnosis, the patient is prescribed either simply symptomatic therapy, or add antibiotics.

Expectorants are used for treatment:

  • Ambrobene
  • Lazolvan
  • Azts or Vicks-Active
  • Bromhexine Berlin Chemistry

The effect of mucolytic drugs begins quite quickly - after half an hour and lasts for almost 7 hours. These products make it easier for mucus to come out.

To make the sputum more liquid and cough better, Acetylcestin and Fluimucil are prescribed.

An excellent choice in the treatment of cough with yellow sputum would be drugs based on medicinal herbs: Breast Collection, Mukaltin, Altai collection.

Sometimes expectorants and other drugs are combined. But only the doctor decides this, depending on the diagnosis and condition of the patient.

If found bacterial infection, then antibiotics are prescribed: Amoxilav, Summed, Ampicillin.

In the absence of contraindications, inhalations can be done. This will remove the thickness of sputum and reduce the symptoms of cough. However, it is important to choose the right drugs for inhalation.

Important! Inhalation procedures should not be performed on infants. Use inhalations with caution for people with diseases of the central nervous system

In children, treatment of cough with yellow sputum is identical to that in adults. The only differences are in dosages. Some drugs have age restrictions. For example, ACC, Fluimucil.

Antibiotic therapy in children includes drugs such as Suprax, Flemoxim Solutab 125 g, Amoxilav, etc.

Treatment of cough with yellow sputum using traditional methods

Traditional medicine has many effective remedies for treating cough. Among them are tinctures, lotions, decoctions and rubbing ointments:

  1. Make the following mixture: 200 grams of fresh honey, lemon put through a blender, and 00 grams of milk. Take a tablespoon three times a day. If the honey is fresh, you can take it separately: take a teaspoon into your mouth and suck it like candy.
  2. Sage decoction for cough: 150 gr. add chopped sage to a mug of boiling water. Leave for 4 hours. Add boiled milk - 150 g. You can drink half a glass once a day
  3. The following collection will be very effective: marshmallow, bearberry, plantain and mint - take 100 grams of each herb. each, pour 1 liter of boiling water. Then leave for an hour. Drink a tablespoon several times a day

An excellent remedy for treating coughs with phlegm in folk medicine considered an onion. You can make lotions from onion juice, soak a small cloth in it and put it on your chest. Leave for half an hour.

You can also take three onions (do not peel them!), add them to a saucepan with a liter of water, cook over low heat for about an hour, then add half a cup of granulated sugar. Cool and drink half a glass at least three times a day.

For children

Folk remedies for the treatment of cough with yellow sputum in children should be used with caution, after consulting with a doctor. They are not applicable to newborns and children under 2 years of age due to the high risk of allergic reactions.

  • Take 15 grams of chopped figs and add boiling water to a mug. Then cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Strain and give the child a tablespoon three times a day, strictly after eating.
  • Radish juice. 100 grams of juice and 100 grams. combine boiled milk. Sweeten a little with honey. Take 15 ml three times a day after meals
  • Mix onion juice and honey. In equal parts. For example, 100 grams of onion juice and 100 grams of honey. This simple remedy will help treat a severe cough. Take a tablespoon twice a day until symptoms disappear

It is very important to provide clean, cool air in your home. Humidity has great importance! If you cannot achieve the desired humidity and temperature, buy a humidifier. It will serve you well. Under such conditions, the cough will subside in the shortest possible time.

Prevention

Remember that any cough, including yellow sputum, should go away within 30 days. If it continues longer, you need to consult a pulmonologist again.

Conditions for ensuring the health of the respiratory system:

  • Once a year it is obligatory to undergo fluorography
  • Quit smoking
  • Be outdoors often
  • Hardening. Including children
  • Proper nutrition (especially in the autumn-winter period, including vitamins)
  • Sports activities
  • Conditions in the house (frequent ventilation, humidity)

If your general condition allows, there is no fever or other signs of illness, walking is very useful for coughing. Do not lock yourself at home, follow all the doctor’s recommendations, and the cough will quickly leave you.

The human respiratory system always contains a large number of mucus. In its normal state it is transparent.

A change in the color, composition and structure of the discharge indicates the development of some pathology.

Yellow sputum is a sign of many diseases.

In contact with

What is the child talking about?

Yellow sputum in a child when coughing indicates the presence of the same health problems as in an adult. It is formed during infection in the airways:

  • pneumonia;
  • bronchitis.

Cough and fever are characteristic symptoms of a cold.

When a child coughs up yellow mucus, his body is fighting pathogens. To make a diagnosis, anamnesis is collected and the discharge is analyzed for microflora.

What diseases does it occur with?

Yellow thick sputum when coughing is observed with:

  1. Bronchitis - a certain color of discharge is characteristic of different types diseases. Yellow sputum with bronchitis is observed in either chronic form. The patient first appears dry, then wet cough. At the same time, sore throat, fever, and chills are observed.
  2. Cellulitis, abscesses - due to purulent processes, the discharge becomes yellow in color.

Any disease requires strict medical control.

Bronchial asthma is a dangerous inflammatory disease, the main symptom of which is suffocation. Often goes into a chronic stage. The attacks are accompanied by a cough. First, scanty, sticky sputum comes out. Gradually it begins to be released more easily, breathing stabilizes and the attack ends.

Signs characteristic of bronchial asthma.

  • high-pitched wheezing when exhaling;
  • difficulty breathing, chest tightness, cough that worsens at night;
  • seasonal deterioration of the respiratory system;
  • development of eczema or allergies;
  • systematic colds that “descend” into the lower respiratory tract;
  • the appearance or exacerbation of symptoms when physical activity, emotional overload, inhalation of polluted air, contact with allergens;
  • stabilization of the condition after taking antihistamines and anti-asthmatic drugs.

Discharges in this disease differ in:

  • shade;
  • smell;
  • structure.

Sputum must be taken for analysis. Based on the results of the study, the nature of the disease is determined and a treatment method is selected.

A bright yellow or greenish color indicates the death of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. When a vessel in the lung tissue ruptures, blood appears. At malignant tumors there is a smell of rot.

Yellow sputum when coughing is characteristic of an acute form of pneumonia. It requires immediate medical intervention.

Characteristic symptoms:

  • elevated temperature;
  • fever and chills;
  • chest pain;
  • sleep disturbance;
  • persistent cough;
  • feeling of lack of oxygen;
  • sweating;
  • weakness and loss of strength.

To diagnose the disease, an X-ray of the lungs is performed. To identify the pathogen, sputum culture, blood and urine tests are prescribed. Based on the results of the study, antibiotics are prescribed wide range actions, anti-inflammatory and expectorant medications.

Helminth eggs enter the body through the mouth if sanitary standards are not observed. Sources:

  • dirty hands and household items;
  • unwashed food.

Larvae hatch in the gastrointestinal tract. They penetrate the veins blood vessels reach the capillary system of the lungs. The further path lies through the alveoli into the lumen of the bronchi, trachea and pharynx. A person swallows them along with secretions of the bronchial glands and saliva. The larvae return to the digestive system.

A cough that produces mucus may be caused by:

  • pneumonia;
  • exudative pleurisy;
  • eosinophilic pneumonia.

The presence of heartworms is difficult to diagnose because symptoms often do not appear for several years. Some of the signs are characteristic of colds:

  • temperature increase;
  • paroxysmal cough in the morning;
  • sputum discharge;
  • loss of appetite;
  • muscle pain;
  • nausea.

For diagnosis helminthic infestation carried out at an early stage general analysis blood. For bronchopulmonary syndrome, radiography is prescribed. The photographs show where the larvae penetrate into the tissue.

In the chronic stage, feces are examined for the presence of helminth eggs. This method valid no earlier than 3 months after infection. If only males, immature females or old individuals entered the body, then traces of their presence will not be found.

What other color can sputum be?

The color of sputum tells you exactly what processes are occurring in the body. Depending on the components predominant in the composition, it acquires a characteristic shade. Not only color is important, but also the presence of foreign inclusions.

If the nature of the cough or the structure of sputum changes, you should immediately contact a specialist.

Overproduction of colorless or whitish mucus is considered a deviation from the norm. Pay attention to the amount of expectorated sputum. If there is too much of it, then this is the first sign:

A brown tint indicates the death of red blood cells. This may look like:

  • chronic forms of pneumonia;
  • tuberculosis;
  • lung cancer.

Pathologies are accompanied by other severe symptoms. However, the onset of the disease sometimes occurs in a latent form. In any case, immediate medical intervention is required.

Useful video

You can find out from the following video useful information about unexpected causes of pneumonia.

Mexus is a serous or mucous exudate produced by the walls of the bronchi and trachea. A similar substance performs important functions, protecting epithelial tissues from damage. Most often, active mucus production is observed in the presence of pathologies of the respiratory system of varying severity, including bronchitis, tracheitis and other diseases.

Delimit various states, accompanied by the discharge of exudate, is not so simple. An important diagnostic sign is the color of sputum. Depending on the shade, it can indicate one or another disease. So, we should consider the issue raised in more detail.

The color of sputum, as already mentioned, varies. Normal, if we are not talking about serious illnesses, occurs clear slime thick (clear sputum when coughing). In other cases, options are possible.

Green slime

Green mucus almost always indicates infectious viral, inflammatory diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract. It's dangerous and menacing diagnostic sign. What ailments are we talking about:

  • Purulent bronchitis.

It is an inflammatory and degenerative disease of the lower respiratory tract (bronchial tubes). As the name suggests, a purulent process takes place. The causes of this disease are multiple. Most often there is a combination of two factors.

First of all, this is the penetration of pathogenic flora into the bronchial structures. Most often we're talking about about staphylococci, streptococci or herpes pathogens. Microorganisms can enter the respiratory tract during surgical intervention during tracheal intubation, as a result of contact with infected persons, etc.

The symptoms are very typical. The color of sputum in bronchitis of purulent origin is always green or yellowish-green with splashes, there is pain when breathing, and an intense cough. It is possible to differentiate bronchitis from pneumonia and tracheitis only by carrying out objective research. It is simply impossible to make a diagnosis by eye, much less verify it.

  • Tracheitis of a purulent nature.

Has many nonspecific symptoms typical of bronchitis. Therefore, it is not possible to distinguish one disease from another. The cough with tracheitis intensifies in the morning, purulent sputum is expelled more actively when coughing. It is thick and does not cough well.

  • Green sputum when coughing may be due to bacterial pneumonia.

This is a type of pneumonia. Etiologically bacterial pneumonia develops as a result of effects on the epithelium of the lungs Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, spirochete pallidum, viridans streptococcus and some other infectious pathogens. Possible fungal origin (candida fungi).

The causes are the same as for bronchitis. However, the symptoms are much more pronounced. There are intense pain when breathing, shortness of breath, suffocation, heaviness in the chest, severe cough, which at first is unproductive. However, what is said is not always true.

In some clinical situations, especially if minor lung segment, the symptom complex is erased, implicit. This makes pneumonia not only a serious but also a deadly disease.

  • Tuberculosis is in remission. In this case there is a normal physiological process discharge of exudate after undergoing a specific course of therapy. This condition does not pose any danger; on the contrary, it is a favorable prognostic sign of the course of the pathological process.
  • Cystic fibrosis. A systemic disease characterized by damage to the respiratory system and digestive tract. It is considered an autoimmune, genetic pathology.
  • Sinusitis. Otolaryngological disease. Develops as a result of inflammation of the sinuses and surrounding anatomical structures.
  • Bronchiectasis.
  • Abscess (furunculosis) of pulmonary structures.

Yellow slime

Yellow color of sputum is possible with the following diseases and conditions:


Brown discharge

Brown discharge is caused by the release of blood into the cavity of the respiratory tract, however, in the time before evacuation, the hematological fluid has time to oxidize and acquire a brown, rusty tint. This is an unfavorable sign, often indicating complex diseases.

Among them:

  1. Bronchitis, pneumonia with a congestive course. As a rule, brown sputum appears when the lung tissue melts purulently.
  2. Thromboembolism of arteries.
  3. Cancers of the lungs and lower respiratory tract.
  4. Tuberculosis in the active phase. Almost always accompanied by the release of old, oxidized blood.
  5. Pulmonary bullae (cavities filled with atmospheric air). Occurs mainly in children. They have an innate character.
  6. Gangrene of the lower respiratory tract.
  7. Pneumoconiosis. Inhalation of coal or metal dust.

Finally, we can also talk about relatively harmless conditions, such as those that led to the rupture of capillaries. A thorough examination needs to be carried out.

Read more about the reasons for the appearance of blood in sputum.

Pink sputum

Pink sputum almost always indicates diseases that are accompanied by the discharge of fresh blood. As in the previous case, we have to talk about complex diseases, often potentially fatal.

We can talk about:

  • Tuberculosis on late stages. On early stages blood comes out in small drops (so-called hemoptysis) or in streaks. In severe cases, there is a discharge pink sputum, similar in structure to raspberry pudding or jelly.
  • Lung cancer on early stages. It is typically characterized by the development of neoplasm in the structure of the bronchi or lungs (from epithelial tissue). The closer to the center the tumor is located, and the larger its size, the more active the bleeding.

Pink sputum can also occur with tracheitis. The culprit of the symptom may be a banal rupture of a vessel in the nose or the structure of the respiratory tract.

Transparent slime

Transparent mucus is most common when coughing. One of the following is developing pathological processes:


As already mentioned, clear sputum is considered the most physiological (relatively speaking). Almost always, diseases that are accompanied by this symptom do not pose an immediate threat to life (fortunately).

Glassy sputum

Bronchiectasis or emphysema, allergic tracheitis are some other diseases for which the appearance of glassy exudate is typical.

Glassy, ​​transparent sputum almost always accompanies bronchial asthma. The asthmatic process most often develops as a result of an allergic lesion of the body.

The course of the pathological process is accompanied by shortness of breath and suffocation due to stenosis of the respiratory tract (bronchial tubes). Asthma is not always allergic in nature.

The disease may have a viral origin. The disease is characterized by intense coughing and suffocation. Has a paroxysmal character. It worsens in the autumn and spring seasons.

We are talking about a potentially fatal disease that develops as a result of bronchospasm.

Somewhat less frequently, glassy sputum appears as a result of the course of an acute respiratory viral infection (symptoms and features of the course of the pathology have already been discussed above).

Black and gray

Black and gray sputum are relatively rare (no more than 5% of all clinical situations). There is an inflammatory-degenerative process that affects the lower respiratory tract. But this is not always axiomatic.

We have to talk about the following pathological and physiological processes:

  • Sputum can be colored in dark shades (gray and black) as a result of coloring components and pigments entering the lower respiratory tract when drinking Cola, strong black tea, coffee, and chocolate. This is a temporary phenomenon that does not require specialized treatment.
  • Black and gray shades of mucous exudate often develop in people whose professional activities involve working with dyes, including inhalation of coal dust, iron particles, etc.
  • Black slime or slime gray discharges abundantly in patients who smoke for a long time. This is the so-called smoker's cough, which affects every second person who abuses tobacco. As a rule, such a symptom indicates a decent “experience” of smoking.
  • Tuberculosis, gangrene, cancer. All named diseases are in an active, advanced phase.

Methods for diagnosing diseases by the color of sputum

Diagnosis of the problem should be carried out by a pulmonologist and/or phthisiatrician.

Yellow sputum when coughing can appear with a variety of diseases, so you should not ignore such a symptom. Most people don't pay much attention to what color it is and this is a significant oversight. The nature of the sputum discharge is always able to prompt the doctor with a diagnosis and direct all laboratory and clinical studies in the right direction.

A cough is just a symptom that occurs when the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract are irritated by anything. This can be sputum, foreign bodies that have entered the mucous membrane, or moving helminths.

It follows from this that it is necessary to first determine the disease itself that caused the cough and treat it.

Sputum in the respiratory tract appears during infectious inflammatory processes. The causative agent of the infection can be a virus or a bacterium that has pathogenic properties.

Yellow sputum is characteristic of bacterial infections. Why does she appear? The inflammatory process consists of three stages: alteration, exudation and proliferation.

Proliferation is a stage during which healing of the affected tissue occurs in various ways.

A cough with yellow sputum is a sign of a bacterial inflammatory process, since the bodies of dead leukocytes have entered the exudate. It was they who provided the color of the discharge.

What diseases does it occur with?

If thick yellowness is coughed up, this is possible with the following diseases:

  • Bronchitis;
  • Sinusitis;
  • Pneumonia;
  • Other purulent processes (phlegmon, abscesses, pleurisy);
  • Tuberculosis;

It is important to understand where exactly the sputum comes from: from the lower respiratory tract or from the upper? If from the lower, then the problem is in the lungs or bronchi, and if from the upper, then you have sinusitis or rhinitis, in which mucus, rolling down the walls of the nasopharynx, irritates the receptors, which causes a cough.

You can determine the disease that has affected your respiratory system by clarifying what exactly is happening:

  • without or with cough;
  • without or with fever;
  • the nature of the cough is dry or wet;
  • frequency – morning, evening, night or constantly;
  • the nature of the mucus secreted: foamy, yellow, with or without odor, viscous or liquid.

All these symptoms are important when making a diagnosis; they help the doctor make primary diagnosis, prescribe the necessary treatment.

No temperature

It is precisely this variant of the course of the disease that should cause the greatest concern. These symptoms most often indicate chronic infections respiratory tract or their sluggish purulent inflammation.

In most cases, bronchitis and sinusitis can be suspected. A slight cough with yellow mucus in some cases indicates a gradual accumulation purulent exudate on the walls of the bronchi.

The laboratory technician carries out all manipulations with sputum within 2 hours after receiving it, since otherwise the results may be biased.

Usually, if you do everything in the morning, by lunchtime or evening you can know exactly which microbe caused the disease and begin treatment with the drug to which the greatest sensitivity has been detected.

Treatment

As we noted above, the treatment of phlegm and cough is based on eliminating the primary disease that caused the phlegm to appear. At bacterial etiology antibiotics are prescribed during the process:

Expectorants also help eliminate cough as a symptom. Today, many drugs combine both of these effects: they simultaneously reduce the viscosity of mucus and accelerate its elimination.

Expectorant-type drugs can be either reflexive (irritate receptors, thereby causing coughing and expectoration) or resorptive (affect mucus-producing cells, stimulating them to more active “work”).

Reflex type drugs:

  • Medicines based on marshmallow. These include: Alteika syrup, marshmallow root for brewing, mucaltin. These drugs should not be used by people with gastrointestinal ulcers, hypersensitivity to components suffering from diabetes mellitus or glucose intolerance, children under 3 years of age and pregnant women - as directed by a doctor.
  • Thermopsis preparations. Tablets Thermopsol, Kadelak with and without codeine. Also, these medications should not be used by people sensitive to the components, people with ulcers, children and pregnant women without the approval of a doctor.
  • Breast fees. They can be purchased at a pharmacy and brewed. Herbal mixtures often contain licorice, coltsfoot, plantain, sage, anise, pine buds, marshmallow, violet, wild rosemary, chamomile, licorice, and calendula. Choose an acceptable option for yourself at the pharmacy.

Often, during an illness that is accompanied by a cough, many people notice sputum production. Can this be considered normal? What should sputum be like and are its characteristics so important? For example, yellow sputum when coughing - what does this mean? Let's try to briefly answer all such questions.

Sputum is a secretion produced in the bronchi and trachea. Such discharge is not always considered a sign of illness, since the respiratory system regularly produces small amounts of mucus. This is necessary in order to right moment create an obstacle to the penetration of foreign particles (for example, dust or chemicals) into the lungs along with the air. In addition, mucus contains special cells that help fight bacteria. Normally, sputum can only be transparent.

Sputum is considered pathological when its characteristics change - color, composition, quantity, etc. Doctors attach particular importance to the color of bronchial secretions.

Causes of yellow sputum when coughing

Sputum may be produced when various diseases respiratory tract and removed from them during coughing and expectoration. The number of discharges can also be different, from a one-time appearance in initial stage bronchitis or pneumonia up to one and a half liters with purulent pulmonary pathologies.

The degree of expectoration depends on how patent the bronchi are, as well as on the patient’s body position (discharge may increase in horizontal position, lying on the healthy side).

Coughing up secretions in most cases indicates the presence of a disease, especially if the sputum has any characteristic color. For example, yellow sputum may be expelled when coughing due to pneumonia, viral infection and bronchitis, or purulent processes in the lungs (abscess, bronchiectasis).

However yellow discharge are not always signs of disease. For example it could be characteristic symptom cough in heavy smokers. Sometimes yellow sputum is caused by eating yellow colored foods or drinks (such as citrus fruits, carrot juice etc.).

Diagnostics

Sputum is a pathological secretion of the bronchi and trachea, which is expelled through coughing movements. These secretions represent a very important diagnostic material. They are collected in a special container made of transparent glass: this is usually done in the morning, before meals, after brushing your teeth and rinsing your throat.

Liquid after bronchoscopy (bronchial lavage) can also serve as a good material for diagnosis.

The study of bronchial secretions can be carried out in several ways. Let's consider each of them separately.

  • Macroscopic analysis determines the main characteristics of sputum: volume, shade, smell, density, composition. For example, the yellow color is due to the presence of a purulent component in the discharge, and the higher the percentage of pus, the more the yellow color changes towards greenish. Yellow-green sputum when coughing is an indicator of a purulent process in the respiratory system. Sometimes pus is even present in the form of clots or lumps.
  • Microscopic analysis of sputum is carried out with and without staining of the preparation. In the secretions you can find cells of flat and columnar epithelium, macrophages, siderophages, coniophages, atypical cells, and blood cells. In some cases, a number of fibrous formations can be detected (elastic, fibrous fibers, Courshman spirals), as well as Charcot-Leyden crystals, cholesterol, and fatty acids.
  • Bacteriological culture on nutrient media helps to identify the causative agent of the disease and assess its sensitivity to antibacterial drugs.

IN in rare cases may appoint additional types diagnostics, such as fluorescent microscopy, flotation and electrophoresis (as methods of accumulation of microorganisms).

For effective treatment yellow sputum when coughing, the following points must be considered:

  • treatment is prescribed only after determining the cause of the disease;
  • Medicines and doses can only be prescribed in individually, taking into account the underlying disease, concomitant pathologies, and the patient’s response to medications.

If there is discharge during coughing, it is recommended to take large amounts of fluid, mainly in the form of warm tea or herbal infusions. Herbs with expectorant, anti-inflammatory, enveloping effects are used - sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, marshmallow, etc.

In the absence of contraindications, inhalations with sodium bicarbonate and essential oils are performed.

The following medications are indicated:

  • expectorants that reduce the concentration of bronchial secretions and facilitate their elimination (ammonium chloride, thermopsis);
  • agents with a mucoregulating effect (carbocisteine, ambroxol) - promote the expulsion of sputum from the bronchi, help antibacterial drugs enter the bronchi;
  • mucolytics (ACC) – normalize the coughing up of secretions from the bronchi;
  • antihistamines (for allergic cough etiology).

Antibiotics are taken only when necessary, and only after an accurate diagnosis of the cause of the cough has been made.

Prevention

Prevention of yellow sputum when coughing is determined by the prevention of complications inflammatory diseases respiratory system. What needs to be taken into account to prevent the development of purulent processes in the lungs?

It must be remembered that inflammatory process in the bronchi most often occurs as a result of improper or insufficient treatment of acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections. Therefore, a cold or flu should be treated rather than expecting the illness to “go away” on its own.

Regardless of the presence of diseases of the respiratory system, the following rules can be followed as prevention:

  • Smoking is harmful, even if it’s not you who smokes, but someone nearby. Inhaling nicotine increases the risk of developing chronic bronchitis or emphysema;
  • during epidemics of colds and viral diseases, it is necessary to avoid crowded public places;
  • Sometimes it makes sense to get a flu or pneumonia shot, especially if reduced immunity or a tendency to respiratory diseases;
  • do not forget about personal hygiene, wash your hands after coming from the street, as well as before each meal;
  • include more fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet. It is useful to drink infusions and fruit drinks made from berries, rose hips, citrus fruits, mint;
  • eat well, because in the cold season it is highly not recommended to adhere to “strict” and especially “hungry” diets, as this significantly weakens the immune system;
  • dress according to the weather, do not allow hypothermia and overheating of the body.

If a cough appears, it is better to postpone everything for a while and consult a doctor: timely treatment often helps the best prevention complications and undesirable consequences.

Forecast

Often a wet cough seems to us to be a common and unserious disease, however, this is not so, especially since yellow sputum when coughing is not at all harmless symptom. If you ignore the disease, then without the necessary treatment, severe serious consequences for good health. An insufficiently treated cough due to acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections, as well as acute bronchitis or tracheitis, can contribute to the development of pneumonia. Pneumonia is quite dangerous and insidious disease, which requires mandatory treatment in a hospital using potent antibacterial drugs.

The acute form of bronchitis, which many prefer to endure “on their feet,” can develop without appropriate therapy. chronic course. The chronic form of bronchitis may require long-term and difficult treatment. Incorrect treatment chronic inflammation of the bronchi can serve as a factor in the development of an abscess, bronchial asthma or pneumonia.

Yellow sputum when coughing is more than enough reason to see a doctor. Purulent processes should not be used in the respiratory tract under any circumstances, otherwise the consequences may be unpredictable.

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Medical Expert Editor

Portnov Alexey Alexandrovich

Education: Kyiv National Medical University them. A.A. Bogomolets, specialty - “General Medicine”

Other doctors

Yellow sputum that appears when coughing is a sure sign of the development of a pathological process in the body.

A change in the color of mucous secretions is most often associated with an increase in the level of leukocytes when the immune system tries to cope with the infection on his own. However, there are other reasons when phlegm begins to accumulate in the respiratory tract.

The dark yellow expectorant substance is well known to smokers, as they see it every morning, immediately after waking up. Also, the discharge may take on a yellowish-brown tint due to severe air pollution.

When there is a bacterial infection, they turn greenish-yellow. But it is much more dangerous when the mucus turns brown due to the presence blood clots.

What is sputum? Which one is normal? Why is it needed? It is a thick, viscous, jelly-like substance that is released when you cough up. Secreted in the mucous epithelium of the lower airways by submucosal and unicellular glands.

Its composition includes high molecular weight glycoproteins, immunoglobulins, lipids and other substances. Simply put, phlegm contains:

  • Impurities of saliva;
  • Slime;
  • Red blood cells;
  • Fibrin;
  • Epithelial cells;
  • Bacteria;
  • Foreign inclusions (dust particles, food residues, etc.).

In healthy people, tracheobronchial exudate is transparent and performs protective function and is endowed with antimicrobial properties.

It consists of mucus produced by serous-mucosal glands, goblet glandular glandulocytes of the mucous epithelium of the bronchi and trachea, as well as cellular inclusions.

Tracheobronchial exudate ensures the natural removal of inhaled particles, toxins and waste products from the body due to the transport activity of the ciliated epithelium.

The norm of phlegm released per day from the tracheobronchial tree is 10-100 ml. This is the amount of substance that a person ingests during the day. unnoticed by yourself.

Increased mucus formation occurs as a result of changes biochemical composition tracheobronchial secretion and disruption of the escalator function of ciliated epithelial tissue, as a result of which mucostasis develops.

Yellow color of sputum when coughing is a sure sign of the presence of pathogens in the body. There is a whole list of ailments that are characterized by increased mucus production.

Bronchitis. It develops as a result of a viral or bacterial infection that provokes inflammation of the bronchial mucous epithelium. It often begins with a dry cough, which later develops into a severe cough with yellow sputum. Other symptoms of bronchitis include sore throat and fever.

Pneumonia. Occurs as a complication after undergoing respiratory diseases. The most common strain of microbes responsible for pneumonia in adults is Streptococcus pneumoniae. The infection affects one or both lungs and causes the air sacs to fill with pus or fluid.

As a result, the patient develops pus in the sputum. The symptoms associated with this pathology depend on the specific type of disease. General symptoms include shortness of breath, chills, fever, cough with yellow sputum (sometimes green and bloody).

Cold or flu. One of the most common signs of these ailments is the appearance of transparent or yellowish clots when coughing up.

Sinusitis. May be triggered by allergies, viral or bacterial infections. It is characterized by inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinuses), which are four pairs of air-filled cavities.

When they are irritated, the mucus that normally drains into the nose becomes blocked, pooling in the sinuses and creating the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Sinusitis is accompanied by headache,

nasal congestion,

sore throat persistent cough with characteristic discharge.

Cystic fibrosis. This condition is classified as chronic illness lungs when tracheobronchial exudate begins to accumulate in them. One of the signs of pathology is the tracheobronchial substance of yellowish, greenish and brown color.

An allergic reaction is another common cause of colored phlegm when coughing up. The allergen irritant provokes inflammation, thereby increasing the production of thick, pale yellow secretion.

Excess mucous clots, moving through the nasopharynx, irritate the throat and cause coughing. Respiratory allergy symptoms go away with elimination of the allergen and proper therapy.

Asthma. Causes respiratory inflammation, and often leads to the formation of excess tracheobronchial mucus. This substance is white-yellow, stained with inflammatory cells.

But since the cough in asthma is usually protracted and unproductive, the viscous clots are usually insignificant. Other symptoms of asthma include wheezing, wheezing wheezing, fatigue, cramps.

Lung cancer (LLC). The most serious pathology in which yellow sputum is coughed up. Sometimes it contains bloody impurities, due to which the exudate acquires a pinkish tint.

This pathology is characterized by persistence of the cough reflex for more than two weeks and persistent chest pain. The presence of such symptoms requires immediate appeal for medical help.

Cough with yellowish discharge in children is the result of an infectious lesion of the airways - colds, acute bronchitis, ARVI, whooping cough, pneumonia or tuberculosis.

In the vast majority of cases acute cough with fever caused by a cold, and yellowish exudate indicates the addition of pathogenic microorganisms. It is necessary to study phlegm for microflora.


If such an analysis is not possible, the doctor prescribes broad-spectrum antibiotics. Usually therapeutic effect from taking medications occurs on the third day. If relief does not occur, the antibiotic is changed.

Purulent sputum is a mucopurulent substance consisting of white blood cells, dead tissue, cellular debris, serous fluid and liquid mucus.

The color intensity of the purulent secretion can vary from milky with yellowish to green, and manifests itself in pneumonia, bronchiectasis, abscess pneumonia, prolonged bronchitis or acute infectious lesions respiratory organs.


A cough with purulent sputum is a good reason to consult a doctor, because if pus is coughed up, its shade will allow you to determine the pathology and choose the appropriate therapy.

    1. Yellowish-purulent and yellowish-greenish (mucopurulent) abnormal secretions indicate that antibiotic therapy will help reduce symptoms.
    2. A green or greenish tint indicates an old respiratory infection, pneumonia, rupture of lung abscess, chronic infectious bronchitis, infected bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis.
    3. Bright yellow and orange mucus is produced by pneumonia (caused by pneumococcal bacteria), pulmonary embolism, bronchioloalveolar cancerous tumor or tuberculosis.
    4. Discharge of a pale, milky, yellowish or yellowish-gray hue (clearly visible on a white background) indicates the ineffectiveness of antibiotic treatment, since the symptoms of the disease are associated either with a viral infection or with allergies (even asthma), and not with microbiotics that are sensitive to antibiotics .
  1. Foamy pink color characteristic of severe pulmonary edema.
  2. Foamy white indicates pulmonary obstruction or edema.
  3. Light yellow sputum with blood indicates possible inflammation throat or bronchi, or the presence of bleeding erosions, ulcers or tumors of the lower airways. The abundant presence of blood clots in bronchial secretions indicates tuberculosis, bipolar disorder, pulmonary embolism, and abscess pneumonia.

The appearance of colored discharge when coughing without an increase in temperature indicates the non-infectious nature of the pathology.

An allergic cough with exudate with yellow spots also occurs without fever.

Attention

In smokers, the formation of dirty yellow dense exudate is associated with harmful effects nicotine tar and tobacco smoke, which lead to decomposition of bronchial tissue and wear of the respiratory system.

As a result, bronchioloalveolar cancer often develops. That is why it is extremely important to visit a specialist in time when the first signs of pathology are detected.

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Which doctor should I contact?

Only a general practitioner can tell you what the appearance of viscous exudate indicates in the first stages. Subsequently, you may need to consult other specialists - a pulmonologist, an allergist, an oncologist, an otolaryngologist, a surgeon.

Samples of secretions taken from the throat for analysis make it possible to determine the cause of changes in the shade and consistency of tracheobronchial secretions.

The material is collected in a sterile glass container in the morning on an empty stomach, after thoroughly treating the mouth and throat with saline solution.

If it is not possible to collect pathological clots during coughing, bronchoscopy is prescribed to obtain the necessary material.

Sample examination is carried out using several methods:

  1. Microscopic analysis makes it possible to determine the content of leukocytes, erythrocytes, alveolar macrophages, epithelial cells in phlegm, detect Kurshman spirals, drusen of actinomycetes, fungi, Charcot-Leyden crystals, eosinophils, neutrophils.
  2. Macroscopic analysis determines the daily volume of secreted exudate, its smell, density and color. Special attention is paid to material delamination during long stay in a glass container.
  3. Bacteriological analysis (Bakposev) allows you to determine the types of bacteria present and their sensitivity to drugs.

Regardless of the color of the discharge, its appearance is already a pathology, and it is important to correctly determine its cause. However, any cough requires drink plenty of fluids.


It has been proven to have the same effect on the respiratory system as expectorant medications. In the case when you cough and yellow sputum comes out with a thick consistency, additional measures are prescribed for its natural discharge:

Reflexively active drugs, which are aimed at enhancing mucus formation. They help to increase the proportion of liquid secretion in the bronchi, its dilution and trouble-free coughing. This group of medicines includes herbal medicines (licorice root, marshmallow, thermopsis herb, anise, etc.).

Expectorant drugs with resorptive action act directly on the bronchi and the exudate itself, thereby accelerating the process of its removal from the respiratory system. This group of medications includes solutions of sodium bicarbonate, sodium iodide and potassium iodide, as well as essential oils.

Mucolytic drugs change the structure of the exudate itself. Under their influence, mucopolysaccharides are destroyed, which means the viscous substance is liquefied. These drugs include Acetylcysteine, Carbocysteine, Ambroxol, Bromhexine and their analogues.

All of these medications are taken orally or inhaled (via a nebulizer). If necessary, when the disease is protracted, injections of drugs are prescribed.

When talking about how to treat a cough, we should not forget about traditional medicine. Some of the most accessible and effective recipes include:

    1. Infusion of coltsfoot. Preparation boils down to pouring 1 tablespoon of herb into 1 tbsp. boiling water, infuse for 10-15 minutes, strain. Take 1 tsp of this infusion orally. up to 4 times a day.
    2. An infusion of a mixture of plantain, thyme, elecampane root and wild rosemary herbs. 2 tbsp. dry mixture of herbs is poured with 1 liter of boiling water, infused for 2 hours, filtered. A solution of 1 tbsp is taken. orally up to 4 times a day.

  1. Juice white cabbage. Freshly squeezed juice is mixed with honey in a 2:1 ratio. Ready mix taken orally 1 tsp. 6 times a day.
  2. Lemon juice. Mix 2 tsp. product in a cup of warm water, add honey to this mixture, and take 3-4 times a day.

In addition, treatment for cough with yellow sputum involves frequent gargling with saline solution.

You need to dissolve 1⁄2 tsp. salt in a glass warm water and gargle with the resulting solution as often as possible. This process clears trapped mucus.

Acute bronchitis easily turns into chronic form, requiring long-term treatment and certain restrictions.

Pneumonia is usually preceded by bronchitis and tracheitis. However, unlike the latter, pneumonia is treated in an inpatient setting, when the patient must be constantly under the supervision of doctors.

If a patient coughs up a substance with signs of yellowness, he needs to urgently consult a therapist to establish an accurate diagnosis and urgent drug treatment.

Timely prevention allows you to avoid serious complications that cause respiratory diseases.

This means that when the first signs of an acute respiratory infection or acute respiratory viral infection appear, it is necessary to immediately begin treatment, and not wait for the symptoms to resolve on their own.

In addition, it is necessary to adhere to preventive measures:

  1. Stop smoking (active and passive);
  2. Avoid places large cluster people during epidemics of viral and colds;
  3. Get vaccinated against pneumonia and colds;
  4. Perform hand hygiene in a timely manner;
  5. Avoid overheating and hypothermia of the body;
  6. Replenish your diet fresh vegetables, fruits, juices and decoctions.


Yellow sputum when coughing begins when a large amount of secretions accumulates in the lungs to remove them naturally. This is an effective means of self-defense human body. You should not hold back your cough. Sputum removed by coughing should be spat out. Under no circumstances should you swallow it.

During coughing attacks, the patient should cover his mouth with a handkerchief or napkin, since the yellow sputum released when coughing contains microorganisms. This may be dangerous for others. Coughing occurs as a reflex reaction when any obstruction to the normal passage of air through the respiratory tract occurs. Cough starts when exposed foreign bodies into the respiratory tract, inhalation of irritating vapors or too dry air. In addition, coughing with sputum is a symptom of many allergic, respiratory, and infectious diseases.

What is sputum?

Phlegm is a combination of moist mucous secretions produced by inner surface respiratory organs during various diseases. Phlegm also contains saliva produced during functioning salivary glands in the mouth. Mucus occurs only as a result of pathological processes in the body. A healthy person does not have any discharge from the respiratory tract.

Sputum has a different color, consistency, and composition, which makes it possible to better diagnose the disease and create a course of treatment in each case. For example, yellow sputum is formed when the respiratory tract is infected, foamy white mucus It is coughed up in case of pulmonary edema, red - in case of lung cancer.

In addition to saliva, sputum consists of:

  • cells of the immune system;
  • microorganisms;
  • dust;
  • cell breakdown products;
  • plasma and blood cells.

The percentage of the above mucus components indicates the stage and nature of the disease. Based on consistency, sputum is divided into viscous, thick or liquid. Depending on the content of pus, sputum may disintegrate into 2-3 layers or not disintegrate at all.

Yellow mucus, like any other mucus, usually has no odor. If the sputum acquires a characteristic cadaverous (or putrefactive) odor, this indicates the development of an abscess, lung cancer, gangrene, etc. Treatment in such cases should be more intensive. Surgery may be needed.

Yellow sputum analysis

To more accurately determine the nature of the disease processes, a laboratory examination of yellow sputum by microscopic and macroscopic methods is required. For analysis, yellow sputum is collected in the morning on an empty stomach to avoid impurities food products. To ensure a minimum saliva content, the patient should rinse his mouth with a weak antiseptic solution (for example, furatsilin) ​​and boiled water. After rinsing, the sputum is collected in a sterile special spittoon jar. If mucus is coughed up in insufficient quantities, the patient is prescribed irritant inhalation.

The most reliable data on the composition and nature of yellow sputum is provided by bronchoscopy performed in a hospital setting. This makes it possible to thoroughly study the condition of the bronchi and trachea using special devices: bronchofiberscope, etc. In this case, mucus is obtained without admixture of oral microorganisms and saliva. IN special cases special collection of sputum is provided for more thorough examination.

In addition to the composition of mucus, the causative agents of disease processes can be determined analytically. By using laboratory research the exact composition of sputum, the amount of its secretion per day, consistency, smell, color, etc. are determined.

Yellow sputum, which is expectorated even in small quantities when the patient coughs, is a sure sign of the onset of bronchitis, sinusitis, pneumonia or asthma.

In acute bronchitis, inflammation begins in the bronchi under the influence of a viral or bacterial infection. Chronical bronchitis occurs as a complication of acute or prolonged exposure to dust or other irritating factors. Sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses that occurs as a complication of infectious diseases or after severe facial injuries. Pneumonia occurs due to infection in the lung tissue. Bronchial asthma is a chronic disease of the respiratory tract caused by various cellular elements.

Yellow sputum occurs in people with a long history of smoking. Sputum acquires a yellow color due to the abundant content of pus and white blood cells, for example, neutrophils. If a large number of eosinophils accumulate in the sputum, it becomes bright yellow.

The presence of cells of this type indicates infectious, allergic and chronic inflammation, which began in the body. Thus, coughing with yellow sputum is a dangerous symptom. Therefore, when it appears, you must immediately visit a specialist doctor. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate.

Cough with yellow sputum: treatment

When coughing with yellow sputum, expectorants are first prescribed to intensify the cleansing of the lungs, mucolytics that dissolve mucus, and antibiotics to fight bacterial infection. Mucolytics, without increasing the amount of mucus, thin it and help cleanse the lungs. The main drugs in this group include acetylcysteine, ambroxol, bromhexine, and licorice root syrup. These drugs are actively used to treat bronchial asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchitis and other inflammations in the upper respiratory tract.

Expectorants remove bronchial secretions from the upper respiratory tract and activate the cough reflex. This group includes, for example, trypsin, thermopsis, sodium benzoate.

Bronchial dilators facilitate the release of mucus, increasing the patency of the bronchi. These include stoptussin, erespal, bromhexine, gedelix.

To treat inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, one of the symptoms of which is yellow sputum, both highly specialized antibiotics and drugs with a broad spectrum of antibacterial action are used. Symptomatic treatment of cough is not enough, so treatment of the disease that caused it must be carried out.

To make it easier to clear the lungs of yellow or other mucus by coughing, it is recommended to drink more fluids, humidify the air in the room using a room humidifier, get plenty of rest, and avoid strong odors and too cold air. During a coughing attack, you need to take an upright position to expand your lungs.

To avoid the development of a disease that causes a cough with yellow sputum, to avoid infection of the lungs by cleansing them, a special breathing exercises. A set of exercises should be compiled by the attending physician after conducting a thorough examination of the patient and studying all the data obtained analytically.

Yellow mucus can be a symptom of some allergic diseases. In such cases, the patient is prescribed antiallergic drugs and mast cell membrane stabilizers. If the patient has pulmonary edema, sputum foam-reducing agents and diuretics will be required.



They say cough is not a disease. This is a manifestation of a particular disease. Hand in hand with a cough in a sick person is phlegm.

Why does a cough with phlegm appear?

In fact, coughing is the body’s defense mechanism against external influences - any obstacles, bacteria, viruses. This could be dust, inflammation in the form of swelling of the throat, spasm or exposure to temperatures.

Often a cough is accompanied by phlegm. This is a companion to many diseases: bronchitis, sinusitis, asthma, pneumonia and even cancer.

Phlegm is the release from the respiratory tract of a mixture of saliva and secretions from the nasal sinuses. It must be said that a certain amount of mucus constantly comes out of the bronchi, because it contains protective elements. A person simply does not notice this, but in 24 hours he secretes up to a hundred millimeters of this secretion.

But if pathogenic microorganisms have penetrated the respiratory system, mucus secretion triples and takes on a variety of colors. Yellow sputum when coughing may be caused by the following diseases:

  • Frontit
  • Bronchitis
  • Pneumonia
  • Flu

When making a diagnosis, the color of the secretion is very important. If yellow sputum is detected, the help of a doctor is necessary. This is dangerous because pus can give this color.

Attention! If you notice pus or blood in your sputum, go to the hospital immediately. It is necessary to exclude serious problems, including lung abscess

Coughing with yellow sputum is a problem for many heavy smokers. However, most often, this is a manifestation of a bacterial infection entering the bronchi.

Yellow sputum when a child coughs

It is difficult to find a child who has never coughed in his life. A wet cough is the production of sputum. And this is good. Because all the child has to do is cough and the phlegm will come out. It is worse if the sputum begins to become thick and viscous.

Cough is known to be a defense mechanism. To help a child recover, we must try to alleviate his condition. It is impossible to cure a cough! It is possible to make a coughing child feel better. To do this, you need to follow two rules:

  • Give your child plenty to drink
  • Provide moist and cool air in the children's room

If you don't have a fever, walk outside as much as possible. But what to do if your child has sputum with a yellow tint?

We hasten to reassure impressionable mothers and fathers. Yellow sputum may indicate simple sinusitis or a cold. In this case, increase the amount of fluid your child takes. Doesn't drink water? Make compote, it's better than nothing.

When yellow sputum is dangerous, other symptoms usually accompany:

  • Severe weakness, lethargy. The child constantly sleeps
  • Body temperature is elevated, drops briefly, then rises again
  • The cough is simply painful, almost non-stop
  • Dyspnea

In this situation, there is a danger of a bacterial infection in the respiratory system and the development of pneumonia or bronchitis. It is necessary to consult a pediatrician.

Attention! Call an ambulance immediately if you notice blood in your child's sputum. There is a possibility of having tuberculosis

How is yellow sputum examined?

When a cough with yellow sputum appears, a person goes to a therapist. The doctor first asks the patient about the onset of the disease, finds out whether there is a fever, how long the cough lasts, what is the amount of sputum and its nature, that is, the color of the fluid released.

After this, a sputum test may be ordered. For this purpose, microscopic or macroscopic examination is used.

In the case of microscopy, the laboratory assistant examines pathological cells and elements: increased eosinophils, neutrophils more than 30, fibers, as well as indicators of the presence of asthma or allergies.

Bacterioscopy allows you to determine the presence of microbes in sputum. If none are identified, then they take an analysis for mucus bacteria. The laboratory technician must conduct the study no later than two hours after receiving the mucus. The doctor knows that a healthy person also has a certain amount of pathogenic microorganisms in the saliva, trachea and bronchi. However, their number should not exceed a certain number.

When tuberculosis is detected, bacterial culture is generally carried out at least three times. Only then can a conclusion be drawn based on the presence or absence of Koch’s bacillus in the body.

You need to prepare for the analysis:

  • Two days before sputum collection, you need to increase your fluid intake. Minimum two liters per day
  • Treat your mouth with Miramistin or Furacilin
  • Sputum should be collected in the morning, before meals.
  • Before getting ready, perform morning hygiene: brush your teeth, rinse your mouth

Now the procedure itself: breathe. Inhale and exhale several times, cough deliberately. Collecting sputum must be done in a sterile jar, such as can be purchased at a pharmacy.

If you cannot cough up the mucus, perform an inhalation procedure with plain water. It is enough to collect only 6 mm of mucus.

It is necessary to take the analysis to the laboratory as early as possible; after two hours it will no longer be informative. However, if this is not possible, then place the well-sealed jar in the refrigerator. There, sputum can be stored for about two days.

The hospital may suggest doing a bronchoscopy. This is a very reliable study

Collection of sputum in children

Sometimes parents encounter difficulties when collecting sputum from a child, especially if he is still a baby.

It is wrong to force a child to cough on purpose. Try to play with your baby, let him be distracted. You can give him some tasty treat.

The presence of yellow sputum in a child, along with additional symptoms, tells the doctor about a bacterial infection. Then a microscopic examination of the mucus is done, and the child is prescribed antibiotic therapy.

Treatment of yellow sputum when coughing

Depending on the diagnosis, the patient is prescribed either simply symptomatic therapy or antibiotics are added.

Expectorants are used for treatment:

  • Ambrobene
  • Lazolvan
  • Azts or Vicks-Active
  • Bromhexine Berlin Chemistry

The effect of mucolytic drugs begins quite quickly - after half an hour and lasts for almost 7 hours. These products make it easier for mucus to come out.

To make the sputum more liquid and cough better, Acetylcestin and Fluimucil are prescribed.

An excellent choice in the treatment of cough with yellow sputum would be preparations based on medicinal herbs: Chest Collection, Mukaltin, Altai Collection.

Sometimes expectorants and other drugs are combined. But only the doctor decides this, depending on the diagnosis and condition of the patient.

If a bacterial infection is detected, antibiotics are prescribed: Amoxilav, Summamed, Ampicillin.

In the absence of contraindications, inhalations can be done. This will remove the thickness of sputum and reduce the symptoms of cough. However, it is important to choose the right drugs for inhalation.

Important! Inhalation procedures should not be performed on infants. Use inhalations with caution for people with diseases of the central nervous system

In children, treatment of cough with yellow sputum is identical to that in adults. The only differences are in dosages. Some drugs have age restrictions. For example, ACC, Fluimucil.

Antibiotic therapy in children includes drugs such as Suprax, Flemoxim Solutab 125 g, Amoxilav, etc.

Treatment of cough with yellow sputum using traditional methods

Traditional medicine has many effective remedies for treating cough. Among them are tinctures, lotions, decoctions and rubbing ointments:

  1. Make the following mixture: 200 grams of fresh honey, lemon put through a blender, and 00 grams of milk. Take a tablespoon three times a day. If the honey is fresh, you can take it separately: take a teaspoon into your mouth and suck it like candy.
  2. Sage decoction for cough: 150 gr. add chopped sage to a mug of boiling water. Leave for 4 hours. Add boiled milk - 150 gr. You can drink half a glass once a day
  3. The following collection will be very effective: marshmallow, bearberry, plantain and mint - take 100 grams of each herb. each, pour 1 liter of boiling water. Then leave for an hour. Drink a tablespoon several times a day

Onions are considered an excellent remedy for treating coughs with phlegm in folk medicine. You can make lotions from onion juice, soak a small cloth in it and put it on your chest. Leave for half an hour.

You can also take three onions (do not peel them!), add them to a saucepan with a liter of water, cook over low heat for about an hour, then add half a cup of granulated sugar. Cool and drink half a glass at least three times a day.

For children

Folk remedies for the treatment of cough with yellow sputum in children should be used with caution, after consulting with a doctor. They are not applicable to newborns and children under 2 years of age due to the high risk of allergic reactions.

  • Take 15 grams of chopped figs and add boiling water to a mug. Then cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Strain and give the child a tablespoon three times a day, strictly after eating.
  • Radish juice. 100 grams of juice and 100 grams. combine boiled milk. Sweeten a little with honey. Take 15 ml three times a day after meals
  • Mix onion juice and honey. In equal parts. For example, 100 grams of onion juice and 100 grams of honey. This simple remedy will help treat a severe cough. Take a tablespoon twice a day until symptoms disappear

It is very important to provide clean, cool air in your home. Humidity matters a lot! If you cannot achieve the desired humidity and temperature, buy a humidifier. It will serve you well. Under such conditions, the cough will subside in the shortest possible time.

Prevention

Remember that any cough, including yellow sputum, should go away within 30 days. If it continues longer, you need to consult a pulmonologist again.

Conditions for ensuring the health of the respiratory system:

  • Once a year it is obligatory to undergo fluorography
  • Quit smoking
  • Be outdoors often
  • Hardening. Including children
  • Proper nutrition (especially in the autumn-winter period, including vitamins)
  • Sports activities
  • Conditions in the house (frequent ventilation, humidity)

If your general condition allows, there is no fever or other signs of illness, walking is very useful for coughing. Do not lock yourself at home, follow all the doctor’s recommendations, and the cough will quickly leave you.