Expectoration of yellow sputum. Yellow sputum when coughing - why is it formed. Cough and blood

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

Sputum is secretions produced in the bronchi and trachea. Such secretions are not always considered a sign of a disease, since the respiratory organs regularly produce a large number of mucus. This is necessary in order to create an obstacle at the right time for the penetration of foreign particles (for example, dust or chemicals) into the lungs along with air. In addition, the 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. Special meaning doctors give the color of bronchial secretions.

Causes of yellow sputum when coughing

Sputum can be secreted in various diseases of the respiratory tract and excreted 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 passable the bronchi are, as well as on the position of the patient's body (discharge may increase in horizontal position lying on the healthy side).

Expectoration of secretions in most cases indicates the presence of a disease, especially if the sputum differs in any characteristic color. For example, yellow sputum when coughing can go away with pneumonia, with a viral infection and bronchitis, with purulent processes in the lungs (abscess, bronchiectasis).

However, yellow discharge is not always a sign of the disease. For example, it could be characteristic symptom cough in heavy smokers. Sometimes yellow sputum comes from eating foods or drinks. yellow color(for example, citrus fruits, carrot juice, etc.).

Diagnostics

Sputum is a pathological secret of the bronchi and trachea, which is brought out with the help of coughing movements. These secretions are a very important diagnostic material. They are collected in a special transparent glass container: this is usually done in the morning, before meals, after brushing your teeth and washing your throat.

Also good stuff for diagnosis, fluid after bronchoscopy (bronchial lavage) can serve.

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

  • Macroscopic analysis determines the main characteristics of sputum: volume, shade, odor, density, composition. For example, the yellow color is explained by the presence of a purulent component in the discharge, and the greater 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 respiratory system. Sometimes pus is present even in the form of clots or lumps.
  • Microscopic analysis of sputum is carried out with staining of the preparation and without staining. In the secretions, cells of squamous and cylindrical epithelium, macrophages, siderophages, coniophages, atypical cells, and blood cells can be found. In some cases, a number of fibrous formations (elastic, fibrous fibers, Kurshman's spirals), as well as Charcot-Leyden crystals, cholesterol, fatty acids can be detected.
  • Bacteriological seeding on nutrient media - helps to identify the causative agent of the disease, assess its sensitivity to antibacterial drugs.

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

To effectively treat 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 on an individual basis, taking into account the underlying disease, comorbidities the patient's response to drugs.

In the presence of secretions during coughing, it is recommended to take a large amount of liquid, mainly in the form warm tea or herbal infusions. Herbs with expectorant, anti-inflammatory, enveloping action are used - these are sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, marshmallow, etc.

In the absence of contraindications, inhalations are carried out with sodium bicarbonate, essential oils.

From medicines the following are shown:

  • means with an expectorant effect that reduce the concentration of bronchial secretions and facilitate its excretion (ammonium chloride, thermopsis);
  • agents with mucoregulatory action (carbocysteine, ambroxol) - contribute to the expulsion of sputum from the bronchi, help antibacterial drugs get into the bronchi;
  • mucolytics (ACC) - normalize coughing up secretions from the bronchi;
  • antihistamines (with allergic etiology of cough).

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 of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. What should be taken into account in order 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 expected to "go away" on its own.

Regardless of the presence of diseases of the respiratory system, as a preventive measure, you can adhere to the following rules:

  • smoking is harmful, even if it is not you who smoke, but someone nearby. Inhaling nicotine increases the risk of chronic bronchitis or emphysema;
  • during epidemics of colds and viral diseases crowded public places should be avoided;
  • sometimes it makes sense to get a flu or pneumonia shot, especially if reduced immunity or susceptibility to respiratory disease;
  • do not forget about personal hygiene, wash your hands after you come from the street, and also before each meal;
  • Include more fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet. It is useful to drink infusions and fruit drinks from berries, rose hips, citrus fruits, mint;
  • eat fully, because in the cold season it is highly recommended not to adhere to "strict" and even more so "hungry" diets, as this significantly weakens the immune system;
  • dress according to the weather, do not allow hypothermia and overheating of the body.

When a cough appears, it is better to postpone all affairs for a while and consult a doctor: timely treatment often serves the best prevention complications and undesirable consequences.

Forecast

Often a wet cough seems to us a common and non-serious 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, there may be enough serious consequences for good health. An insufficiently cured cough with acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections, as well as with acute bronchitis or tracheitis, can contribute to the development of pneumonia. Inflammation of the lungs is a rather dangerous and insidious disease that requires mandatory treatment in a hospital with the use of antibacterial potent drugs.

The acute form of bronchitis, which many prefer to carry "on their feet", without appropriate therapy can acquire chronic course. The chronic form of bronchitis may require a long and difficult treatment. Improper treatment of 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. In no case should purulent processes in the respiratory tract be started, 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 - "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 the mucous secretion is most often associated with an increase in the level of leukocytes, when the immune system trying to fight off the infection on his own. However, there are other reasons when phlegm begins to accumulate in the airways.

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 hue due to severe air pollution.

With a bacterial infection, they turn greenish-yellow. But it's much more dangerous when the mucus gets Brown color due to the presence of blood clots.

What is sputum? What is normal? Why is she needed? It is a thick, viscous, jelly-like substance that is separated during expectoration. It is 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, the tracheobronchial exudate is transparent, protective function and has antimicrobial properties.

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

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

The rate of phlegm of the tracheobronchial tree released per day is 10-100 ml. This is the volume of a substance that a person swallows during the day imperceptible to yourself.

The increase in mucus formation occurs as a result of a change biochemical composition tracheobronchial secretion and impaired escalator function of atrial fibrillation epithelial tissue, resulting in the development of mucostasis.

The 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 for which increased mucus formation is characteristic.

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

Pneumonia. Occurs as a complication after respiratory diseases. The most common microbial strain 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 has pus in the sputum. Symptoms associated with this pathology depend on the specific type of disease. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, chills, fever, and cough with yellow (sometimes green and bloody) sputum.

Cold or flu. One of the most common signs of these ailments is the appearance of clear or yellow clots during expectoration.

Sinusitis. It can be triggered by an allergy, viral or bacterial infection. 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 gets blocked, accumulates in the sinuses, and creates an ideal 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 a chronic lung disease when tracheobronchial exudate begins to accumulate in the lungs. One of the signs of pathology is the tracheobronchial substance of a yellowish, greenish and brown color.

An allergic reaction is another common cause of colored phlegm during expectoration. An allergen-irritant provokes inflammation, thereby increasing the production of thick, pale yellow secretions.

Excessive mucous clots, moving along the nasopharynx, irritate the throat and cause coughing. Symptoms respiratory allergies go away with the 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 prolonged and unproductive, viscous clots are usually insignificant. Other symptoms of asthma include wheezing, shortness of breath, fatigue, and seizures.

Lung cancer (BAR). 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 the persistence of the cough reflex for more than two weeks and incessant chest pain. The presence of such symptoms requires immediate medical attention.

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

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


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

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 yellowness to green, and manifests itself in pneumonia, bronchiectasis, abscessing pneumonia, protracted bronchitis or acute respiratory infections.


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

The appearance of colored secretions when coughing without fever indicates the non-infectious nature of the pathology.

Allergic cough with exudate with yellow patches also proceeds without fever.

Attention

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

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 the development of pathology are detected.

Related materials on the topic:

Which doctor should I contact?

What the appearance of a viscous exudate indicates in the first stages will be prompted only by a general practitioner. Subsequently, you may need to consult other specialists - a pulmonologist, an allergist, an oncologist, an otorhinolaryngologist, a surgeon.

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

The material is taken into a sterile glass container in the morning on an empty stomach, after careful treatment of the oral cavity and throat with saline.

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

The study of the sample is carried out by several methods:

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

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


It has been proven that it has the same effect on the respiratory system as expectorant drugs. In the case when you cough, and yellow sputum comes out, dense in consistency, additional measures are prescribed for its natural discharge:

Reflex-acting drugs that are aimed at enhancing mucus formation. They help increase the proportion liquid secretion in the bronchi, its liquefaction and trouble-free coughing. To this group medicines medications include plant-based(licorice root, marshmallow, thermopsis grass, anise fruits, etc.).

Expectorant drugs of resorptive action directly affect the bronchi and the exudate itself, thereby accelerating the process of its removal from the respiratory system. This group of medicines 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, the destruction of mucopolysaccharides occurs, which means the liquefaction of a viscous substance. These agents include Acetylcysteine, Carbocysteine, Ambroxol, Bromhexine and their analogues.

All these funds are taken orally or inhaled (through a nebulizer). If necessary, when there is a protracted form of the disease, injection of drugs is prescribed.

Speaking about how to treat a cough, do not forget about traditional medicine. Among the most accessible and effective recipes are:

    1. Infusion mother-and-stepmother. Preparation boils down to the fact that 1 tablespoon of grass is poured into 1 tbsp. boiling water, infused for 10-15 minutes, filtered. Such an infusion is used inside for 1 tsp. up to 4 times a day.
    2. Infusion from a mixture of herbs of plantain, thyme, elecampane root and wild rosemary. 2 tbsp dry mixture of herbs is poured with 1 l of boiling water, infused for 2 hours, filtered. A solution of 1 tbsp is taken. inside up to 4 times a day.

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

In addition, the treatment of cough with yellow sputum involves frequent gargling with saline.

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

Acute bronchitis easily becomes chronic, requiring long-term treatment and certain restrictions.

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

If the patient coughed up a substance with signs of yellowness, he urgently needs to contact a therapist to establish an accurate diagnosis and urgent medical treatment.

Timely prevention helps to avoid serious complications that cause respiratory diseases.

And this means that the appearance of the first signs of acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections must immediately begin treatment, and not wait self-elimination symptoms.

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

  1. Stop smoking (active and passive);
  2. Avoid crowded places 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;
  6. Replenish the diet with fresh vegetables, fruits, juices and decoctions.


Yellow sputum when coughing begins when a large amount of secretions accumulate in the lungs to remove them naturally. It is an effective means of self-defense. human body. Coughing should not be suppressed. Sputum excreted by coughing must be spit out. Under no circumstances should you swallow it.

During attacks of coughing, the patient should cover his mouth with a handkerchief or napkin, since the yellow sputum secreted by coughing contains microorganisms. This may be dangerous to those around you. Cough occurs as a reflex reaction in the formation of any obstacles to the normal passage of air through the respiratory tract. Cough begins when foreign bodies enter the respiratory tract, inhalation of irritating vapors or too dry air. In addition, coughing up sputum is a symptom of many allergic, respiratory, and infectious diseases.

What is sputum?

Sputum is a combination of moist mucous secretions that form on the inner surface of the 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. At healthy person there is no secretion from the respiratory tract.

Phlegm has different color, consistency, composition, which allows you to better diagnose the disease and draw up a course of treatment in each case. For example, yellow sputum is formed when the respiratory tract is infected, frothy white slime is allocated with a cough with pulmonary edema, red - with lung cancer.

In addition to saliva, sputum consists of:

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

The percentage of the aforementioned mucus components indicates the stage and nature of the course of the disease. According to the consistency, sputum is divided into viscous, thick or liquid. Depending on the content of pus, sputum may break up into 2-3 layers or not at all.

Yellow slime, like any other, usually does not smell. If the sputum acquires a characteristic cadaveric (or putrid) smell, this indicates the development of an abscess, lung cancer, gangrene, etc. Treatment in such cases should be more intensive. You may need surgery.

Yellow sputum analysis

For more exact definition the nature of the disease processes, a laboratory study of yellow sputum must be carried out microscopically and macroscopically. For analysis, yellow sputum is collected in the morning on an empty stomach to avoid food impurities. To ensure a minimum content of saliva, the patient should rinse his mouth with a weak solution of an antiseptic (for example, furacilin) ​​and boiled water. After rinsing, sputum is collected in a sterile special jar-spittoon. If the mucus is coughed up in insufficient quantities, the patient is prescribed an irritating inhalation.

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

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

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

In acute bronchitis, inflammation begins in the bronchi under the influence of a viral or bacterial infection. Chronic bronchitis occurs as a complication of acute or long-term exposure to dust or other annoying factors. Sinusitis - inflammation paranasal sinuses nose, occurs as a complication of infectious diseases or after severe facial injuries. Inflammation of the lungs occurs due to infection in the lung tissue. Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory disease 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, such as neutrophils, in it. If a large number of eosinophils accumulate in the sputum, it acquires a bright yellow color.

The presence of cells of this type indicates infectious, allergic and chronic inflammation that started in the body. Thus, a cough with yellow sputum is a dangerous symptom. Therefore, when it appears, you should immediately visit a specialist doctor. In no case should you self-medicate.

Cough with yellow sputum: treatment

When coughing with yellow sputum, expectorants are primarily prescribed to intensify lung cleansing, mucolytics that dissolve mucus, and antibiotics to fight a 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, licorice root syrup. These drugs are actively used to treat bronchial asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchitis and other inflammations in the upper respiratory tract.

Expectorants ensure the removal of bronchial secretions from the upper respiratory tract and activation of the cough reflex. This group includes, for example, trypsin, thermopsis, sodium benzoate.

Means that dilate the bronchi, facilitate the exit of mucus, increasing the patency of the bronchi. These include stoptussin, erespal, bromhexine, gedelix.

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

To facilitate the clearing of the lungs by coughing up yellow or other mucus, it is recommended to drink more liquids, humidify the air in the room with a room humidifier, get plenty of rest, avoid strong odors and too cold air. During a coughing fit, you need to take a straight position to expand the lungs.

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

Yellow mucus may be a symptom of some allergic diseases. In such cases, the patient is prescribed anti-allergic agents and stabilizers of mast cell membranes. If the patient has pulmonary edema, antifoaming agents and diuretics will be required.



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

Why there is a cough with sputum

In fact, cough is defense mechanism body from external influences - any obstacles, or bacteria, viruses. This may be dust, inflammation in the form of swelling of the throat, spasm or exposure to temperatures.

Often, phlegm joins the cough. It is a companion of many diseases: bronchitis, sinusitis, asthma, pneumonia and even cancer.

Sputum is the release from the respiratory tract of a mixture of saliva and secreted from the sinuses. I must say that a certain amount of mucus constantly comes out of the bronchi, because it contains protective elements. A person simply does not notice this, and in 24 hours he has up to a hundred millimeters of this secret.

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

  • Frontit
  • Bronchitis
  • Pneumonia
  • Flu

When making a diagnosis, the color of the discharge is very important. If you find yellow sputum, you need the help of a doctor. This is dangerous, because pus can give such a 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 penetration into the bronchi of a bacterial infection.

Yellow sputum when coughing in a child

It is difficult to find a child who has never coughed in his life. Wet cough - this is the separation of sputum. And this is good. Because it is enough for the child to cough up, and sputum will come out. Worse, if the sputum begins to become thick and viscous.

Coughing is known to be a defense mechanism. To help the 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 the child plenty to drink
  • Provide humid and cool air in the children's room

If there is no temperature, walk outside as much as possible. But what if the child has sputum with a yellow tinge?

We hasten to reassure impressionable moms and dads. Yellow sputum may indicate simple sinusitis or a common cold. In this case, increase the amount of liquid the child takes. Doesn't drink water? Cook compote, it's better than nothing.

When yellow sputum is dangerous, other symptoms usually join:

  • Great weakness, lethargy. Baby sleeps all the time
  • Body temperature is elevated, falls for a short time, then rises again
  • The cough is just excruciating, almost non-stop
  • Dyspnea

In this situation, there is a risk of a bacterial infection in the respiratory system and the development of pneumonia or bronchitis. You need to consult a pediatrician.

Attention! call urgently ambulance if you notice blood in the baby's sputum. There is a possibility of tuberculosis

How is yellow sputum tested?

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

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

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

Bacterioscopy allows you to determine the presence of microbes in the sputum. If these are not detected, then they take an analysis for mucus bakposev. The laboratory assistant must conduct a study no later than two hours after receiving the mucus. The doctor knows that a healthy person also has a certain amount in saliva, trachea and bronchi. pathogenic microorganisms. However, their number should not exceed a certain number.

When tuberculosis is detected, bakposev is generally carried out at least three times. Only then can a conclusion be drawn by the presence or absence of Koch's bacillus in the body.

Prepare for the analysis:

  • Two days before sputum collection, it is necessary to increase fluid intake. At least two liters per day
  • Treat your mouth with miramistin or furatsilin
  • Collect sputum in the morning before meals
  • Before collecting, conduct morning hygiene: brush your teeth, rinse your mouth

Now the procedure itself: breathe. Breathe in and out a few times, cough on purpose. Sputum must be collected in a sterile jar, which can be bought at a pharmacy.

If you can not cough up mucus, do the 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 already be uninformative. However, if this is not possible, then put well closed jar into the refrigerator. There, sputum can be stored for about two days.

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

Collection of sputum in children

Sometimes parents face difficulties in collecting sputum from a child, especially if it is still a baby.

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

The presence of yellow sputum in a child along with additional symptoms tells the doctor about a bacterial infection. Then they do a microscopic examination of the mucus, 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 add antibiotics.

For treatment, expectorants are used:

  • Ambrobene
  • Lazolvan
  • Acct or Wix-Active
  • Bromhexine Berlin Chemie

The action of mucolytic drugs begins quite quickly - after half an hour and lasts almost 7 hours. These agents make it easier to expel mucus.

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

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

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

If found bacterial infection, then antibiotics are prescribed: Amoxil, Summamed, Ampicillin.

In the absence of contraindications, inhalations can be done. This will remove the density of sputum, reduce the manifestations of coughing. However, it is important to choose the right drugs for inhalation.

Important! It is impossible to carry out inhalation procedures for infants. Use inhalation with caution in people with diseases of the central nervous system

In children, the treatment of cough with yellow sputum is identical to that of an adult. Differences only in dosages. Some drugs have age restrictions. For example, ACC, Fluimucil.

Antibiotic therapy in children includes drugs such as Suprax, Flemoxim Solutab 125 g, Amoxil and others.

Treatment of cough with yellow sputum folk methods

Traditional medicine has many effective means to treat cough. Among them are tinctures, lotions, decoctions and rubbing with ointments:

  1. Make this mixture: 200 grams of fresh honey, lemon, scrolled through a blender, and 00 grams of milk. Use a tablespoon three times a day. If the honey is fresh, it can be taken separately: take a teaspoon in your mouth and dissolve like candy
  2. Sage decoction for coughing: 150 gr. chopped sage add to a cup of boiling water. Insist 4 hours. Add boiled milk - 150 gr. You can drink half a glass once a day
  3. Such a collection will be very effective: marshmallow, bearberry, plantain and mint - take each herb 100 gr. each, pour boiling water in the amount of 1 liter. Then insist hours. Drink a tablespoon several times a day

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

You can also take three onions (do not peel!), Add to a saucepan with a liter of water, simmer for about an hour, then pour half a mug of granulated sugar. Cool and drink half a glass at least three times a day.

For kids

Folk remedies in the treatment of cough with yellow sputum in children should be used with caution, after consulting 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 drink the child a tablespoon three times a day, strictly after eating.
  • Radish juice. 100 gr juice and 100 gr. 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 in the treatment severe cough. Take one tablespoon twice a day until symptoms disappear.

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

Prevention

Remember that any cough, including with yellow sputum, should pass within 30 days. If it lasts longer, you need to re-contact a pulmonologist.

Conditions for ensuring the health of the respiratory system:

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

If the general condition allows, there is no temperature and other signs of illness - when coughing, walking is very useful. Do not close at home, follow all the doctor's recommendations, and the cough will quickly leave you.

When mucus starts to come out when coughing, this is already good. Thus, the body cleanses the lungs and bronchi, and the healing process is accelerated. Although in some cases, a wet cough can drag on for a long time. This happens if for some reason the disease becomes chronic. This is often indicated by the unusual color of expectorant sputum, for example, yellow.

TEST: Why are you coughing?

How long have you been coughing?

Is your cough combined with a runny nose and is most noticeable in the morning (after sleep) and in the evening (already in bed)?

Cough can be described as:

You characterize cough as:

Can you say that the cough is deep (in order to understand this, type more air into the lungs and cough)?

During a coughing fit, you feel pain in your abdomen and/or chest(pain in the intercostal muscles and abdominals)?

Do you smoke?

Pay attention to the nature of the mucus that is released during the cough (no matter how much it is: a little or a lot). She is:

Do you feel a dull pain in the chest, which does not depend on movements and is of an “internal” nature (as if the focus of pain is in the lung itself)?

Do you suffer from shortness of breath (during physical activity Are you quickly "out of breath" and tired, breathing becomes faster, after which there is a lack of air)?

What does yellow signal?

A cough with yellow sputum can give different signals. Most often about the fact that there is an infection in the body. But not always. The infectious nature of the disease is quite easy to diagnose by concomitant symptoms, in the first place among which is elevated body temperature (often slightly, up to 37-37.2). Also, the infectious nature of the cough is indicated by:

  • paroxysmal nature of cough;
  • traces of blood in expectorant sputum;
  • general weakness, frequent dizziness;
  • shortness of breath when coughing or physical exertion;
  • pain in the chest area.

In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor, undergo a diagnostic examination, take sputum for analysis and begin an intensive course of treatment. Procrastination and prolonged ineffective self-treatment can lead to serious complications.

Yellow sputum when coughing is also common in smokers, usually with a short smoking history. Together with tobacco smoke, a lot of toxins, tar, and particles of tobacco enter the lungs and bronchi. They accumulate, mix with secretions and form yellow mucus clots. Over time, it becomes dark brown or gray in color and becomes thicker and more difficult to cough up.

Interestingly, the expectorant discharge acquires a yellow color if you drink large quantities of freshly squeezed carrot juice or eat a lot of yellow or orange foods: carrots, pumpkins, persimmons, citrus fruits.

If at the same time the mucus is liquid, translucent, without an unpleasant odor, and the cough is not strong and appears periodically - it's okay. Just orange pigment has a high coloring power.

How to distinguish it

Distinguish by appearance pathological sputum from harmless is almost impossible. And even concomitant symptoms do not always help accurate diagnosis. Therefore, a good doctor will never prescribe treatment before an analysis of expectorated mucus has been made.

To do this, she gathers in the morning, on an empty stomach, in a sterile glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Before collection, you can not brush your teeth and drink tea or juices - all this can affect the results of the study. It is only necessary to rinse your mouth with clean boiled water or a weak furatsilin solution. The analysis itself is carried out in a specialized laboratory, to which it is necessary to deliver sputum.

The most objective result is given by the study of sputum after bronchoscopy. Bronchoscopy is done in stationary conditions using medical equipment. The procedure is unpleasant, but not too painful, before it is applied local anesthetics(lidocaine).

The mucus from the bronchi is washed out with a special solution, and a camera installed at the end of the tube allows you to assess their condition at the current moment. The material taken during the procedure is examined in three different ways:

Usually such studies are sufficient. But there are other types of tests that can be prescribed if necessary.

Treatment Options

Only correct option treatment of wet cough, in which yellow sputum is produced - follow the doctor's recommendations. If the disease has an infectious nature, it is possible to do without antibiotics only at the first stage. When the cough is prolonged, deep, paroxysmal, it means that the body cannot cope on its own and needs help.

Usually this complex treatment, which includes several groups of drugs at once:

Remember that home remedies infectious diseases are not treated. They can only be used as ancillary methods to quickly relieve a coughing fit or remove irritation and inflammation of the throat. Instead of pharmacy expectorant syrups, folk recipes can also be used, but it is advisable to coordinate all actions with your doctor so as not to reduce the effectiveness of the prescribed drugs.

An obligatory element of treatment is frequent gargling, in which mucus is washed off. Warm drinks also soothe coughs, and decoctions medicinal herbs at the same time increase immunity, reduce inflammation and have a good healing effect. It is better to brew tea from chamomile, rosehip, elecampane, sage, coltsfoot.

Contribute to the thinning of thick mucus and its better discharge soda inhalation, which, if necessary, can be done up to 2-3 times a day. Lavender essential oils dissolved in water have an antibacterial effect, tea tree, eucalyptus. It is useful to breathe over the steam from fresh mashed potatoes(then discard the potatoes - they are already infected with the infection!).

It is useful to supplement the course of treatment drainage massage and breathing exercises. How to properly perform these procedures can be shown by a specialist. They will help to quickly clear the bronchi of sputum residues, relieve spasms, and speed up the healing process.

The course consists of 10-15 procedures performed daily. After recovery breathing exercises can be practiced until the residual cough disappears completely.

Prevention

Yellow sputum does not usually appear out of nowhere. Most often, this is the result of a neglected acute respiratory disease or acute respiratory viral infection, which then turns into bronchitis or pneumonia (sometimes purulent!). Therefore, the first rule of prevention is to treat cold cough and bring the process to full recovery. The mistake of many is that an unliquidated focus of inflammation is often mistaken for a residual cough, which provokes chronic diseases.

Remember: with residual cough, there is little sputum, and it is clear or white, but not yellow. Therefore, if the cough seems to pass, but the color of the sputum does not change, this is already an alarm.

Completely disappears residual cough a maximum of a month, normally - within 2-3 weeks. If it continues, you need to see a doctor again.

Additional measures to prevent cough and chronic diseases should be taken constantly. They are simple and clear:

This will strengthen the immune system, avoid frequent respiratory diseases and possible complications after illnesses. If you cannot cope with a cough on your own, you do not need to postpone a visit to the doctor.

M okrota is defined in medical practice as a diverse exudate produced by cells of the ciliated epithelium of bronchial structures. Mucus production is the body's natural defensive response to intrusion into the respiratory structures. pathogenic flora or imaginary disease agents (as, for example, with smoking). Yellow sputum is a clear indicator of problems with the bronchial tree.

However, this kind of exudate should be subdivided on the basis of the localization of the pathological process. Phlegm may not be phlegm, but mucus from the nose. So, what is the basic information about the problem?

The factors for the appearance of true yellow sputum when coughing are diverse. Among characteristic diseases or pathological conditions the following can be named:

  • Pneumonia.

The most typical disease, which is accompanied by the release of yellow exudate. The essence of the pathogenic process is the inflammation of one or more segments of the lungs. Another name for the disease is pneumonia. The causes of the formation of the problem are almost always infectious-degenerative.

The most common causative agent of pneumonia is Klebsiella, Staphylococcus aureus, hemolytic and viridescent streptococci and other pathogens. The symptoms are very specific. In the first few days, a cough develops, the body temperature rises. For 3-5 days, a period of imaginary well-being begins, and the disease is gaining new momentum.

A large amount of yellow sputum is found when coughing. A similar exudate consists of serous fluid, mucus, dead leukocytes and infectious agents. This is pus. The disease resolves in 3-4 weeks and ends with recovery, the transition of the infection to the chronic phase or lethal outcome.

  • Bronchitis.

It is a disease similar to pneumonia, but unlike the latter, bronchitis has a smaller affected area. AT pathological process only bronchi are involved, as a rule, their small segments. Possible yellowish purulent sputum bad smell(indicates the putrefactive process).

Symptoms are similar to those of pneumonia. Despite the fact that the disease is less dangerous than pneumonia, it tends to actively chronicize and also threatens to be fatal for the patient.

  • Tuberculosis

An infectious and inflammatory disease provoked by the so-called Koch's bacillus (tuberculosis microbacterium). On the early stages sputum is white, the further the disease progresses, the more intense the pigmentation of the mucous exudate. First, yellow sputum is expectorated, then it acquires a rusty (brown) hue.

Tuberculosis symptoms include intense coughing, sudden loss weight and other factors.

  • bronchiectasis.

It is not possible to thoroughly determine the causes of the formation of bronchiectasis. The essence of the pathogenic process is the formation of small sacs filled with pus in the alveolar structures of the bronchi. When coughing, yellow mucus of a multi-layered nature is expectorated. Interspersed blood is observed, including fresh and oxidized.

Bronchiectasis is observed in 7% of cases of visits to a pulmonologist. It is not possible to distinguish it from pneumonia, emphysema and other conditions without specialized studies.

  • Lung abscess.

An abscess (colloquially known as "abscess") is a papular formation localized in the tissues of the lungs or bronchi. The opening of such a structure is fraught with suppuration or purulent melt of the lungs. In both processes described, a huge amount of yellow exudate is released with impurities of fresh blood.

The condition is potentially lethal, as the phenomena of respiratory failure increase.

  • Cancer diseases of the lungs. With the localization of the tumor structure in the central segments of the lungs, pus comes out mixed with blood.

In some cases, the secretion of yellow mucus is due to purely subjective reasons. So, everyone knows the so-called smoker's cough. Tobacco and harmful resins stain the mucous exudate yellow or. Eating citrus fruits, carrots in large quantities also responds with the formation of a large amount of yellow mucus.

It is possible to delimit these causes only by conducting specialized diagnostics. All events are prescribed only by a doctor. Yellow sputum acts only as a vector, determining the direction of the examination.

Associated symptoms

Phlegm is never the only isolated symptom. It is just one of many manifestations typical of a particular disease. In almost all cases, the following characteristic features are also present:

  1. Pain behind the sternum. They are noted in most diseases, accompanied by the release of yellow sputum in the morning. The pain has a pulling, aching character, it is noted when inhaling and, somewhat less often, when exhaling.
  2. Shortness of breath, suffocation. Respiratory disorders. Both of these conditions cause respiratory failure. The difference between shortness of breath and suffocation lies in the intensity of the manifestation. Asphyxiation is potentially lethal because it causes acute disorder bodily functions.
  3. Increase in body temperature. Almost always indicates an inflammatory-degenerative process in the lung structures. We are talking about subfebrile or febrile thermometer values. With cancer, the level is always kept within 37.5 degrees Celsius.
  4. Cough. Always productive, has a clogging character. Amplifies in morning time days, during the day it weakens somewhat.

The clinical picture consists of similar manifestations.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of problems with lung structures is carried out by specialists in pulmonology. Additionally, consultations with an oncologist or phthisiatrician may be required. The complex of diagnostic measures includes an oral questioning of the patient regarding the nature and degree of development of symptoms, as well as taking an anamnesis.

The main thing that can be said at first glance is that yellow sputum always indicates a purulent-necrotic process in the lower respiratory tract. The greater the specific gravity of pus in the mucus, the more it moves towards a green tint..

To put an end to the issue of the origin of the problem, you need to carry out a number of diagnostic measures:

  • General macroscopic analysis of sputum. Reveals its physical and chemical properties.
  • Microscopic examination. It is prescribed to assess the microscopic composition of mucus (as the name implies).
  • Sputum inoculation on nutrient media. Allows you to identify the pathogen.
  • tuberculin test. It is necessary for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in the early stages of the course.
  • General blood analysis. As a rule, it gives a picture of severe inflammation with a large number of leukocytes, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, high rate hematocrit, etc.
  • Radiography of the lungs. Allows you to identify pathological changes in the lungs and bronchi.
  • Fluorography. It makes it possible to determine only the most gross changes in the tissues and organs of the chest. It is most often prescribed for the diagnosis of oncological ailments and tuberculosis.
  • MRI/CT diagnostics. Both studies provide vivid, informative images of the structures of the chest organs. Due to the low availability, such diagnostic measures relatively rare.
  • Bronchoscopy. A minimally invasive study aimed at examining and visually evaluating the epithelial tissues of the lower respiratory tract.

Such studies are assigned in a complex manner. If organic causes are excluded, it makes sense to look for a physiological factor.

Therapy

Methods for treating cough with yellow sputum are diverse, depending on the specific ailment, medication or surgical therapy. Since in most cases there is a putrefactive or necrotic process, the use of the following drugs is indicated.

Phlegm is a secret produced by the respiratory organs to protect against the penetration of foreign particles. Its small amount and transparent consistency is not a sign of pathology. Many infectious diseases accompanied by a wet cough with fluid separation. At this time, the volume of the separated mucus increases markedly, and it itself is painted in specific color. Yellow sputum when coughing, secreted from the bronchopulmonary department, may indicate a type of disease.

What does the color of sputum mean

Fluid is present in respiratory organs throughout a person's life. In the absence of diseases, its norm is a transparent secret that does not provoke cough reflex and practically does not stand out. If it enters the body harmful bacteria, they begin to actively multiply and spread, which is reflected in the consistency and color of the mucus.

If the liquid comes out in large quantities exclusively in the morning, and during the wakefulness period the cough almost does not bother, such pathologies may occur:

  • gastric reflux (reflux of contents into the esophagus);
  • bronchiectasis;
  • cardiovascular disorders;
  • adenoids - in a young child.

The shade of sputum in diseases can vary. Gray-yellow, white expectorant mucus is a clear indicator viral disease. Brown, green, streaked blood may indicate more serious health problems.

Reasons for the appearance

A number of diseases are known in which thick yellow sputum is expectorated:

  1. spicy or Chronical bronchitis. Bacteria that enter the body quickly spread to lower divisions respiratory tract. The infection provokes inflammation of the inner epithelium of the bronchi. Among bright symptoms emit first dry, then wet cough, sore throat, chills and fever. Bronchitis is often accompanied by subfebrile or febrile temperature.
  2. Various forms of pneumonia. This pathology often occurs against the background of SARS or bronchitis. microbes, causing pneumonia, belong to the streptococcal group, but there may be other pathogens. Bacteria infect one side of the lung or both sections at once. Among the symptoms are the appearance of wheezing in the chest, fever, viscous yellow sputum is separated. Sometimes expectorant mucus is yellow-brown or yellow-green. Purulent blotches give color to sputum.
  3. Banal cold or flu. At the initial stage of the disease, a dry cough may appear. After a certain period, it is converted into wet, with the release of yellow sputum. The temperature can stay at the level of 36.6-39.5°С.
  4. Sinusitis or sinusitis are provoked by a rapidly spreading virus. start to get inflamed maxillary sinuses, a large amount of purulent fluid is formed. Mucus exits through the nasal passage, part of it flows down the nasopharynx. There is a cough reflex with expectoration. If yellow sputum is expectorated when coughing, pain in the paranasal sinuses is noted, it is possible that the patient has sinusitis.
  5. Chronic hereditary disease lungs - cystic fibrosis. The second name is cystic fibrosis. With this pathology, a large mass of mucus accumulates in the respiratory tract, and the layering of a bacterial infection causes purulent inflammation. The sputum comes up with a violent cough.
  6. Seasonal allergic reactions organism. White-yellow sputum is expectorated, often viscous. In addition to this symptom, there is redness of the eyes, itching, increased sneezing, discharge of liquid mucus from the nose.
  7. Smoker's cough. The symptom is caused by pathological changes in the respiratory tract. Constant irritation of the mucous membranes with tobacco smoke provokes an increased separation of sputum from the lungs in the morning with a cough. Dark yellow mucus accumulates during the night, is intensively released when a person wakes up.
  8. Lung cancer. The most serious illness, at which there is persistent cough. Yellow sputum with blood is expectorated. In addition to coughing, there is strong pain in the chest. Mucus streaked with blood and paroxysmal cough more than two weeks allows the doctor to suspect a malignant tumor.

Coughed up light yellow sputum with a temperature above 37 ° C is a likely sign of SARS. Other symptoms, contact with the patient matter. A person feels stuffy nose, headaches, loss of strength.

Important! Usually infectious diseases last 7-10 days, but without adequate treatment can go into complicated forms. In this case, drugs from the group of antibiotics are often prescribed.

Cough with yellow sputum may be without fever. The causes that provoke it are smoking, allergies, asthma. In the absence of a serious disease, yellow sputum does not have a specific pungent odor. If the discharged mucus smells of rot, this indicates complications in an adult:

  • lung abscess;
  • gangrene;
  • oncological pathology.

Know! Warning, unusual symptoms require immediate medical attention.

Diagnostics

When bright yellow mucus comes out when coughing, accompanied by a rise in body temperature, the doctor diagnoses infectious process in the patient's body. He appoints additional tests to establish an accurate diagnosis:

  • general blood analysis;
  • Analysis of urine;
  • biochemical blood test;
  • sputum analysis.

For laboratory examination of sputum, a small amount of the patient's mucus is taken directly into medical office. Sometimes the patient is prescribed an independent collection of morning sputum, it is carried out three times.

Attention! More reliable information about the state of the respiratory system can be obtained during a special examination - bronchoscopy. The procedure is for endoscopic methods carried out in a medical facility.

The doctor receives an image from the bronchoscope to the monitor, which allows him to see and analyze the changes that have occurred with the organs. In addition, during bronchoscopy, mucus can be obtained, in which there are no impurities of saliva and food particles - for further research. Sometimes a piece of tissue is taken in parallel for a biopsy - if you suspect malignant neoplasm.

Yellow sputum treatment

Before prescribing, the doctor must establish the cause of the symptom. Therapy, first of all, is aimed at eliminating the causative agent of cough with the separation of purulent sputum.

Important! If there is no fever, home treatment may be prescribed. Round-the-clock medical supervision is required only for complicated forms of the disease - pneumonia, severe acute bronchitis, sinusitis or sinusitis.

Medical therapy

Drugs are prescribed only after establishing the type of infection. This takes into account individual characteristics organism, the presence of concomitant diseases, the characteristics of the patient. Medicines that help adults may not be suitable for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.

If the sputum is difficult to separate and has a dense structure, drugs are prescribed that facilitate coughing and mucus discharge:

  1. Altea syrup, Thermopsis tablets, licorice root infusion - all these medicines are aimed at enhancing the formation and thinning of sputum. Thanks to the intake of drugs, the cough decreases, the mucus is easier to expectorate.
  2. Mucolytic agents promote the excretion of sputum. This group of drugs includes tablets and syrups - ACC, Bromhexine.
  3. Expectorants increase fluid secretion, clear the airways, and help a person cough up phlegm. These include Prospan, Ambroxol.

Know! If the prescribed medications do not bring relief after a week of taking, the doctor may recommend another method of therapy. Sometimes only antibiotics help, but they are prescribed according to strict indications.

Additionally, anti-inflammatory, antiviral agents are prescribed. Vitamin complexes should be taken to support immunity.

Treatment with folk methods

You can supplement the main therapy with recipes from traditional medicine. Collections of medicinal herbs are excellent help:

  1. 1 st. l. dry herbs coltsfoot pour a glass of boiling water. Infuse for a quarter of an hour, then filter through a double layer of gauze or a fine sieve. Take orally 1 tsp. up to 4 times a day.
  2. 2 tbsp. l. collection of herbs plantain, elecampane, wild rosemary and thyme are added to boiling water. After a couple of minutes, the pan is removed from the stove and covered with a lid. After 2 hours, the broth is passed through a sieve or gauze. Infusion is recommended to use 1 tbsp. l. every 6 hours.
  3. The black radish is washed well, a hole is made on its surface. A small amount of fresh honey is added to the hole. After 30–60 minutes, the juice that appears in the hole is poured into a spoon and drunk.
  4. 0.5 st. l. lemon juice mixed with 1 tbsp. l. honey. Add some warm water and mix thoroughly. Take on a full stomach 4-5 times a day.

It should be remembered that pregnant women may have contraindications. And this applies not only to pharmaceutical drugs. Some types of foods should also not be consumed during the period of bearing and feeding a child. You can learn about acceptable methods of folk or traditional treatment from your doctor.

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

In fact, cough is a protective mechanism of the body from external influences - any obstacles, or bacteria, viruses. This may be dust, inflammation in the form of swelling of the throat, spasm or exposure to temperatures.

Often, phlegm joins the cough. It is a companion of many diseases: bronchitis, sinusitis, asthma, pneumonia and even cancer.

Sputum is the release from the respiratory tract of a mixture of saliva and secreted from the sinuses. I must say that a certain amount of mucus constantly comes out of the bronchi, because it contains protective elements. A person simply does not notice this, and in 24 hours he has up to a hundred millimeters of this secret.

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

  • Frontit
  • Bronchitis
  • Pneumonia
  • Flu

When making a diagnosis, the color of the discharge is very important. If you find yellow sputum, you need the help of a doctor. This is dangerous, because pus can give such a color.

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

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

It is difficult to find a child who has never coughed in his life. Wet cough - this is the separation of sputum. And this is good. Because it is enough for the child to cough up, and sputum will come out. Worse, if the sputum begins to become thick and viscous.

Coughing is known to be a defense mechanism. To help the 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 the child plenty to drink
  • Provide humid and cool air in the children's room

If there is no temperature, walk outside as much as possible. But what if the child has sputum with a yellow tinge?

We hasten to reassure impressionable moms and dads. Yellow sputum may indicate simple sinusitis or a common cold. In this case, increase the amount of liquid the child takes. Doesn't drink water? Cook compote, it's better than nothing.

When yellow sputum is dangerous, other symptoms usually join:

  • Great weakness, lethargy. Baby sleeps all the time
  • Body temperature is elevated, falls for a short time, then rises again
  • The cough is just excruciating, almost non-stop
  • Dyspnea

In this situation, there is a risk of a bacterial infection in the respiratory system and the development of pneumonia or bronchitis. You need to consult a pediatrician.

Attention! Call an ambulance immediately if you notice blood in your child's sputum. There is a possibility of 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 if there is a temperature, how long the cough lasts, what is the amount of sputum and its nature, that is, the color of the fluid released.

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

In the case of microscopy, the 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 the sputum. If these are not detected, then they take an analysis for mucus bakposev. The laboratory assistant must conduct a 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, bakposev is generally carried out at least three times. Only then can a conclusion be drawn by the presence or absence of Koch's bacillus in the body.

Prepare for the analysis:

  • Two days before sputum collection, it is necessary to increase fluid intake. At least two liters per day
  • Treat your mouth with miramistin or furatsilin
  • Collect sputum in the morning before meals
  • Before collecting, conduct morning hygiene: brush your teeth, rinse your mouth

Now the procedure itself: breathe. Breathe in and out a few times, cough on purpose. Sputum must be collected in a sterile jar, which can be bought at a pharmacy.

If you can not cough up mucus, do the 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 already be uninformative. However, if this is not possible, then put a well-closed jar in the refrigerator. There, sputum can be stored for about two days.

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

Collection of sputum in children

Sometimes parents face difficulties in collecting sputum from a child, especially if it is still a baby.

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

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

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

For treatment, expectorants are used:

  • Ambrobene
  • Lazolvan
  • Acct or Wix-Active
  • Bromhexine Berlin Chemie

The action of mucolytic drugs begins quite quickly - after half an hour and lasts almost 7 hours. These agents make it easier to expel mucus.

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

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

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

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

In the absence of contraindications, inhalations can be done. This will remove the density of sputum, reduce the manifestations of coughing. However, it is important to choose the right drugs for inhalation.

Important! It is impossible to carry out inhalation procedures for infants. Use inhalation with caution in people with diseases of the central nervous system

In children, the treatment of cough with yellow sputum is identical to that of an adult. Differences only in dosages. Some drugs have age restrictions. For example, ACC, Fluimucil.

Antibiotic therapy in children includes drugs such as Suprax, Flemoxim Solutab 125 g, Amoxil and others.

Treatment of cough with yellow sputum folk methods

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

  1. Make this mixture: 200 grams of fresh honey, lemon, scrolled through a blender, and 00 grams of milk. Use a tablespoon three times a day. If the honey is fresh, it can be taken separately: take a teaspoon in your mouth and dissolve like candy
  2. Sage decoction for coughing: 150 gr. chopped sage add to a cup of boiling water. Insist 4 hours. Add boiled milk - 150 gr. You can drink half a glass once a day
  3. Such a collection will be very effective: marshmallow, bearberry, plantain and mint - take each herb 100 gr. each, pour boiling water in the amount of 1 liter. Then insist hours. Drink a tablespoon several times a day

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

You can also take three onions (do not peel!), Add to a saucepan with a liter of water, simmer for about an hour, then pour half a mug of granulated sugar. Cool and drink half a glass at least three times a day.

For kids

Folk remedies in the treatment of cough with yellow sputum in children should be used with caution, after consulting 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 drink the child a tablespoon three times a day, strictly after eating.
  • Radish juice. 100 gr juice and 100 gr. 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 in the treatment of severe cough. Take one tablespoon twice a day until symptoms disappear.

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

Prevention

Remember that any cough, including with yellow sputum, should pass within 30 days. If it lasts longer, you need to re-contact a pulmonologist.

Conditions for ensuring the health of the respiratory system:

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

If the general condition allows, there is no temperature and other signs of illness - when coughing, walking is very useful. Do not close at home, follow all the doctor's recommendations, and the cough will quickly leave you.

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