What does it mean when you cough up dark brown stuff?
Brown Phlegm The phlegm is brown because of blood and the intense chronic inflammation that comes with the chronic disease state. The bacteria camp out inside the lungs and cause very gradual changes in the consistency and appearance of phlegm. If you have chronic lung disease, you may be used to seeing brown phlegm.
Is coughing up brown phlegm bad?
If your mucus turns brown, yellow, or green, it can be an early warning sign of a flare-up. It’ll be stickier and thicker, and there’ll be more of it. Treatments for COPD include medications, pulmonary rehab, supplemental oxygen, and surgery to open up blocked pathways. In severe cases, you may need a lung transplant.
Does brown phlegm mean infection?
Brown phlegm may indicate possible bleeding, and if so, is likely to be caused by bleeding that happened a while ago. Bright red or pink phlegm means the bleeding has happened more recently. Black mucus may indicate the presence of a fungal infection.
What is the difference between mucus and phlegm?
Mucus and phlegm are similar, yet different: Mucus is a thinner secretion from your nose and sinuses. Phlegm is thicker and is made by your throat and lungs.
What color of phlegm is bad?
Red or pink phlegm can be a more serious warning sign. Red or pink indicates that there is bleeding in the respiratory tract or lungs. Heavy coughing can cause bleeding by breaking the blood vessels in the lungs, leading to red phlegm. However, more serious conditions can also cause red or pink phlegm.
Why do I cough up dark brown?
Coughing up of dark brown phlegm could be due to smoking or inhalation of excessive amounts of dust. This results in the buildup of resins or tars in the body which are expelled from the body through coughing.
What causes dark brown phlegm?
The most common causes of brown phlegm are smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke; a number of other environmental issues like air pollution and dust may also be to blame. Sometimes a person’s diet could trigger the production of phlegm as well.
Why do I keep coughing up mucus?
When there is an accumulation of mucus, you tend to cough it up. Although the cause is often a response to a viral infection or an allergy, coughing up mucus could be an indication of a bacterial infection.
Why do I cough up phlegm after eating?
Certain allergies you may have can also cause phlegm after you eat. When you eat a food you are allergic to, you may end up with cough and congestion from food allergy. When you come in contact with a foreign substance that you are allergic to, your body tries to protect you by rejecting or expelling the allergen.