HELP PLEASE, coughing up seriously thick flem?
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Signs and symptoms
A cough that brings up yellowish-gray or green mucus (sputum) is one of the main signs of bronchitis. Mucus itself isn't abnormal — your airways normally produce up to several tablespoons of mucus secretions every day. But these secretions usually don't accumulate, because they're continuously cleared into your throat and swallowed with your saliva.
When the main air passageways in your lungs (bronchial tubes) are inflamed, they often produce large amounts of discolored mucus that comes up when you cough. If this persists for more than three months, it is referred to as chronic bronchitis. Mucus that isn't white or clear usually means there's a secondary infection.
Still, bronchitis symptoms can be deceptive. You don't always produce sputum when you have bronchitis, and children often swallow coughed-up material, so parents may not know there's a secondary infection. Many smokers have to clear their throat every morning when they get up. While they may think this is normal for everyone, it's not. If it continues for more than three months, it may be chronic bronchitis.
Accompanying symptoms of an upper respiratory infection
Acute bronchitis also may be accompanied by common signs and symptoms of an upper respiratory infection, including:
Soreness and a feeling of constriction or burning in your chest
Sore throat
Chest congestion
Sinus fullness
Breathlessness
Wheezing
Slight fever and chills
Overall malaise
Sometimes chronic sinusitis — an ongoing infection in the lining of one or more of the cavities in the bone around your nose — can mimic bronchitis. That's because the signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis include a thick, yellow or green postnasal discharge and a chronic cough that's triggered when you try to clear your throat of mucus draining from your sinuses, instead of your lungs, as is the case with bronchitis.
Signs and symptoms
Pneumonia can be difficult to spot. It often mimics a cold or the flu, beginning with a cough and a fever, so you may not realize you have a more serious condition. Chest pain is a common symptom of many types of pneumonia. Pneumonia symptoms can vary greatly, depending on any underlying conditions you may have and the type of organism causing the infection:
Bacteria. Many types of bacteria can cause pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia can occur on its own, at the same time as viral pneumonia, or you may develop it after you've had a viral upper respiratory infection such as influenza. Signs and symptoms, which are likely to come on suddenly, include shaking chills, a high fever, sweating, shortness of breath, chest pain, and a cough that produces thick, greenish or yellow phlegm.
Ironically, high-risk groups such as older adults and people with a chronic illness or compromised immune system may have fewer or milder symptoms than less vulnerable people do. And instead of the high fever that often characterizes pneumonia, older adults may even have a lower than normal temperature.
Bacterial pneumonia is often confined to just one area (lobe) of the lung. This is called lobar pneumonia.
Viruses. About half of pneumonias are caused by viruses. Viral pneumonia tends to begin with flu-like signs and symptoms. It usually starts with a dry (nonproductive) cough, headache, fever, muscle pain and fatigue. As the disease progresses, you may become breathless and develop a cough that produces just small quantities of phlegm that may be clear or white. When you have viral pneumonia, you run the risk of also developing a secondary bacterial pneumonia.
Mycoplasma. This tiny organism causes signs and symptoms similar to those of other bacterial and viral infections, although symptoms appear more gradually and are often mild and flu-like. You may not be sick enough to stay in bed or to seek medical care and may never even know you've had pneumonia. That's why this type of pneumonia is often called walking pneumonia.
Mycoplasma pneumonia spreads easily in situations where people congregate and is common among schoolchildren and young adults. Mycoplasma pneumonia responds well to treatment with the appropriate antibiotics, although you may continue to have a dry, nagging cough and continue to feel weak during your convalescence.
Fungi. Certain types of fungus also can cause pneumonia, although these types of pneumonia are much less common. Most people experience few if any symptoms after inhaling these fungi, but some develop symptoms of acute pneumonia, and still others may develop a chronic pneumonia that persists for months.
Pneumocystis carinii. Pneumonia caused by P. carinii is an opportunistic infection that affects people living with AIDS. People whose immune systems are compromised by organ transplants, chemotherapy, or treatment with corticosteroids or other immune-suppressing drugs such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors also are at risk. The signs and symptoms of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia include a cough that doesn't go away, fever and shortness of breath.
close off your bathroom and run pure hot water, this is a great way to open your lumngs and get the flem up easier.. oh and rinse your face with cool wate rto close your pours, This is a dupoble cleanse inside and out
I got the same problem. Its good to get the phlem up so it cant go into the lungs.
Bronchitis is no big deal. He needs to drink plenty of fluids, gargle with salt water which helps the phlegm come up easier.
You can identify infection by the color- dark yellow or light to dark green mucus.
Thick clear is just the infection leaving the body. Could be from sinus- nasal drip .
Doctor would be a good idea, possibly a chest x-ray of his lungs to make sure they are clear.
Here are a few simple home remedies that will help to overcome cough. Have honey in a hot drink before bed time.To relieve fits of coughing due to dryness in the throat, suck a few pepper corns. Check out http://useinfo6.blogspot.com/ for more remedies and information.
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