Bronchitis is an infection of the main airways of the lungs (bronchi), causing them to become irritated and inflamed. The main symptom is a cough, which may bring up yellow-grey mucus (phlegm). Bronchitis may also cause a sore throat and wheezing. Read more about the symptoms of bronchitis.
After 2 or 3 days, mucus may change to a white, yellow, or green color. This is normal and does not mean you need an antibiotic. Some symptoms, especially runny or stuffy nose and cough, can last for up to 10 to 14 days.
Yellow phlegm is a sign that your body is fighting off a mild infection. "White blood cells are responsible for fighting infections, and as they get picked up in the mucus, they can cause it to have a yellowish hue," says Dr. Kreel.
If the color of the mucus changes to green or yellow, it may be a sign that a bacterial infection has also set in. The cough is usually the last symptom to clear up and may last for weeks.
Call your doctor if your cough (or your child's cough) doesn't go away after a few weeks or if it also involves any one of these: Coughing up thick, greenish-yellow phlegm.
Both viral and bacterial upper respiratory infections can cause similar changes to the type and coloration of nasal mucus. During a common cold, nasal mucus may start out watery and clear, then become progressively thicker and more opaque, taking on a yellow or green tinge.
“If you persistently cough up frank, red blood, you should seek medical advice. Fever higher than 102°F, a fever that lasts more than a few days, shortness of breath, a change in the mucus color or coughing with unexplained weight loss are all also signs you should see a physician,” Dr. Supakul says.
Treatment. Acute bronchitis usually gets better on its own—without antibiotics. Antibiotics won't help you get better if you have acute bronchitis. When antibiotics aren't needed, they won't help you, and their side effects could still cause harm.
Given how many symptoms the two respiratory conditions share, it's not surprising that bronchitis is often mistaken for pneumonia and vice versa.
The main symptoms of a chest infection can include: a persistent cough. coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood. breathlessness or rapid and shallow breathing.
If you see green or yellow phlegm, it's usually a sign that your body is fighting an infection. The color comes from white blood cells. At first, you may notice yellow phlegm that then progresses into green phlegm. The change occurs with the severity and length of the potential sickness.
We're often told – even by doctors – that green or yellow secretions indicate you're infectious. But this isn't true. It's unclear how this myth arose, but it's likely a misunderstanding of the appearance and colour of pus.
Green or Yellow Mucus
It's no reason for concern, and in fact, it means your body is working extra hard to fight off infection. White blood cells rush to battle infection, and when they've done their job, they get flushed out of the body along with the virus.
However, if you have other respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis or pneumonia with COVID-19, you may have a wet cough that contains mucus. Does coughing up mucus mean you're getting better? In most cases, coughing up mucus means your body is working to fight off an infection, and it is in the healing stages.
A bronchitis cough sounds like a rattle with a wheezing or whistling sound. As your condition progresses, you will first have a dry cough that can then progress towards coughing up white mucus.
If you have symptoms of bronchitis, stay home to avoid spreading your viral infection to others. To properly treat your acute bronchitis, get plenty of rest, drink lots of liquids, and take over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) to treat your symptoms.
In addition to lab tests, sputum or mucus from a cough can be visually examined to determine whether bronchitis is viral, bacterial, or both. Clear or white mucus often indicates a viral infection, while yellow or green mucus may suggest a bacterial infection.
Bronchitis can lead to pneumonia if you don't seek treatment. If bronchitis is left untreated, the infection can travel from the airways into the lungs. That can lead to pneumonia. Bronchitis is an infection of the airways that lead to your lungs.
Symptoms of acute bronchitis typically start with a runny nose, sore throat, productive cough, and low-grade fever. Three or four days later, a dry, hacking cough may develop. Most cases of acute bronchitis last between three and 10 days.
Common symptoms of pneumonia include: a cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus (phlegm) difficulty breathing – your breathing may be rapid and shallow, and you may feel breathless, even when resting.
Therefore, yellowish or green sputum may be a normal feature in patients with viral bronchitis. Also, sputum production in viral airway infections may be clear, white, or even tinged with blood [15].
Testing. A lab test is the only ironclad way to determine if you truly need an antibiotic. A physician can collect a sample of bodily gunk (whatever you can cough up or blow out of your nose) or take a throat swab. In general, a culture, in which bacteria are grown in the lab and tested, can take a day or two.