Unhealthy phlegm can appear in a range of colors, including yellow, green, brown, pink, red, or black. Normal, healthy phlegm is typically clear or white.
Dark brown phlegm: This is concerning for an infection, such as bacterial pneumonia. Gray phlegm: This is likely normal and tends to be a variation of white phlegm. Black phlegm: This is rare, but it can mean old blood or be from something you inhaled.
Common symptoms include: Prolonged fever Breathing faster than usual Using extra effort when breathing Being too breathless to feed (young children) or complete sentences (older children) Chest pain when breathing or coughing Symptoms of a chest infection can come on over 24-48 hours or more slowly over several days.
There are many causes and factors that can lead to phlegm in the throat of newborns, including: Rhinitis: Newborns with rhinitis may have allergies, viral, bacterial, or fungal infections, causing the body to produce more nasal mucus to eliminate the pathogens.
Blood backs up in the pulmonary veins (the vessels that return blood from the lungs to the heart) because the heart can't keep up with the supply. This causes fluid to leak into the lungs. Coughing that produces white or pink, blood-tinged mucus.
Three early warning signs of heart failure include persistent fatigue/weakness, shortness of breath (especially with activity or lying down), and swelling (edema) in your legs, ankles, and feet, often accompanied by rapid weight gain from fluid buildup, all signaling your heart isn't pumping efficiently enough. Other key indicators are a chronic cough (sometimes with pink mucus) and heart palpitations.
Mucus is the body's general slippery fluid lining airways and surfaces, while phlegm is a specific, thicker type of mucus produced by the lungs and throat, often in response to infection or irritation, containing trapped germs and immune cells, and is what you cough up (also called sputum). Think of phlegm as mucus from the lower respiratory tract, thicker than nasal mucus (snot) and often colored when fighting off illness.
The resulting symptoms of mucus overproduction include:
Walking pneumonia is a less serious form of the lung infection pneumonia. It's often caused by bacteria called Mycoplasma pneumoniae, but other bacteria or viruses can also cause it. Most kids with this type of pneumonia (nuh-MOH-nyuh) don't feel sick enough to stay home — hence, the name "walking" pneumonia.
The main symptoms are:
Chest infection: A chesty cough can be a symptom of a chest infection, which can develop following a cold. Mucus is likely to be yellow or green, due to the infection. Other signs your child may have developed a chest infection include wheezing, shortness of breath, a fever of 38C or over or chest pain.
Common sinusitis symptoms in children include: Fever (generally associated with acute sinusitis and colds) Yellow or green nasal discharge. Cough.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
Yellow or green mucus
When mucus appears in a yellow to lighter green hue, it indicates the immune system is working to protect the body, usually from outside forces like an infection. This is the natural progression from the white, cloudy stage. If the color is more green than yellow, the harder your body is fighting.
People who become infected with RSV show symptoms within four to six days after the virus enter the body. Initial signs of RSV are similar to mild cold symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, fever, cough and decrease in appetite. Very young infants may be irritable, fatigued and have breathing difficulties.
Seek emergency care if you suspect something is lodged in your child's throat or if your child's cough is accompanied by:
The most common symptoms of bronchitis are:
Alcohol: Alcohol can dehydrate the body and irritate the respiratory system. This can lead to excess mucus production in the nose and throat. Additionally, some people may be allergic to certain types of alcohol, which can trigger mucus production.
Symptoms
You should see a doctor if your cough brings up yellowish-green phlegm or blood. A cough that doesn't produce mucus is called a dry or nonproductive cough. Acute cough is the least serious type of cough. It only lasts for three weeks or less and will most likely clear up on its own.
Phlegm is a specific type of mucus that originates in your lungs and throat. It's slightly thicker than the mucus that's produced in your nose and sinuses.
Guaifenesin is used to help clear mucus or phlegm (pronounced flem) from the chest when you have congestion from a cold or flu. It works by thinning the mucus or phlegm in the lungs. This medicine is available both over-the-counter (OTC) and with your doctor's prescription.
Pink, red or bloody phlegm
If you're coughing up red, pink or bloody phlegm, you should be seen by your provider. It could be related to an infection or to cancer in some cases. If you're a smoker and you're coughing up blood, it is worrisome.