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.
The presence of tar, dirt, or old blood or the inflammation of the lower portions of the throat and upper airways are the most common reasons for brown phlegm.
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.
Brown phlegm may indicate possible bleeding. While it is likely due to bleeding that happened a while ago, it can also indicate a chronic infection such as bronchitis. People who smoke may also have brown phlegm.
You can help get rid of it faster by drinking lots of fluids and running a humidifier or vaporizer to help moisten and thin out your phlegm. If your cough lasts more than a month or if you see blood, see your doctor.
The symptoms of pneumonia can develop suddenly over 24 to 48 hours, or they may come on more slowly over several days. Common symptoms of pneumonia include: a cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus (phlegm)
Signs and symptoms of a chest infection
coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood.
While brown mucus is sometimes caused by dried blood or dirt in the nasal passage, it can also be an indicator of bronchitis, which happens when the tubes that carry air to your lungs become inflamed. If you cough up brown mucus or phlegm, contact your physician immediately.
Yellow, brown or green mucus may also be a sign of bacterial infection and the doctor might prescribe antibiotics to cure the problem. An antibiotic is not required to treat most types of cold and flu, but secondary bacterial infection such as chest infection or sinusitis, antibiotic could be prescribed.
And if the mucus sits around (as when you're sleeping), it becomes more concentrated and so may appear darker yellow or green. This is the natural order of things, whether the offending agent is a virus (which is the most common cause of sinus infection) or a bacterium.
Mucus is usually clear, gray, or white. Green or yellow mucus may be a sign of an infection. Brown mucus can affect people who smoke and those with black lung disease, which results from exposure to coal dust. Mucus that contains blood may be pink or red.
If you start coughing up phlegm that looks yellow or green, it's a sign your body is fighting an infection. “When you're sick, your body will produce white blood cells to attack the infection. These cells can secrete a green-colored enzyme that thickens your phlegm and makes it look yellow or green,” Kalodner says.
If you cough up phlegm that's yellow, green, brown, black, white or red — or if you cough up mucus for two weeks or longer, schedule a visit with your healthcare provider. They can find out what's causing you to cough up phlegm and treat any underlying conditions.
Early symptoms are similar to influenza symptoms: fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within a day or two, the symptoms typically get worse, with increasing cough, shortness of breath and muscle pain. There may be a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips.
The likelihood ratio of a positive test would indicate how likely it is that a yellowish or greenish sputum will be found among people with a bacterial infection compared with those without.
When you do cough up phlegm (another word for mucus) from your chest, Dr. Boucher says it really doesn't matter if you spit it out or swallow it.
If a cough brings up phlegm or mucus it is called a productive cough and could suggest pneumonia, bronchitis or the flu. The color of the mucus can signal a more serious problem. You should see a doctor if your cough brings up yellowish-green phlegm or blood.
But it's not harmful to swallow it. Phlegm is usually a clear or white colour.
It is a common symptom of conditions such as the common cold, sinusitis, and allergies. The excess mucus can be caused by inflammation or swelling of the nasal passages, which can be due to a variety of factors such as viral or bacterial infections, allergies, or irritants in the air.
Postnasal drip refers to excess mucus that someone may feel in the back of the nose and throat, causing a constant need to clear the throat. It may lead to symptoms, such as a sore throat and trouble swallowing. Environmental triggers, such as allergies, cold weather, or dry air, may cause postnasal drip.
So, to answer your questions: The phlegm itself isn't toxic or harmful to swallow. Once swallowed, it's digested and absorbed. It isn't recycled intact; your body makes more in the lungs, nose and sinuses. It doesn't prolong your illness or lead to infection or complications in other parts of your body.