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Phlegm is more related to disease than mucus, and can be troublesome for the individual to excrete from the body. Phlegm is a thick secretion in the airway during disease and inflammation. Phlegm usually contains mucus with virus, bacteria, other debris, and sloughed-off inflammatory cells.
Having green, yellow, or thickened phlegm (sputum) does not always indicate the presence of an infection. Also, if an infection is present, the color of the phlegm (sputum) does not determine whether a virus, a bacterium or another pathogen has caused it. Simple allergies can also cause changes in the color of the mucus. [1]
If your mucus is yellowish… Yellowish mucus typically means that your white blood cells are "fighting off an illness or infection," says Nasseri. "Most commonly this is linked to the common cold ...
The phlegm of humorism is far from phlegm as it is defined today. Phlegm was used as a general term to describe white or colorless secretions such as pus, mucus, saliva, or sweat. [26] Phlegm was also associated with the brain, possibly due to the color and consistency of brain tissue. [26]
If you experience difficulty breathing, develop a severe cough, notice thick green or yellow mucus, run a fever, and/or feel extremely fatigued. If your symptoms worsen instead of improve over time.
“A productive cough is a cough that produces phlegm,” Dr. Youssef says. But a non-productive cough is more dry, says John M. Coleman III, ... Meaning, you don’t cough anything up.
Thickening of mucus as a "rebound" effect following overuse of decongestants may produce nasal or sinus drainage problems and circumstances that promote infection. During cold, dry seasons, the mucus lining nasal passages tends to dry out, meaning that mucous membranes must work harder, producing more mucus to keep the cavity lined.
The color of your mucus can reveal some surprising things about your health. Here's what your mucus color means, according to experts.