White, Yellow or Green, Red, Brown and Black Phlegm Can Be Health Problem

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Coughing and sneezing is a common factor of battling flu or cold but research says regularity symptoms can affect the health. A hacking cough from deep down lungs can develop a substance that known as phlegm or sputum.

According to Medical Daily, people thought that coughing was nothing but it might associate with a sickness that will depend on the color of mucus were pathogens occupied in a body. The study says that a body produced a 1 to 1.5 liters of phlegm every day even a person is healthy.

A General Practitioner and a Master's Degree in Nutritional Medicine from the University of Surrey, Dr. Sarah Brewer said that the reason of having a runny nose and coughing up with phlegm is to fight infection in a body. She also added that the color of the phlegm with help to recognize on how serious the infection is going to be, according to Daily Mail.

Dr. Matthew Exline, a pulmonologist, and critical care specialist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center says about coughing with significant amounts of phlegm is a sign of infection and allergies. There are colors of phlegm that cause the health of a person such as white phlegm, yellow or green, pink or red, brown and black phlegm.

White phlegm is a symptom of having an upper respiratory tract infection like cold and allergy that led to congested sinuses. While yellow or green phlegm is an indication of bacterial infection, sinus or lower respiratory tract infection.

However, pink or red phlegm is a sign of pulmonary edema that caused by excesses fluid in the lungs. This color of phlegm might cause of having a chest infection and commonly found to older people who smokes.

Red phlegm or bloody phlegm is very watchful and needed to see a doctor to medicate and indicates of bronchitis. If a person coughing up a significant amount was a symptom of tuberculosis, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism and cancer.

Meanwhile, a person who is a heavy smoker tends to cause more brown phlegm that frequently comes out with the combination of saliva in a grainy texture. Lastly, black phlegm could be bacterial pneumonia or a lung disease corresponds with long-term inhalation of irritants or dust.