Cough With Green Phlegm: What Does It Mean?

What happens when you cough up green phlegm? Is it always an infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics? This bodily fluid is secreted by the mucosa of the respiratory system in mammals and, according to bibliographical sources, its function is to maintain the humidity of the respiratory tract.

In addition, phlegm traps and facilitates the expulsion of foreign agents to the outside of the body. As lysozymes (antibacterial substances) and antibodies are also found in it,  we can say that it has antimicrobial properties.

Strange as it may be, the color of the phlegm reveals, in many cases, the nature of the patient’s pathology. Today, we’re going to tell you what coughing up green phlegm means and how to control it.

About phlegm and its colors

As unpleasant as it may seem, understanding where the color of phlegm comes from and why this color change occurs is essential for detecting many diseases. Medical organizations share the meaning of this variation:

• Green or yellow:  indicative of bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia and sinusitis.
• Brown: bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, lung abscess (pus-filled cavity in the lung), pneumonia, and pneumoconiosis (pulmonary infiltration of mineral substances).
• White: indicates bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
• Black:  fungal infection (respiratory tract fungus), lung abscess, pneumoconiosis, and tobacco use.
• Red:  pathologies involving internal respiratory tract hemorrhages, such as those described above, abscesses, tuberculosis, or lung cancer.

As we’ve seen,  the color of sputum is representative of what the immune system is trying to flush out of the body. A cough accompanied by brown phlegm can mean, for example, that the patient has been inhaling dirt or mineral compounds for a long time, or that there is dried blood somewhere in the respiratory tract.

On the other hand, a reddish color indicates a worrying pathology in some cases, as it may represent bleeding in some part of the body in contact with the nasal cavity and mouth. Now, what does green phlegm cough mean? Next, we’ll give you the answer.

Cough with green phlegm: what does it mean?

As we anticipated,  the presence of green phlegm in the cough indicates that the body is fighting an infection. Paradoxical as it may be, this greenish coloration is due to the high number of dead white blood cells and other substances derived from the battle against the pathogen. The most common infections that cause this condition are as follows.

acute bronchitis

According to the literature, acute bronchitis is the most common cause of diagnosis in people with cough who seek out clinics. In this case, we are facing an infection of viral origin, as rhinoviruses (causing the common cold) are the cause in 90% of cases.

Although not that common, it should also be noted that some bronchitis is caused by bacteria. According to the source cited, 32% of patients with a cough for more than two weeks are infected with the bacterium  Bordetella pertussis.

Some symptoms presented are as follows:

• Chest discomfort.
• Fatigue.
• Fever.
• Shortness of breath and wheezing.

Cystic fibrosis

We are facing a much more aggressive and severe pathology than the one previously exposed, as it is associated with a certain risk of mortality (up to 1.33 per million inhabitants, according to studies). The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) reports that  this disease is hereditary and is characterized by malfunctioning exocrine glands.

In a normal situation, the glands produce mucus, saliva and other fluids that help the body function normally. In patients with cystic fibrosis, this mucus is very thick, obstructing the lungs and intestines. A persistent cough with green phlegm tries to get rid of this thick, dysfunctional mucus.

Other essential data about this disease show that:

• It’s not a contagious disease.
• Until today, there is no cure.
• It occurs in one in every 3,200 newborns.

Pneumonia

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonia is the cause of 15% of all deaths in children under five. It is a pathology that responds to an infection, whether by viruses, bacteria or fungi. Again, coughs with green phlegm are indicative of the immunological fight against these microorganisms.

Some of the pathogens that cause it are the bacterium  Streptococcus pneumoniae,  Haemophilus influenzae type b, the pathogenic fungus  Pneumocystis jiroveci, and the respiratory syncytial virus. They cause the patient’s alveoli to fill with fluid and pus, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen absorption.

Sinusitis

A cough with green phlegm is typical of bacterial sinusitis. According to statistical studies carried out in the United States, this pathology affects about 31 million patients per year.

In this case, pathogenic bacteria settle in the sinuses, causing a blocked nose, expelling phlegm and pain or pressure in the areas around the nose and eyes.

How to deal with a cough with green phlegm?

As we’ve seen, a  cough with green phlegm is indicative of an immune response to an infection or inherited disease, such as cystic fibrosis. There can be many natural remedies that alleviate throat irritation, but depending on the severity of the condition, medical treatments may be necessary.

In many cases, the patient’s immune system handles the invasion alone.  The body is symptom free in about a week.

In other cases, it may be necessary to use antibiotics, inhalers to open the narrowed airways in the lungs, and even surgery. The decision will be up to the professional who handles the case.