Mucus: Phlegm, Causes, Colors How To Get Rid Of It It lines your mucous membranes and helps trap and destroy or clear out germs and harmful particles Mucus gets thick and sticky and might be white, yellow or green when you have an infection It’s also called phlegm, snot or sputum Mucus is usually thin and clear
Sputum: Definition, Colors, Causes, and Conditions (2025) Sputum is a mixture of saliva and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract, typically as a result of infection or chronic conditions like bronchitis, pneumonia, or tuberculosis It can be clear, yellow, green, or tinged with blood, and its analysis helps diagnose various respiratory diseases
Phlegm Color Chart: What the Color of Your Phlegm Means For example, yellow or green phlegm can be a sign of a respiratory infection, while red or pink phlegm can indicate lung bleeding or inflammation Phlegm is typically clear and thin Your body produces it as part of its natural defense against irritants and infections
Sputum - Wikipedia Sputum is mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways (the trachea and bronchi) In medicine, sputum samples are usually used for a naked-eye examination, microbiological investigation of respiratory infections, and cytological investigations of respiratory system
Understanding Sputum and What the Different Colors Mean Sputum is a mix of cells, foreign matter, and white blood cells produced in the respiratory tract An increased amount of sputum is often due to increased respiratory inflammation and is the body's attempt to protect and heal damage to the airways
Sputum Analysis - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf Specifically, sputum is a mixture of saliva and mucus that is coughed up from the respiratory tract, often following an infection or irritation of the mucosa Phlegm is derived from the Greek word φλγμα ("humor caused by heat")
Phlegm: Causes and How To Get Rid of It - Health Bloody, brown, white, yellow, or green phlegm may be a sign of an underlying condition or infection You can use a humidifier to help keep your throat and nose moist, which lowers mucus and
Understanding Mucus in Your Lungs - American Lung Association Mucus in the lungs is known as phlegm or sputum It is a common symptom in chronic lung diseases such as COPD (including chronic bronchitis and emphysema), cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, NTM lung disease or asthma
Phlegm Cheat Sheet: Recognizing Normal and Concerning Colors and . . . “Mucus is made up of electrolytes and proteins, and it’s part of our normal immune defenses Our body uses it to lubricate the respiratory tract to capture things like bacteria, so it doesn’t get into our body Overall, phlegm is our friend It helps protect our body from infections,” he says