Sputum smells of rot. Sputum fetid - causes and diseases. The most common causes of bad smell

Sputum, usually odorless, acquires a disgusting putrefactive odor in the presence of a putrefactive process.

Lamination of sputum.

Purulent sputum when standing is usually divided into 2 layers, putrid sputum is often divided into 3 layers (upper - foamy, middle - serous, lower - purulent). The appearance of a three-layer sputum for lung gangrene is especially characteristic, while the appearance of a two-layer sputum usually occurs with an abscess of the lung and bronchiectasis.

Impurities.

An admixture of sputum of just taken food is noted when the esophagus communicates with the trachea or bronchus, which can occur with cancer of the esophagus.

With gangrene and lung abscess in the sputum can be found pieces of necrotic tissue of the lung.

With a lung tumor with sputum, pieces of tumor tissue are sometimes secreted.

Foreign bodies found in sputum enter the respiratory tract from the oral cavity.

Fibrinous convolutions, consisting of mucus and fibrin, are found in fibrinous bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia.

Rice-shaped bodies (lentils) or Koch lenses consist of detritus, elastic fibers and tuberculosis bacteria and are found in sputum with tuberculosis (characteristic of destructive forms of tuberculosis). With modern methods of treatment are rare.

Dietrich plugs, consisting of the breakdown products of bacteria and lung tissue, crystals of fatty acids, are found in putrefactive bronchitis and lung gangrene.

Chemical research.

Reaction. Freshly released sputum has an alkaline or neutral reaction.

Protein.

Determination of protein in sputum can be of help in the differential diagnosis between chronic bronchitis and tuberculosis: with chronic bronchitis in the sputum, traces of the beam are determined, while with pulmonary tuberculosis, the protein content is greater and it can be quantified (up to 100-120 g / l).

Bile pigments can be found in sputum in diseases of the respiratory tract and lungs, combined with jaundice, with communication between the liver and lung (when a liver abscess breaks into the lung). In addition to these conditions, bile pigments can be detected in pneumonia, which is associated with intrapulmonary decay of red blood cells and subsequent hemoglobin transformations.

Microscopic examination.

Epithelial cells. The cells of squamous epithelium found in sputum have no diagnostic value. Cells of the cylindrical epithelium (both single and in the form of clusters) can be detected during bronchial asthma, bronchitis, bronchogenic lung cancer. At the same time, the appearance of cylindrical epithelial cells in sputum may be due to an admixture of mucus from the nasopharynx.

Alveolar macrophages are reticuloendothelial cells. Macrophages containing phagocytized particles (the so-called dust cells) in the protoplasm are found in the sputum of people who are in prolonged contact with dust. Macrophages containing homosiderin in the protoplasm (a product of the breakdown of hemoglobin) have some diagnostic value. These cells are called "heart disease cells." To confirm the presence of hemosiderin in the cell. conduct the formation of Prussian blue, which is positive in the presence of hemosiderin. "Cells of heart defects" are found in sputum with congestion in the lungs (in particular, with stenosis of the left venous opening), with pulmonary infarction.

White blood cells in small amounts are found in each sputum.

A large number of neutrophils is noted in mucus-purulent and especially in purulent sputum.

Sputum is rich in eosinophils for bronchial asthma, eosinophilic pneumonia, helminth infections of the lungs, pulmonary infarction. Eosinophils can occur in sputum with tuberculosis and lung cancer.

Lymphocytes are abundant in whooping cough. An increase in the content of lymphocytes in sputum is possible with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Tumor cells found in groups in sputum indicate a lung tumor. When only single cells suspicious of a tumor are detected, difficulties often arise in their evaluation, in such cases several repeated sputum tests are done.

Elastic fibers. They appear as a result of the breakdown of lung tissue during tuberculosis, abscess, lung gangrene and other pathological conditions accompanied by the breakdown of lung tissue. With lung gangrene, elastic fibers are not always detected, since under the action of enzymes located in sputum, they can dissolve.

Kursmava spirals are special tubular bodies detected by microscopic examination, and sometimes visible to the naked eye. Typically, Courcheman spirals are determined in bronchial asthma or asthmatic bronchitis. Single Kurshman spirals can be detected with pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia.

Charcot-Leiden crystals are found in sputum rich in eosinophils (for bronchial asthma, eosinophilic pneumonia, etc.): It is believed that Charcot-Leiden crystals are formed from eosinophils. In sputum rich in eosinophils, the number of Charcot-Leiden crystals increases after the sputum has stood for 12-24 hours.

Rarely found are the so-called coral fibers (Kolpen-Jones fibers) - coarse, swollen, with bulbous thickenings at the ends, which is a consequence of the deposition of fatty acids and soaps on elastic fibers during a long-term destructive process (for example, when opening tuberculous caverns).

Opening a petrified tuberculous lesion in the lumen of the bronchus can be accompanied by the simultaneous detection of calcified elastic fibers, cholesterol crystals, tuberculosis mycobacteria and amorphous lime (the so-called Erlich tetrad) in the sputum.

Yellow sputum that appeared during coughing is a sure sign of the development of a pathological process in the body.

A change in the color of the mucous secretion is most often associated with an increase in the level of leukocytes, when the immune system independently tries to cope with the infection. However, there are other reasons when phlegm begins to accumulate in the airways.

The dark yellow expectorant substance is well known to smokers, as they see it every morning, immediately after waking up. Also, secretions can acquire a tan due to severe air pollution.

With a bacterial infection, they become greenish yellow. But it is much more dangerous when the mucus becomes brown due to the presence of blood clots.

What is sputum? Which is normal? Why is it needed?

  It is a thick, jelly-like substance that separates when expectorated. It is secreted in the mucosa of the epithelium of the lower airways by the submucous and unicellular glands.

Its composition includes high molecular weight glycoproteins, immunoglobulins, lipids and other substances. Simply put, phlegm contains:

• Admixtures of saliva;
• Slime;
• Red blood cells;
• Fibrin;
• Epithelial cells;
• Bacteria
• Extraneous inclusion (dust particles, food residues, etc.).

it has a protective function and is endowed with antimicrobial properties.

It consists of mucus produced by the serous-mucous glands, goblet glandular glandulocytes of the mucous epithelium of the bronchi and trachea, as well as cellular inclusions.


Tracheobronchial exudate provides the natural excretion of inhaled particles, toxins and waste products from the body due to the transport activity of the ciliary epithelium.

The rate of phlegm of the tracheobronchial tree secreted per day is 10-100 ml. This is the amount of substance that a person swallows during the day. unnoticed by yourself.

Increased mucus formation occurs as a result of changes in the biochemical composition of the tracheobronchial secretion and a violation of the escalator function of the ciliated epithelial tissue, as a result of which mucostasis develops.

When coughing sputum yellow: causes

The yellow color of sputum during coughing is a sure sign of the presence of pathogens in the body. There is a whole list of ailments for which an increase in mucus formation is characteristic.

Bronchitis. It develops as a result of a viral or bacterial infection that provokes inflammation of the mucous epithelium of the bronchi. Often begins with a dry cough, which subsequently turns into a strong cough with yellow sputum. Other symptoms of bronchitis include sore throat and fever.

Pneumonia. It occurs as a complication after respiratory diseases. The most common strain of microbes responsible for pneumonia in an adult is Streptococcus pneumoniae.   Infection affects one or both lungs, and causes the air sacs to fill with pus or fluid.

As a result, the patient develops pus in the sputum. Symptoms associated with this pathology depend on the specific type of disease. Common symptoms include confused breathing, chills, fever, cough with yellow phlegm (sometimes green and bloody).

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Cold or flu.   One of the most common signs of these ailments is the appearance of clots that are transparent or with yellowness during expectoration.

Sinusitis. It can be triggered by allergies, viral or bacterial infections. It is characterized by inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinuses), which are four pairs of air-filled cavities.

When they are irritated, the mucus that usually drains into the nose blocks, accumulates in the sinuses and creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Sinusitis is accompanied by headache, sore throat, persistent cough with characteristic discharge.

Cystic fibrosis. This condition is classified as a chronic lung disease when tracheobronchial exudate begins to accumulate in them. One of the signs of pathology is a tracheobronchial substance of a yellowish, greenish and brown color.

An allergic reaction is another   a common cause of colored phlegm during expectoration. An allergen-irritant provokes inflammation, thereby increasing the production of a thick, pale yellow secretion.

Excessive mucous clots, moving along the nasopharynx, irritate the throat and cause coughing. Symptoms of a respiratory allergy go away with the elimination of the allergen and proper therapy.

Asthma. It causes respiratory inflammation, and often leads to the formation of excess tracheobronchial mucus. This substance is white-yellow, stained with inflammatory cells.

But since coughing in asthma is usually lingering unproductive, viscous clots are usually insignificant. Other asthma symptoms include wheezing, confused wheezing, fatigue, and cramps.

Lung cancer (BAR). The most serious pathology in which yellow sputum clears throat. Sometimes bloody impurities are present in it, due to which the exudate acquires a pinkish tint.

This pathology is characterized by the persistence of a cough reflex for more than two weeks and persistent chest pain. The presence of such symptoms requires immediate medical attention.

Yellow sputum when coughing in a child

Cough with yellowish discharge in children is the result of an infectious infection of the airways - colds, acute bronchitis, acute respiratory viral infections, whooping cough, pneumonia or tuberculosis.

In the vast majority of cases an acute cough with a temperature caused by a cold,   and a yellowish exudate indicates the addition of pathogens. A study of phlegm on the microflora is necessary.


  If such an analysis is not possible, the doctor prescribes broad-spectrum antibiotics. Usually, the therapeutic effect of taking medication occurs on the third day. If relief does not occur, an antibiotic is replaced.

Purulent sputum

Purulent sputum is a mucopurulent substance consisting of white blood cells, dead tissue, cell debris, serous fluid and liquid mucus.

The color intensity of purulent secretion can vary from milk with yellowness to green, and is manifested in pneumonia, bronchiectasis, abscessed pneumonia, protracted bronchitis, or acute infectious lesions of the respiratory system.


  A cough with purulent sputum is a good reason to consult a doctor, because if the pus is expectorated, its shade will allow you to determine the pathology and choose the appropriate therapy.

1. 1. Yellowish-purulent and yellowish-greenish (mucopurulent)   a pathological secret indicates that antibiotic therapy will help reduce symptoms.
   2. Green or greenish tint   indicates a long-standing respiratory infection, pneumonia, rupture of lung abscess, chronic infectious bronchitis, infected bronchiectasis, or cystic fibrosis.
   3. Bright yellow and orange mucus   secreted in pneumonia (caused by pneumococcal bacteria), pulmonary embolism, bronchioalveolar cancer or tuberculosis.
   4. Discharges of a pale, milky, yellowish or yellowish-gray hue   (well distinguishable on a white background) indicate the ineffectiveness of antibiotic treatment, since the symptoms of the disease are associated either with a viral infection or with allergies (even asthma), and not with microbiotics that are sensitive to antibiotics.

1. Foamy pink color   characteristic of severe pulmonary edema.
2. Foamy white indicates obstruction or pulmonary edema.
3. Light yellow sputum with blood   indicates a possible inflammation of the throat or bronchi, or the presence of bleeding erosion, ulcers or tumors of the lower airways. The abundant presence of blood clots in bronchial secretion indicates tuberculosis, BAR, pulmonary embolism, abscessed pneumonia.

Yellow sputum when coughing without fever

Appearance of colored discharge when coughing without fever

Allergic cough with exudate with yellow spots also occurs without fever.

Attention

In smokers, the formation of a dirty yellow dense exudate is associated with the harmful effects of nicotine resins and tobacco smoke, which lead to decomposition of the bronchial tissues and wear of the respiratory system.

As a result of this, bronchioalveolar cancer often develops.   That is why it is extremely important to visit a specialist on time when detecting the first signs of a pathology.

Which doctor should I go to?

What does the appearance of viscous exudate in the early stages indicate only by a general practitioner. Later, you may need to consult other specialists - pulmonologist, allergist, oncologist, otorhinolaryngologist, surgeon.

Analysis of yellow sputum: diagnosis. How is it researched?

Samples of secretions taken from the throat for analysis allow us to determine the cause of the change in the color and texture of the tracheobronchial secretion.

The material is taken in a sterile glass container in the morning on an empty stomach, after a thorough treatment of the oral cavity and throat with saline.
   If it is not possible to carry out sampling of pathological clots during coughing, bronchoscopy is prescribed to obtain the necessary material.

The sample is studied by several methods:

1. Microscopic analysis   allows you to determine the content of leukocytes, erythrocytes, alveolar macrophages, epithelial cells in phlegm, to detect Kurshman spirals, drusen actinomycetes, fungi, Charcot-Leiden crystals, eosinophils, neutrophils.
2. Macroscopic analysis   determines the daily volume of secreted exudate, its smell, density and color. Special attention is paid to the delamination of the material with a long stay in a glass container.
3. Bacteriological analysis (Bakposev)   allows you to determine the types of bacteria present, their sensitivity to drugs.

If expectorant is expectorant: treatment

Regardless of the color of the discharge, their appearance is already a pathology, and it is important to determine its cause correctly. However, any cough requires heavy drinking.


  It has been proven that it has the same effect on the respiratory system as expectorant drugs. In the case when you cough, and the sputum turns yellow, dense in consistency, additional measures are prescribed for its natural discharge:

Reflexively acting drugsthat are aimed at enhancing mucus formation. They help to increase the proportion of liquid secretion in the bronchi, its liquefaction and problem-free coughing. This group of medicines includes herbal medicines (licorice root, marshmallow, thermopsis grass, anise fruits, etc.).

Expectorant drugs   resorptive effects directly affect the bronchi and the exudate itself, due to which the process of its excretion from the respiratory system is accelerated. This group of medicines includes solutions of sodium bicarbonate, sodium iodide and potassium iodide, as well as essential oils.

Mucolytic drugs change the structure of the exudate itself. Under their influence, the destruction of mucopolysaccharides occurs, which means the thinning of a viscous substance. Such agents include Acetylcysteine, Carbocysteine, Ambroxol, Bromhexine and their analogues.

All these funds are taken orally or inhaled (via a nebulizer). If necessary, when there is a protracted form of the disease, an injection of drugs is prescribed.

Folk remedies for coughing

Speaking about how to treat a cough, one should not forget about traditional medicine. Of the most affordable and effective recipes include:

1. 1. Infusion of coltsfoot.   Preparation boils down to the fact that 1 tablespoon of grass is poured 1 tbsp. boiling water, infused for 10-15 minutes, filtered. Such an infusion is used inside for 1 tsp. up to 4 times a day.
   2. Infusion of a mixture of herbs of plantain, thyme, elecampane root and ledum.   2 tbsp a dry mixture of herbs is poured with boiling water, infused for 2 hours, filtered. A solution of 1 tbsp is taken. inward up to 4 times a day.

1. White cabbage juice.   Freshly squeezed juice is mixed with honey in a ratio of 2: 1. The finished mixture is taken orally for 1 tsp. 6 times a day.
2. Lemon juice. Mix 2 tsp. product in a cup with warm water, add honey to this mixture, and take 3-4 times a day.

In addition, treatment for cough with yellow sputum involves frequent gargling with saline.

Dissolve 1⁄2 tsp. salt in a glass of warm water and gargle with the resulting solution throat as often as possible. This process cleans trapped mucus.

What can be the complications?

  In the absence of proper therapy, even the most harmless, at first glance, cough reflex can cause a deterioration in the patient’s well-being.

Acute bronchitis easily becomes chronic, requiring long-term treatment and certain restrictions.

Pneumonia is usually preceded by bronchitis and tracheitis. However, unlike the latter, pneumonia is treated in stationary conditions, when the patient must be constantly under the supervision of doctors.

If the patient has a coughing substance with signs of yellowness, he urgently needs to see a therapist to establish an accurate diagnosis and urgent medical treatment.

Prevention

Timely prevention helps to avoid serious complications that cause respiratory diseases.

This means that the appearance of the first signs of acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections should immediately begin treatment, and not wait for an independent elimination of symptoms.

In addition, it is necessary to adhere to preventive measures:

1. Stop smoking (active and passive);

Description and causes of sputum

Sputum is excreted in various diseases of the respiratory system and is removed from the respiratory tract by coughing and expectoration. The amount of sputum can be different: from single spitting with bronchitis and initial forms of pneumonia to 1-2 l with suppurative lung diseases (see Bronchiectasis). Sputum separation depends on the patency of the bronchi, on the position of the patient (for example, increased sputum production when standing on a healthy side). Sputum is usually odorless; it acquires a putrefactive or fetid odor during the putrefactive process in the lungs, during their decay. The consistency and color of sputum depends on its composition. Sputum can be thin, viscous and thick. There are sputum mucous, serous, purulent, mucopurulent, serous purulent and bloody.

The appearance of sputum always indicates a disease. Determination of the quantity and properties of sputum is of great diagnostic value. The amount of sputum can be different: from several spitting in acute bronchitis or at the beginning of pneumonia to 1-2 liters per day with suppurative lung diseases (abscess, gangrene, bronchiectasis).

Sputum in the lungs

Under phlegm   understood bronchial and tracheal discharge during various diseases, to which are added particles of saliva and discharge of the nasal mucosa. Normally, mucus is constantly produced in the lungs, which is necessary to cleanse the lower respiratory tract from inhaled dust and microbes. It has immune bodies. The inner side of the bronchi is covered with cilia, due to which mucus is transported from the respiratory organs and is swallowed by a person. In healthy people, up to 100 milliliters of mucus can develop per day.

The occurrence of sputum in inflammatory processes in the lungs

When a person becomes ill and painful processes are localized in the respiratory system, the amount of sputum produced by him can increase to 150 milliliters per day. Depending on the disease, the color of the discharge may be different. The nature and color of sputum can be:

• mucous membrane;
• serous;
• purulent mucosa;
• vitreous;
• bloody.

Sputum is liquid, thick and viscous. As a rule, it has no smell if putrefactive processes in the lungs are absent.

Causes of occurrence

By the color of the mucus, you can determine which disease caused its appearance:

• In asthma, the mucus is thick and clear.
• With pulmonary edema - foamy, with blood.
• With lung cancer, thin, bloody fibers are present.
• With pulmonary infarction - bright red.
• With pneumonia - purulent, yellow-green.
• With an abscess of the lungs, it is brownish yellow.
• With croupous pneumonia - a rusty color.
• With bronchitis. flu - yellow-green, sometimes bloody.

Sputum is inextricably linked to cough. This combination occurs in diseases associated with increased production of bronchial secretions, sometimes with the formation of turbid fluid in places of inflammation of the respiratory organs. At the same time, the appearance of a coughing up sputum is important, which allows you to make a diagnosis and track the results of treatment.

If the cough is accompanied by purulent, unpleasantly smelling secretions, then we can talk about a breakthrough of an abscess of the respiratory organs. If, along with an increase in cough, sputum production increases, this may mean the transition of inflammation into a chronic form.

Sputum Removal

Before starting treatment for cough with sputum, it is necessary to take tests. They are carried out by bacteriological culture for the presence of pathogenic flora and microscopy. According to the results of the examination, the doctor prescribes a course of treatment for the patient.

Getting rid of sputum is carried out by diluting and creating the necessary conditions for its rapid discharge. This contributes to:

• The plentiful use of warm water. It can be juices, fruit drinks, teas.
• Humidification of indoor air. Humid air helps to speed up getting rid of mucus.
• The use of expectorant drugs. They dilute sputum and block coughing attacks.
• The implementation of coniferous inhalations. Contribute to the purification of the lungs.
• The use of drainage gymnastics. It is supposed to search for a position in which sputum departs best (raising legs and torso above the head, elbow-elbow position, coughing up in a lying position on one side with legs bent).
• A course of special drainage massage. When exposed to certain points, sputum discharge is stimulated.

It is important to remember that only a specialist can prescribe the right treatment.

Sputum

What is sputum?

Types of sputum and the causes of its appearance

• In asthma, between two bouts of coughing, expectoration is viscous.
• With pulmonary edema sputum   happens frothy and bloody.
• Clear sputum with blood fibers can be a symptom of an early stage of bronchogenic lung cancer.
• Mucous, watery sputum may indicate lung adenomatosis - a very rare type of cancer.
• With pulmonary infarction sputum   It is bright red (scarlet).
• With pneumonia in the cleared sputum of saffron color, pus appears.
• With lung abscess due to impurities of hemoglobin, sputum is yellow-brown.
• With lobar inflammation of the lungs due to an impurity of blood, the coughing up sputum becomes rusty.
• Bloody sputum occurs with anthrax (anthrax pathogens cause pneumonia), as well as in the presence of various tumors.
• With a disease of purulent bronchitis, cancer or flu, sputum is a raspberry-colored gel with an admixture of blood and pus.

Doctors use the term “three-layer sputum” (below - pus and cell debris, in the middle - a yellowish-greenish, turbid, aqueous liquid, above a purulent-mucous foamy mass), which is a symptom of bronchiectasis. Such sputum with an unpleasant sweet smell can be a symptom of purulent bronchitis caused by bacteria that cause decay. Foul smell of sputum occurs with gangrene of the lungs. With tuberculosis, a person coughs up an abundant amount of sputum containing destroyed and dead lung tissue. The cause of asthmatic bronchitis or bronchitis may be an allergy to various dust in the environment. A person inhaling air containing a large number of substances irritating the respiratory tract gets sick with various occupational diseases, for example. pneumoconiosis (miners, miners). Occupational bronchial asthma can be affected by: printing workers (from inhaling gum arabic), agricultural workers (from inhaling the dust of cereals and fodder), dental technicians, housewives (from house dust).

Sputum consists mainly of mucus secreted by the epithelium of the trachea and bronchi.

In a healthy person, mucus is also secreted, but in small quantities (about 100 milliliters per day). With the help of mucus, the airways are cleaned. Normally, mucus is easily evacuated from the respiratory system through mucociliary transport (the so-called movement through the oscillations of the cilia, covering the epithelium). Mucus is delivered from the bottom up through the airways to the throat; we swallow it, usually not noticing it.

In a pathological situation, a sharp increase in the produced mucus occurs (up to 1500 milliliters per day). Sputum fills the lumen of the trachea and bronchi, interfering with breathing. Her evacuation occurs with the help of a cough (sputum has to be coughed up). A cough reflex is a normal reaction of the body to a sensation of obstruction in the airways.

Sometimes patients complain of sputum, but they do not have a cough. For example, in the morning it feels like the throat is clogged with sputum, which is usually the case with chronic inflammatory diseases of the nose. Thick mucus flows down the back wall and accumulates during sleep.

What is sputum

The color and consistency of sputum varies quite a lot depending on the pathological process. Therefore, a description of sputum includes a set of mandatory diagnostic measures.

Sputum can be:

pretty viscous, pearl color. This color means that sputum consists only of mucus. The cause of excessive secretion of such sputum is usually inflammation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract (for example,). Such inflammation can be caused, among other things, by an allergic reaction, therefore, sputum of this type is characteristic of. The same sputum is typical for smokers (in this case, mucus is released in response to irritation of the mucosa with tobacco smoke). With prolonged and intensive smoking, sputum can become gray and even almost black;

thick and sticky, yellow or yellow-greenish color. A similar color indicates the presence of pus in the sputum. An admixture of pus is characteristic of a bacterial infection. Usually a respiratory tract disease begins with a viral infection that affects the nose or throat (). Then the inflammatory process can go down - to the trachea, bronchi and lungs. The movement of inflammation down and the attachment of a bacterial infection means the development of the disease (exacerbation of the situation). Yellow-green sputum is typical for bacterial and;

a general reddish tint of sputum and streaks of red indicate that there is blood in the sputum. Blood can get due to a vascular burst somewhere from coughing, but in many cases sputum blood is a sign of a serious illness (lung infarction, cancer, tuberculosis). If blood is found in sputum, you should immediately consult a doctor;

rusty or brown sputum indicates the presence of blood breakdown products. It is also a sign of a dangerous disease. So manifest croupous pneumonia or tuberculosis.

Alarming symptoms are also foamy sputum, sputum with a clear unpleasant odor (sweetish or offensive).

Deviation from the usual (whitish-pearl) color of sputum should be the reason for prompt medical attention.

Sputum Analysis

But pathogens are not always able to be detected using microscopy. For accurate identification of the pathogen, other types of studies are carried out - bacterial culture or.

Sputum collection for analysis is usually done by the patient on his own. To make it easier to collect sputum (so that it separates better), the day before you should drink more liquid. Sputum is collected before breakfast. First you need to properly brush your teeth and rinse your mouth so that bacteria from the oral cavity do not enter the sample. The collection is made in a container for analysis, which is sold in any pharmacy. Enough 5 milliliters of mucus. If sputum does not go away, inhalation can be done using distilled water with soda or salt.

When conducting (endoscopic examination of the respiratory tract) sputum collection can be carried out using an endoscope.

How to get rid of sputum

Thick sputum interferes with normal breathing, exhausting the patient, so the desire to get rid of it is understandable. At the same time, one should not lose sight of the fact that sputum production is the body’s response to the problem, and the main efforts should be directed at eliminating it (i.e., treating the disease that caused sputum).

First of all, a better sputum discharge should be achieved. For this:

drink more fluids. If more water enters the body, sputum will become more liquid and it will be better to cough. Do not forget that the drink should be warm (with a temperature not lower than room temperature);

take care of humidification. If the air in the room is dry, the larynx dries. Sputum is harder to cough; it becomes thicker;

as prescribed by your doctor, take mucolytics (sputum thinners) and expectorants. Inhalations help well. But remember that you cannot self-medicate, especially when it comes to the use of medicines;

• use postural drainage and drainage exercises. The essence of postural drainage is that the focus of inflammation in the lungs for some time becomes higher than the point at which the trachea branches into the main bronchi. Then sputum will leave the bronchi under the influence of gravity. When it reaches the branch point, the cough reflex will connect (this place is especially sensitive to irritation). There are various exercises. For example, a patient kneels in bed and bends the body forward (6-8 times in a row), then rests for a minute and repeats the exercise (up to 6 times). Another exercise is to lie on the side of the bed to hang the upper body as much as possible - first on one side of the bed, then on the other. You can remove the pillow, put a roller under the legs: the task is to provide a slight tilt of the body (30-45 °) from the diaphragm to the head. Lying in this position should be 15 minutes.

Arriving at the appointment with the local doctor, the patient often among the complaints distinguishes the appearance of amber from the mouth, accompanied by a cough. An unpleasant odor can occur: with the development of the disease, after the end of therapy or not have any noticeable prerequisites. One thing can definitely be concluded: the stench from the upper respiratory tract, regardless of its nature, is a clear sign of ill health, requiring careful treatment.

Causes of Cough Odor

The origin of purulent odor when coughing

When the vital systems give a serious malfunction, testing their health for strength, this is accompanied by various symptoms. One of them is a productive cough with pus in the sputum. Usually this symptom indicates a serious inflammatory process:

• pneumonia;
• abscess / gangrene of the lung (sputum has a disgusting smell);
• colds, SARS, flu in a state of neglect;
• oncological diseases of the lungs / bronchi;
• bronchiectatic disease.

• yellow color - complicated flu, cough asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary abscess;
• mucus with yellow and green hues - exacerbation of chronic obstructive bronchitis.
• dirty gray and yellow-gray color of sputum from the throat - ulcers in the upper respiratory tract;
• blood inclusions with pus - croupous pneumonia or capillary lesions with prolonged coughing;
• bright yellow, amber color indicates an allergic reaction.

Sources of white odor lumps

Sometimes you have to deal with a situation when, with a strong cough, or screaming, a foul-smelling dried secret can fly out of your mouth, in the form of white pieces or lumps. The reason for this phenomenon is in the form of plaque, which is pathological or physiological in nature.

Among the factors of the formation of small fetid lumps, the main place is occupied by chronic tonsillitis - an infectious inflammatory disease of the tonsils. Most often it develops in those who:

• often has respiratory illnesses;
• lives in ecologically polluted areas or the environment;
• likes to drink and eat chilled dishes / drinks;
• often stressed or experiencing chronic fatigue;
• works with chemicals, or in a large industrial enterprise;
• suffers from alcohol addiction or smokes a lot.

With tonsillitis on the mucous membrane of the throat, unpleasantly smelling white lumps are formed - a mixture of dead cells and food residues with purulent mass. With the advanced form of the disease, their diameter can reach one centimeter. Purulent lumps larger than a centimeter are called corks.

Sometimes white dots on the tonsils remain after recovery, but the unpleasant odor disappears. This condition does not require treatment, a raid will pass in another week.

In heavy smokers, white lumps form for physiological reasons - as a result of a long-standing passion for smoking. A characteristic difference from tonsillitis is the absence of plaque on the tonsils. Refusal of a bad habit leads to a complete disposal of the stench from the mouth.

The culprits of the cough with the smell of blood

Cough - a symptom of diseases of the organs and respiratory tract. However, depending on the reasons, it can proceed in different ways. Cold without any deviations, infectious or viral, and even against the background of inflammation, with the release of purulent secretion. But the most formidable sign of ill health is the separation of sputum mixed with blood. Which tastes and smells even with a slight cough. These alarm signals indicate diseases, delay in the treatment of which can lead the patient to serious consequences, seriously threatening his life.

1. Tuberculosis
   • Blood in sputum (hemoptysis) becomes noticeable in the late stage of the disease, when destruction foci are formed in the lung parenchyma.
2. Abscess of the lung.
   • At the peak stage of the disease, purulent inflammation erupts, and fetid sputum with blood begins to move along the respiratory tract.
3. Bronchiectatic disease.
   • The bronchi expand irreversibly, which leads to disruption of their work. In their lumen, inflammatory processes form, forming purulent foci. The cough is constantly increasing, getting worse