White phlegm is normally no cause for alarm. It indicates sinus activity and nasal congestion. As the airway passages get inflamed, the phlegm in the respiratory tract can thicken and become white.
Coughing up white mucus can indicate several conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In some cases, a person may need to see a doctor. Mucus from the chest is responsible for protecting against microbes, and is often white or clear in color when it is healthy.
Clear or white mucus often indicates a viral infection, while yellow or green mucus may suggest a bacterial infection. The biggest difference between viral and bacterial bronchitis is treatment, as antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections don't kill viruses.
White mucus or phlegm is common in conditions that affect the lungs, like asthma, bronchitis, or COPD. It can also be caused by common viral infections, too. Any time that white mucus is accompanied by coughing, fever, or other signs of illness, you should check in with a medical provider.
White snot means your mucus has a low water content, which means it will be flowing slower than healthy mucus. White mucus indicates you have some sort of infection brewing. Most commonly, white snot indicates you're coming down with the common cold, which may cause symptoms such as: Sore throat.
Signs and symptoms of a chest infection
coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood.
When you do cough up phlegm (another word for mucus) from your chest, Dr. Boucher says it really doesn't matter if you spit it out or swallow it.
Reasons for coughing up phlegm without feeling ill. It is not unusual to cough up phlegm with a common cold. However, it can also be a sign of a different, sometimes serious, underlying condition such as stomach acid reflux, lung disease, or heart disease.
Check if you have bronchitis
Symptoms of bronchitis can be similar to a cold or flu. Symptoms include: a cough – you may cough up clear, white, yellow or green mucus. chest pain when coughing.
About one-third of people with COVID-19 experience a cough with mucus (phlegm). This is due to lung congestion that can occur during the infection and persist even after it resolves. Your lungs and airways can start to produce extra phlegm when you catch a virus like COVID-19.
Anxiety - Does it Cause Mucus? Anxiety absolutely causes mucus. However, it should be noted that anxiety also increases the likelihood of developing excess mucus when you already have physical problems that create mucus in the first place, such as smoking, GERD, allergies, and more. Mucus also rarely comes alone.
Common symptoms of pneumonia include: a cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus (phlegm)
Possible causes of excess mucus can be food allergies, an acid reflux from the stomach, or an infection. The consistency of mucus in the throat also varies depending on what is going on in your body. Common causes of too much mucus in the throat include a cold or flu, acute bronchitis, sinusitis or pneumonia.
Clear. “Normally, mucus is clear. When you have a cold or infection, it might turn green or yellow,” said Alyssa. Clear snot usually signals allergies or some kind of environmental factor that is triggering your nose to start running, such as inhaling dust or allergens.
Globus is a symptom that can make you feel like you have a lump in your throat. It is also called 'globus sensation'. Globus can be caused by many things, such as an increased tension of muscles or irritation in the throat.
But it's not harmful to swallow it. Phlegm is usually a clear or white colour.
Allergies, asthma and often viral infections cause white phlegm or phlegm without a lot of color to it.
If you have a 28-day menstrual cycle, your cervical mucus will generally follow this pattern: Days 1-4 after your period ends: Dry or tacky. It can be white or yellow-tinged. Days 4-6: Sticky.
In many cases , coughing is a symptom of congestive heart failure. Doctors sometimes refer to this as a cardiac cough. A cough that occurs as a symptom of heart failure is usually persistent and produces white or pink blood-tinged mucus.
Small amounts of white mucus may be coughed up if the bronchitis is viral. If the color of the mucus changes to green or yellow, it may be a sign that a bacterial infection has also set in. The cough is usually the last symptom to clear up and may last for weeks.
If a cough brings up phlegm or mucus it is called a productive cough and could suggest pneumonia, bronchitis or the flu. The color of the mucus can signal a more serious problem. You should see a doctor if your cough brings up yellowish-green phlegm or blood.