If you’ve been taking your preventer but nothing’s improving, see your doctor or asthma nurse. Your preventer inhaler is the number one way to deal with this, as long as you’re taking it as prescribed by your doctor or nurse. Treating your nose and sinuses can improve your asthma symptoms too. If you get symptoms in your nose and sinuses – such as mucus, sneezing or an itchy or blocked nose – speak to your GP or pharmacist about how you can treat this. It may be that the mucus you’re coughing up has moved from your nose or sinuses to the back of your throat or chest. It’s worth remembering that your airways include the nose and sinuses, as well as your throat. However, if you’re producing lots of white or clear phlegm, it could be a sign that your airways are inflamed and your asthma symptoms might be getting worse. You can also call our helpline.Ī bit of white or clear phlegm every now and then is completely normal. If you have questions about phlegm and your lung condition, speak to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. Quitting will mean you can manage your lung condition better and is one of the best things you can do for your lung health. Speak to your healthcare professional if your phlegm is black or brown. If you’re coughing up more than just a few streaks of blood, then you should call 999.īrown phlegm can be caused by a chest infection but black or brown phlegm usually happens in people who smoke or people who have been exposed to dust or dirt, such as coal workers. ![]() Always let your doctor know if you cough up blood, so they can help to find out the cause. Some of these are not serious, but some can be very serious, like clots on the lung or lung cancer. Speak to your healthcare professional if you’re not sure.Ĭoughing up blood can have lots of different causes. You should be given a written plan with instructions on how and when to take them. If you have COPD or bronchiectasis, you might have a rescue pack of antibiotics and steroids to take in case of a chest infection. However, if you’re concerned, speak to your GP, doctor, or nurse. It’s really important to keep taking your medicines as usual to control your symptoms. If you are coughing up yellow or green phlegm, this could be a sign of a chest infection, cold, or flu. If you have bronchiectasis or COPD, you may need to send a phlegm sample to your healthcare professional to test for an infection. If you’re still coughing up more phlegm than usual, book an appointment with your GP, doctor, or nurse. Make sure you keep taking all your medicines as prescribed. ![]() If you find you've been coughing up more phlegm than usual, this could be a sign of inflammation or a flare-up of your lung condition. It’s part of the protective coating of the airways in the lung.Ĭoughing up a little bit of phlegm occasionally is totally normal, but if your phlegm changes in colour, thickness, or amount, it could be a sign that you're unwell. ![]() ![]() I’m going to talk to you about what your phlegm means.Īlthough it’s not nice to see, phlegm and mucus are part of your body’s defence against infection. Hi, I’m Claire, a respiratory nurse specialist at Asthma + Lung UK.
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