I am currently sick with bronchitis and I am coughing up a large load of nasty tasting green stuff (as usual). I am just wondering what the green stuff is (since ive coughed it up so much by now)…
The two most likely possibilities in order of likeliness:
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Snot. Stuff produced in the nasal passageways, and dripping down the back of the throat, to be coughed up. Often mixed with spit. The green color doesn’t mean it’s a bacterial infection, just that you have some type of inflammatory process going on. More on snot (nasal mucus) here:
http://health.yahoo.com/health/diseases_and_conditions/disease_feed_data/nasal_discharge/ -
Sputum. Mucousy secretions from the bronchial tree in the lungs in response to irritation. May represent viral or bacterial, or other infection. It has lots of white blood cells in it. More on sputum:
http://members.tripod.com/MED_MOE/Sputum.htm
Boy, you better get yourself some antibiotics soon…
Plus, drink lots of fluids to keep the snot thinner.
As for green, I think its kinda an optical illusion but I don’t really want to look at it closer.
Handy you are completely unqualified to recommend or prescribe antibiotics. THEREFORE, DO NOT DO SO
Qadgop, MD
snot, sputum, phlegm, mucus… isn’t wonderful how we have so very many terms for “nasty slime emerging from the head end of the human body”?
What a coincidence, I have bronchitis this week too. (And strep and an ear infection.) Qad, keep your pants on, he wasn’t suggesting anything illegal, I think it was a wise suggestion, poorly worded, to get him to a doctor, which I strongly think he should do. My understanding is that colored phlegm or sputum (mine is green!) means get thee to a doctor.
IANAD, however, I do get bronchitis all too often. I find that hot steamy showers at least once a day will loosen the mucus and help you cough and blow it out. Plus a lot of fluids taken internally. If you think that you are sick too long, do see a doctor, to see if you really need antibiotics or other prescription medicines. Antibiotics won’t help you a bit if you’ve got a viral infection, you know.
I find that a humidifier (warm or cool, depending on the weather) can also make me a lot less uncomfortable. Just be sure to change the water EVERY day, as bacteria can build up in it.
And please, don’t share this, no matter WHAT you learned in kindergarten!
Could be tofu.
Okay, I can see that, but I am with Qadcop on this one. The idea that “Getting antibiotics” is a cure for everything “green” or that getting antibiotics is the purpose for scheduling a doctor’s visit is a huge problem in this country and it could cause a (worse) public health crisis if people don’t knock it off. So it’s hard to resist the temptation to jump up and down and say NO NO NO! HORRIBLE ADVICE! NO!
As evidenced already, there is a segment of the population that believes that Sick People Need Antibiotics. They will insist that their doctor follow that tenet instead of medical training–or switch doctors to find one who will do so.
As someone who has coughed up a lot of green sputum and snot in her day, I can tell you that some doctors don’t think green means “seek prompt medical attention.” It has to be in combination with some other things (can’t shake it, feeling truly run down, blowing reddish snot too, etc).
grumble grumble. My hair trigger will go off faster than Qadcop’s when a non-doc suggests antibiotics to someone.
Qadgop, the doctor gives me antibiotics about twice a year for bronchitis, it’s quite an acceptable treatment, if you didn’t notice.
Plus, you missed the obvious. In order to get antibiotics for bronchitis the OP has to visit the doctor. Which, once again is obvious, the doctor would know whether or not to prescribe them. duh.
One, the entire medical community is trying to break the public’s addiction to feeling it needs antibiotics for bronchitis. The vast majority of them are viral, not bacterial, and all it does is encourage resistance and cause complications. it is NOT an acceptable treatment for a viral infection, despite your claim. I’d ask you for a cite, but past history tells me it’s a waste of time to do so. But please don’t argue this line further unless you are prepared to cite credible medical authorities who say that antibiotics are necessary to treat the most common forms of community-acquired bronchitis.
Two, you didn’t tell him to go to the doctor. Here in GQ you declared he’d better get himself some antibiotics soon. Maybe one can get away with that in MPSIMS, but we are trying to fight ignorance in GQ, not spread it. Even I try to avoid telling people what kind of treatments they need, I try to suggest that they should talk to their doctor to consider certain possibilities. And that is after 20 years in the medical field. So stop rationalizing your answer.
And thank you, CrankyasQadgop, I mean Crankyasanoldman for your support on this one. It’s a long and lonely fight against ignorance about green snot, but someone’s got to do it.
The real question is, why is it green?
I seem to remember seeing this answered on a Beakman episode, but I don’t remember?
Stuff that’s green: chlorophyll, copper oxide, frogs.
I have listed the main green possibilities 
- which is it???
Split pea soup has the same color AND texture. There’s a joke in there somewhere.
No, it tastes better than tofu.
Joke from my Georgia Tech days (1979 - 1983):
Q: What’s green and sings Rose Marie?
A: Phlegm Whitman!
<rim shot>
RR
Look folks, there are other reasons to go get a professional opinion. As I noted earlier, I have strep and bronchitis and ear infection (a week now). My doctor insisted on an antibiotic and was greatful that I came in when I did. Now, I also have an asymptomatic mitral valve prolapse. It is somewhat susceptible to infection according to the textbooks. This same doctor stopped me from taking antibiotics for every dental visit, so she is not abusing antibiotics. But unless a doctor knows the whole picture, you can’t optimize the care given.
Sad to say some doctors will prescribe antibiotics for a viral infection, or if they don’t know whether it’s viral or bacterial. I had acute prostatitis and the flu (at the same time) a few years ago. The following year, the doctor who was pinchhitting for my doctor, prescribed Cipro when I presented with the some similar symptoms, not even taking a urinalysis. When questioned, he said it could do no harm.
No, you miss the obvious. You are not qualified. I am tired of you giving bad and potentially dangerous advice to our membership.
So I am making this official. You are not to give advice in any medical thread to anybody ever again. For any reason.
This is an official warning. Your continued ability to post on this site is in jeopardy.
Speaking as an otherwise healthy adult that some years ago acquired an infection of antibiotic-resistant Stapholococcus aurens that, eventually, led to surgery (as in, cutting out a chunk of infected tissue), bed rest, oozing of pus from my body for weeks, a recovery of a couple months, concern about the state of my kidneys, worry that permanent damage may have been done to my facial muscles (fortunately not) and ingestion of extremely powerful and expensive antibiotics with ugly side effects, I have to say that antibiotic resistance is a serious thing and not to be taken lightly. Oh, yeah, forgot about the pain so intense I was puking violently even while talking to the nice surgeon and nurses prepping me for the scalpel. I’ll spare you the details on having putrefying tissue vaccumed out of my face. This is not what a 32 year old woman in good health expects, but the fact is, these “bugs” can kill healthy young adults, and if not kill, at least make life very unpleasent.
Please do not play games with antibiotics, OK? The life you save my be your own.