Sputum in pneumonia is a phenomenon that people meet, regardless of age. It is worth noting that it is precisely by the color of the pathogenic secretions that one can find out at what stage the disease is and whether any associated pathologies exist. Inflammation of the lungs is a serious illness that requires treatment. If one is absent, the consequences are dire. Let us further examine what the color of the discharge means, how it is examined, and what are the symptoms and treatment of pneumonia in adult patients.
Description
Pneumonia on its own can occur extremely rarely. Usually this disease becomes the result of various chronic ailments that are associated with the respiratory system. According to the classification, pneumonia occurs:
- Viral. In this case, certain viruses cause the disease.
- Mixed. In this case, several pathogens become the cause of the disease at once.
- The development of fungal pneumonia.
What to do if sputum does not go away with pneumonia? Sometimes it happens that against the background of the disease, the mucus does not depart. In this case, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible for a diagnostic examination.
In fact, with pneumonia, a phenomenon such as sputum is one of the most important symptoms. The first thing that doctors pay attention to is the color of the pathogenic secretions. For example, if there is blood in the sputum during pneumonia, then this indicates that a person has additional diseases that require immediate treatment.
Any secreted mucus is pathological. Everything, as a rule, begins with the nose, and then the process goes to the lungs, and after that a person coughs.
Sputum analysis for pneumonia is carried out very often.
Next, we find out what symptoms accompany pneumonia in adult patients.
Symptoms of pneumonia
Sputum in pneumonia can be any color. It can be transparent and black. It may also contain a large number of substances, and in addition, cell breakdown products along with blood particles and various microorganisms. We can safely say that the color of sputum depends on the nature of the disease. Should sputum go away with pneumonia? There is no definite answer. In some situations, the disease goes away without this symptom, and then it becomes more difficult to determine the pathology, since the doctor cannot take tests for the physical properties of sputum.
Symptoms and treatment of pneumonia in adults are interrelated.
Typical manifestations of this disease are the following symptoms:
- The presence of sputum.
- The appearance of cough.
- The occurrence of temperature or hyperhidrosis.
- The appearance of pain in the chest.
- Rapid breathing rhythm.
- Irritability, drowsiness and lack of appetite.
- Symptoms of respiratory failure.
- Severe malaise.
To make an accurate diagnosis, the patient must have a sputum test. Based on the information received, the doctor can prescribe a treatment that will be effective and will help get rid of this problem.
Next, we move on to the classification of secretions and find out what happens in sputum with pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.
Allocation Classification
Sputum is classified by its color. It happens:
- Gray or white.
- Yellow discharge.
- Green highlight.
- Sputum is dark in color.
- Red highlight.
- Purulent sputum.
So the color of sputum in pneumonia is very important.
Gray sputum
Gray (white) sputum is a common occurrence for every person, as it can be excreted even in the absence of any disease. But sometimes, if the departments are observed in large numbers, then they may indicate the presence of the following diseases:
- The presence of respiratory tract infections.
- The development of a chronic form of bronchitis.
- Sputum may occur when nasal drops are used.
- In case of allergic reactions, such sputum may also be released.
In the event that a person smokes or lives in an environmentally unfavorable environment, then mucus of gray color may be released with a cough.
What else is the discharge of sputum in pneumonia?
Yellow sputum
In the event that the discharge is yellow, this factor indicates the presence of a sluggish chronic disease of the respiratory canals or allergies. Yellow mucus appears in people in a number of the following cases:
- The presence of bronchitis in acute form.
- Inflammation of the lungs, which occurs in acute form.
The appearance of yellow in sputum indicates that the human body is fighting infection. Thus, we can assume that the immune system is functioning normally. If the sputum is too thick, and its color is saturated, then this indicates the presence of sinusitis. This is such a bacterial infection that requires compulsory medical supervision, and at the same time competent treatment.
In the event that the cough against the background of pneumonia is painful, and the patient also begins to suffocate, then this indicates the presence of asthma. In such a situation, qualified assistance is also required, since such attacks can seriously threaten life.
Green sputum in pneumonia
Such sputum indicates the presence of chronic infections. Neutrophils decompose, which contributes to the appearance of this color. When inflammatory processes are non-infectious in nature, greenish mucus may be released from the patient. A similar phenomenon indicates the following pathologies:
- The presence of cystic fibrosis or pneumonia.
- The development of an abscess or bronchiectasis.
In addition to green mucus, fever can be noted along with weakness, lack of appetite, and a strong and suffocating cough. The only way out of this situation is to contact a specialist, since self-medication can only aggravate the disease.
What does brown sputum mean in pneumonia?
Dark color of sputum due to pneumonia
This symptom indicates that there are blood impurities in the substance. Red blood cells die, this leads to the fact that hemosiderin is released from hemoglobin. Consider ailments when a person may have dark or even almost black sputum:
- With pneumonia, when the disease is in a chronic form.
- Against the background of tuberculosis.
- In the presence of lung cancer.
- Against the background of bronchitis in a chronic form.
- With pneumoconiosis.
Against the background of the development of croupous pneumonia in patients, even rusty sputum can stand out. It is important to note that people who suffer from cough and notice sputum discharge with an uncharacteristic hue should not smoke.
Red sputum
When staining in scarlet, pink or red is noted, an urgent analysis of sputum should be taken. This phenomenon indicates that there is blood in the substance. The most terrible disease in which sputum of this color is observed is lung cancer.
Similar symptoms may still be present in the presence of the following ailments:
- Against the background of lung embolism.
- With pneumonia caused by pneumococci.
- With advanced tuberculosis.
- Against the background of an abscess or pulmonary edema, which is caused by heart failure in a chronic form.
In the event that there is blood in the sputum and against the background of this an accurate diagnosis is made in the form of pneumonia, it is necessary to immediately contact your doctor. This phenomenon speaks of serious pathological processes that are life threatening to ignore.
In any case, when a person notes a deterioration in his well-being, he has a cough, weakness and fever, and all this in addition is accompanied by sputum discharge of different shades, you can not hesitate. Need to see a doctor. Pulmonologists are involved in lung diseases.
Purulent sputum
This phenomenon suggests that a person most likely has purulent bronchitis. The smell from the mouth causes a strong disgust. Diseases in which there is sputum with a splash of pus are as follows:
- With an abscess of the lung.
- Against the backdrop of asthma, flu or even allergies.
- With SARS, which is accompanied by the appearance of ulcers.
When there is still blood in the sputum besides pus, this is an alarming bell. Carrying out diagnostic measures will determine what exactly the problem is.
Find out how to collect sputum for analysis.
Laboratory studies of secretions and features of their conduct
In the event that the discharge changes color and has an uncharacteristic smell, then the doctor will definitely appoint the patient to pass sputum. A study using a microscope allows you to determine the nature of staining. This means that the doctor can determine which group the bacteria in the patient’s body belong to. The study usually takes two hours. Research indicators accurately report the nature of the disease, so that you can correctly determine the treatment.
rules
Let us further consider exactly what conditions should be adhered to when an analysis for sputum collection is prescribed:
- It is necessary to brush your teeth. There are a lot of bacteria in the mouth, so if the patient does not follow this recommendation, then the study will be false.
- You can’t eat before taking the test.
- On the eve of the study, you need to drink a mucolytic. The medicine is washed down with plenty of water. This is required in order for the secret to separate better. Otherwise, sputum may not be enough for the study. Specialists are also recommended to drink more alkaline liquid.
Next, we find out in what order the study of discharge in pneumonia is carried out.
Carrying out a study of secretions: how is the procedure?
The study of sputum in the background of pneumonia is carried out in a clearly defined order:
- The patient needs to inhale as deeply as possible, and then cough properly. In the event that on the eve of the patient the appropriate measures were taken, sputum will surely stand out.
- Next, the doctor collects the material. This is done in a sterile container (the necessary plastic container can be purchased at the pharmacy). It is better to immediately buy two containers. The required amount of sputum for analysis if the patient has pneumonia is determined by a specialist.
- After the sampling is carried out, the material must be delivered very quickly to the laboratory.
Upon completion of the study, the patient will receive the result of the analysis, with which he will need to return to the attending physician for decryption. Inflammation of the lungs is a disease that affects all people, regardless of gender and age. Only a microscopic examination will accurately determine the nature of the disease along with the microorganisms that caused pneumonia. It is very important that the doctor can prescribe an effective and adequate treatment to the patient.
Now let's talk about the main aspects of the treatment of pneumonia in adult patients.
Treatment of pneumonia in adult patients
In the event that the patient’s cough is wet, that is, when there is sputum discharge, the basic recommendations of any doctor will be herbal preparations along with bed rest and plenty of warm drinking.
Unfortunately, pneumonia cannot be cured without the use of antibiotics. In addition, in the process of therapy, the patient needs enveloping preparations that help reduce mucosal irritation. Pneumonia at the present stage, unfortunately, is resistant to penicillin, so antibiotics of the second and third generation are used for its therapy in the form of such drugs as Clavulanate, Sulfamethoxazole and the like.
The treatment course also includes inhalation. Such procedures moisturize the mucosa well, helping to thin the sputum, making it easier to leave the body. Traditionally, pneumonia in adults begins, as a rule, with an annoying dry cough, which subsequently goes into a wet form with green secretions.
To date, the diagnosis of pneumonia is not a difficult undertaking. It is enough to conduct only an x-ray and consult a therapist. It is more difficult to establish the causative agent of pneumonia. With proper therapy and without the development of complications, recovery usually occurs within three or four weeks.
We examined what sputum pneumonia can be.