Why do you cough up light or dark yellow phlegm everyday?

Answer 1

First, smokers often have a morning cough which can be light brown to dusky brown. If this is the situation, stopping smoking is the only remedy.

Second, if a person has a sinus infection, the mucous may be from the throat rather than the lungs. The mucous in an infection may be brownish (smokers), yellowish or greenish (infection), with or without blood streaks.

Third, if a person has a lung infection like bronchitis or pneumonia it can also be those yellow, green, with or without blood streaks.

If mucous is yellow or green, or is blood streaked, you need to see a doctor. Most often it is a treatable infection and most often the blood is due to small blood vessels breaking during hard coughing. However, coughing up blood can be serious so it should always be checked.

Also, if this is occurring every day, let your doctor know. Sometimes a simple decongestant or sinus medication can dry sinsus secretions. *Be cautious, however, because using too much sinus meds without a doctor's input can dry the nose and throat so much that, again, small blood vessels can bleed during coughing.