When someone is sick and coughs, he coughs up phlegm. At some point, the sputum turns from transparent or white to yellow or green. Many are confused.
Back in 1955, it was found that crystallized peroxidase gives the green color to sputum. It is an enzyme that is secreted from white blood cells. Most likely there are many other reasons for this color.
For some reason, some people believe that yellow or green phlegm is a sure sign of a bacterial infection. In fact, viral bronchitis is also accompanied by the release of purulent sputum.
In people with chronic lung disease, there is some connection between sputum color and bacteria. But not with an acute cough. That is, if an initially healthy person suddenly fell ill and coughed, then nothing can be predicted by the appearance of sputum.
Usually women are better guided in this matter, especially those who themselves used antibiotics. It reaches them faster.
With men, everything is more complicated. They are much less likely to give medicine to children themselves and are less attentive to symptoms.
Doctors also do not correctly assess the situation every time.
Doctors on this topic are trained and trained, but the eccentricities continue from year to year. This is a myth in medicine that has been living in parallel with antibiotics for almost 100 years.
It seems that in order to change the situation, you will have to educate people almost from school. Otherwise, old bikes cannot be erased.
There you have to find out not only about the color of sputum, but even about the source of the discharge.
Many do not understand at all whether something is running down from their nose or coughing up from their lungs. Most see other people's green grubs on the ground and do not bother too much with the source of such mucus.
For the same reason, it is more beneficial if the doctor looks at the phlegm with his own eyes, and does not trust the stories.
In short, if an initially healthy person suddenly fell ill, felt a general malaise and coughed up yellow or green sputum, then this is not a reason to run for an antibiotic.
How do you feel about yellow sputum?
