How does mucus form in the lungs. What causes changes in mucus color and consistency. Why does thick mucus lead to postnasal drip. How can you alleviate symptoms of excess mucus production.

The Function and Composition of Mucus in the Respiratory System

Mucus plays a crucial role in maintaining respiratory health. It acts as a protective barrier, trapping harmful particles and moisturizing the airways. But what exactly is mucus composed of?

Mucus is a gel-like substance produced by cells lining the respiratory tract, from the nose to the lungs. Its primary components include:

• Water
• Glycoproteins
• Enzymes
• Immunoglobulins
• Salts

This unique composition allows mucus to perform its vital functions effectively. The sticky nature of mucus helps it capture dust, bacteria, and other irritants, preventing them from reaching the lungs. Meanwhile, its fluid properties enable it to keep the airways moist and functioning properly.

The Delicate Balance of Mucus and Watery Secretions

What many people perceive as “mucus” in their nose and sinuses is actually a combination of mucus and watery secretions. These two substances work in tandem to maintain optimal respiratory function. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to various symptoms such as runny noses or congestion.

Factors Influencing Mucus Production and Consistency

Several factors can affect the production and consistency of mucus in the respiratory system. These include:

1. Respiratory infections
2. Allergies
3. Environmental irritants
4. Smoking
5. Hydration levels
6. Certain medications

Understanding these factors can help in managing mucus-related issues more effectively. For instance, staying well-hydrated can help maintain the proper consistency of mucus, while avoiding environmental irritants may reduce excess mucus production.

The Impact of Hydration on Mucus Consistency

How does hydration affect mucus consistency? Adequate fluid intake is crucial for maintaining the right balance of mucus and watery secretions. When the body is dehydrated, mucus can become thicker and more difficult to clear, leading to symptoms like congestion and postnasal drip.

Distinguishing Between Mucus and Phlegm

While often used interchangeably, mucus and phlegm are distinct substances. Phlegm is a type of mucus produced specifically by the lower airways in response to inflammation. It’s typically coughed up as a symptom of conditions like bronchitis or pneumonia.

The key differences between mucus and phlegm include:

• Origin: Mucus is produced throughout the respiratory tract, while phlegm is specific to the lower airways
• Function: Mucus primarily serves a protective role, while phlegm is often a response to inflammation
• Consistency: Phlegm tends to be thicker and may contain cellular debris

Decoding Mucus Color: What It Means for Your Health

The color of mucus can provide valuable insights into your respiratory health. However, it’s important to note that color alone isn’t always a definitive indicator of a problem. Here’s what different mucus colors might signify:

• Clear: Typically normal, healthy mucus
• White: May indicate the onset of a cold or increased dairy consumption
• Yellow or Green: Could suggest the presence of an infection, but not always
• Pink or Red: May contain blood, indicating irritation or a more serious condition
• Brown: Often associated with inhaled dirt or tobacco use

Is green or yellow mucus always a sign of infection? Not necessarily. While these colors can indicate the presence of infection-fighting white blood cells, they can also result from the mucus simply being more concentrated due to dehydration or exposure to airborne irritants.

When to Seek Medical Attention for Mucus Changes

While most mucus changes are benign, certain symptoms warrant medical attention. These include:

• Persistent discoloration lasting more than a week
• Blood in the mucus
• Accompanying fever or severe pain
• Difficulty breathing

The Connection Between Thick Mucus and Postnasal Drip

Thick mucus often leads to a condition known as postnasal drip, where excess mucus accumulates in the back of the throat. But why does this happen?

Several factors contribute to the thickening of mucus and subsequent postnasal drip:

1. Dry indoor environments (due to heating or air conditioning)
2. Insufficient hydration
3. Certain medications with drying effects
4. Smoking
5. Allergies or sinus infections

How can you alleviate postnasal drip? Some effective strategies include:

• Increasing fluid intake
• Using a humidifier or facial steamer
• Taking hot, steamy showers
• Using saline nasal sprays
• Avoiding known irritants and allergens

Common Misconceptions About Mucus and Allergies

Many people mistakenly attribute thick mucus to allergies, leading to inappropriate self-treatment. In reality, allergies typically cause an increase in watery secretions, not thick mucus. This misunderstanding can result in the overuse of antihistamines, which can actually exacerbate the problem by further drying out the nasal passages.

The Drying Effect of Antihistamines

How do antihistamines affect mucus production? While effective for managing allergy symptoms, antihistamines can have a drying effect on the nasal passages. This can lead to thicker mucus, potentially worsening symptoms like congestion and postnasal drip in individuals who don’t actually have allergies.

Effective Treatments for Various Mucus-Related Issues

Proper diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment of mucus-related problems. Here are some common issues and their recommended treatments:

• Postnasal Drip: Take an expectorant to thin mucus, increase fluid intake, use steam inhalation
• Runny Nose: Use antihistamines if caused by allergies, or decongestants for cold symptoms
• Thick, Crusty Mucus: Increase hydration, use a humidifier, avoid irritants
• Sinus Infection: May require antibiotics if bacterial, along with nasal irrigation and decongestants

It’s important to consult a healthcare professional for persistent or severe symptoms to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.

The Role of Mucus in Protecting Lung Health

Mucus serves as a crucial first line of defense for our lungs. How does it accomplish this protective function? As we breathe, mucus in the respiratory tract traps inhaled particles such as dust, pollen, and potentially harmful microorganisms. These trapped particles are then moved upwards by tiny hair-like structures called cilia, eventually being expelled from the body through coughing or swallowing.

This filtering process is so efficient that it can even change the color of mucus based on the particles it captures. For instance, exposure to high levels of air pollution or smoke may result in darker-colored mucus. While this may seem alarming, it’s actually a sign that your respiratory system is working effectively to protect your lungs.

The Mucociliary Escalator: Nature’s Cleaning System

The process by which mucus and cilia work together to clear the airways is often referred to as the “mucociliary escalator”. This natural cleaning system operates continuously, helping to maintain clear and healthy airways. However, certain factors can impair its function, including:

• Smoking
• Exposure to air pollution
• Respiratory infections
• Certain genetic conditions

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and avoiding respiratory irritants can help support the optimal function of this important defense mechanism.

The Impact of Environmental Factors on Mucus Production

Our environment plays a significant role in mucus production and consistency. Both indoor and outdoor environmental factors can influence the respiratory system’s mucus production. Some key environmental influences include:

1. Air Humidity: Dry air can lead to thicker mucus and irritated airways
2. Temperature Changes: Sudden temperature shifts can trigger increased mucus production
3. Air Pollution: Exposure to pollutants can stimulate excess mucus as a protective response
4. Allergens: Pollen, dust mites, and other allergens can trigger increased mucus production in sensitive individuals
5. Indoor Air Quality: Poor ventilation and presence of irritants like mold can affect mucus production

Managing Environmental Impacts on Mucus Health

How can you mitigate the effects of environmental factors on mucus production? Consider these strategies:

• Use a humidifier in dry environments
• Regularly clean and maintain air conditioning and heating systems
• Use air purifiers to reduce indoor air pollutants
• Stay indoors on high pollution or high pollen count days if sensitive
• Ensure proper ventilation in your living and working spaces

The Relationship Between Diet and Mucus Production

While the impact of diet on mucus production is a topic of ongoing research, certain dietary factors may influence mucus characteristics. Some considerations include:

• Dairy Products: While not scientifically proven to increase mucus production, some individuals report increased mucus thickness after consuming dairy
• Hydration: Adequate fluid intake helps maintain proper mucus consistency
• Spicy Foods: Can stimulate nasal secretions, which may be mistaken for increased mucus production
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: May help reduce inflammation and associated mucus production

Is there a “mucus-free” diet? While no diet can completely eliminate mucus (which is necessary for health), focusing on whole foods, staying well-hydrated, and identifying personal trigger foods may help manage mucus-related issues.

Mucus Changes Throughout the Lifespan

Mucus production and characteristics can vary throughout different stages of life. Understanding these changes can help in managing respiratory health across the lifespan.

Mucus in Infancy and Childhood

Infants and young children often produce more mucus than adults. This is partly due to:

• Immature immune systems leading to more frequent respiratory infections
• Smaller nasal passages that can become easily congested
• Inability to effectively clear mucus through nose-blowing or coughing

How can parents help manage mucus in young children? Saline drops, nasal aspirators, and maintaining proper hydration can be effective strategies.

Mucus Changes in Older Adults

As we age, several factors can affect mucus production and clearance:

• Decreased effectiveness of ciliary function
• Reduced mucus production leading to drier airways
• Weakened cough reflex, making it harder to expel mucus
• Increased susceptibility to respiratory infections

Older adults may benefit from strategies such as staying well-hydrated, using humidifiers, and engaging in regular physical activity to support respiratory health.

The Role of the Immune System in Mucus Production

The immune system plays a crucial role in regulating mucus production, especially in response to potential threats. When the body detects harmful pathogens or irritants, it can trigger increased mucus production as a defensive mechanism.

Key aspects of the immune system’s involvement in mucus production include:

1. Detection of Pathogens: Immune cells in the respiratory tract recognize potential threats
2. Inflammatory Response: This triggers the release of chemicals that stimulate mucus production
3. Antibody Production: Antibodies are secreted into the mucus to help neutralize pathogens
4. Cellular Debris: White blood cells fighting infection can contribute to changes in mucus color and consistency

How does this immune response affect mucus characteristics? The inflammatory process can lead to increased mucus volume, changes in consistency, and alterations in color – all part of the body’s efforts to expel harmful substances and protect the respiratory system.

Autoimmune Conditions and Mucus Production

Certain autoimmune conditions can significantly impact mucus production and characteristics. For example:

• Cystic Fibrosis: Causes abnormally thick and sticky mucus
• Sjögren’s Syndrome: Can lead to reduced mucus production and dry airways
• Wegener’s Granulomatosis: May cause inflammation and abnormal mucus production in the respiratory tract

Understanding the relationship between these conditions and mucus production is crucial for effective management and treatment.

Innovative Treatments and Future Directions in Mucus Management

Research into mucus and its role in respiratory health continues to evolve, leading to new insights and potential treatments. Some promising areas of research and innovation include:

• Targeted Mucolytics: Medications designed to break down mucus more effectively
• Bioengineered Mucins: Developing synthetic mucins to supplement or replace abnormal mucus
• Gene Therapy: Targeting genetic factors that influence mucus production and characteristics
• Nanotechnology: Developing nanoparticles to penetrate and modify mucus barriers
• Probiotics: Exploring the potential of beneficial bacteria in regulating mucus production

What potential breakthroughs might we see in mucus management? While it’s difficult to predict specific outcomes, ongoing research aims to develop more effective treatments for conditions characterized by abnormal mucus production, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis.

The Promise of Personalized Medicine in Mucus Management

As our understanding of individual genetic and environmental factors affecting mucus production grows, there’s increasing potential for personalized approaches to mucus management. This could involve:

1. Genetic testing to identify predispositions to certain mucus-related conditions
2. Tailored treatment plans based on individual mucus characteristics and underlying causes
3. Personalized dietary and lifestyle recommendations to optimize mucus health
4. Targeted therapies addressing specific molecular pathways involved in abnormal mucus production

The future of mucus management may involve a more nuanced, individualized approach, moving beyond one-size-fits-all treatments to strategies tailored to each person’s unique physiology and environmental factors.

Everything You Ever Wondered About Mucus and Phlegm – Cold and Flu Center

Misconceptions abound about mucus and phlegm and about what their consistency and color mean.

“This is probably one of the most common discussions that I have to have with patients as an ear, nose, and throat specialist,” says Michael S. Ellis, MD, a clinical professor of otolaryngology at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans.

“I call it the New Orleans nose. People in New Orleans think they have allergies causing their mucus problems, but that’s wrong.”

These “mucus problems” aren’t just plaguing New Orleans residents. People across the country are fighting runny noses, clogged noses, postnasal drip, and everything in between.

Respiratory infections, the common cold, sinus infections, allergies, smoking, and even your environment all trigger changes in your mucus that can leave you frustrated and wandering the pharmacy aisles looking for the best solution.

“Mucus is like a gelatin, a sticky substance the function of which is to lubricate and also to filter,” says Dr. Ellis. It’s made by cells in membranes that run from your nose to your lungs. While you swallow most of it without noticing, what’s left behind keeps your airways moist so that they work properly.

However, Ellis explains, what most people think of as mucus in their nose and sinuses is a delicate balance of both mucus and watery secretions — fluid made by the cells of the nose and sinuses.

Usually these two substances work together smoothly, and you probably don’t even notice them.

“If you get an allergy or a cold and your nose is running like a faucet, you’re making an excess of watery secretions,” Ellis says.

At the other extreme, thick mucus — the kind that leads to postnasal drip and congestion or gets crusty — is usually the result of being excessively dry.

Ellis says 90 percent of the patients he sees are actually experiencing problems with thick mucus, not a runny nose due to the common cold.

Phlegm is a slightly different substance. It’s a form of mucus produced by the lower airways — not by the nose and sinuses — in response to inflammation.

You may not notice phlegm unless you cough it up as a symptom of bronchitis or pneumonia.

As is the case with mucus, phlegm that has a color such as green or yellow may indicate infection. And anytime you see blood in the phlegm you cough up, you should seek medical attention.

Mucus, explains Ellis, helps protect the lungs by capturing dirt and dust as you inhale. The dirt, dust, and debris are passed out of your system.

While a persistent yellow or green color, possibly accompanied by an unpleasant odor, is often a sign of infection, color does not always indicate a health problem, says Ellis.

The fact that your mucus may be discolored by what is in the air is a good thing.

“If you’re in an environment where there is a lot of dust or smoke or smog, the function of the nose is to protect the lungs,” he stresses.

Thick mucus, which may seem to have greater volume and may create problems such as postnasal drip, results from a number of situations and is usually an indication of being over-dry.

Here are some of the factors that contribute to that feeling of thick, clogging mucus:

• A dry indoor environment, which may be due to air-conditioning or heating
• Not drinking enough water and other fluids, or drinking beverages such as coffee, tea, and alcohol that may lead to losing fluids
• Medications that are drying
• Smoking

Using a small facial steamer or humidifier, taking a hot steamy shower, or even breathing through a warm wet washcloth can give you some relief from thick, crusty mucus.

Your doctor will evaluate the character of your mucus as well as the presence (or absence) of other allergy or cold symptoms. Getting the right diagnosis means you can get the right treatment.

Unfortunately, many people misdiagnose themselves, thinking, for example, that a large quantity of thick mucus indicates an allergy (which actually is signaled by a lot of watery secretions accompanied by allergy symptoms). They then mistakenly take antihistamines, which end up drying out the nose and making thick mucus worse.

“That’s why it’s important to make the right diagnosis,” says Ellis, who also warns against self-medicating with decongestants like Sudafed, which are also drying and will further thicken your mucus.

With a bacterial sinus infection you may be able to take a doctor-prescribed antibiotic to treat the cause, but with viral colds the best you can do is correctly treat symptoms, so you want to be sure you have the right match.

Here are some of the mucus problems Ellis sees, along with his recommended treatments:

• Postnasal drip (thick mucus) Take an expectorant (this thins mucus and phlegm), drink lots of fluids, breathe through a warm washcloth, and use steam to make the mucus more liquid.
• Congestion (blocked nose) This is mostly due to swollen nasal membranes, so shrinking those membranes is the goal. Use an oral decongestant or decongestant nasal spray (for up to three days only), breathe through a warm wet washcloth, and use steam to ease congestion.
• Runny nose (with sneezing and/or itching) Take an antihistamine.

Any option is fine, says Ellis. Since the mucus may be infected, make sure you follow basic hygiene after blowing your nose: Carefully dispose of the facial tissue and wash your hands. Also, avoid spitting out your mucus in public.

Mucus is so important that your body makes about a quart of the stuff on a normal day. Learn how to live with it when it is out of balance, and you’ll be more comfortable until the flow goes back to normal.

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Understanding Mucus in Your Lungs

by Editorial Staff |
July 14, 2021

Topics:

• Health & Wellness
• Science
• Asthma
• COPD

Mucus in the lungs is known as phlegm or sputum. It is a common symptom in chronic lung diseases such as COPD (including chronic bronchitis and emphysema), cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, NTM lung disease or asthma.

In undamaged airways, oxygenated air moves easily through tubes, helped along by tiny hairs that line the airways called cilia. Mucus has an important role in your lung’s immune response because it traps irritants in your airways and helps allow your body to expel them through coughing. This helps protect you from infection. You can see how this works in our new animation that explains how a cough works, and the important part that mucus plays in clearing your airways from smoke, germs, dust and chemicals.

More than just an unpleasant nuisance, mucus that collects in your airways can make breathing more difficult and increase your risk of infection, which can further damage your lungs. Living with a chronic lung disease means you are likely experiencing an excess of this thick and sticky fluid in your lungs. Learning more about how to prevent, treat and manage symptoms, including mucus, of your chronic lung disease can help improve your overall lung health.

“Many people living with COPD, especially those who smoke and may not have yet been diagnosed with COPD, develop progressively more cough and mucus and initially discount it as ‘normal, smoker’s cough’,” says Irina Petrache, MD, Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at National Jewish Health. “Coughing up mucus is not normal, and it should raise the alarm that something is wrong.” She suggests patients consider use a diary to record when coughing up mucus starts to track how long it goes on. If for more than a few weeks, Dr. Petrache recommends you seek answers as to what may be causing it from your doctor.

If you are experiencing excess mucus production, there are steps you can take to help prevent and clear the mucus in your lungs. Discuss these options with your healthcare provider to find a strategy that works for you, and together you and your healthcare provider can monitor the results.

• Cough it up. Controlled coughing loosens mucus and helps it move through the airways. Uncontrolled coughing fits may trap mucus in your airways.
• Postural draining. You can lie down in different positions to help clear the mucus.
• Quit smoking. Smoking produces thicker mucus and increases the amount of mucus in the airways. Nicotine, the addictive chemical found in cigarettes, paralyzes the cilia or fiber-like cells that help move mucus out of your lungs. Some people experience more mucus after recently quitting smoking because the cilia is now able to do its job more effectively.
• Keep hydrated. Water helps keep your mucus thinner.
• Watch your dairy intake. Some people may find that their mucus becomes thicker when dairy products, like milk or ice cream, are consumed.
• Prevent lung infections. Ask your healthcare provider if you are up to date on vaccines that prevent infectious respiratory disease such as flu and pneumococcal pneumonia.
• Talk with your healthcare provider about airway clearance methods. This can be done using manual chest physical therapy, airway clearance devices, or handheld positive expiratory pressure devices.
• Your healthcare provider may recommend medication. Discuss the types of over the counter or prescription medications that may help you clear mucus.

It is important to have a frank and open conversation with your healthcare provider about your mucus production and any other symptoms of your chronic lung disease. It can help to write down your questions before your appointment and hand them over. You may also find it useful to print out Getting Ready for Your Next Office Visit to jot down your questions in a more formal way.

Living with a chronic lung disease can be challenging. The American Lung Association has a wealth of resources available to help you. You can attend a Better Breathers Club meeting to get support from others also dealing with similar issues. By joining the Patient & Caregiver Network, you have access to information that may help you better manage your lung disease. And you could also join an online support community on Inspire to connect with others at all hours.

The American Lung Association HelpLine (800-LUNG-USA) is staffed by medical professionals who can answer questions you have about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and management of your chronic lung disease.

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How to get rid of mucus in the throat and respiratory tract

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Mucus in the respiratory tract usually appears during the off-season, when the risk of getting colds and respiratory infections increases. At this time, immunity weakens, therefore, optimal conditions are created for the development of pathogenic microflora in the throat, nose, bronchi and lungs. The appearance of mucus indicates the development of the inflammatory process, so it is better to get rid of it as soon as possible.

Why there is a lot of mucus in the throat

Mucus or phlegm is produced by secretory goblet cells in the airways. It is always present in minimal amounts, because it moisturizes the ciliated epithelium lining the sections of the bronchial tree. But when pathogenic microflora begins to develop in it, it becomes more. So the body tries to evacuate disease-causing agents from the throat. But, as often happens, microbes develop faster. Then the sputum becomes thick, clogs the villi, which slows down the excretion of a viscous secret. It turns out that the formation of mucus exceeds the rate of its removal. A moist and warm environment is a great place for bacteria to thrive. This is how bronchitis begins, which can turn into pneumonia.

Causes of mucus in the respiratory tract

If the cause of sputum production is the entry of bacteria or irritants such as dust or smoke into the respiratory tract, then you need to cough. This is the easiest way to remove mucus. However, you should not make excessive efforts. If the sputum is not coughed up, and the cough is pressing and there is pain in the chest, then these are signs of an inflammatory process. As a rule, the clinic is supplemented by fever, weakness or fever. In this case, it is better to seek help from a doctor.

How to get rid of mucus in the throat

1. Gargle

You can rinse your throat. For this, any means or even warm water is suitable. Most often, a solution of baking soda, salt or vinegar is used. Ideally, you should gargle with an antiseptic solution.

2. Drink more water

Doctors constantly advise you to drink more water. The liquid stimulates secretion and makes it not so thick, so sputum is better evacuated from the respiratory tract. In case of illness, you need to drink warm water or tea with lemon, rosehip infusion, currant or raspberry tea, as well as any other fortified drinks.

3. Breathe over baking soda

If you can’t achieve liquefaction of sputum, then you need to breathe baking soda vapor. It reacts with mucus, destroys the chemical bonds between molecules, which makes the secret more liquid. Prepare a saturated soda solution, boil it. Remove from the stove and inhale the vapors covered with a towel. After a few minutes, if everything is done correctly, sputum will begin to move away.

4. Humidify the air

It is important that the air in the room is not dry, dusty or musty. To do this, you need to ventilate, do wet cleaning of rooms and use a humidifier. Often, after elimination of irritants, sputum passes by itself.

5. Do not smoke

It is advisable to stop smoking, because tobacco smoke dries and burns the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Delicate tissues are irritated and react with copious sputum. Approximately the same thing happens when a person inhales toxic fumes, dust, or works in hazardous industries. In such cases, you need to use personal protective equipment or change the scope of activity.

6. Drink decoctions of herbs

You can drink expectorant herbs – decoctions of coltsfoot, oregano, thyme or marshmallow. Licorice, psyllium or ivy root syrup is among the most effective natural cough and phlegm remedies.

7. Move more

When a person is subject to hypodynamia, mucus is not properly evacuated due to lack of movement, and therefore accumulates in the airways. Do a simple, and better breathing, gymnastics – and you will immediately feel relief, they advise on the Health and Longevity channel.

What the doctor advises for mucus in the throat

According to the therapist of the Yamal Center for Public Health and Medical Prevention Valeria Saprynskaya, the muconasal secretion is normally produced by the glands of the nasal mucosa and plays an important role in maintaining health. But in some cases, its production increases, which leads to excess mucous discharge from the nose.

Causes may be infectious or non-infectious. Infectious viruses include viruses, including influenza and SARS, as well as chronic forms of bacterial inflammation of the paranasal sinuses – sinusitis.

In the group of non-infectious causes – hypothermia, chemical irritants, chronic catarrhal rhinitis, nasal polyps, allergens, mucosal dysfunction after prolonged use of vasodilator nasal drops or sprays.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy, the use of psychoactive substances, the initial stage of the development of bronchial asthma, a foreign body in the nasal cavity (especially in children) can also lead to excessive discharge from the nose.

If a person is bothered by this symptom, they should see a doctor to determine the cause and treat it. To reduce the likelihood of the disease, it is necessary to regularly undergo a preventive examination.

Can a cough go down into the bronchi and lungs: a doctor dispels myths

“Is it possible to suck in snot? Will they go down? When coughing, do not use a nebulizer – the infection will go down. ” The pediatrician talks about these and other misconceptions.

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The doctor answers

Children’s health

Myths about health

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Pediatrician Shulamith Wolfson explains how things really are.

Contents of the article

Do not self-medicate! In our articles, we collect the latest scientific data and the opinions of authoritative health experts. But remember: only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Popular myths about “the infection will go down”

Is it possible to suck snot? Will they go down? This is a very common parenting myth. With any runny nose, with any cough – “Won’t cough / snot / infection go down ?!” Variants of the same delusion:

• “You can’t use a nebulizer – the cough will go down.”

• “You can’t do without drugs – the infection will go down.”

• “We have a viral infection, but I give antibiotics to keep the cough from going down” is just the pinnacle of this delusion, its extreme version.

However, if we look at the anatomical atlas, there will not be a straight and smooth staircase down from the nose to the lungs. There are no stairs at all. There is a normal respiratory system. It all starts with the nose. Further, passing through the nose and, looking along the way into the paranasal sinuses, the air enters the larynx, such a thin tube in the throat, approximately in the same place as the Adam’s apple in men.

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The vocal cords are stretched across the larynx. And there are a lot of cough receptors everywhere! If you have choked on water at least once, you know how a person behaves on the vocal cords, who got at least something EXCEPT for air! And this is from a small amount of water. Can you imagine what would happen to our children if mucus from the nose got there when they had a cold?!

A large tube, the trachea, begins behind the larynx. Two smaller tubes depart from it – the main bronchi, which then divide and divide – the bronchial tree. Alveoli are located at the end of the smallest bronchi. Bronchi + alveoli = lungs.

So. Snot does not enter the lungs. Never. A child can blow his nose – not blow his nose – suck snot through his nose, generally do anything. The runny nose never goes “below” or “into the lungs”. The very structure of the human body will not let him in.

Where does a runny nose go down

A terrible secret: mucus is constantly produced in our nose, this is a defense mechanism. It’s just that with ARVI, this production increases many times over, a runny nose appears. Snot, which the child could not or did not want to blow his nose, goes to the same place as the usual mucus from the nose of a healthy person. Into the stomach

Mucus from the nose enters the oropharynx, rolls down the back wall of the pharynx there – and enters the esophagus!

In the esophagus, not in the larynx (there, I remind you, the vocal cords). From the esophagus to the stomach and intestines, where it is safely digested. It is believed that this process with a cold is very useful, it stimulates the immune system. In very young children, who have fast intestinal motility and a lot of snot, parents can sometimes see mucus in the stool during SARS. These are the same snot that simply did not have time to be completely digested, it’s okay.

So, the snot doesn’t go anywhere. But can an infection do it? These are the viruses and bacteria that fly from person to person on the smallest droplets of saliva and dust?
No. Can not.

What happens if a child gets an infection

Why did my child have a common cold and then bronchitis? Why did we only have a fever and a slight cough, and then it turned out to be pneumonia? Why did my child immediately fall ill with bronchitis, was healthy – and then immediately, bronchitis?!

If it is a virus that “likes” to live in the nose, there will be a runny nose

If it is, for example, an influenza virus that “loves” to live in the trachea, there will be tracheitis. If it is an adenovirus, then there will be conjunctivitis and bronchitis, this is how the virus “loves” to “settle”. Well, etc. That is, in what form the infection will proceed – depends on the nature of the pathogen! Nothing goes down anywhere, from the very beginning – rhinitis or nasopharyngitis or rhinitis and bronchitis at once, etc.

A virus has settled in the child’s body

Usually it is “limited” to the common cold. But this particular child has its own characteristics. For example, he is a newborn. In this case, the virus can “break through” through the body’s own defenses and “settle” in the wrong place, provoking the development of bronchitis or pneumonia. This happens, for example, with the influenza virus.

Usually everything is limited to the usual SARS with tracheitis.

But this virus can also cause pneumonia quite often. It all depends on the type of virus, the characteristics of each particular person, etc. That is why no one vaccinates against ordinary ARVI viruses, but you can get vaccinated against the flu. Influenza can provoke the development of pneumonia.

However, we note that in this case, the infection does not go anywhere! Neither with snot, nor with inhalations. Either the virus will be able to “grab” where it doesn’t need to, or it won’t.

There was a viral infection, SARS. Against its background, the activity of the immune system has changed

And a bacterium managed to get into the body, undermined by the disease. This is called a bacterial complication of a viral infection. That is, the child was able to cope with SARS, but he suddenly developed bacterial pneumonia. A complication, but it could not be prevented. No, antibiotics BEFORE the onset of a bacterial infection do not help, on the contrary, they worsen the situation and increase the risk of complications. By the way, if you are interested in the advice of a pulmonologist about taking antibiotics for bronchitis, follow the link.