Asthma Support Group
Asthma is a disease of the human respiratory system where the airways narrow, often in response to a "trigger" such as exposure to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional stress. This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, which respond to bronchodilators.
Ive suffered from asthma all of my life. Ive had chest infections with it before. Recently Ive been getting a heavy feeling in my chest and Ive been wheezing a bit. Also Ive been bringing up some green phlegm. I did have it before after a cold and the doctor just said it was a viral infection. Im wondering if anyone else has this? Im not too worried but it hurts my lungs and is uncomfortable. Has anyone tried any remedies for it like Slippery elm or Aloe vera? Im wondering if they will work. Ive also got gastritis. I supose its worth a try. Or does the doctor put you on anything? I just get told to increase the steroid inhaler Qvar which I have. Thanks
I hope you haven't given up on a reply to your question. Have you tried Singulair? Green cloudy mucus is a sign of a bacterial infection; green clear mucus is a sign of viral infection or allergies with a tiny bit of bacteria mixed in. What happens is: there is a warm moist environment in your lungs. One result of asthma is an increase in moisture & one result of a steroid inhaler (along with reducing inflammation so you can breathe) is that there will be a reduced number of white blood cells (the cells that kill bacteria). Combined, they set up a nice environment for bacteria to survive. If you are not bringing up a lot of green phlegm, you might want to try a daily allergy medicine (Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec, Singulair, etc) to help dry up the lungs a little. Singulair is prescription but the others are OTC (get the generic-the brand name are really expensive). Slippery Elm would be a good choice to help you cough the green stuff out (& may help ease your gastritis-I've never used it but a friend of mine likes it) but until you dry up the environment, it can come back. Unless you have been coughing/blowing out lots of cloudy, thick green drainage for at least a week, most docs will be reluctant to treat with antibiotics. And of course, a hot shower when you wake up to loosen the crud so you can cough more out is also helpful (not necessarily comfortable, but helpful). Good luck.