Signs and Symptoms of Bronchitis

4. Mucus

Typical of inflammation in the respiratory system, bronchitis also triggers an abundance of mucus production in the lungs, throat, and nose.  The mucus is actually one of the body’s defense mechanisms during respiratory inflammation.  It acts as a protective and moisturizing layer to keep your throat surfaces from drying out, especially because the throat irritation worsens when the throat is dry.  The mucus also acts as a trapping mechanism to capture dust, irritants, and microbes that would otherwise spread uncontrollably to a point where it infects and irritates more organs in the respiratory system.  The mucus in a cough, the phlegm, will often start out clear, and then progress to whitish or yellowish.  If unabated, this could progress to harder clumps that are brownish or greenish in color.  If the phlegm goes beyond yellowish, and the phlegm is becoming more clumpy, it might be good to get checked by a doctor.