Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Mucus?CausesSymptomsDiagnosisComplicationsTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Mucus?
Causes
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Complications
Treatment
Sometimes called chronic mucus hypersecretion or chronic sputum production, excess mucus can usually be treated or managed with home remedies or medication.
This article discusses the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic mucus. It also looks at some potential treatments.
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Mucusis a thin liquid made of water, proteins, salts, cells, and cellular debris.It is produced in different organs throughout the body, such as the intestines and lungs.
Goblet cells, located in mucus membranes, secrete mucin (a component of mucus) to create a slick, protective barrier that protects our internal organs from foreign bacteria and other debris.
Causes of Excess Mucus
Mucus serves an important purpose. It traps debris, irritants, and bacteria. Coughing clears these things from your lower respiratory tract.
In some cases, the cause may be an inability to cough up the excess. This can happen because of weakening of lung or throat muscles. Damage tociliacan also cause this. Cilia are the hairlike structures that push mucus up and out of your lungs.
Respiratory Issues
Bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasisis a chronic (long-term) condition of the lungs. People with this condition have wider-than-normal airways that are prone to excess mucus build-up. This can put them at greater risk for lung infection.These infections can damage the lungs over time.
People with bronchiectasis have symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, and frequent lung infections. The condition is usually treated with medications that reduce inflammation and strategies to help prevent infections like vaccination and antibiotics.
Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosisis a genetic disease associated with very thick, sticky mucus production. It affects the lungs and other organs like thepancreas. The sticky mucus makes it very hard to clear the airways in order to breathe.
The first signs of cystic fibrosis in adults and children can include a cough that produces thick mucus, breathlessness, and frequent infections. Children may also exhibit slower-than-expected growth.Other symptoms of cystic fibrosis may include:
Smoking and Pollution
Smoking and cigarette smoke exposure are the biggest factors in chronic excess mucus production. Cigarette smokers can have both chronic bronchitis and limited airflow. Studies show that these people have an increased number of goblet cells and inflammatory cells in the airway.
Symptoms of Excessive Mucus
Severe mucus varies in how long it lasts and how severe it becomes. Some people may have excess mucus production with chronicbronchitis. This is defined as:
Other people may have a temporary increase in mucus. This can happen with allergies or a viral infection.
Symptoms include:
Causes of Increased Mucus Production in COPD
Diagnosing the Cause of Excess Mucus
See your healthcare provider if you have a lingering productive cough or an increase in the amount or thickness of mucus.
Your doctor will ask you several questions about your cough and mucus levels. You may also be asked to provide a sputum sample. This is the best way to find out if your excess mucus has viral or bacterial causes.
To provide this sample, you’ll simply cough up about a teaspoon of mucus into a clean cup. The sample is then sent to a lab for analysis.
Complications Related to Excess Mucus
A small amount of mucus every once in a while is normal. An increased amount of mucus buildup that lasts for a long time, however, may be cause for concern. An increase in mucus thickness or stickiness is also a sign you may need to see a doctor.
Over the long term, chronic mucus production can impact your health. It can damage airways and reduce lung function. This can limit your ability to be physically active. It can also decrease your overall quality of life.
In patients with COPD, too much mucus can increase the number of flare-ups, when symptoms increase. It may also increase the risk of respiratory-related death.
Treatments
The goal of treatment is to help you produceless mucusand clear more of it from your airways.
If you smoke, quitting can help clear up your cough. In fact, quitting smoking is the best way to improve many conditions, including chronic bronchitis and COPD.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Over-the-counter (OTC) products can help relieve mucus buildup. These include:
Home Remedies
If your condition isn’t serious, you may prefer a more natural option. Consider these at-home solutions:
Prescription Medications
If excess mucus is a chronic issue, talk to your doctor. Prescription treatments can also help.
For example, people withchronic bronchitismay use inhalers to ease airway swelling and open the airways. Oral prednisone is also prescribed for chronic bronchitis.
Physical Treatments
Physical treatments for excess mucus may also be helpful. These include:
How to Perform Postural Drainage for People With COPD
Summary
Excess mucus has many potential causes. They can be long- or short-term.
Conditions that can contribute to excess mucus include allergies, asthma, and bronchitis. Smoking and conditions like COPD and cystic fibrosis can also cause this symptom.
Your doctor may order a sputum test to find the cause of your excess mucus. Treatment may include over-the-counter medicines or prescription medications like inhalers. You may also find some home remedies helpful. In some cases, physical remedies like airway clearance devices may also help.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Leal J, Smyth HDC, Ghosh D.Physicochemical properties of mucus and their impact on transmucosal drug delivery.Int J Pharm. 2017;532(1):555-572. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.09.018Bronchiectasis.Breathe (Sheff). 2018;14(1):73-80. doi:10.1183/20734735.ELF141.López-Valdez JA, Aguilar-Alonso LA, Gándara-Quezada V, et al.Cystic fibrosis: Current concepts.Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 2021;78(6):584-596. English. doi:10.24875/BMHIM.20000372Kim V, Oros M, Durra H, et al.Chronic bronchitis and current smoking are associated with more goblet cells in moderate to severe COPD and smokers without airflow obstruction.PLoS ONE. 2015;10(2):e0116108. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0116108Johns Hopkins Medicine.Chronic bronchitis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Upper respiratory infection (URI or common cold).Kim V, Criner GJ.The chronic bronchitis phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: features and implications.Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2015;21(2):133-41. doi:10.1097/MCP.0000000000000145National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Extra mucus accumulation from COPD linked with increased risk for death.Ramos FL, Krahnke JS, Kim V.Clinical issues of mucus accumulation in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014;9:139–150. doi:10.2147/COPD.S38938American Academy of Family Physicians.Cough medicine: Understanding your OTC options.National Library of Medicine.Humidifiers and health.Oduwole O, Udoh EE, Oyo-Ita A, Meremikwu MM.Honey for acute cough in children.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;4(4):CD007094. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007094.pub5Hay AD, Little P, Harnden A, et al.Effect of oral prednisolone on symptom duration and severity in nonasthmatic adults with acute lower respiratory tract infection: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA. 2017;318(8):721-730. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.10572Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Chest physical therapy.Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Airway clearance.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Leal J, Smyth HDC, Ghosh D.Physicochemical properties of mucus and their impact on transmucosal drug delivery.Int J Pharm. 2017;532(1):555-572. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.09.018Bronchiectasis.Breathe (Sheff). 2018;14(1):73-80. doi:10.1183/20734735.ELF141.López-Valdez JA, Aguilar-Alonso LA, Gándara-Quezada V, et al.Cystic fibrosis: Current concepts.Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 2021;78(6):584-596. English. doi:10.24875/BMHIM.20000372Kim V, Oros M, Durra H, et al.Chronic bronchitis and current smoking are associated with more goblet cells in moderate to severe COPD and smokers without airflow obstruction.PLoS ONE. 2015;10(2):e0116108. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0116108Johns Hopkins Medicine.Chronic bronchitis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Upper respiratory infection (URI or common cold).Kim V, Criner GJ.The chronic bronchitis phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: features and implications.Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2015;21(2):133-41. doi:10.1097/MCP.0000000000000145National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Extra mucus accumulation from COPD linked with increased risk for death.Ramos FL, Krahnke JS, Kim V.Clinical issues of mucus accumulation in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014;9:139–150. doi:10.2147/COPD.S38938American Academy of Family Physicians.Cough medicine: Understanding your OTC options.National Library of Medicine.Humidifiers and health.Oduwole O, Udoh EE, Oyo-Ita A, Meremikwu MM.Honey for acute cough in children.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;4(4):CD007094. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007094.pub5Hay AD, Little P, Harnden A, et al.Effect of oral prednisolone on symptom duration and severity in nonasthmatic adults with acute lower respiratory tract infection: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA. 2017;318(8):721-730. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.10572Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Chest physical therapy.Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Airway clearance.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Leal J, Smyth HDC, Ghosh D.Physicochemical properties of mucus and their impact on transmucosal drug delivery.Int J Pharm. 2017;532(1):555-572. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.09.018Bronchiectasis.Breathe (Sheff). 2018;14(1):73-80. doi:10.1183/20734735.ELF141.López-Valdez JA, Aguilar-Alonso LA, Gándara-Quezada V, et al.Cystic fibrosis: Current concepts.Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 2021;78(6):584-596. English. doi:10.24875/BMHIM.20000372Kim V, Oros M, Durra H, et al.Chronic bronchitis and current smoking are associated with more goblet cells in moderate to severe COPD and smokers without airflow obstruction.PLoS ONE. 2015;10(2):e0116108. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0116108Johns Hopkins Medicine.Chronic bronchitis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Upper respiratory infection (URI or common cold).Kim V, Criner GJ.The chronic bronchitis phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: features and implications.Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2015;21(2):133-41. doi:10.1097/MCP.0000000000000145National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Extra mucus accumulation from COPD linked with increased risk for death.Ramos FL, Krahnke JS, Kim V.Clinical issues of mucus accumulation in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014;9:139–150. doi:10.2147/COPD.S38938American Academy of Family Physicians.Cough medicine: Understanding your OTC options.National Library of Medicine.Humidifiers and health.Oduwole O, Udoh EE, Oyo-Ita A, Meremikwu MM.Honey for acute cough in children.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;4(4):CD007094. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007094.pub5Hay AD, Little P, Harnden A, et al.Effect of oral prednisolone on symptom duration and severity in nonasthmatic adults with acute lower respiratory tract infection: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA. 2017;318(8):721-730. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.10572Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Chest physical therapy.Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Airway clearance.
Leal J, Smyth HDC, Ghosh D.Physicochemical properties of mucus and their impact on transmucosal drug delivery.Int J Pharm. 2017;532(1):555-572. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.09.018
Bronchiectasis.Breathe (Sheff). 2018;14(1):73-80. doi:10.1183/20734735.ELF141.
López-Valdez JA, Aguilar-Alonso LA, Gándara-Quezada V, et al.Cystic fibrosis: Current concepts.Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 2021;78(6):584-596. English. doi:10.24875/BMHIM.20000372
Kim V, Oros M, Durra H, et al.Chronic bronchitis and current smoking are associated with more goblet cells in moderate to severe COPD and smokers without airflow obstruction.PLoS ONE. 2015;10(2):e0116108. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0116108
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Chronic bronchitis.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Upper respiratory infection (URI or common cold).
Kim V, Criner GJ.The chronic bronchitis phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: features and implications.Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2015;21(2):133-41. doi:10.1097/MCP.0000000000000145
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Extra mucus accumulation from COPD linked with increased risk for death.
Ramos FL, Krahnke JS, Kim V.Clinical issues of mucus accumulation in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014;9:139–150. doi:10.2147/COPD.S38938
American Academy of Family Physicians.Cough medicine: Understanding your OTC options.
National Library of Medicine.Humidifiers and health.
Oduwole O, Udoh EE, Oyo-Ita A, Meremikwu MM.Honey for acute cough in children.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;4(4):CD007094. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007094.pub5
Hay AD, Little P, Harnden A, et al.Effect of oral prednisolone on symptom duration and severity in nonasthmatic adults with acute lower respiratory tract infection: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA. 2017;318(8):721-730. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.10572
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Chest physical therapy.
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Airway clearance.
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