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Suggest Treatment For Severe Coughs And Mucus Discharge
Question: I am 36 year old woman. Have been coughing and sneezing up yellow mucus in the am for a few days. In the afternoon it turns to dry cough with clear bubbly liquid. Was given amoxilian today. When I google clear mucus it says heart failure. This isn't the case right?
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello -
The problem with reading about symptoms on line is that it doesn't provide context for the symptoms.
With congestive heart failure, people have predisposing reasons for the heart failure, such as years of poorly controlled high blood pressure or other things that effect the heart. It wouldn't just happen like this. And the predominant symptoms of CHF are shortness of breath, often requiring supplemental oxygen. Coughing up clear mucus is not by any means a diagnostic symptom of CHF. And coughing up clear mucus can be from many other things too, such as allergies (then it would be accompanied usually by an itchy or runny nose).
Given that you are coughing and sneezing, and given that your mucus is yellow only in the am, most likely this is a viral upper respiratory infection (a cold). In a viral infection, the mucus can be discolored in the am or after you have been resting, but it doesn't mean that the mucus is infected with bacteria, so the amoxicillin may not help as much as letting it run it's course.
But unless you have had years of significant problems with your heart (high blood pressure that's untreated, severe heart valve problems, inflammation of the heart), clear mucus is not being caused by CHF.
I hope this gives you some relief of mind. You have a virus, and you will get over it with some time and rest.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello -
The problem with reading about symptoms on line is that it doesn't provide context for the symptoms.
With congestive heart failure, people have predisposing reasons for the heart failure, such as years of poorly controlled high blood pressure or other things that effect the heart. It wouldn't just happen like this. And the predominant symptoms of CHF are shortness of breath, often requiring supplemental oxygen. Coughing up clear mucus is not by any means a diagnostic symptom of CHF. And coughing up clear mucus can be from many other things too, such as allergies (then it would be accompanied usually by an itchy or runny nose).
Given that you are coughing and sneezing, and given that your mucus is yellow only in the am, most likely this is a viral upper respiratory infection (a cold). In a viral infection, the mucus can be discolored in the am or after you have been resting, but it doesn't mean that the mucus is infected with bacteria, so the amoxicillin may not help as much as letting it run it's course.
But unless you have had years of significant problems with your heart (high blood pressure that's untreated, severe heart valve problems, inflammation of the heart), clear mucus is not being caused by CHF.
I hope this gives you some relief of mind. You have a virus, and you will get over it with some time and rest.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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