What Is The Causes For Excessive And Salty Sputum?

Posted on Tue, 4 Dec 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 4 Dec 2012 Answered on

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : My mom coughs up alot of thick and very salty mucus. What can that be from?

Answered by Dr. Ram Choudhary (8 hours later)

Hi XXXXXXX,
Welcome to healthcare magic!
Causes for excessive and salty sputum are many.
Salty taste is an inherent nature of sputum and really not a problem itself.
Copious sputum production can be due to allergic problems like bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis or COPD if the problem is chronic and persistent.
It can be due to pneumonia or Hyperreactive airways if it is recent and very intermittent in occurrence.
You need a thorogh examination and investigations to find out exact cause and then treatment can be streamlined.
I hope you would get benefitted from my advise.
Wish you a good health.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar