Wet cough
Contrary to a dry cough, wet cough refers to a productive cough that produces phlegm or mucus from the lower respiratory tract. As you might know, thousands of cough receptors are located in the throat and airways. When these receptors are activated by an infection, irritation, or inflammation, they send the brain a chemical substance to trigger a wet cough.
Sputum is usually thin, clear without any color. However, some underlying conditions could cause mucus to be white, yellow, or green. For instance, coughing up thick white mucus might be a sign of having bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Thick green or yellow sputum is commonly associated with an infection. When the immune system starts to fight off pathogens, white blood cells produce a chemical that turns the phlegm color to green or yellow. Besides the appearance of mucus, a wheezing or rattling sound is also one of the distinctive signs of having a wet cough. Moreover, people often come with other symptoms such as a stuffy nose, sore throat, and tightness in the chest. [4]
