Topic Overview

A productive cough helps clear mucus (sputum) and foreign material from the airways. Mucus may be made in the lungs because of bronchitis , pneumonia , or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Colds and allergies may produce mucus that drains down the back of the throat ( postnasal drainage ). Home treatment may be all that is needed to provide relief if you have a productive cough and postnasal drainage but do not have other symptoms.

A productive cough in a person who smokes is often a sign of lung damage. For smokers, the most effective way to treat a cough is to stop smoking. A change in the cough or in the color or quantity of sputum may mean a bacterial lung infection.

A productive cough is a more serious when:

• It produces sputum from the lungs (not postnasal drainage).
• The sputum is rust-colored or contains bright red blood.
• It lasts longer than 10 days.
• It occurs with other symptoms. These may include:
  • Fever and chills.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Chest pain.
  • Night sweats.
  • Weight loss.
• You have a known exposure to tuberculosis .

A doctor can evaluate your symptoms and recommend appropriate treatment.