When to see a doctor
Arrange an evaluation if phlegm or coughing persists for several weeks, keeps returning, or is accompanied by wheezing, fever, difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, or shortness of breath.
Seek urgent medical attention for severe breathing difficulty, significant chest pain, or coughing up a substantial amount of blood.
And remember: yellow or green mucus doesn’t automatically mean a bacterial infection or that antibiotics are needed. Mucus color alone isn’t enough to determine the cause.
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