What causes coughing up black phlegm?

Generally, the sputum that people cough up is milky white, and occasionally light yellow. This is normal. However, if the sputum coughed up is black, you should pay special attention. It may be caused by inhaling smoke or fungal invasion. Active treatment must be carried out to prevent the condition from worsening.

If you eat some black or dark-colored foods, such as chocolate, Oreos, etc., when you have phlegm, the phlegm you cough up will be black. The tiny particles in black food will stick to the throat, so the sputum that is coughed up will contain tiny black particles, so the sputum will naturally be black.

It is also the factor of tiny particles. If a person breathes in air that contains dirt or dust particles, these particles will still stick to the throat, and when the throat cleans itself, black phlegm will be coughed up.

Another major reason for coughing up black phlegm is inhaling smoke. Generally, smokers often cough up yellow or brown phlegm, but if they inhale too much smoke, they may cough up black phlegm in severe cases. Therefore, if you inhale thick smoke or fire, your sputum will turn black. However, this type of coughing up black sputum requires emergency treatment, otherwise it may induce various respiratory diseases.

Coughing up black sputum is very common among people in some special working groups. For example, workers working in mines are exposed to coal and beryllium mines every day, which can also cause the sputum to turn black. However, this is no longer just coughing up black sputum, but a lung disease. If workers develop a cough with black phlegm and do not receive emergency treatment, lung disease can cause a chronic cough that leads to shortness of breath. Therefore, it is recommended that friends working in mines wear masks.

In addition to the above situations, there are some very rare cases where black charcoal is caused by fungal infection, such as mildew.

Therefore, if you cough up black sputum, you should first find out the cause of the cough. If the cough is caused by a disease, it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment in time.