Coughing up sputum that is coagulated and hard, that is, sputum that is thick and sticky, may be caused by physiologic or pathologic factors (e.g., bronchodilatation, bronchiectasis, Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia, etc.).
1. Physiological factors: For example, too dry environment or less drinking water will easily cause dryness of the airway, which in turn can lead to sticky sputum. In addition, there are some elderly people who cough up phlegm that is more viscous because their lung function is poorer and it is not easy to cough up phlegm in the deeper parts of the body.
2. Pathological factors: Some pathological factors can cause inflammation or structural changes in the bronchopulmonary area, affecting the expulsion of sputum, and the sputum coughed up may be solidified and hard.
(1) Bronchiectasis: Patients usually cough up large amounts of purulent sputum. This is because bronchiectasis destroys the local airway structure, causing damage to the ciliated cells of the tracheal mucosa, which results in sputum that is not easily discharged. At the same time, it also causes the airway sputum to increase significantly, and the increased sputum can easily cause bacterial infection, thus making the sputum more sticky.
(2) Bronchitis: This is often caused by a decline in the body’s defenses. Before the infection is fully controlled, the phlegm will be sticky and difficult to cough up, and the phlegm may appear to be solidified and hard. Patients with chronic bronchitis usually also have a fever, which leads to a large loss of fluid in the airways and a lack of water in the body, resulting in thick phlegm.
(3) Klebsiella pneumonia: the main feature is that the patient may cough up brick-red jelly-like sputum, which is usually very sticky, coagulated and hard. It can be treated with antibiotics such as ceftazidime as prescribed by the doctor.
In short, when the sputum is solidified and hard, it is recommended to consult a doctor in time, improve the relevant laboratory tests, clarify the cause of the disease, and treat the symptoms under the guidance of the doctor.