The difference between coughing up yellow sputum and coughing up white sputum is mainly due to different etiologic factors and different compositions, as follows.
1. Different causes: yellow sputum is most commonly caused by bacterial infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, commonly found in bacterial pneumonia, etc.; and white sputum is commonly found in pharyngitis, chronic bronchitis, etc., which can cough up white mucous sputum or white foamy sputum.
2. Different components: yellow sputum is mainly pathogenic bacteria, red blood cells, tissue fluid, and neutrophils phagocytosis of pathogenic bacteria after the rupture of the formation. White sputum is mainly plasma exudate, the composition of sputum is mainly tissue fluid, some patients are chronic inflammation damage to epithelial cells, resulting in excessive exudation of tissue fluid.
In addition, white sputum and yellow sputum can also be seen in different stages of the same disease, and the treatment of the two are different; if coughing sputum should be promptly consulted by the doctor to clarify the cause of the disease, and then give targeted treatment.