Mucus pertains to the slippery secretions produced by the mucous membrane. The primary role of mucus is to protect the body against infectious causes. In the human, mucus serves to defend the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital, visual, and auditory systems. Mucus traps microbes then expel these from the body through coughing, sneezing or by defecating. If the mucus is ingested, digestive juices kill the germs.
The mucus is usually secreted by the cervix, the intestines, the mouth, the paranasal tissue (nose) and the stomach.
Excessive phlegm secretion in the lungs, greenish jelly like mucus in the feces and foul smelling, odd like discharge in a woman’s genitalia are some symptoms of infection. While medical experts are accustomed to mucus symptoms in coughs, in vaginal infections, in eye or ear infections, mucus in stools are examined by medical technologist or pathologist through fecalysis – a stool analysis. Phlegm on the other hand is analyzed through sputum examination and swab test.
Mucus symptoms have many conditions. The following are some mucus conditions, the usual underlying diseases and treatment.
