4 Causes of Black Mucus

4 Causes of Black Mucus
The respiratory lining, which extends from nose up to lungs airways, is covered with mucus. The role of the mucus is to aid the airways clean through capturing the chemicals and particles that are present in the air. Infectious agents as well as environmental particles may make the clear mucus to have different hue. Black mucus is possible due to environmental particles and other infectious agents. However, it can also be an indication that the patient has serious health problem.

Causes of Black Mucus

• Dust and dirt: Most adults may observe that they have black mucus when they blow their noses. The typical reason of black mucus is the presence of dirt and dust. Cleaning your house or if you are doing some dirty job, the dust particles and dirt are normally mixed in the air. When you breathe, you may be taking in the particles. The particles will then stick to respiratory mucus and are expelled through the nose as black mucus.


• Smoke: Breathing smoke may lead to black mucus. If you smoke, you may observed that you mucus may also have brownish hue or may even appear black. The discoloration is caused by the high content of aluminum found in tobacco smoke. However, if you inhaled black smoke from fire, it is best that you visit the nearest hospital since inhaling black smoke can really be hazardous to your health.


• Medical conditions: Medical conditions like pneumonia and chronic sinusitis may cause black mucus. People suffering with mucurmycosis and aspergillosis may also have black mucus.


• Foreign Bodies: The presence of foreign bodies may be common in children. Some children may take some foreign objects to their mouth and nose and if these things are left undetected, the foreign bodies may be part of the structures and cause infections.