Mucus plugs form in the lungs when too much mucus is secreted in the surrounding areas, and when it is insufficiently cleared away by the cilia. Although a healthy adult can generally expel a mucus plug with a stout cough, this is not always the case in children or people undergoing or recovering from surgery or with underlying respiratory or nervous system conditions. These conditions not only mean a mucus plug can be life threatening, but also that serious complications may arise as well. Often these complications interact; one complication may lead to another.
Airway Obstruction
Under any circumstances, a mucus plug can obstruct a person’s airways. The excessive mucus forms a large, hard condensed collection that may be a small hard ball or a larger, nearly cylindric plug. Regardless, if the mucus plug is not removed or coughed up, it can prevent proper airflow. Although it may not totally strangle the individual, it will still make it difficult to get enough oxygen.
Hypoxemia
Hypoxemia is a term for low blood oxygen. It may result in increased difficulty breathing or wheezing. The respiratory and heart rate may become very fast, and there may be excessive sweating, confusion, dizziness, or weakness. The skin may change colors, turning bright red or blue depending on the affected body part. While some people may deal with hypoxemia in lesser degrees over extended amounts of time, it can also be short and intense.
Bronchiectasis
The presence of a mucus plug may also cause bronchiectasis, or chronic damage to the airways. Air passages become wider than they are supposed to and don’t go back to normal. Mucus plugs may also damage the body’s natural defenses for the respiratory system, such as the cilia. Bronchiectasis may lead to a chronic cough, particularly with chest pain or blood.
Atelectasis
Atelectasis is a collapse of all or part of a lung. The tiny pockets located in the lungs that hold air, or alveoli, deflate because of an pressure on the lungs or an obstruction of airways. Mucus plugs may cause this because the excessive amount of mucus that builds up isn’t expelled, and thus blocks of the airway. Atelectasis, in turn, can cause its own series of dangerous complications.
Respiratory Failure
Although atelectasis is often treatable, the larger the area the less likely a good prognosis becomes. In very small children or those with underlying diseases that make them more susceptible to respiratory disasters, the increased fragility of the respiratory system increases the chances of respiratory failure. The symptoms of respiratory failure are similar to that of hypoxia and can be fatal.
Pneumonia
Because of the other complications of mucus plugs, particularly atelectasis and bronchiectasis, the risk of developing pneumonia is also greater until all the complications have been managed. All the excess mucus floating around and trapping bacteria isn’t being cleared away properly, which means instead of preventing these pathogens from gaining access to the body, it holds them in place. Bronchiectasis can also cause continuous bouts of pneumonia.
