Often times green or yellow mucus indicates an infection.
Yellow or clear mucus can also be a sign ofallergies.
It also helps you determine if it’s time to see a healthcare provider.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
What Does Clear Mucus Mean?
Your body makes about 1.5 quarts daily to lubricate tissues and flush out germs.
This can be due to trauma or certain medical conditions.
Get emergency medical help if you have watery discharge along with:
What Does White Mucus Mean?
White mucus is often associated with acold or other infectionthat causes a stuffy nose.
When you’re congested, inflammation in your nose makes it harder for the snot to flow out.
Mucus starts to become dry, making it cloudy and thick.
What Does Yellow Mucus Mean?
Yellow phlegm means your body is fighting an infection.
The texture may be drier and thicker than normal.
What Does Green Mucus Mean?
Green, thick snot means your body is fighting an infection.
Even more depleted immune cells and waste products are being flushed out, making your nasal discharge appear dark.
Green mucus isn’t a reason for immediate concern.
Do Yellow or Green Snot Mean I Need Antibiotics?
Maybe, maybe not.
But antibiotics don’t help the common cold, which is only because of viruses.
In addition, antibiotic overuse is linked to antibiotic-resistant infections.These drugs are prescribed more carefully today.
What Does Pink or Red (Bloody) Mucus Mean?
Havingasthmaor allergiescan also cause blood in your nose.
Other reasons to seek medical help include:
What Dose Brown or Orange Mucus Mean?
Brown mucus could result from dried blood getting mixed in.
This colordoesn’t typically result from illness.
What Does Black Mucus Mean?
Black mucus is rare and means you should see a healthcare provider right away.
It is often a sign of afungal infectionthat needs to be treated.
These infections can cause serious symptoms and some forms require surgery.
There are different fungal infections that can affect the sinuses, causingfungal sinusitis.
Invasive fungal sinusitis is further divided into three different forms:
The fungus itself may cause black mucus.
Mucus could also be black due to dead tissue in snot.
Mucus Color and COVID-19
Most people do not express mucus while they have COVID-19.
Some make you sick and some don’t.
Just because they’re in your phlegm doesn’t necessarily mean they’re problematicor that you needantibioticsto get better.
It’s a sign that your immune system is fighting to get better.
It may just mean that there is blood or dried blood in your nose.
My snot is green: a look at what your mucus says about your health.
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