Seasonal allergies are a good example. They can cause all sorts of nasal discharge — thick or thin, yellow, green, or clear — even though there's no infection at all.
Green or Yellow Mucus
It's no reason for concern, and in fact, it means your body is working extra hard to fight off infection. White blood cells rush to battle infection, and when they've done their job, they get flushed out of the body along with the virus.
Coughing up yellow or green phlegm
This usually means your body is fighting off some sort of infection. People often develop yellow phlegm in the early stages, and it turns green the longer the infection lingers. Possible health conditions related to coughing up yellow or green phlegm include: Sinusitis.
Yellow mucus
This can mean a cold or infection that's progressing. The yellowish tinge comes from white blood cells that rush to the site of the infection and then are swept away after working to fight it off. “Yellow or green snot can sometimes mean that you have an infection,” Dr. Sindwani says.
Just note that some of the most common illnesses involving yellow mucus will typically clear up on their own without medication. For example, the common cold usually lasts 7 to 10 days, according to the Mayo Clinic. A viral sinus infection typically begins to clear up on its own after 5 to 7 days.
After 2 or 3 days, mucus may change to a white, yellow, or green color. This is normal and does not mean you need an antibiotic. Some symptoms, especially runny or stuffy nose and cough, can last for up to 10 to 14 days. Those symptoms should improve over time.
Small amounts of white mucus may be coughed up if the bronchitis is viral. If the color of the mucus changes to green or yellow, it may be a sign that a bacterial infection has also set in. The cough is usually the last symptom to clear up and may last for weeks.
Mucus can turn different colors for a variety of reasons. White snot can occur with a cold, for example, and pink boogers can be a sign of pregnancy. And while green or yellow snot may indicate a bacterial infection—and a need for antibiotics—it can also signal that your body is on the mend.
“Normally, mucus is clear. When you have a cold or infection, it might turn green or yellow,” said Alyssa. Clear snot usually signals allergies or some kind of environmental factor that is triggering your nose to start running, such as inhaling dust or allergens.
ANSWER: Greenish-gray or yellowish nasal mucus — your health care provider might call it purulent nasal discharge — isn't a sure sign of a bacterial infection, although that is a common myth — even in the medical world.
Yellow mucus can indicate a bacterial infection in the nasal passages. This type of infection often requires antibiotics to clear up. If the yellow color is accompanied by thick and discolored nasal discharge, it may be a sign of a sinus infection.
Reasons for coughing up phlegm without feeling ill. It is not unusual to cough up phlegm with a common cold. However, it can also be a sign of a different, sometimes serious, underlying condition such as stomach acid reflux, lung disease, or heart disease.
Smoking or exposure to an irritant in the air may cause you to produce more mucus than usual. If the mucus is clear, you might have allergies. Other conditions that could cause excess mucus include bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis.
Coughing up phlegm when you don't have a cold could be due to a number of different conditions: a sinus infection, allergies with postnasal drip, pneumonia, smoking, asthma, heartburn, or even some medicines like angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for high blood pressure.
Bronchitis is an infection of the main airways of the lungs (bronchi), causing them to become irritated and inflamed. The main symptom is a cough, which may bring up yellow-grey mucus (phlegm). Bronchitis may also cause a sore throat and wheezing.
If your mucus is dry and you are having trouble coughing it up, you can do things like take a steamy shower or use a humidifier to wet and loosen the mucus. When you do cough up phlegm (another word for mucus) from your chest, Dr. Boucher says it really doesn't matter if you spit it out or swallow it.
And if the mucus sits around (as when you're sleeping), it becomes more concentrated and so may appear darker yellow or green. This is the natural order of things, whether the offending agent is a virus (which is the most common cause of sinus infection) or a bacterium.
Signs and symptoms of a chest infection
The main symptoms of a chest infection can include: a persistent cough. coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood.
Influenza causes a cough that lasts 2 to 3 weeks. Sometimes your child will cough up lots of phlegm (mucus). The mucus can be gray, yellow or green. This is normal.
Call your doctor if: Your unexplained congestion lasts more than 10 days. You have a fever of 101 or higher. You have yellow or green nasal discharge that is yellow or green and is accompanied by sinus pain or fever.
“But if your runny nose is accompanied with thick, yellow or green mucus, this is an indication that your body is fighting off an illness,” Wigmore says. “In this case, you should stay home.”
Green or yellow mucus may come from the nose which shows that the immune system is fighting the infection. It does not necessarily mean that your cold is getting worse or that you have a bacterial infection and need antibiotics.
Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if the symptoms are severe and include high fever along with nasal drainage and a productive cough. Antibiotics may also be necessary if you feel better after a few days and then your symptoms return or if the infection lasts more than a week.