Red or pink snot means blood, but don't be alarmed. “Blood in your mucus is most often caused by irritation of the nasal tissues. This often occurs with viral infections or allergies due to frequent nose blowing or use of nasal sprays that may cause the tissues to become dry,” Alyssa said.
If your mucus is tinged red or brown, it's blood (if it's black, it's likely dust or dirt). Blood in your mucus could result from frequent nose blowing or breathing very dry air. If you're seeing a lot of blood in your mucus, however, tell your doctor.
Blood in mucus is commonly caused by infection or inflammation. But it can also be a sign of blood clots, heart disease, or cancer. Most of the time, blood in mucus is caused by minor irritation in the airways. But there are ways to know if it's a sign of something serious that needs emergency medical care.
Green and cloudy: viral or bacterial infection
A lot of the symptoms of viral infections – fever, cough, headache, loss of smell – overlap for COVID-19 and other viral infections like the flu, respiratory syncytial virus and the common cold.
A sinus infection or allergies are also causes of nosebleeds. If you have frequent nosebleeds, then it could be an indication of a sinus infection or an indication that you are allergic to something that is in your environment that you didn't know about.
Because at this time, the lining of the nose and sinuses is dry and cracked, causing damage to blood vessels, then in addition to nasal discharge, it may also be accompanied by blood from the nose before or after, causing sinusitis to spit up blood.
When you have a sinus infection, your snot typically becomes a thick, green color. This is because mucus acts as a trap for allergens, bacteria, and viruses that carries these foreign invaders outside of your body. These waste products, along with dead white blood cells, account for the greenish color of your snot.
Sinusitis is swelling of the sinuses, usually caused by an infection. It's common and usually clears up on its own within 2 to 3 weeks. But medicines can help if it's taking a long time to go away.
If your sinus infection lasts for about a week, it's usually due to a virus. Bacterial sinus infections, on the other hand, can persist for some time. They usually last for 10 days or longer. While viral infections usually start to get better after a few days, bacterial infections tend to get worse over time.
Antibiotics are not needed for many sinus infections. Most sinus infections usually get better on their own without antibiotics. When antibiotics aren't needed, they won't help you, and their side effects could still cause harm. Side effects can range from mild reactions, like a rash, to more serious health problems.
The main difference between nasal congestion and sinus congestion is that nasal congestion can be caused by a lot of different medical conditions, whereas sinus congestion specifically occurs when your sinuses are blocked.
Are sinus infections contagious? “Because many times sinus infections are caused by viruses, they can be contagious like other infections, such as colds,” Melinda said. “If you have a sinus infection, it's important to use good hygiene skills.
When bloody boogers result from nosebleeds, treatment involves stopping the flow of blood. To do this, healthcare professionals may recommend taking the following steps: Sit down and lean forward, keeping the head tilted forward. Pinch the nose right above the nostrils and hold for 10–15 minutes.
What Happens if Sinusitis Isn't Treated? You'll have pain and discomfort until it starts to clear up. In rare cases, untreated sinusitis can lead to meningitis, a brain abscess, or an infection of the bone. Talk to your doctor about your concerns.
If you cough up colored mucus or feel mucus drain down the back of your throat, you could have sinusitis. You may also think you have a toothache when it's really a sinus infection. Your upper back teeth are very close to your sinuses, so tooth pain (and facial pain) is a very common symptom of a sinus infection.
An “acute” sinus infection lasts anywhere from ten days up to eight weeks. A “chronic” infection lasts even longer. It is ongoing — it may seem like it's improving, and then it comes right back as bad as it was at first. Chronic sinus infections may drag on for months at a time.
Acute, subacute, chronic and recurrent sinusitis
Subacute sinusitis symptoms last four to 12 weeks. Chronic sinusitis symptoms last at least 12 weeks. Bacteria are usually the cause. Recurrent acute sinusitis symptoms come back four or more times in one year and last less than two weeks each time.
Fatigue. As your body works hard to fight off the sinus infection, you'll feel more tired than usual. Fatigue can be also be caused by head pain, a lack of adequate sleep, and difficulty breathing due to sinusitis.
Sinus infections can be viral or bacterial. “Either way, it's best to stay home,” Wigmore says. Viral sinus infections are often contagious. If you have had symptoms longer than one week, or if you have severe facial pain, teeth/jaw pain, or fever, you may have a bacterial infection and should consult your doctor.
A viral sinus infection is much more common than a bacterial one. With viral sinusitis, a virus infects the lining of your facial and nasal cavities. It is typically caused by a viral upper respiratory infection. A bacterial sinus infection is caused by bacteria infecting the lining of your facial and nasal cavities.
You might have symptoms, such as face pain and fever. You might have yellow or greenish discharge from your nose. Your healthcare provider might or might not use an antibiotic to help treat you. Other treatments may help make you feel better.