What color is mucus with sinus infection

Dr. Robert H. Shmerling is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and is a current member of the corresponding faculty in medicine at Harvard Medical School. … See Full Bio

Table of Contents Show

Disclaimer:
What is Mucus?
Mucus Color and its Meaning
Light Green or Yellow
Dark Green or Yellow
Clear snot means all is well
White snot means an infection could be going on
Yellow snot means you are probably fighting an infection
Green snot also means you are likely fighting off an infection
Pink or red snot means there's blood in your nose
Brown snot could be dried blood. Or maybe you snorted some dirt.
Black mucus is usually due to smoking
What does mucus from a sinus infection look like?
Does the color of sinus drainage mean anything?
Is green or yellow mucus a sinus infection?
Does mucus have to be green for sinus infection?

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As we enter cold and allergy season, a lot of us are going to be feeling a lot more nasally blocked up than usual. It may be gross, but a little bit of congestion isn’t necessarily anything to worry about. However, depending on details including the severity of the blockage and the color of the mucus, it may be an indication that more serious factors are at play.

What is Mucus?

While typically we conflate mucus with what’s in our nose (snot, boogers, or whathaveyou), mucus exists throughout the body, coating organs and lining cavities. This viscous substance protects organs, assists with digestion, and prevents harmful particles from getting into parts of the body where they shouldn’t be. When we get sick, our body produces more mucus than normal to help fight off the illness, which is why our noses run when we come down with an illness.

Mucus Color and its Meaning

If you’ve been feeling unusually congested, noting what the tissue looks like after you blow your nose might help you make an educated guess as to why. The snot of a healthy person should be clear and relatively thin in consistency. Keep in mind that the color of your boogers should not be considered a clear indication of any root cause, but the following colors may offer some clues:

White

If you are feeling unusually congested with white mucus, it often indicates the early stages of a cold. This color results from an increased concentration of white blood cells, which fight infection.

Light Green or Yellow

Greenish or yellowish-colored snot signifies the presence of enzymes from white blood cells, meaning that your immune system is battling an infection. If you notice this color, you should make sure to hydrate and get enough rest to allow your body to recover.

Dark Green or Yellow

This color often indicates a worsening infection. If you notice dark green mucus, especially in conjunction with fever, coughing, and sneezing, you should contact a doctor to get your symptoms treated. It is particularly important to address this if you suffer from asthma.

Reddish

Red or pink coloration in snot comes from blood, which typically means that the nasal passage is dry or irritated. This is especially common in cold, dry weather. A nasal spray or dehumidifier may help with alleviating dryness.

Brown

Brown mucus could indicate the presence of dried blood, or dirt particles or residue resulting from smoking or pollution. Smoking cigarettes has a variety of negative effects on your respiratory and pulmonary health and we highly recommend seeking resources to help you quit.

Black

This is typically experienced by heavy smokers or people who live in highly polluted areas. In rare cases, black snot can be a sign of fungal infection. If you notice this color when you blow your nose, you should consult a doctor.

Remember that the color of mucus can be a broad indication of what is occurring in your body, but should not be considered sufficient for a diagnosis. However, if you are experiencing an unusually high amount of mucus production accompanied by other symptoms, you should consult a doctor.

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Very few people talk about these things, but let's break that taboo.

The mucus in your nose serves many functions. Its color can tell you and your doctor a lot about what's going on in your body — especially when it's been an abnormal shade for a long time.

You should know that snot color is not enough to diagnose anything outright.

Still, it offers a unique glimpse into your body's strange ways of telling you that something's up.

Clear snot means all is well

Clear mucus is totally normal. The body naturally produces a lot of mucus

Snot is a mixture of protective proteins and salts, with water. It keeps your nasal passages lubricated and germ-free by acting as a moisturizing barrier against dehydration and foreign objects, including bacteria and viruses.

Anything you breathe can get stuck on mucus like flypaper. Little hairs in the nose push mucus through the throat down to the stomach, where all the nasty bugs can get melted by stomach acid.

But it's not just found in the nose. This gel covers every moist surface of your body, including the nose, but also the lungs, sinuses, mouth, stomach, intestines, and even the eyes.

Having a little clear mucus in the nose is nothing to be worried about. But if the amount drastically increases, it could mean that you're suffering from allergies or the start of a cold or flu.

White snot means an infection could be going on

White mucus could mean a bunch of different things.

Most often it means that your nasal passages are irritated and swollen, restricting mucus flow and causing it to dry out.

This could also be due to a nasal infection, allergies, or dehydration.

As immune cells fight off whatever it is that is irritating the nose, they release molecules that give the mucus that cloudy texture.

Your nose may become very runny at this stage. This is when you would likely be most contagious.

Though it is a common myth, research suggests milk does not make snot cloudier.

Yellow snot means you are probably fighting an infection

When you have an infection, your immune system's white blood cells rush to the site to fight and destroy the microbial invader, whether it's a bacteria or a virus.

After they've done their job and die, the white cells are flushed out of your body with your mucus, and in the process can dye it yellow.

Yellow mucus doesn't mean that you need antibiotics — the body faces infections all the time and is very good at fighting them off.

An infection could also be caused by a virus, in which case the antibiotics would be useless.

At this point, you may want to wait it out and see if things improve over the coming week or so.

Green snot also means you are likely fighting off an infection

Your mucus can also turn green from a large build-up of dead white blood cells.

If your mucus has been green for a few weeks or longer, you should see your doctor; especially if you have a fever or feel nauseated.

Pink or red snot means there's blood in your nose

Red or pink mucus means there's some blood in your nose.

This results from any number of things, including allergies, infection, and lots of blowing or rubbing. Physical trauma — like walking into a wall face-first — can also turn your snot red.

It may also simply mean that the air is very dry.

Brown snot could be dried blood. Or maybe you snorted some dirt.

When blood from your nasal lining dries, it can mix with the mucus and turn brown.

But brown mucus isn't always because of blood. It could also be caused by dirt, dust, discoloration from cigarette smoke, snuff, or a spice.

If you're coughing up brown mucus, though, you should see a doctor because this could be a sign of bronchitis.

Black mucus is usually due to smoking

Black mucus is most common among heavy smokers, especially if they have a lung disease.

It can also be due to inhaling dirt or dust; or after smoking cigarettes or marijuana.

But it can also signal a serious fungal infection, especially if you have a compromised immune system.

If your mucus is black for no obvious reason, you should see a doctor. This is especially true if you have a fever, chills, or have difficulty breathing.

This article was first published on Jan 1, 2016. Julia Calderone contributed to the previous version of this article.

What does mucus from a sinus infection look like?

Thick, yellow or greenish mucus from the nose (runny nose) or down the back of the throat (postnasal drainage) Blocked or stuffy nose (congestion) causing difficulty breathing through your nose.

Does the color of sinus drainage mean anything?

Clear snot is in the normal range, while white mucus can mean you're congested and yellow or green mucus can sometimes mean that you have an infection.

Is green or yellow mucus a sinus infection?

Sometimes, a cold may cause swelling in the sinuses, hollow spaces in your skull that are connected to each other. The swelling can prevent the flow of mucus. This can lead to a sinus infection. If you have pain around your face and eyes -- and thick yellow or green mucus for more than a week -- see your doctor.

Does mucus have to be green for sinus infection?

When you have a cold, your immune system sends white blood cells called neutrophils rushing to the area. These cells contain a greenish-colored enzyme, and in large numbers they can turn the mucus the same color. But "you can have perfectly clear mucus and have a terrible ear and sinus infection," Kao says.