Watching a person pick their nose can cause disgust and perversion, as well as laughter and ridicule. In fact, mucus has always been viewed as a negative bodily waste, perhaps because of its color and consistency, and perhaps because of the teachings of our parents, who often told us that sticking fingers in our noses is wrong, Because it affects your health. Rules of etiquette.
So today, using this taboo and very curious topic, I’m going to tell you about the meaning of nasal mucus and its color, because I find it interesting that a large number of patients, especially Mexicans, come to the office thinking that green is green . Bacterial infection in the mucus means a bacterial infection, which can only be treated with antibiotics, which is not the case. Mucus is produced by a type of skin called the mucous membrane, which is responsible for protecting the lining of our body cavities.
This mucus can prevent pathogens from entering the body on the one hand, and can carry pathogens out of the body on the other hand. It also happens in the form of an inflammatory response, like what happens when you have a cold or even cry. This mucus is the same mucus that comes out of the nose and can get into the sinuses, throat, Eustachian tubes (ears) and even the eyes.
In fact, when you cry, you get tears and a runny nose at the same time because they are the same substance. Many people think that the color of mucus can mean something when a person is sick, and they are partly right.
Coloring is due to a natural oxidation process that makes it clear, white, yellow, green and black.The bigger the difference between clear and black, the longer we can assume it stays in the body, but they have nothing to do with the presence of bacteria, so a point of malpractice is that they give you antibiotics just for the green snot
When they are clear, they are usually an acute process, that is, it is just beginning, like a cold or allergy.
White and yellowish tend to indicate sinusitis (inflammation of the paranasal sinuses). Because it reminds us of the presence of this accumulated mucus and often has a bad smell.
Green is often seen in long-term inflammatory illnesses such as influenza, and black in very protracted processes such as fungal diseases.
There are also patients reporting pink, orange or reddish, which usually tells us that there is trauma, that is upper airway injury, maybe a very strong cough, or even regurgitation.
It’s important not to confuse phlegm with mucus, which is complicated because some phlegm is actually mucus that, instead of coming out through the nose, goes into the throat.
Phlegm comes from the lower respiratory tract, in other words it appears in more subtle diseases. The best way to tell them apart is to see your doctor, as our research and experience along with a physical exam can help us determine where the mucus is coming from and how to treat it.