Eh, mucus colour

Victor

What causes different nasal mucus colours? You get everything from clear, to white, yellow, green, brown and of course the occassional obligatory red bloody one.

Now I understand yellow and green are due to infections, but is there a difference between bacterial and viral infections?

PS Mucous or mucus?

Beruthiel

Vic,
I feel as your tinternet pal, it’s my moral duty to point out to you that you maybe a little obsessed with your bodily secretions, if you feel this maybe getting out of hand, the PI door is always open to you… ww)

GuanYin

Mucus is normally clear, but on immune reaction white blood cells may be present in the mucus. Depending on the concentration of WBC, the length of time its in the airway and the type of bacteria present in the airway in the case of infection, mucus will present as yellow, green or orange.

If there is damage to the mucosal surface, either through infection or from irritation (rupture due to increased coughing or blowing your nose) you may get speckles of blood in the mucus. Inhalation of smoke from fire (not cigaraettes, although smoking can lead to irritation which may cause the yellow/orange colours) may trap ash in the airway and mucus may be speckled black.

On an aside, I have no prob with you pimping for PI beruthiel but if you post that picture of you dressed as a pimp, I *will* ban you!

Asok

When working as a welder in my fathers yard I would often have completely black mucus and nose bleeds to to the very fine particles of metal thrown up as I welded Hell I remember the day i did about two weeks worth of building frames in a day had severe digiculty breathing it was like coughing up tar.

eth0_

Hell, has anyone been to London? After a few hours your snot turns jet black - it's disgusting!