Histamine can make you sneeze. It also causes the mucous membranes in the nose to swell and the glands to make more mucus. Things like allergies, eating spicy food, and being outside in the cold can result in a more watery nasal leakage. Your body usually makes thicker mucus when you have a cold caused by viruses or sinus infection caused by bacteria. Most mucus problems are temporary.
But producing too much mucus contributes to some serious conditions. This includes cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that causes mucus in the lungs to become thick and glue-like. Boucher and his colleagues are working to find new treatments for cystic fibrosis and related lung diseases. Mucus can come in a range of colors. Mucus is normally clear. During a cold, you may find that your snot is cloudy or yellowish.
Proteins released by the cells that cause inflammation can get stuck in the mucus and give it this color, Lane explains. Brown or black mucus is more common in heavy smokers and some types of lung disease.
Greenish, brownish, or bloody colors may signal a bacterial infection. The contents of the MDLIVE site are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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According to Pasic, you notice it when you make more than a quart daily or it becomes thicker, because you start to sniff. An increase in mucus and its thickness is the way your nose and sinuses respond to the presence of an irritant, whether it's an invading virus, bacteria, or allergen.
Visit the ABCNews. Inflammation in the nose and greater quantities of mucus can also be triggered by foods or things in the environment. These include cigarette smoke, chemical exposures, strong smells and perfumes, as well as substances found in milk, red wine and beer. There's very little that is magical about mucus, which is mostly water and salt with proteins, such as antibodies, to fight off infection mixed in. Still, people often wonder whether its color or consistency has any significance on the length or severity of their cold.
But Rank is quick to point out that when it comes to a cold, "color doesn't matter for making a clinical diagnosis" and it doesn't influence his treatment decisions.
Ear, nose and throat specialists suggest that the normal color of mucus is clear. A cloudy or white nasal mucus may signal a cold. Large amounts of yellow or green mucus tend to be a sign of bacterial infection. Occasionally, mucus takes on a brownish hue when it's tinged with a little blood, or possibly from the nostrils of heavy smokers or people exposed to lots of pollutants. Asked whether the color or consistency of mucus had any importance, Dr. And anytime you see blood in the phlegm you cough up, you should seek medical attention.
Mucus, explains Ellis, helps protect the lungs by capturing dirt and dust as you inhale. The dirt, dust, and debris are passed out of your system. While a persistent yellow or green color, possibly accompanied by an unpleasant odor, is often a sign of infection, color does not always indicate a health problem, says Ellis. Thick mucus, which may seem to have greater volume and may create problems such as postnasal drip, results from a number of situations and is usually an indication of being over-dry.
Using a small facial steamer or humidifier, taking a hot steamy shower, or even breathing through a warm wet washcloth can give you some relief from thick, crusty mucus. Your doctor will evaluate the character of your mucus as well as the presence or absence of other allergy or cold symptoms.
Getting the right diagnosis means you can get the right treatment. Unfortunately, many people misdiagnose themselves, thinking, for example, that a large quantity of thick mucus indicates an allergy which actually is signaled by a lot of watery secretions accompanied by allergy symptoms.
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