Curious about your snot? Plenty of individuals take a peek at what winds up of their tissue after nostril blow, however medical doctors say this curiosity can truly provide you with clues about your well being.
“Increased mucus production can be a sign of multiple things,” allergist and immunologist Dr. Tania Elliott, chief medical officer at Nectar Allergy, tells Yahoo Life. “Is it allergies? Is it an infection? Is it something to do with your indoor air quality? Understanding your triggers is the key to making your symptoms better.”
But what’s mucus, precisely, and what can it let you know? Allergists break it down.
What is mucus?
Mucus is a substance that covers the moist surfaces of your physique, like your eyes, nostrils, lungs and gastrointestinal tract, in keeping with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Mucus has trillions of microbes and is a primary line of protection towards microorganisms that trigger infections, the NIH says.
“Mucus is very helpful in terms of our immune system,” Elliott says. “When you have a foreign particle like pollen or a virus or bacteria, your mucosal cells — which produce mucus — are stimulated.” Then mucus can assist carry pathogens out of your physique, whether or not you blow your nostril or cough it up, she says.
How to decode your mucus
The shade of your mucus can let you know details about your well being. These are the primary colours you are prone to see and what every means:
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Thin and clear. This is quite common with allergy symptoms, Dr. Purvi Parikh, a board-certified allergist and immunologist with the Allergy and Asthma Network, tells Yahoo Life.
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Bright yellow or darkish inexperienced. This is normally an indication of an an infection, Parikh says. “People assume that this means they have a bacterial infection, but this isn’t always the case,” she says. “You can have bright yellow, dark green mucus, even with viruses.”
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Pink or pink. This sometimes means there’s blood in your mucus, Elliott says, “usually because the nasal passages are too dry and there is scabbing in there.”
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Brown or black. This could possibly be an indication of a fungal an infection, Parikh says. “Believe it or not, it can even be caused by air pollution,” she says.
When to see your physician
If you might have an an infection, it is necessary to see a physician to get correctly identified and handled. Parikh and Elliott say these are indicators to maintain in your radar:
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Your mucus abruptly modifications shade
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Your mucus abruptly has a scent to it
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Your mucus leaves an uncommon style in your mouth, like a metallic style
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You have a fever
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You really feel run-down
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You have nausea
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You’re vomiting
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You have diarrhea
How to handle your mucus
“You don’t have to suffer from mucus and phlegm production all fall and winter long,” Elliott says. “There are things you can do to help cure you of your allergies, irrigate your nasal passages and get those symptoms under control.”
Parikh recommends inhaling steam. “The steam itself can help open up your nasal passages and break up some of that mucus,” she says. Thick mucus is usually a signal that you just’re dehydrated, so ensuring to drink loads of water could be useful, she says.
In an ideal world, Elliott says, you may hold your mucus flowing. “You don’t want your mucus to be stagnant because when it is and it’s not flowing, foreign particles, viruses [and] bacteria can all build up,” she says.
But should you’re coping with extra mucus than regular otherwise you suspect that you could have an an infection, Elliott says it is time to see your physician. “Getting evaluated and understanding what you’re dealing with and what’s triggering that mucus production is the most important thing that you can do,” she says.
