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.
Clear mucus is considered 'normal' or healthy. However, if you are experiencing a large amount of clear nasal discharge, it may be a sign of allergic rhinitis. This is the form of allergies that most people who suffer from them experience. You could be triggered by pollen, dust, animal fur, or other irritants.
When viruses that cause colds first infect the nose and sinuses, the nose makes clear mucus. This helps wash the viruses from the nose and sinuses. After 2 or 3 days, mucus may change to a white, yellow, or green color.
It's possible to have perfectly clear mucus and a terrible sinus infection; conversely, you can have yellow or green colored snot, but be in fine health. It's also a common misconception that you can reliably differentiate between a viral and bacterial infection based on the color of the mucus.
Blowing the nose regularly prevents mucus building up and running down from the nostrils towards the upper lip, the all-too-familiar runny nose. Later in colds and with sinusitis, nasal mucus can become thick, sticky and harder to clear.
Clear, watery mucus is usually a sign of a cold. A sinus will often cause mucus to become thick and green or yellow in color. If you experience nasal discharge that is colored and have a difficult time blowing your nose, you may have a sinus infection.
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.
In adults and older children, they usually last about 7 to 10 days, but can last longer. A cough in particular can last for two or three weeks. Colds tend to last longer in younger children who are under five, typically lasting around 10 to 14 days.
Green and cloudy: viral or bacterial infection
A lot of the symptoms of viral infections – fever, cough, headache, loss of smell – overlap for COVID-19 and other viral infections like the flu, respiratory syncytial virus and the common cold.
1 And if you see green snot on your tissue, that means your body is working as it should to flush those infectious bugs out of your system. Different types of infections that may cause green mucus include: Viral: Infections caused by viruses, such as COVID-19, the flu, or the common cold.
A runny or stuffy nose with thin, clear fluid, accompanied by sneezing are common symptoms of a cold. A clear runny or stuffy nose and sneezing can also be seen in environmental allergies, which often also cause an itchy nose and itchy, watery, red or swollen eyes.
Clear nasal drip, or a runny nose, is often caused by inflammation inside the nose and it is a usual symptom of common colds or allergies, Occasional or mild clear nasal drip will often resolve within a few days or weeks.
Typical Stages of a Cold
Colds typically last between 7-10 days. It typically can be broken down into three stages: early (days 1-3); active or peak (days 4-7) and late (days 8-10). The stages don't necessarily matter, as once you have a cold, there's not much to do but to wait it out.
Days 3 to 5: Cough and More Nasal Congestion
You may notice that mucus from your runny nose has become thicker, with a yellow or green tinge. This usually is due to a spike in the number of white blood cells your immune system has dispatched to overcome the virus, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“Normally, mucus is clear. When you have a cold or infection, it might turn green or yellow,” said Alyssa. Clear snot usually signals allergies or some kind of environmental factor that is triggering your nose to start running, such as inhaling dust or allergens. Clear snot is nothing to worry about.
When you have a sinus infection, your snot typically becomes a thick, green color. This is because mucus acts as a trap for allergens, bacteria, and viruses that carries these foreign invaders outside of your body. These waste products, along with dead white blood cells, account for the greenish color of your snot.
People with weak immune systems are more likely to develop bacterial or fungal sinus infection. Some people with allergies can have “allergic fungal sinus infection.” Acute sinus infection lasts three to eight weeks. A sinus infection lasting longer than eight weeks is considered chronic.
You're generally contagious with a cold 1-2 days before your symptoms start, and you could be contagious as long as your symptoms are present—in rare cases, up to 2 weeks.
Congestion tends to be worse at night because it is harder for the nose and sinuses to drain. This means that mucus pools in the head, making it harder to breathe and potentially causing a sinus headache in the morning. Try elevating the head on a few pillows to help the sinuses drain more easily.
Day 4: Mucus may turn yellow or green (this is normal). Sore throat improves, but coughing begins. Days 5-7: Energy and congestion improve. 1 week+: Cough usually tapers off after a week, but can take up to 3-6 weeks to fully resolve.