White or grayish mucus
This can be normal, but white or gray mucus, especially if it's thick, can be an early sign of infection. As white blood cells and invader-fighting proteins flood the mucus, it can turn from clear to white.
Grey, whitish, or yellowish mucus could simply be the result of dust, pollen, or other particles you've inhaled from the air around you. On the other hand, these colors can be a sign of an infection, as they can be caused by an excess of white blood cells or pus.
Symptoms of bronchitis can be similar to a cold or flu. Symptoms include: a cough – you may cough up clear, white, yellow or green mucus. chest pain when coughing.
Clear. “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.
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.
It states, “If you have COVID-19 and start coughing up yellow or green phlegm ('gunk') then this may be a sign of an additional bacterial infection in the lungs that needs treatment.”
About bronchitis
Bronchitis is an infection of the main airways of the lungs (bronchi), causing them to become irritated and inflamed. The main symptom is a cough, which may bring up yellow-grey mucus (phlegm). Bronchitis may also cause a sore throat and wheezing.
The main symptoms of a chest infection can include: a persistent cough. coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood. breathlessness or rapid and shallow breathing.
Common symptoms of pneumonia include: a cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus (phlegm)
Similar to brown snot, black nasal mucus can be the result of dried blood or from inhaling something dark like cigarette smoke, smog or dust. However, in some cases, it could also be a symptom of a fungal infection, which tend to affect those with a compromised immune system.
Green phlegm indicates a widespread and robust immune response. The white blood cells, germs, and other cells and proteins that the body produces during the immune response give the phlegm its green color. While phlegm of this color can point to an infection, a person does not always need antibiotics.
When you do cough up phlegm (another word for mucus) from your chest, Dr. Boucher says it really doesn't matter if you spit it out or swallow it.
Grey—If you are blowing grey chunks of debris from one side of your nose and have bad tasting nasal drainage, you could have a fungal sinus infection. These are different from viral or bacterial infections because the fungi feeds on your nasal tissue—and reproduces.
Treatment. Acute bronchitis usually gets better on its own—without antibiotics. Antibiotics won't help you get better if you have acute bronchitis. When antibiotics aren't needed, they won't help you, and their side effects could still cause harm.
The most common symptoms of bronchitis are: Runny, stuffy nose. Low-grade fever. Chest congestion.
White snot can occur with a cold, for example, and pink boogers can be a sign of pregnancy. And while green or yellow snot may indicate a bacterial infection—and a need for antibiotics—it can also signal that your body is on the mend.
Small amounts of white mucus may be coughed up if the bronchitis is viral. If the color of the mucus changes to green or yellow, it may be a sign that a bacterial infection has also set in. The cough is usually the last symptom to clear up and may last for weeks.
Here's what the color of mucus indicates: Cloudy or white mucus is a sign of a cold. Yellow or green mucus is a sign of a bacterial infection. Brown or orange mucus is sign of dried red blood cells and inflammation (aka a dry nose).
The most common symptom of bronchiectasis is a persistent cough that brings up a large amount of phlegm on a daily basis. The phlegm can be clear, pale yellow or yellow-greenish in colour. Other people may only occasionally cough up small amounts of phlegm, or none at all.
If a virus makes its way into your nose and into the air-filled pockets behind your forehead, cheeks and nose — called the sinuses — your nose may start to make extra mucus to clear out the virus. After a few days, it might begin to turn white.
A dry cough is one of the most common coronavirus symptoms, but some people may have a cough with phlegm (thick mucus). It can be difficult to control your cough but there are a few ways to help.
COVID-19 and sinus infections can have similar symptoms, such as a sore throat, headache, and cough. While both illnesses are contagious, COVID-19 is more likely to spread than a sinus infection — and it can also be more dangerous.