Achoo! what does your, ah, snot say about you?

By Cari Nierenberg

You might be wearing the tell-tale colors of a cold: your nose is dripping a clear liquid, and the skin near your nostrils is red from sniffling and sneezing. 

A doctor’s exam may find the lining of your nose and throat is inflamed and red. And you could have white patches on your sore tonsils. 

But what about the gross gunk clogging up your nose, throat, and lungs? Can the shades of your secretions — mucus and phlegm — tell you anything about how long you’ll be under the weather or what kind of bug you have? 

Dr. Stacey Tutt Gray is a sinus specialist at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, and she says it’s not unusual for her patients to bring in their mucus-covered tissues to show her what’s coming out of their bodies. So Gray is quite familiar with these secretions and her color-inspired last name makes her an ideal expert to explain their various hues. 

But first she points out that mucus is a liquid gel made up of mucin, a protein, and infection-fighting substances. it acts as a protective blanket over the lining of your nose, and the sticky substance can help trap and clear dust, allergens, bacteria, and viruses. 

You make roughly a quart of clear, thin mucus a day, which you usually just swallow. But snot production often cranks up, thickens, and discolors when you catch a cold, have allergies, or get an infection. 

Phlegm is also mucus that’s coming from the chest and lungs. Technically, doctors call it sputum. most people don’t normally have phlegm, says Gray, but the lining of the airways has mucus in it to keep the lungs clear. 

A rainbow of mucus and phlegmAs far as color goes, mucus is typically clear. But when the immune system sends white blood cells into the nose to fight off infection, they contain a greenish enzyme that shades the substance yellow or green. These are the same tones mucus takes on when it dries and clumps into boogers.  

Red- or brown-tinged snot could occur when tiny blood vessels in your nose break from frequently blowing it. Black mucus can come from the noses of smokers or people who work in coal mines or dusty environments.

The phlegm palette is similarly multicolored to mucus with clear or white sputum being normal, yellow or green hues from frequent coughing, and red or brown shades from blood that’s new or old. If you’re seeing a lot of blood in phlegm, give your doctor a call. 

To thin down mucus or loosen phlegm, drink plenty of hot or cold liquids, and take a hot shower or inhale steam. Nasal rinsing with warm water can also help flush out congestion to make breathing easier. 

Gray says she is often asked by her patients with sinus trouble whether the color of mucus means a person has a bacterial infection and if they need an antibiotic. “The color in and of itself doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” she explains.

 A physician will determine whether an illness is viral or bacterial, an allergy or a sinus problem based on what a patient is saying about their other symptoms — fever, body aches, nasal congestion, how long they’ve felt this way — not just the color of mucus.  

So if you have a cold, you might see a rainbow of gook from your nose and chest. But it doesn’t tell you much and it’s usually nothing to worry about.

Related:

• Symptom tracker: cold? Flu? Or something else?

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BALTIMORE — Mere inches made all the difference in Lonnie Chisenhall’s rapid recovery from a frightening fastball.

The Indians’ rookie was back in the starting lineup Monday, manning third base and batting ninth. on July 7, Chisenhall was struck on the right side of his face by a pitch from the Blue Jays’ Carlos Villanueva.

Fortunately for Chisenhall, the baseball glanced off his helmet first.

“You have to be thankful that the ball got the helmet,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “I don’t think that if it would’ve got him square in the face he was going to be able to come back this fast. He went through all those tests and took batting practice.”

Chisenhall noted that he has taken batting practice with no issues for the past four or five days. He also stepped to the plate during a simulated game Thursday against sidelined Indians starter Fausto Carmona. With no concussion-like symptoms and his vision fine, Chisenhall was cleared to play.

“He’s good to go,” Acta said.

On Thursday, the white of Chisenhall’s right eye was red and he had bruising on his upper cheek — results of a sinus fracture. the third baseman will be sporting a specialized helmet, which has an earflap that extends over the cheek and jaw, for the next six weeks or so while the bone heals.

Chisenhall entered the opener with the Orioles hitting .267 (8-for-30) with one home run, three doubles and two RBIs in nine games with Cleveland this season.

Carmona works out quad with no problems

BALTIMORE — Fausto Carmona did not like being placed on the disabled list, but the Indians starter feels rested, recovered and ready to rejoin the rotation after a bout with a strained right quadriceps.

Carmona logged three innings during a simulated game Thursday at Camden Yards before testing his leg in a series of sprint and agility drills in the outfield. Barring a setback, Carmona is expected to be activated from the 15-day DL on Monday for a road start against the Twins.

“I’m not anticipating any issues,” said Indians manager Manny Acta. “I think he’s ready to start on Monday.”

Carmona injured his right leg during a hard fall while running out a bunt in the third inning of an Interleague game against the Reds on July 2. Earlier in the game, Carmona had the webbing between the index and middle fingers on his right hand cut by a grounder off the bat of Homer Bailey.

Neither injury presented a problem during Thursday’s workout.

Carmona worked through 50 pitches, throwing 20 in his first simulated inning followed by 15 in each of the next two frames. Cleveland hitters Lonnie Chisenhall, Luis Valbuena, Ezequiel Carrera and Shelley Duncan each stepped in to face the big right-hander.

In the outfield after his pitching session, Carmona simulated fielding places, running in all directions after going through his delivery motion. Carmona, who is 4-10 with a 5.78 ERA in 18 starts this season for the Tribe, said that the running drills were more important for testing his leg strength.

“It’s OK,” Carmona said. “I threw on the mound like normal in a game. After that, I did some running. I feel good. I’m ready to go. Throwing on the mound, I felt very good. I was throwing strikes. My leg is strong.”

The Indians have a day-night doubleheader Monday against the Twins at Target Field. It is not immediately clear which game Carmona will start. Acta indicated that Cleveland will announce Monday’s second starter on Sunday night. the top candidates appear to be lefty David Huff and righty Zach McAllister, from Triple-A Columbus.

For now, the Indians are more concerned with Carmona’s health.

“He looked good,” Acta said. “He had no issues. He threw the ball very good and he’s all set to go. He did some running and all that and, probably in the next day or so, we’re going to have him do some agility work around the mound just to make sure everything checks out OK.” Acta gets great memories from HR Derby

BALTIMORE — Manny Acta would have been forgiven for taking a day off from throwing early batting practice to his hitters. Giving up 31 home runs to Red Sox slugger Adrian Gonzalez in Monday’s Home Run Derby took a toll on the Indians manager’s arm.

On Thursday afternoon, though, Acta took the mound at Camden Yards and willingly threw fastballs to a group of Cleveland batters. the home-run output was considerably lower during this particular session.

“Different hitters,” joked Indians closer Chris Perez, who was a member of the American League All-Star team. “He performed. He got A-Gone in the finals. He represented us well. I’m sure that’s a great memory he’ll have.”

Gonzalez finished as the runner-up to Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano in the Derby with Acta as his personal thrower. Acta noted that he and the Boston first baseman had no prior connection. It was a random turn of events that led to the Tribe manager helping Gonzalez reach the Derby finals.

“He didn’t have anybody to throw,” explained Acta, who was on the AL’s All-Star coaching staff. “I was just sitting at my locker eating and reading. I heard him telling his dad or somebody that was with him that he didn’t have anybody to throw to him.

“It was only like 20 minutes until that whole thing started. I turned around and told him if he wanted, I could throw to him. It was a great experience — a hurtful one.”

It did not take long for Acta to become impressed with Gonzalez, either.

“He’s an unbelievably focused guy,” Acta said. “I’ve never seen anybody so focused on a Home Run Derby. He was in it to win it. we went to the cage and right away we were doing some coaching in there. He was telling me where he wanted the ball and all that kind of stuff.

“Then, in between rounds, we went in and hit again before it was his turn. He was very, very serious about this. I learned a great deal about why he’s such a great player.”

Cano eventually defeated Gonzalez, 32-31, for the Derby crown. His father, Jose Cano, served as his Derby thrower. Acta and the elder Cano were Minor League teammates in the Houston Astros organization.

“I’ve known little Robinson since he was like six years old,” Acta said.

Quote to note

“I got a bunch of tweets about it. I told them all that I’m practicing a backflip for next year.” – Reliever Vinnie Pestano, who sprints in from the bullpen, on San Diego closer Heath Bell’s sprint and slide to the mound during Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Smoke signals

• Right-hander Jeanmar Gomez was with the Indians in Baltimore on Thursday. It has not been officially announced, but Gomez is the planned starter for Sunday’s game against the Orioles. He still needs to be officially recalled from Triple-A Columbus, where he has gone 9-3 with a 2.40 ERA in 14 starts.

• Right-hander Alex White, who is on the 60-day disabled list with a right middle finger injury, is also in Baltimore. White is slated to throw a bullpen session at Camden Yards on Saturday and is scheduled to complete four mound sessions before advancing to simulated games. White could begin a rehab assignment within the next two weeks.

• the Indians made it known on Wednesday that they planned on recalling outfielder Ezequiel Carrera from Triple-A Columbus after placing righty Mitch Talbot (back strain) on the 15-day disabled list. on Thursday, Cleveland made the move official. “He could see limited action here,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “He could probably pinch hit, pinch run, or something like that. or, cheerleader — you name it.”

• the Indians announced promotions of staff members Bob DiBiasio and Curtis Danburg on Thursday. DiBiasio, whose previous title was vice president of public relations, has been named the senior vice president of public affairs. DiBiasio has been with the organization for 33 years. Danburg, who has been with the organization for 16 years, has been promoted from director of communications and creative services to senior director of communications.

My cat died on Christmas he wouldn't eat or drink and I took him to the vet that was going to a biopsy but said it wouldn't do any good since my cat wasn't eating and had difficulty breathing and was sinus congested.

i had a cat with a tumar in the mouth once my cat meowed a lot and wouldnt eat hard food

I don't really understand the question… Tumors may be local, or invasive. That means that there may not be symptoms at all other than the presence of a growth.
If the tumor is invasive, then you may see other symptoms, such as lack of appetite, consitpation, difficulty breathing, lameness… the list continues depending on the sort of cancer and the location.

What is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic Fibrosis is a average genetic ailment that affects many organs of the body. the most average organs affected are the lungs, sinus and pancreas. Other organs that are also affected are; liver and gallbladder, intestines, reproductive organs in men and women. Cystic Fibrosis also affects the difficulty glands. This means the inadequate gene interferes with the body's ability to carry water and salt to and from cells, which means that people who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis altogether have bristly and sticky secretion. This is not so good since it clogs up many organs of the body. In non-CF people, the secretions are thin and watery, which is normal.

How organs are affect

Respiratory System:

Cystic Fibrosis affects ones breathing and the alibi for this is because emanation in the airway becomes bristly and blocks the airways, which makes this difficult for most CF patients to breath.  Normal emanation in the airway is altogether thin which makes it easier for emanation to pass through and be cleared. Because of this reason, lung infections are very average is CF patients. Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (PA) is the most average bacteria that beget lung infections. Sinus difficulty may also occur due to respiratory infections of CF patients, which mean that CF patients have a higher risk of sinus infections. the alibi for sinus infections is due to nasal polys, which are non-cancerous tumours in the liner of the nasal passage. when this happens, altogether surgery is required. I have had 18 surgeries in my life due to this reason.

Digestive System:

Cystic Fibrosis affects the digestive system due to lack of enzymes in the pancreas. This means that not adequate nutrients can be digested. Patients with CF must take enzymes in order to absorb all the nutrients taken in by food. Lack of enzymes in the body causes many CF patients to be under weight. In CF, many patients lack the assimilation of fats and proteins, so when this happens, higher intake of fat and proteins from food are required. Sticky emanation is alternative issue why people in CF lack assimilation because of abnormal bristly secretion, this blocks the ducts or passageways to the pancreas preventing healthy digestive juices from toward the inside the intestines, making it almost not possible to digest proteins and fats.

Prevention is the best medication for cystic fibrosis. Although, nowadays there is no known cure there are natural supplements for cystic fibrosis. Natural dietetic supplements afford your digestive system the proper enzymes needed to process food and abate the intensity of cystic fibrosis. (hellolife.net/explore/digestive-enzymes/how-cystic-fibrosis-affects-your-digestive-system/)

Reproductive System:

Cystic Fibrosis affects the reproductive system due to the sticky emanation in the sexual organs. For men, this may beget obstruction of the sperm canal. For women, this may beget infertility or a abate in fertility, yet it is not not possible for a woman with CF to get pregnant.  Many women who have cystic fibrosis have successful pregnancies, but they need attached monitoring because of their dietetic status and the addition crick on their lungs.

Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis

There are many symptoms that are associated with CF, but vary from person to person. Below are the lists of symptoms:

-chronic cough -coughing up blood -collapsed lung -clubbing (rounding and enlargement of the fingers and toes) -heart enlargement -nasal polyps (fleshy growths in the nose) -sinusitis (inflamed nasal sinuses) -delayed sexual development -absence or stopping of menstruation -irregular menstrual periods -inflammation of the cervix -infertility or sterility -salty tasting skin -bowel obstruction -frequent wheezing or pneumonia -abdominal swelling -vomiting -dehydration -pneumothorax (rupture of lung tissue and trapping of air between the lung and bureau wall) -Liver and gallbladder problems -Gassiness

Who is altogether affected by Cystic Fibrosis and how it is diagnosed?

Did you know that it is most average for Caucasians to be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis? it is said that 1 out of all 3600 children in Canada are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. 1 in 25 people are carriers of this gene, which means they do not have CF, but because they carry this gene they can pass it on to their children.  it is said that in the United States, Cystic Fibrosis is the number 1 killer amongst children and adults. Here is anything I had base on what happens when two people are a carrier of Cystic Fibrosis. 

When two people who carry the CF gene have a child, there is:

a 25% chance that the babe will be born with cystic fibrosis; a 50% chance that the babe will not have CF, but will be a carrier; a 25% chance that the babe will not have CF, and will not be a carrier.

How is CF diagnosed?

Cystic Fibrosis is diagnosed by performing what is called a "sweat test". In CF, many patients lose salt through sweat, but CF patients tend to lose more salt then a non-CF person. when a difficulty test is performed, if high salt bank occurs, then the attending of Cystic Fibrosis is there.

What is the standard life span of Cystic Fibrosis today?

Today the standard life span of Cystic Fibrosis is 30 days old. This has accretion a lot in the past decade. In the past, the life expectation of CF was 18 days old. Now due to the accretion in treatments and amplified medication, people with CF are also days into their 40's.

-Treatments used to delicacy Cystic Fibrosis

Many treatments are used nowadays to delicacy this fatal disease, such as

-Chest physiotherapy -Pancreatic enzyme replacement -Antibiotics -Nutritional therapy -Pulmonary therapy

every couple of weeks, i keep getting a cold or sinus/allergy issues back and feel more tired than usual, is this something to worry about or just assume it is a cold?

I am worried about going to work tomorrow. my nose has been bleeding some. I constantly blow my nose and my face hurts around my sinuses. I have had a slight fever and my taste buds are shot. I am taking some antibiotics and sinus meds and have drank some tea and used Vicks Vapor Rub. I even took a nap today. –but I still feel horrible.

Well, if you haven't been to the doctor, go to one! Because if otc meds aren't helping, you'll need a prescription for something. And if you have an infection and are in that much pain, you should go in case it is something serious…I'm sure you don't want to lose your ability to smell and taste. So get out there and take care of yourself!

Take a hot shower, and let the steam loosen up the mucus and blow it out. do not swallow mucus, that may give you an upset stomach. Drink lots of cold water. Did you know you can buy antibiotics w/o a prescription on any website that sells aquarium supplies. I buy amoxicillin, it's good for lots of problems. the usual dose for an adult can be found with a search at google.com on 'amoxicillin.'

Why are you taking antibiotics without the advice of a doctor? That's crazy. Have you NEVER heard of creating resistant antibiotics??? I mean, come on. I am sorry you have what does, indeed, sound like a sinus infection, but a little disturbed at your irresponsibility. Mercy.

A sinus infection should take around two weeks or more to resolve with the PROPER antibiotic. until then, you might try nasal irrigation. you can buy the kit from a local drugstore. It's very inexpensive and it gets the ick out. good luck and, for heaven's sake, stop taking unprescribed antibiotics.

go to an urgent care for treatment.

Go to the doctor. try a Neti pot, they really clean out your sinuses.

Well there are a few different medications that can be used to alleviate sinus infections. OTC nasal sprays, OTC oral decongestions, amoxicillin, TMP/SMX, and prescription antihistomines such as Allegra and Claritin.

emedicinehealth.com/sinus_inf…

I wouldnt go to work if you are feeling that bad. but if your boss is anything like mine I would maybe go and if you decide that you cant stay then ask to go home. What I found that really helps is to run the hot water to where there is a lot of steam and the steam will temporarily open up the sinuses and it will loosen and make the symptoms calm down a bit. It always works for me. And try squeezing lemon in your tea. I mean if you like it that way. Its a great source of vitamin C. Hope you feel better soon.

Rinse your sinuses out by inhaling warm water with salt in it. it will sting but it will kill the infection and clean out the cavities. Stay away from nasal sprays and decongestants. They will dry you out some more. your bleeding because its too dry up there and you have created lesions or cuts in the sinus cavities. That's how you got infected. try inhaling hot water vapor to moisturize the sinuses. Don't blow your nose too hard. the dryness and the nose blowing have given you the infection. start taking LOCAL honey-a teaspoon a day to help your body develop immunities to all the air born irritants around you. This will help keep you from getting any more infections up there. It will also keep you from catching every little germ that floats your way. you will get less cold and flu symptoms after a while as well.

I'm 40, have gained about 15 pounds in the last 6 months and I'm starting to get these migraine headaches more frequently.. I used to blow them off as sinus issues but maybe now it's related to PMS. I exercise on a regular basis and eat healthy so this weight gain REALLY concerns me!!! and every now and then I do feel sad which leads to crying– this happens but not too much. Oh and I'm on Birth Control Pills which I've been on for many many years.

I just had a blood test 3 months ago– can I call to get hormone levels just to make sure or do I need a full blown blood test again?? is there any over the counter vitamin that may help?

Thank-you!