Have you ever blown your nose and wondered, “Why is my snot green?” Nose snot or nasal mucus is probably not something you think about unless it changes color or texture. You can breathe easily because most of the time, these changes are normal and happen to everyone.
A change in nose snot is usually a sign that something different is happening in your body. Read on to learn about the mysteries of nose snot, why it sometimes changes color, and what green and yellow snot means.
What Is Nose Snot?
Nose snot is mucus, a sticky, thick liquid made from water with proteins, sugars, and infection-fighting cells and antibodies. Your body produces mucus to lubricate internal tissues. It also forms a barrier between the outside world and moist surfaces of your body to protect you from germs.
Besides your nose, you have mucus in these and other places:
- Eyes.
- Lungs.
- Mouth.
- Sinuses.
- Stomach and intestines.
The mucus in your nose traps dirt, bacteria, dust, and other particles, so they can’t enter your airways or reach your lungs. The antibodies in nasal mucus also fight infections in your sinuses, the air-filled cavities behind your nose, cheeks, eyes, and forehead.
Why Is My Snot Green — or Other Colors?
Nasal mucus is usually clear, thin, and watery. You probably don’t notice it unless you eat something spicy or go out on a cold day and your nose runs.
Nose snot thickens and changes color — from clear to yellow mucus to green mucus, when you’re sick with a cold or flu. This happens because proteins and other debris from the infection get trapped in mucus, causing it to dry out. They also give your mucus a slight color.
Nasal mucus can range in color from:
- Clear but more abundant than usual. This can happen with allergies like pollen because your body produces more mucus to help expel the allergen.
- Cloudy or white mucus. Nose snot can become cloudy or thicker than usual when you have a cold or mild respiratory infection. The color and texture change signals that mucus is catching the infectious cells.
- Yellow mucus is a sign that your white blood cells are working hard to fight an infection in your sinuses. When your immune system detects an infection, it boosts white blood cell production and sends them to your sinuses to fight. After they’ve done their job, white blood cells end up in your mucus, giving it a yellowish color.
- Green mucus. A more serious or longer-lasting bacterial or viral infection can cause thick, green mucus. This happens when large numbers of white blood cells and iron-containing enzymes fight the infection. The iron residue, which is green, collects in your nasal mucus along with white blood cells and other debris from the infection.
- Pink or brownish nose mucus occurs when fresh or dried blood is present. The most common reason for blood is injury to the nose or face. Your nose can also bleed when the air is very dry, like in the winter or in a dry climate.
- Black or brown mucus. This can happen in people who smoke cigarettes or inhale black dust or coal.
The same information applies to the color of your mucus when you cough. Often called phlegm or sputum, this mucus also changes color and can become thicker when you’re sick. Coughing up yellow mucus (or green) can signal an infection.
Does Green Nose Snot Mean I Need Antibiotics?
Antibiotics fight bacterial infections but don’t help viral infections like the common cold, flu, or COVID-19. Instead, doctors sometimes prescribe antiviral medicines for COVID or certain serious viral infections.
Nasal and lung mucus color changes can result from viral infections like a cold or COVID or bacterial infections like pneumonia. The color change indicates that something’s going on and your body is fighting illness. However, having a green or yellow discharge doesn’t always signal a bacterial infection or the need for an antibiotic.
Many respiratory infections start as colds or other viruses and clear up on their own within a week or so. But occasionally, they can worsen and turn into a bacterial infection. Contact your health care provider if:
- You feel worse as the days go by.
- You have difficulty breathing.
- You have a high fever that doesn’t go away.
- You have thick, greenish, or white (pus-like) discharge lasting more than 10 days.
- Your runny, stuffy nose, cough, and other symptoms don’t respond to over-the-counter sinus or cold medicines.
- You’re coughing up blood or have nosebleeds that don’t stop quickly.
Most upper respiratory infections, whether they’re viral or bacterial, are contagious. You’re usually most contagious when your symptoms are at their worst.
Green mucus often occurs toward the end of an infection before you start to feel better. But it might also happen if your viral infection turns into a more serious bacterial infection. Therefore, the color of your nose snot isn’t necessarily an indicator of how contagious you are.
Whether you have a bad cold or COVID, it’s best to avoid others, stay home, and rest until your symptoms go away.
Home Remedies for Green Nose Snot
There’s no cure for sinus or upper respiratory infections or the multitude of mucus colors that accompany them. However, over-the-counter cold medications can temporarily relieve symptoms so that you feel better until the infection clears.
These home remedies can also help:
- Sip hot tea or chicken soup. The steam from these can help reduce and thin your nasal mucus. Add a few slices of fresh ginger to your tea or some red pepper flakes to soup. Their spiciness can further help clear things out.
- Use a humidifier or apply a warm, moist washcloth to your face. Breathing in moist air can reduce mucus and phlegm production, so you don’t feel so stuffy.
- Use a nasal saline spray or neti pot to moisten, thin, and clear out clogged nasal passages. If using a neti pot, make sure the device is clean and dry and that you use distilled or sterile water.
As strange as it seems, green nose discharge isn’t unusual during a cold or respiratory infection. It usually disappears in time, but don’t hesitate to call your health care provider for help with symptoms or advice.