What Does It Mean When You Have Green Snot

You’re sick, you blow your nose into a napkin, and then … you look, right? Shouldn’t green goo mean something? In fact, snot comes in a variety of colors, from white to yellow to green as your body fights the infection.

Doctors have said that green mucus indicates a bacterial infection that may react to antibiotics , but this is actually not true – it simply means that your immune system is fighting something (often a virus) for several days. The green color comes from the protein in the gut of the brave white blood cells that sacrifice themselves on the battlefield (also known as your nose).

If you’re curious about other colors, this chart from the Cleveland Clinic gives a rundown of the rainbow: pink or red means blood, brown is usually just dirt, and real black mucus could indicate a rare fungal infection.

What the color of your snot really means | Cleveland Clinic

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