Color of nasal discharge: yellow to black

The shade, color of nasal discharge can be considered a specific diagnostic sign, which allows you to quickly assume the nature, stage of inflammation and its nature - bacterial or viral. Transparent, colorless mucus is considered normal. If the muco-nasal secretion acquires an uncharacteristic shade - greenish or yellow, you should consult a specialist and begin treatment adequate to the condition. The color of nasal discharge is a signal that the body has entered the "fight", sending leukocytes, mucin and other active, protective cells, substances to the area of introduction of the virus or bacteria.

What does the color of nasal discharge indicate:

White nasal discharge	Initial or final stage of the inflammatory process, swelling of the nasal cavity. Irritation of the nasal mucosa. Allergy to dairy products. Dehydration. Acid reflux. Viral inflammation. One of the signs of candidiasis.
Yellow tint of mucus	Completion of the inflammatory process, accompanied by a runny nose (2-3 days is normal). After 3 days, if the runny nose continues to turn yellow, this is a sign of a developing bacterial infection. A sign of purulent consistency of mucus. The onset of inflammation of the maxillary sinuses. Sinusitis. Allergy to microorganisms found in dust and feathers.
Brown discharge from the nose	Contaminated inhaled air, dust. Smoking tobacco. Chronic bronchitis. Long-term use of vasoconstrictor drugs. High blood pressure. A sign of an oncological process. Mycosis of the nasal cavity. Ozena. Yellow-brown mucus is a sign of sinusitis. Laryngitis, pharyngitis in acute form.
Green runny nose	The second stage of inflammation of the nasal mucosa. A sign of a bacterial or viral infection. Chronic bronchitis, pneumonia.
Red color of nasal discharge	Weak, vulnerable walls of blood vessels, capillaries, mechanical damage to the nose. One of the signs of diphtheritic rhinitis. Dryness of the mucous tissue, desiccation due to abuse of vasoconstrictor drops.
Black mucus from nose	Pollution of the surrounding air, inhalation of coal dust. A gray-black tint of mucus indicates a fungal infection of the nasal mucosa.

Thus, the color of the discharge is an indirect diagnostic sign that should be taken into account in the analysis of the clinical picture of the disease.

Yellow discharge from the nose

The mucous tissue of the nasal cavity contains many glands that secrete mucus daily. A change in the normal color of muco-nasal secretion is always associated with some type of inflammation. Yellow nasal discharge is a sign of a protracted process of viral or bacterial etiology.

The mechanism of appearance of yellow colored mucus:

• Leukocytes, granulocytes (neutrophils) protect the cavity from harmful microorganisms and viruses.
• Protective blood cells rush to fight bacterial and viral infections and destroy inflammatory agents.
• Dead microorganisms are “bound” by blood cells and removed.
• The breakdown products of molecules of both protective cells and bacteria give the secreted mucus its yellow color.

It is believed that yellow discharge from the nose is a sure sign that a runny nose is ending. However, such a signal does not always indicate the end of inflammation.

More than 50% of cases of rhinitis do not resolve within 8-10 days and are accompanied by the following clinical manifestations:

• Increase in body temperature to 38-39 degrees.
• Symptoms of general intoxication include loss of appetite, weakness, and nausea.
• Conjunctivitis associated with yellow mucous discharge.
• Pain symptoms - headache, sore throat.
• The mucous membrane of the nasopharynx swells.
• The discharge has a specific unpleasant odor.
• Sensitivity to smells and tastes decreases.

If a yellow runny nose does not end well on the 9th-10th day, the condition may worsen. The reasons for the development of the process are as follows:

• Frontal sinusitis develops.
• Yellow discharge from the nose is a sign of catarrhal sinusitis.
• Yellow mucus may be a symptom of sinusitis.
• Thick, viscous yellow mucus is one of the signs of internal rhinitis ( nasopharyngitis ).

Conditions that are similar in clinical picture to the above diseases require medical care. After undergoing drug therapy, discharge may change color, consistency (transparent and more liquid). This is evidence of the effectiveness of treatment and a signal of the beginning of recovery.

Green discharge from the nose

The mucous tissue of the nose is very sensitive to irritants and especially to the invasion of harmful infectious agents. Depending on the type of inflammatory agent, on the stage of the process, the mucous produces mucus of a specific consistency and color. Runny nose can be white, transparent, gray-green, yellow, reddish. Green discharge from the nose, more dense and viscous - a signal of the production of purulent contents and an advanced stage of the disease. How to independently distinguish green discharge from the nose by the factors that provoke them?

• Vasomotor type of rhinitis – liquid contents, serous consistency with a light, barely noticeable, greenish tint in the acute stage.
• Allergic rhinitis - mucus is abundant, transparent, green in color, it can be a combination of allergy with ARVI, other chronic diseases. This indicates an acute form of inflammation in the ENT organs, less often in the gastrointestinal tract or bronchopulmonary system.
• Bacterial infection of the nasopharynx - there is always an unpleasant odor, the color of the mucus is typically green, the secreted mucus is dense, comes off in clots.

Green nasal discharge should not be considered a minor ailment. Quite often, this condition is a sign of reduced immune protection and carries the risk of spreading the infection to nearby areas of the respiratory system. With sluggish, weak cellular immunity, toxins easily enter the bloodstream through the fragile capillary system, the mucous membrane of the nose, provoking inflammatory intoxication syndrome. In general, greenish mucous secretion is not dangerous, but requires attention, a symptom. If a runny nose lasts only 7-10 days, mucus is actively discharged, this indicates the awakening of the immune system, in particular specific cells - neutrophils (killers), which began to neutralize pathogenic microorganisms.

White discharge from nose

The color and density of the mucous muco-nasal contents may indirectly indicate the etiology of the inflammatory process and its stage. White discharge from the nose most often indicates dry mucous tissue, lack of moisture and possible infection of the nasopharynx. Let us consider in detail the most common types of white mucus in ENT practice.

1. White discharge from the nose of a liquid consistency:
   • Allergic reaction.
   • The initial stage of formation of polyps in the nose.
   • Small growths of lymphatic tissue in the nasopharynx are called adenoids.
   • The final stage of measles.
   • The onset of caries, the first signs of bacterial infection of the oral cavity as a whole.
2. White mucus of thick consistency:
   • Sinusitis.
   • Sinusitis in the initial stage.
   • Frontal sinusitis.
   • The final stage of viral inflammation.
3. White curdy discharge:
   • Fungal infection of the nasal cavity and pharynx.
4. Excessive white mucus:
   • One of the signs of a protracted inflammatory process in the bronchi and lungs.

The temporary norm for nasal secretion of this shade is considered to be 3-4 days. A longer period of white discharge is an alarming signal.

If a white runny nose is combined with other uncomfortable conditions - aching joints, high temperature, headache, you should undergo an ENT examination, take tests and begin antibacterial or antiviral therapy for the identified cause.

Brown discharge from the nose

Atypical color of muconasal contents of the nose requires careful attention, finding out the cause and neutralizing it. Brown discharge from the nose is quite rare and can signal the following diseases and conditions:

• Nicotine addiction, smoking.
• Pollution of the ambient air with specific substances that are brown in color (industrial exhaust, dust, small particles, microparticles).
• Consequences of hidden nasal bleeding (internal, when mucus is colored the color of blood breakdown products).
• Sensitivity, fragility of the capillaries of the nasal mucosa. Blood seeps through them, hemoglobin undergoes transformation when combined with air in the nasal cavity and colors the mucus in a brown shade.
• Pathological curvature of the nasal septum, compression of the mucous membrane and capillaries, resulting in constant bleeding.
• Bleeding associated with hypertension, high blood pressure (internal nasal small hemorrhages).
• Chronic vitamin deficiency, lack of essential microelements.
• Advanced purulent process in the nasopharynx. Brown discharge from the nose is the removal of decay products of a certain type of bacteria.
• Complication of the inflammatory process in the bronchi or lungs.
• Acute inflammation of the sinuses with bleeding.
• Chronic, long-term sinusitis, frontal sinusitis.
• Prolonged sinusitis, chronic form.
• Secondary atrophic rhinitis.
• Odontogenic factors - caries, stomatitis, periodontosis.

In general, a brown tint is evidence of poor drainage of the nasal passages and the breakdown of blood cells. Less often, such a color is caused by a bacterial infection. A long-term runny nose with brownish mucus carries the risk of developing a more serious process, up to anemia due to constant minor bleeding. If discharge of this nature lasts more than 1-2 days, you cannot do without consulting an ENT doctor. It is necessary to undergo a thorough examination and eliminate the cause of an atypical runny nose.

Black discharge from nose

One of the rarest and at the same time alarming symptoms is black discharge from the nose. If transparent nasal secretion, greenish, yellow mucus are quite often found in various colds, then the black color of the secreted fluid is a characteristic clinical sign of a protracted pathological process. The reasons for the formation of black discharge from the nose are divided into two categories:

1. Household factors not related to diseases:
   • Coal, construction dust, pollution of the surrounding atmosphere. Professional costs of some types of work can affect the color of the liquid secreted by the nose.
   • Inhalation of tobacco smoke. Due to impaired drainage function, mucus may accumulate in the nose, absorbing smoke particles. Rare, scanty discharge, often dry, has an uncharacteristic dark color.
2. Pathological factors:
   1. Staph infection of the nasopharynx. The mucus usually contains streaks of black.
   2. Fungal diseases of the nasal cavity.
   3. An extremely advanced form of sinusitis.

To clarify the cause of black discharge from the nose, it is necessary to exclude the simplest provoking factors (dirt, dust). If a person is not in an area of polluted air, and the mucous fluid has an atypical color, it is necessary to consult a specialist, undergo an examination of all ENT organs. Timely diagnostics is the best way to minimize the risk of developing serious diseases.

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Orange nasal discharge

Normally, the nasopharyngeal excretory system produces transparent muco-nasal fluid. By changing color, thickness and volume, nasal discharge performs a protective, antiseptic function, simultaneously signaling a particular stage of the disease. Orange nasal discharge is also an indirect indicator of a specific condition of the mucous tissue and is provoked by the following reasons:

• A protracted inflammatory process, usually of bacterial origin.
• The presence of purulent contents in the mucous secretion.
• The orange tint can be caused by the combination and reaction of purulent elements and blood impurities.
• Difficulty in the outflow of purulent mucus, chronic congestion in the sinuses. Yellow-orange discharge from the nose indicates the presence of many bacteria in the decay products, most often the staphylococcal group.
• An atypical shade may be a sign of chronic intranasal bleeding and, at the same time, inflammation of viral etiology, when accumulated mucus with blood inclusions does not go away for a long time.
• Excessive enthusiasm for warming up the nose. Uncontrolled self-medication can be the reason for the change in the color of the runny nose to an orange tint. When heated, the color of stagnant pus can change.
• In some cases, an orange runny nose is a symptom of a fungal infection of the mucous tissue of the nasopharynx.
• Odontogenic factors and dental diseases also provoke a change in the color of mucus towards yellow-orange.

The color spectrum of the secreted mucus is considered one of the clinical criteria that helps in diagnosing the underlying disease that causes the runny nose. An unusual shade of the runny nose should alert a person, especially if we are talking about the mucous secretion of a child. It is necessary to find out the cause as soon as possible, undergo a comprehensive examination, and begin adequate therapy for the identified disease.

Gray discharge from the nose

The color of the nasal fluid depends on the processes occurring in the respiratory system. The following inclusions can give the runny nose its color:

• Extracellular harmful agents are viruses.
• Prokaryotes are bacteria.
• Eukaryotes are fungi.
• Cells of the epithelial tissue of the nasopharynx (detritus).
• Some types of immune cells.
• Particles of formed elements of blood (plasma).
• Blood cells, blood particles.
• Microscopic elements of inhaled air.

Gray discharge from the nose is a clear sign of an unhealthy state of the body as a whole, even if the reason for this shade of mucus is associated with a polluted environment. Usually, muco-nasal secretion and local immune defense are able to process dust particles in the form of a thick, viscous, whitish runny nose. Gray discharge is a signal of possible pathologies, including the following diseases:

• Diphtheritic rhinitis has specific symptoms (ulceration of the mucous membrane, swelling, plaque), which include gray discharge from the nose. Unlike the defeat of the throat bacillus, diphtheria of the nose is easier, however, it remains among the life-threatening diseases.
• Staphylococci can give a grey colour to nasal exudate. Staphylococcus infection is treated for a long time and in a complex manner. Its first manifestations should prompt a person to immediately consult a doctor and stop the pathological process.
• Gray discharge from the nose combined with an unpleasant odor may indicate a hidden oncological process in the ENT organs.
• Cough and sputum of smokers are also characterized by a grayish tint of mucus, as well as nasal mucus. Giving up the habit that is harmful to the bronchopulmonary system will restore the ability to breathe normally and neutralize the risk of cancer.
• Nasopharyngeal infection caused by anaerobic pathogens ( Klebsiella, proteus myxofaciens) may present with gray mucous discharge.
• Sinusitis in the stage of blocking the outflow and accumulation of purulent contents. The runny nose is usually scanty, has a characteristic putrid smell and a yellow-gray tint.

Only an experienced specialist can determine and make a diagnosis based on the color of the exudate, therefore, at the initial stage of atypical mucus, it is worth promptly visiting a doctor and starting treatment.