Why is sinus drainage yellow

Viruses cause the vast majority of colds in both children and adults. Antibiotics do nothing against viruses — regardless of whether green mucus is produced. However, the timing of symptoms may offer a clue as to the type of germs present. Thick, colored nasal mucus more often occurs at the beginning of a bacterial illness, rather than several days into it, as occurs with a viral infection.

In addition, symptoms due to a bacterial infection often last more than 10 days without improvement. Q: How much nasal mucus is normal?

A: You produce and swallow about 1. Q: Why does a single drop of snot sometimes come out of my nose? A: Your nostrils usually get runny on a cold day. When this happens you might notice that one drop sometimes hangs from the tip of your nose. That drop is mostly water that has condensed out of the cold air passing over warm nasal tissues.

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. One of the first signs of a cold is green or yellow mucus.

The yellow color comes from dead white blood cells, which can turn green if there are a lot of white blood cells and other debris. Whether you keep blowing or rubbing your nose or you fall face-first onto it, blood is the primary reason your mucus can turn red or pink. It can also stick around your nasal cavity for a while, so lingering blood may just be a light shade of pink. Blood-producing irritation may not be so obvious, however, and it may be a result of something as simple as dryness in the air.

Dark mucus that looks brown or orange may cause you to panic, but one likely cause of it is simple: dried blood. It could also be a result of you inhaling something brown, such as dirt or cigarette smoke. Similar to brown mucus, dark, black mucus can be a result of inhaling something dark, such as cigarette smoke or dust. However, it may also be a symptom of a fungal infection, especially if your immune system is compromised , such as due to a disease like cancer.