Did you know that green snot doesn’t always mean you have a sinus infection? Choose these strategies to lower your risk of an upper respiratory infection and other strategies to fight one.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- The color of your snot, or nasal mucus, offers clues to your health, including a viral or fungal infection. Not all green or yellow-colored snot means you have a sinus infection
- Seasonal allergies can change the color of your nasal mucus to white and cause a runny nose. However, the common cold or sinus infection will usually also trigger a fever, headaches and a productive cough
- You can lower your risk of an upper respiratory infection or sinus infection by caring for your immune system through hydration, an adequate amount of quality sleep, promoting the proliferation of healthy bacteria in your gut microbiome and eating a vitamin-rich diet
- Several natural strategies that help to shorten a cold include zinc lozenges, nebulized hydrogen peroxide, chicken soup, vitamin C and echinacea tea
After you blow your nose, do you open the tissue and look? Although not many people talk about it, it’s time to break that taboo and talk about the color of your snot. Snot is the everyday term for mucus that your nasal passages naturally produce. This mucus serves the purpose of trapping allergens, pathogens and dust that you inhale before they reach your lungs.
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