The mystery of snot: different colors, different "alarms"

Everyone has snot, which accompanies us throughout our lives, from childhood to adulthood. This seemingly insignificant physiological phenomenon actually hides many secrets about our health. Whenever our noses unconsciously flow out these sticky liquids, the snot of various colors and shapes is actually conveying information from the inside of the body to us.

Before understanding the properties of nasal mucus, let us understand how nasal mucus is formed. Our nasal cavity is covered with a layer of nasal mucosa, on which there are many mucus glands, serous glands and goblet cells, which can secrete a large amount of secretions, including water, mucin, mucopolysaccharide, salt and lysozyme, etc. These components together constitute nasal mucus. There are also a large number of columnar ciliated cells on the nasal mucosa, and each cell has about 250 to 300 cilia on its surface. These cilia move continuously and orderly, "sweeping" the nasal mucus in one direction like a broom, forming a "mucus blanket" on the surface of the nasal mucosa. This "mucus blanket" can not only keep the nasal cavity moist, but also effectively absorb and remove harmful substances such as dust, bacteria and viruses in the air. Although snot may seem inconspicuous, it is like an efficient air purifier, protecting our respiratory system at all times.

Mucus is so important and always protects the health of the nasal cavity, so when its color, texture or amount is abnormal, it may be the body sending us an alarm.

In life, the most common is clear water-like nasal discharge. Of course, under normal circumstances, nasal discharge should be clear water-like, clear and transparent. However, clear water-like nasal discharge is also common in the early stages of a cold or allergic rhinitis. So how do you distinguish whether this situation is normal or pathological? It mainly depends on the amount of nasal discharge and how long it lasts. The so-called clear water-like nasal discharge is mainly composed of water and various secreted proteins, but the proportion of water is large and the density of various solutes is low, so it looks as transparent as clear water. Some friends will say that I never have a runny nose, but this statement is actually wrong. The nasal mucosa of a normal person secretes about one liter of nasal discharge every day. This kind of nasal discharge is clear water-like nasal discharge, which is mainly water. Most of it is used to moisten the dry air inhaled by the nasal cavity, and a small part is used to form and maintain the mucus blanket on the surface of the nasal mucosa. Therefore, although we secrete a lot of nasal discharge, we don't often feel it flowing out. The clear water-like discharge at the beginning of a cold does not last long, and generally it will gradually turn into purulent discharge in one or two days. Allergic rhinitis is generally manifested by the paroxysmal flow of large amounts of clear watery nasal discharge, accompanied by symptoms such as sneezing and nasal congestion, and recurring. Therefore, although they are all clear watery nasal discharge, they can be easily identified by time, flow and accompanying symptoms.

Secondly, sometimes we also encounter yellow or green snot, which is very sticky and accompanied by a fishy smell. When yellow snot appears, it usually represents infection, and most of them are various bacterial infections. This yellow snot is more like the remains of a battle. When facing invaders such as bacteria, the immune system releases a large number of white blood cells. After fighting with pathogenic microorganisms, they eventually perish together, and the "remains" of both sides eventually dye the snot yellow. At the same time, if the purulent snot appears green, it may indicate that the opponent is the powerful Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This infection is often more serious, and a large number of various white blood cells die, making the snot sticky and green. When yellow-green purulent snot appears, it indicates infection. It may be that the cold has worsened, or it may be that sinusitis continues to attack. In short, it is best to further consider anti-infection treatment.

In addition to the above colors, red snot is also common in clinical practice, which is actually bloody snot. In addition to nosebleeds, most bloody snot with a small amount of bleeding is light red, just like a touch of red mixed in a pool of clear water. When bloody snot appears, there is no doubt that there is bleeding somewhere in the nasal cavity. The bleeding point may be caused by damage to the mucosa, rupture of blood vessels, or various tumors. In addition to the color, the outflow method of different bloody snot is also related to the type of disease. For example, snot that often comes out from blowing your nose hard is mostly caused by damage to the nasal mucosa at the front of the nasal cavity, so there is no need to worry too much. Frequent retracted snot with blood may be related to lesions in the nasopharynx. In any case, when bloody snot appears, you must be highly vigilant, go to the hospital for examination in time, and do a nasal endoscopy if necessary to rule out the possibility of malignant diseases such as nasopharyngeal cancer.

These changes in snot are more like a mirror of the body, reflecting our health status. When we find that our snot is abnormal, we should see an otolaryngologist in time and listen to what the specialist says.

Note: All pictures in this article were created by me using AI technology, all rights reserved.