Yellow snot in adults

Contents

Causes of yellow snot in adults
What does the color of snot show
What does yellow snot mean
Treatment of yellow snot in adults
Prevention of snot in adults
Popular questions and answers

On average, the mucous membrane of the nose and paranasal sinuses produces about 100-500 ml of nasal mucus per day. We tell what to do to adults if they have yellow snot

The composition of nasal mucus includes proteins, antibodies, various salts and trace elements. Mucus helps to moisturize the nasal mucosa, and also removes particles of dust, smoke, germs and other contaminants that enter the nose with air. Normal mucus is colorless and clear. If the discharge from the nose becomes yellow or yellow-green, this indicates the addition of a bacterial infection.

When bacteria enter our body, white blood cells or leukocytes rush to the rescue and destroy pathogens. After the leukocytes have performed their function, they die, and their remains stain the mucus yellow or yellow-green. If the discharge from the nose is yellow with red streaks, this indicates damage to small vessels during blowing. The presence of a large amount of blood in the discharge may indicate more serious surgical diseases, such as nasal polyps. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Causes of yellow snot in adults

Diseases in which yellow discharge from the nose is often observed include:

Chronic sinusitis (sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, ethmoiditis, sphenoiditis) – chronic inflammatory processes in the sinuses of the nose can regularly worsen when exposed to cold, with a cold, a decrease in overall immunity¹. Exacerbation is often accompanied by fever, chills¹. The most characteristic symptoms of sinusitis, in addition to yellow snot, are headache, a feeling of fullness along the edges of the nose, in the area of the bridge of the nose and cheeks.¹.
Smoking. During smoking, particles of tobacco smoke settle on the mucous membrane of the nose and nasopharynx, causing irritation. This irritation often leads to inflammation and increased production of mucus in the form of yellow snot.
Adenoiditis. Adenoids are tonsils located on the posterior fornix of the nasopharynx. With their inflammation (more often in children), yellow mucous discharge is also observed.
Ozena or offensive rhinitis. This disease is characterized by atrophy of the nasal mucosa with yellow-green discharge with a fetid odor.
The use of some colored drops, such as protargol, can also turn nasal discharge yellow. In this case, usually other manifestations of any disease are not observed.

The most common symptoms of these diseases are fever, chills, headache, general weakness.

Often, purulent discharge from the nose accompanies other diseases of the respiratory system, such as bronchitis, tracheitis, pharyngitis. At the same time, in addition to complaints of yellow snot, patients have cough, sputum, fever, chills.

What does the color of snot show

Our nose, without any rhinitis, produces as much as two liters of mucus per day , which we quietly swallow. In the cold season, the attack of viruses intensifies, and there are more secretions. As long as the mucus is clear, we can be sure that the nose is doing its important job and protecting the body from infection. But if yellow-green snot enters the arena, this is an indicator that white blood cells or leukocytes have died, destroying pathogens. Their remains led to the staining of the mucus. In total there are three stages of the common cold :

Dry – noticeable burning in the nose, frequent sneezing with eye irritation and tearing. In such a situation, the nose sometimes lays, the sense of smell disappears.
Wet – serous transparent discharge occurs. A lot of them. Edema forms inside the nasal cavity. Breathing becomes more difficult, the person speaks through the nose.
Mucopurulent discharge – the former transparent change to thick yellow snot. The penetration of a bacterial infection may indicate the presence of pus.

Also, sometimes, after blowing your nose, you can see red streaks on a scarf. This means that the person was blowing air too actively and overdid it, trying to get rid of the yellow snot. This led to damage to small vessels. And if there is a lot of blood, there may be polyps in the nose.

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What does yellow snot mean

So, the immune system has entered into a fierce battle with the pathogenic microflora that has entered the body. Why it is yellow snot that flows from the nose , says the presence of one of the following diseases:

Cyst of the paranasal sinuses, in which fluid accumulates, mucus. The walls of this formation are constantly inflamed and give off a lot of pus, which is why an adult has yellow snot.
Chronic sinusitis, where we will add frontal sinusitis, sinusitis, ethmoiditis, sphenoiditis. Against the background of a decrease in general immunity, a person only has to freeze, after which yellow snot appears, the temperature rises, the head starts to hurt, it seems that the edges of the nose and the area of the cheeks under the eyes are bursting.
Adenoiditis is characterized by damage to the tonsils located in the nasopharynx (adenoids). Often, with their inflammation in a child, yellow thick snot can be seen. There may be periodic sore throat, there is a violation of nasal breathing.
Ozena is distinguished by severe atrophy of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and yellow-green snot, which often turn into crusts, occupying almost the entire cavity. But it’s still flowers. Discharges are characterized by a fetid odor and cause severe inconvenience to the patient.
Smoking (theoretically it can be called a disease) can also provoke mucus staining. Particles of tobacco smoke linger on the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, irritating it. The secret is being worked out on a larger scale. So smokers should not be surprised why they have yellow snot.
Some drugs that are instilled directly into the nose change the color of the mucus. For example, when a child has yellow-green snot, many parents use protargol. The brown liquid can further color the discharge, so that it darkens.

If an adult has bright yellow snot, it is likely that a new inflammatory focus has arisen caused by an infection. With a decrease in color saturation, the inflammatory process fades, usually experts talk about the onset of recovery.

When yellow snot is a sign of sinusitis, it must be treated. Otherwise, complications will occur, and an operation will be needed.

Remedies for yellow discharge from the nose

Drug therapy is considered one of the most effective when yellow snot appears from the nose . Of course, you can not buy drugs without consulting a doctor, based only on advertising promises or the popularity of the drug.

Salt solutions and preparations based on sea water are necessary for washing the nasal passages. They are allowed to be used for irrigation and cleansing of the mucous membrane, when the snot is transparent, yellow or green from a very early age. They are available in special convenient bottles.
Vasoconstrictor nasal drops or sprays help relieve congestion and make breathing easier, which is especially true during a night’s sleep. They can not be used for longer than 5-7 days, and in young children even less. Otherwise, addiction is possible, without these drops it will simply be difficult for the nose to perform its functions later. Also, their thoughtless use can lead to irritation and drying of the mucosa.
Local antibacterial drugs and antiseptics are prescribed when a purulent or mucopurulent discharge from the nose occurs, which means the following: not all yellow snot in a child and an adult needs to be treated with antibiotics. This will be decided by the doctor after the examination. He may also recommend systemic antibiotic therapy to the patient. Such drugs are drunk in a course – from 3 to 10 days, depending on the drug and dosage. You can’t stop treatment halfway even if you feel better!

If an adult has yellow snot without fever, you should not resort to antipyretics. But when there is an increase in it, you can take paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Vasoconstrictor sprays should be used if the snot is yellow and thick, the nose does not breathe, and antipyretic sprays should be used when the temperature rises

Folk remedies for yellow snot

Many mothers and fathers still teach their children and breathe themselves over hot potatoes, not only in the treatment of coughs, but also a runny nose. We will not remind you that such inhalations can lead to burns of the skin, mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, eyes, and provoke swelling of the larynx. Above, we indicated that cilia provide protection for the respiratory tract, and under the influence of hot steam, they die off, leaving the paths open to infection. On the Web, you can find forums where yellow snot is proposed to be treated by washing the nasal cavity with herbal infusions.

Proponents of this method believe that it is less likely to get side effects and complications that occur when using drugs. Some people like to take the solution in the palm of their hand and sniff it with their nose. The liquid enters the throat and is spit out. But a more convenient way is to instill with a pipette into each nasal passage. After that, the head must be lowered, part of the solution will flow out.

If you are concerned about yellow discharge from the nose, chamomile, sage, calendula, linden, clover, sweet clover, eucalyptus leaves, oak bark, St. John’s wort are used for washing. All these herbal preparations are sold in a pharmacy, and the method of preparing the tincture is indicated on the package. You need to use only boiled water or saline solution – to enhance the effect.

If the snot turns yellow when you need to go to the doctor

To make a diagnosis, a specialist needs to carefully examine the nasal cavity using a special dilator. It makes it possible to see the state of the mucous membrane, adenoids and partially evaluate the sinuses. If sinusitis or sinusitis is suspected, the doctor also slightly presses with his fingers in the area of the projection of the paranasal sinuses. These are places on the side of the back of the nose and between the eyebrows towards the forehead. If the patient is in pain, this is a reason to suspect inflammation and start treatment, otherwise yellow snot will cause discomfort for a very long time.

Sometimes yellow snot comes from only one nostril. Most likely, this is a left- or right-sided process, characteristic of purulent inflammation of the sinuses. With this diagnosis, thick discharge of a bright yellow color with greenish or brown streaks is noted. They are difficult to separate, and when trying to restore breathing, there are pulling sensations under the eye. Often the temperature rises, the head hurts and the general condition worsens. In this case, it is necessary to contact a specialist until the pus has spread further and has not led to serious consequences (meningitis, for example).

It is dangerous to start to figure it out on your own than to treat yellow snot in a child. So, up to about ten months, babies do not know how to blow their noses and breathe through their mouths, and parents begin to use vasoconstrictor drops uncontrollably. They do not cure a runny nose, but only make breathing easier, and they should not be abused. The doctor will show you how to use aspirators (devices that help remove mucus). In addition, it is important to teach the child to blow his nose correctly. Adults don’t mind remembering this either.

Take a paper napkin, close one nostril and carefully blow out the air with mucus from the other.
You can’t push hard, otherwise you can provoke a rupture of capillaries or throwing an infection into the auditory tube. For this reason, children often develop otitis media.
Repeat the procedure with the other nostril. If the snot does not come out well, you can use saline or sea water and try again.
If the yellow snot is thick, the nose is blocked and vasoconstrictor drops have to be applied, they are first dripped, and after 15 minutes they are washed with saline.

It is advisable to consult a doctor in any case if yellow snot occurs. If you do not expel mucus, forget to rinse your nose and generally do not deal with the problem, a runny nose can develop into a chronic one.

Treatment of yellow snot in adults

If you complain of yellow discharge from the nose, you should seek medical help from an otorhinolaryngologist. Since such complaints can be observed in several diseases, the doctor can make an accurate diagnosis only after a complete examination. The specialist will take a swab from your nose and throat to determine the bacteria and their sensitivity to antibiotics.

If you experience yellow snot during pregnancy, you should consult a doctor. During this period, the use of most drugs is prohibited, as they can harm the child. At the same time, nasal congestion makes it difficult to breathe and can cause hypoxia or oxygen starvation of the fetus. The safest remedy that can be used in pregnant women is rinsing the nose with saline solutions.³.

Folk methods for treating yellow discharge include washing or irrigating the nasal cavity based on various herbs. In this way, possible side effects and complications that may occur when using drugs can be avoided. Proven folk methods include:

Infusion of sage leaves. To do this, put a few sage leaves in a glass of boiled water, let it settle, then wash the nasal cavity.
A mixture of linden flowers and linden, clover and sweet clover leaves. Mix the leaves in equal parts, add 1 cup of boiled water. Chilled infusion can be used to rinse the nasopharynx.
Hypericum leaves. A decoction of St. John’s wort leaves is used for rinsing, washing, and also inside.

Prevention of snot in adults

Measures to prevent yellow snot in adults include:

Strengthening immunity;
Frequent outdoor recreation. Regular rest in resorts, in sanatoriums;
A healthy lifestyle and giving up bad habits, especially smoking.
Daily rinsing of the nose after visiting large crowds of people (during the season of high prevalence of SARS).

Causes of yellow snot in adults

What does the color of snot show

What does yellow snot mean

Remedies for yellow discharge from the nose

Folk remedies for yellow snot

If the snot turns yellow when you need to go to the doctor

Treatment of yellow snot in adults

Prevention of snot in adults

Popular questions and answers

What does snot color mean?

How to blow your nose properly?

Is it possible to draw in snot?

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