Which color of phlegm is which?

Question

I can never remember this, so I figured I might as well ask and write it down.... Which color of phlegm (from the nose or coughed up) means what?

What does clear phlegm mean?
What does cloudy white phlegm mean?
What does yellow phlegm mean?
What does green phlegm mean?

How about white and cloudy?

Answer 1

I know that clear is good, just healthy mucus making its way out. Green blown from the nose is a sign of a serious sinus infection and needs antibiotics ASAP. yellow from the chest means your sick, however if at any time it turns into looking like orange juice, you most likely have pneumonia and need to see a doc immediately.

Answer 2

Green means your body is working it fighting the infection do not go to your doctors saying my phlegm is green he will say good well done carry on, blood in the Phlegm can be just small blood vessels breaking and if it's totally blood it's not Phlegm. Clear white is just a cold , what you have to watch is when you find it hard to breath and you struggle with breathing that is the time to to head for the doctors or hospital because what you have then is a real chest infection, the older the younger you are the more you need to watch out for these infections.

Answer 3

as far as I know, because I've dealt with it for 24 years straight, phlegm is a reaction to a respiratory infection.
As the phlegm becomes more cloudy the infection is worsening. You would also be able to taste how bad the infection is, as phlegm gets darker/more yellow-green it gets a very pungent taste to it.
Not that you should taste it or swallow it, but you simply will because you have to cough it up.
If it's green or brown ish you're reacting to something, for me it's cold weather. It makes it worse.

Answer 4

I just know that green means infection and that clear is ok. I can only guess that yellow means almost infection.