Clear mucus is normal and necessary to filter air and protect the nasal lining. Excess clear mucus can indicate allergies, colds, or sinusitis, while colored mucus may indicate infection. Home remedies and over-the-counter medications can help, but bacterial infections require a doctor’s attention.
Clear mucus is usually normal mucus. The cells lining the sinus passages produce mucus to protect the mucous membrane lining. The main purpose of mucus in its normal state is to filter the air when a person breathes. A certain amount of clear mucus is healthy and necessary. Excess clear mucus production, or different types of mucus, can indicate a problem.
It is normal, healthy, and necessary for some clear mucus to be present in the sinus passages. This type of mucus acts as a defense against airborne particles. It protects the mucous membrane lining of the nose and helps keep dust, pollen, germs and other debris from entering the body. In this normal state of production, the presence of clear, healthy mucus is rarely noticeable or bothersome. Generally, a person only needs to be concerned when there is too much clear mucus or the mucus is not clear, indicating an infection.
Some of the more common causes of excess clear mucus include allergies, hay fever, and the common cold. Many of these conditions can be treated with simple home remedies and over-the-counter medications. Other causes of excess clear mucus, such as acute sinusitis and the flu, may require a doctor’s attention. The excess clear mucus usually drains via postnasal drip, which is often characterized by a runny nose, nasal congestion, and a tickling or sore throat.
If other types of mucus are present, it could mean that the person is suffering from a more serious condition. For example, green, yellow, or brown mucus could indicate a viral or bacterial infection. Viral infections, such as the flu and the common cold, are usually treated by treating the symptoms rather than the condition itself. Bacterial infections, on the other hand, generally require antibiotics. These antibiotics will treat the secondary bacterial nasal infection, but a doctor will also need to diagnose and treat the primary disease causing the infected mucus.
Common home remedies and over-the-counter medications can help treat simple post-nasal drip and even ease the symptoms of viral infections that cause infected mucus. Such remedies include taking a steamy shower or using antihistamines or nasal decongestants in pill or spray form. If there is infected mucus, it is best to see a doctor. Infectious mucus often means a bacterial infection is present, and a bacterial infection generally requires a doctor’s attention and prescription treatments. It is always best to consult a doctor when the nature and cause of the infected mucus is unknown.
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