Does Mucus Color Really Indicate Cold Vs. Sinus Infection?

I guess I should preface this with the fact that I do not believe in the 'common cold'. Anytime I have congestion or mucus there is 'something' wrong and if I don't treat it, it will continue to snowball and I will feel worse and worse until I get antibiotics to clear it up. I also suffer from allergies and nothing seems to clear on its own. So as soon as everything kicks in I get myself to the doctor for antibiotics.

Now a few weeks ago I had a nasty sore throat (I never get a sore throat) so I lugged myself to an express care. They deemed it viral and sent me home. By the time I finally got to see my doctor 4 days later everything had snowballed and he said I was "a mess". He said that adults are not like children and it is never 'just viral'. He gave me antibiotics and I started to feel better quickly after that.

So yes, I would rearrange my day to see a doctor and if I knew the doctor was conservative with antibiotics I would find a new doctor :-)

Hope you feel better soon.

I just had this!
I couldn't get to the doctor for antibiotics, and it turned out that 2 days of good old fashioned "irrigation" solved the problem. If you can stand to do it (I was at the point to try anything other than a doctor's office), it will work.

Go get a saline mist can from the local drugstore (a neti pot will work, too). Wash your sinuses out 3-4x/day, and you'll be feeling better in a day or two. This is more than just snorting a saline spray. You need to flush your sinuses. Do one side (let it run out the other), blow your nose. Then do the other. Same thing.

It should do the trick!

Four weeks? Please go to the doc. I'll bet that you have a sinus infection. You don't want to mess around with it. I ended up having to have surgery for a sinus infection that wouldn't heal, WITH antibiotics. Mine caused facial pain that I still have post-surgery, though not as bad as before, sigh. I hate hearing that people have sinus infections. I think my face hurts more when I hear those words...!

Dawn

I can't answer your actual title question, but i also wanted to recommend the saline nasal rinse. It is super gross, sort of like accidentally swallowing a tiny bit of pool water. you can get the stuff at a drugstore or a place like walmart, I use the McNeil brand. Whole sheband to get you started is no more than $20. Try it in the shower ( with the shower off) and bend downwhile tipping to the side and have lots of tissues handy.
Obviously the safe answer is see a dr due to the length of time you have been sick, but I bet the sinus rinse could help you out until you could get into the dr, if you still feel like you need to after you try it for a few days.

Colored mucus is a sign of infection, but not area specific. Meaning yellow green mucus can = sinus, upper respiratory, lower respiratory, ear, or throat infection.

The color also doesn't indicate type. It could be bacterial, viral, or fungal.

And LACK of color doesn't mean there's not an infection. I get sinus infections all the time (schtupid northwest ;) and sometimes the mucus is colored, but as often the mucus is clear as day.... all 200 cups worth. But a nasal swab will come back positive, because there's an infection. Usually a contagious one.

If you want to try a home remedy first, smash up a whole bulb of garlic, pour steaming water over it, put a towel over your head and breathe in the steamy air. I was sure I had a sinus infection, really bad facial pain with runny nose etc. I did this one night and the next day it was gone. Maybe worth a try. Good Luck!

Yellow/green mucus is not necessarily a sign of a sinus infection, but infection in general. Could be bronchitis, laryngitis, etc., but you can't know for sure unless a doctor checks you out.

Waiting for it to bleed?

Believe it or not, but I halted a forming sinus infection with organic apple cider vinegar. Infact, it cleared up my cough too....cheap remedy that worked for me.

I've always been under the impression that green mucus was a bacterial infection(sinus, bronchial, pneumonia, ear infection,etc) requiring antibiotics, clear was allergic, and white was viral...so with that said (and that I currently also have sinusitis w/ similar symptoms to yours) go to the doc/urgent care....and if your doc is truly conservative like mine is, s/he won't give you any if you truly don't need 'em. Feel better