What Your Snot Is Telling You About Your Health (Image)
When you sneeze, how often do you actually look at what comes out of your nose? Probably not very often, because it’s kind of gross.
However, the snot, boogers, and other gooey substances that exit your nose when you sneeze are actually wonderful clues as to what’s going on inside of your body! All kinds of things can make us sneeze, like allergies, dust, a cold, an infection, and so on, and one of the greatest ways to tell what’s happening in your body is to examine the colour of your snot. Not all snot is bad, either; it can even indicate that you’re healthy! Clear, runny snot is completely normal and can be considered a healthy part of your body’s functions. Even if there’s a decent amount running out of your nose, clear snot generally means that your immune system is doing just fine. It’s when your snot begins to take on different colours that you should start to be concerned. When your snot begins to thicken and transitions to a more yellow colour, it contains more white blood cells than normal, which means that your body is probably fighting the early stages of a cold. You can combat this by eating immune-boosting foods, staying hydrated, and simply ‘taking it easy.’ Green snot, on the other hand, is something you don’t want to have.
The green colour forms as a result of a green coloured enzyme called myeloperoxidase, which helps make powerful immune cells called neutrophils. Green snot indicates your immune system has too many of these cells, which means your body is fighting a cold or flu. If you find blood in your snot, don’t be too alarmed. That can easily occur if your nose is irritated, so just stop blowing it (or picking it) so much. If your snot is a much darker colour though, like black, that is cause for concern, as it could mean you have an infection (source).
The following infographic perfectly illustrates what your snot colour means: When air debris gets trapped in your nose hair, it mixes with the liquid in your nose to create boogers. So, boogers are essentially just dried up snot. I don’t know about you, but that sounds extremely unappetizing to me, but many of you probably ate your boogers as children (or maybe you still do to this day). Society tells us that’s gross, and if you have children, you probably discourage them from eating them. Yet a biochemist from the University of Saskatchewan maintains that the nasal mucus we commonly refer to as boogers has a sugary taste so that humans could actually enjoy eating them. It is thought that consuming boogers may introduce pathogens from your environment to your immune system, ultimately strengthening it by broadening your natural defence capabilities. I’m not saying you should necessarily eat your boogers, but if your child or someone you know does this, you can rest assured they’ll be fine. If you find yourself with a stuffy nose, try using some all-natural remedies. I love to use a mixture of eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and lemon.
The lemon is great for the immune system, the eucalyptus and peppermint work to open up your nasal passages, and tea tree is extremely anti-bacterial. Rub this on the bridge of your nose or underneath it so you’re inhaling it throughout the day. You can even rub this mixture on your neck to soothe a sore throat. When using essential oils, you want to properly dilute them in a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil or grapeseed oil prior to application. If you have a sore throat, I’d recommend investing in an echinacea throat spray. I’ve tried this with some terrible throat infections and it really works wonders, soothing a sore throat and fighting it off quickly, too. If you can’t handle the taste, you could try an echinacea tea, which has a milder flavour. If you have an actual throat infection, I recommend taking oregano essential oil and colloidal silver. I had a really bad throat infection last year and, after putting a couple drops of colloidal silver underneath my tongue, I was feeling better in no time! Be careful with oregano oil though, as it needs to be properly diluted in order to be consumed safely. You could also try using a neti pot to decongest your nose. Although I’ve never used one, I’ve heard they work really well. All you need is the pot itself, himalayan salt, and some warm water. Remember to use filtered water though, as you wouldn’t want any neurotoxins such as fluoride getting up in there! Even if you don’t have a cold right now, try to keep your immune system strong and your vibes high so you avoid getting sick. Eat healthy, get active, sleep well, and stay hydrated! .
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