Mucus, the unpleasant and viscous thing generated in our nose or inside our organs, is actually more beneficial for us than you image. It acts as a barrier that prevents all sorts of germs and filth from entering our body and further making us sick, so it’s actually a guardian of our health. Generally, mucus is composed of water, salts and a glycoprotein named mucin, from which it borrows its name. The color or texture changes may indicate a health concern, for instances, you may see white or yellow mucus when having cold or flu. However, what does it mean when you have found orange mucus?

What Causes Orange Mucus?

If you ever find your mucus have orange color, don’t be alarmed. It’s not necessarily a bad sign. Here’s a list of possible things that may be making your mucus turn orange.
1

Some Foods

Mucus that comes from our throats might have turned orange because of the action of certain foods or beverages we may have previously consumed. Some oils, sodas, consommés or soups can sporadically change the color of the mucus you have in the throat and/or nasal cavities.

2

Blood

When blood gets mixed up with mucus, as when you mix two different paintings, there is a change in color. Brown, red or orange mucus can mean there is blood getting mixed with your mucus. A number of things may be causing the blood leakage include:

  • Strong nose-blowing or sneezing, or scratching.

  • The air might be too dry or warm, in which case it might be damaging the thin blood vessels inside your nose, causing them to bleed.

  • Your sinuses might be inflamed, which can also cause them to bleed out.

  • Smoking may irritate your nasal passages and/or throat, which may cause bleeding. Otherwise, tobacco particles may also alter the color of the mucus.

  • People with asthma often have pinkish or orange mucus.

3

Bronchitis/Pneumonia

These two sicknesses are often medical conditions that cause the alteration in the color of mucus. Both sicknesses are linked since pneumonia is an aggravation of bronchitis. People suffering from any of these sicknesses have difficulties breathing and cough severely. What tends to happen in both cases is the mucus in the patient’s lungs, which are generally yellowish or whitish in color, can eventually turn slightly pink or orange if mixed with blood, or if the lungs have been infected.

4

Boil or Other Skin Lesions

Ulcers, burns, boils and more skin wounds may also provoke the appearance of a substance that can be similar to orange in tone and emit some kind of unwholesome smell. This is merely a reaction of your body to try defending itself from the infection. We want to warn you that more often than not, it will not be mucus you see in a skin wound, but rather pus which may also have acquired that orange tone for the same reasons.

5

Bacterial Vaginosis

Though orange mucus from nose is more common, nose is not the only part of the human body that mucus can be formed. In women, the vaginal area also produces mucus, which can turn orange because of certain infections or sexually transmitted diseases. Bacterial vaginosis is one of the common infections that can make it happen. Although this is not too hard to treat, it can become increasingly worrying if it recurs, causing severe irritations, itching and emitting very unpleasant smells.

6

Whatever the cause or your orange mucus is, you'd better go visit a doctor in order to get the treatment that suits you best if you feel uncomfortable about it.

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