Different colors of pus?!
Question: I apologize in advance for how gross this question is.
I have noticed that sometimes pus is yellow and sometimes it is green. Is there any significance in the color?
Thanks.
Answers: I apologize in advance for how gross this question is.
I have noticed that sometimes pus is yellow and sometimes it is green. Is there any significance in the color?
Thanks.
Well - in some cases yes, and in some cases no. A greenish pus discharge usually indicates a bacterial infection of some sort, but you can't always use color to distinguish between a viral and bacterial infection. Some bacterial infections- like the pseudomonas that causes vaginal infections gives you a frothy white one. The color in some cases is due to a rather complicated chemical reaction involving the neutophils which the body uses to fight off infections- particularly bacterial ones. The substance that give pus its green color is an enzyme called myeloperoxidase (MPO), which is released by the neutrophils. The chemical is somewhat greenish in appearance in the pure form- so if you have a nasty infection, you have enough of it get concentrated to notice the color. Although we think of them as white blood cells, in fact- these particular variations of the white blood cell are green. Anyone who's had a really bad sinus infection can attest to being somewhat disconcerted to find green snot in the kleenex- but it's just because there is a full battle going on, with lots of dead bodies on the battlefield- lots of neutrophils, in other words- and it looks greenish. A pus discharge that is waivering between the usual yellow/creamy white and green probably just mean the battle is still on, and there isn't a clear cut winner just yet. As the body starts to win, it should shift back from the green to the usual expected color. Good question though- very observant.
no there isnt its just that puss i infection (dead blood cells) and sometimes there is more water in it that others causing it to be a slightly different color :)
I think green is worse, but either way, if there is pus there is infection.
Its not gross, its just a part of being a living organism. It could be the different kinds of acne. Usually whiteheads pus is white. Blackheads a greenish dark color. Cysts are usually brownish or redish with white. Its the different levels of acne that is the reason of different color.
I am no doctor but from my understanding a type mucus or pus is determine by its color . I know like with mucus if it is clear than is usually a sign of a virus and if its thick and yellow it bacterial infection. so basically the color is determine by what is causing the infection. Check web md!
Although both indicate infection, white pus means there are living white blood cells in it fighting infection. Green means that there are more white blood cells fighting an even bigger infection and yellow means that the white blood cells have died fighting for you and/or are dying and losing to the infection. SO... yellow is worse than green because it means the infection is winning. White pus is usually your body's first response to invasion.