Party at eight. You grab that teal dress because your crush said that teal is your colour. You are tempted to wear those coral pumps you bought on sale last week but teal and coral will clash. That's a no-no. Eyes are a no-brainer; you go for smokey eyes because that makes your eyes pop without fail. It's 7:30 now, no time to swatch for lipsticks. You grab your go-to nude shade. You are slaying it, aren't you? The antibiotic has worked its magic. Who would have thought you spent the whole afternoon coughing and whining. What's that now? Hold on. *Cough cough.* Spoke too soon maybe. Don't act like you didn't see that slimy gooey stuff in the tissue paper you just coughed up. You might want to check out its colour because this is one colour you really need to be worried about. The others can wait.
What is phlegm?
You guessed it, the "stuff" that you cough up is in fact phlegm. Not going into exhaustive biology, phlegm, snot or mucus is a viscous substance that lubricates the nose and throat. Infections or other bodily disorders cause phlegm to accumulate in your throat causing irritation, which is then expelled by violent attacks of cough. Although mostly clear, phlegm can sometimes be multi-hued.
White is delight
If your mucus is white or clear, congratulations because you are off the hook. The reasons for white mucus can be anything ranging from having extra hot buffalo wings to inhaling dust while cleaning the filthy mess that is your room. It can also be due to viral infections which usually should heal in five days or so.
Hello yellow
Light yellow phlegm is usually good news as it means your immune system is putting up a good fight against any intruders within your body. If your phlegm is a darker hue of yellow, that's not good. It usually signifies bronchitis, acute sinus infection and if you are unlucky even pneumonia. Yellow is not always cheerful.
Slimy brown
Yeah it's probably time to keep that cigarette aside for a while. Buildup of tar and nicotine gives phlegm the colour and if your curiosity trumps your threshold of being grossed out you can even check your phlegm to find traces of solid tar and nicotine. This may be a sign of chronic bronchitis. But if you are addicted to chocolate as opposed to cigarette, it is acid reflux which caused the brown colouration and is no reason to worry about. So grab another and rejoice! Chocolate, not cigarette.
Don't think pink
It may sound pretty but pink phlegm is something you don't want to see. It is mainly characterised by severe cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. We don't like the sound of that either.
Bad blood
Blood in your phlegm is code red. It may be a sign of major illnesses such as tuberculosis or lung cancer. Skipped a beat, didn't you? Fret not. Eat healthy, live healthy and we can assure you that you will live till you are old, cranky and senile. Don't frown.