Health care benefits and services from the Veterans Health Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. Last updated January 23, 2017
Hello Rebecca. The yellow discharge from your nose could have been due to infection or chronic common cold. It is common knowledge that infection turns the secretions yellow. But a clear yellow discharge may not necessarily mean infection . Long standing cold can lead to thin yellow discharge.
A. Clear, watery nasal discharge [ahem, snot] can herald the start of a cold. As the body begins to combat the illness, white blood cells rush to defend the injured tissues. This immune response turns the clear secretions cloudy and colors them green and yellow.. Clear, watery nasal discharge [ahem, snot] can herald the start of a cold. As the body begins to combat the illness, white blood cells rush to defend the injured tissues. This immune response turns the clear secretions cloudy and colors them green and yellow.