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Yellow phlegm in particular can scream infection. But, interestingly enough, the color does not come from infection. A yellow hue to the mucus is caused from white blood cells, according to Health.com. So, yellow mucus therefore isnât a result of an infection, but a result of the body fighting an infection. Coughing up yellow mucus therefore can be associated with battling the illness as opposed to being a symptom.
The green-colored phlegm is often produced due to a long term infection or non-infectious inflammatory causes. The color of the phlegm can be attributed to the enzyme called myeloperoxidases (MPO) which is caused by the breakdown of neutrophils in the cells and secreted by the white blood cells.he phlegm can be a sign of infections like bronchitis, pneumonia, cold or flu, chronic sinus problems, asthma and even lung cancer in certain situations. Different types of infections produce different colored phlegm. The color of sputum could help in identifying the nature of an infection.