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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 color of phlegm can take on virtually any color of the rainbow and has a tremendous meaning in diagnosing and pin-pointing different types of diseases and conditions. Coughing up clear mucus could just mean an onset of seasonal allergies or a mild viral infection, the clear mucus production usually resolves itself within 5-7 days like any viral infection.