What is Your Snot Saying?

It’s peak cold and flu season, and mucus is making many of our lives miserable. But despite being a little icky, phlegm gets a bad rap.

Feb 2, 2017

It’s peak cold and flu season, and mucus is making many of our lives miserable. But despite being a little icky, phlegm gets a bad rap. This germ-fighting goo contains cells and chemical compounds that help us power through a cold. You can also think of mucus as a traffic light for your health — what turns up in our used tissues can be a useful clue about the inner workings of our immune systems.

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