Your runny nose may not be due to allergies - here's what the color of snot can tell you

It's springtime, which means your nose is becoming a snot-filled war zone against pollen and other allergens.

But before you blame your over-productive nasal passages on allergies, you should pay close attention to substances coming out of it.

The mucus in your nose serves many functions. Its color can tell you and your doctor a lot about what's going on in your body - especially when it's been an abnormal shade for a long time.

Here are a few of those things, sourced mainly from this Cleveland Clinic infographic and the . You should know, however, that snot color is not enough to diagnose anything outright. Still, it offers a unique glimpse into your body's strange ways of telling you that something's up.