I have wondered about this myself. Mine has remained a sickly green (except when brown, pink, or red from old or fresh blood) for the last 8 months, and I have wondered if that would ever change. From what I have been able to ascertain, the answer to whether colored sputum indicates chronic inflammation from bronchiectasis or active infection is yes. In other words, either can cause it. The color comes from white blood cells (particularly neutrophils) or their breakdown products. This can occur with chronic, non-infectious inflammatory conditions, like bronchiectasis, or with infections. From reading through posts, it sounds like there is tremendous variability from person to person as to what their "typical" sputum color is. My sense is that it is important to be alert to changes (for example, changing from clear to yellow or green), as these may suggest something new, but, for some, the sputum may stay colored, even in the absence of an active infection due to the ongoing inflammation. Just my two cents.

Hi Heather!