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Although the common cold is the most common cause of a runny nose, it is certainly not its only cause. We can struggle with this ailment practically all year round. Why is your nose running when you cry, eat when you are cold, have a cold and wake up in the morning? We check.
Every season of the year seems to be a good time for a cold. There are at least a dozen reasons for a runny nose, and some mechanisms of such a reaction are simply amazing. Colds and allergies can be the obvious culprits for a runny nose, but sniffling can be caused by other unusual causes, such as hormone influences.
14 reasons for a runny nose
You can get a runny nose for many reasons. In most cases, it is caused by a build-up of mucus in the nasal cavity or sinuses. Your nose fills with excess mucus through your nostrils in response to an irritant or allergen. But there are many other triggers for a runny nose, including daily habits, health, and even what you eat.
Further part below the video.
Cold air
Why does our nose run when it’s cold? This is a very familiar picture. It’s freezing outside, and as soon as we enter a warmer room, we nervously search for a handkerchief. If you stay outside long enough, you may even notice that your mouth is chapped by constantly wiping your nose. Why is this happening?
Cold and dry air dries the nasal mucosa. This changes the fluid balance in the nasal passages. The sudden change triggers a kind of inflammatory response, and your nervous system reflexes make you have a runny nose.
Spicy food
Some people are flooded with sweat, others cannot control their tears or a runny nose that seems to be endless. Why do you have a runny nose when eating spicy foods?
This ailment has a fancy name: rhinitis related to a food reaction (not a food allergy). There are two types of food-related rhinitis.
- Allergic rhinitis. This type of runny nose occurs when you’re exposed to allergens like pollen, dust, and even foods like peanuts that trigger an inflammatory response.
- Non-allergic rhinitis (NAR). This type of runny nose occurs when an irritant enters the respiratory tract (e.g. spicy food) and causes symptoms similar to an allergic reaction.
The reaction is most often triggered by spicy food, which causes the body to produce extra mucus. This happens when food stimulates the receptors in the nose.
The most common causes of runny nose are:
- hot peppers,
- Garlic,
- curry,
- hot sauce,
- chili powder,
- ginger,
- other natural, intense spices.
Hormonal rhinitis
Hormones can directly affect the membranes in the nasal passages, making the mucous glands more reactive. The most common causes of rhinitis are: thyroid hormones, growth hormone and female sex hormones. A runny nose can also be a common symptom during pregnancy. Symptoms of rhinitis during pregnancy appear to be related to estrogen levels.
Why is this happening? Changes in blood vessels throughout the body can cause blood to pool in the blood vessels in your nose.
After Wake up
Some people start practically every morning meeting with a handkerchief. Why is your nose running when you wake up? Symptoms of a runny nose can be worst in the morning as exposure to allergens and irritants is more severe at night. Allergens build up in your airways throughout the night, so when you wake up, your body needs to remove them efficiently. This causes an increased production of mucus that builds up in the back of your nasal passages when you lie down and flows down when you sit or stand up.
A runny nose gel with marjoram can help if you suffer from rhinitis. It allows you to unblock a stuffy nose, which significantly facilitates breathing.
Physical activity
This is another puzzle that often puzzles us. Why does my nose start to run during training? Aerobic exercise such as running, aerobics and even sex can cause a runny nose. If you have a runny nose while active outdoors, the cause could be more down-to-earth and related to allergies, cold air, or other irritants.
Cry
This mechanism is very simple. When you cry, tears run from your tear ducts, which are under your eyelids, and flow into the nasolacrimal canal and into the nasal cavity. There they run down to the inside of the nose, mixing with mucus and other substances in the nose, such as allergens or blood. When discharge appears in the nose, it should be removed. As a result, you have a runny nose.
Contrary to what you might think, the fluid that flows from your nose when you cry isn’t just snot – it’s tears and all that was right in your nose.
Chronic sinusitis
The sinuses are the four cavities in your head. They are all connected by channels. It is in the sinuses that the mucus is produced that flows from the nasal passages into the nose. The mucus also reaches the back of the throat. The sinuses prevent bacteria or viruses and debris from being trapped in the nose. When the sinuses become blocked, germs can develop in them and cause infection.
If this happens, you will develop sinusitis. When this condition persists for more than 12 weeks, it is chronic sinusitis. One of its symptoms is a runny nose. Other symptoms include:
- discharge of secretions down the throat,
- headache around the face and eyes,
- feeling of pressure
- Stuffed nose,
- reduced sensitivity of smell and / or taste.
If you constantly have a runny nose that won’t pass, consult your doctor.
Polyps
Sinus or nasal polyps are soft growths of tissue inside the nose and sinuses. They make breathing very difficult and can affect the rhinitis. People who develop nasal polyps usually also have the following medical problems:
- asthma,
- allergic rhinitis,
- chronic sinusitis,
- sensitivity to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid),
- cystic fibrosis.
A persistent runny nose is one of the bright symptoms of sinus polyps or nasal passages. But you may also experience other ailments such as:
- Stuffed nose,
- pressure around the face,
- pain,
- loss of smell and taste,
- Headache,
- sinus drainage.
Cold
When the cold virus enters the body, production begins histamine, a substance that causes a protective inflammatory response. It also increases the secretion of mucus to cleanse the nose of germs. Colds can be caused by several viruses, the most common of which is family rhinoviruses.
Mucus in the nose can help catch external irritants or bacteria and viruses that have entered the body. It is a very common defense mechanism in the case of viral infections, which mainly attack the upper respiratory tract.
The mucus build-up works like additional protective layer of nasal tissue, preventing the entry of dronorganisms into the body through the nasal cavity or sinuses. Mucus that drains from the nose removes infectious bacteria and other irritants from the bodyby helping to reduce inflammation caused by exposure to the pathogen.
- Do you want to effectively cleanse your nose from secretions? Try the Qatar STOP pear for adults
The curve of the partition
The septum is the bone and cartilage that separate the nasal cavity and divide it into the right and left sides. When the septum tilts to one side of the nasal cavity, it is called a crooked septum. Some people are born with a crooked nasal septum, but can also become distorted due to an injury such as a broken nose.
Crooked septum can cause breathing problems, including a runny nose. Other symptoms of a deviated septum include:
- Stuffed nose,
- difficulty breathing through one or both nostrils
- recurring sinus infections
- loud breathing through the nose in infants and children,
- mouth breathing while sleeping in adults.
Drugs taken
A runny nose is a fairly common but little-known side effect of certain medications. Each drug can cause a runny nose by a different mechanism. Medicines used to treat the following conditions can cause a runny nose in some people:
- hypertension.
- enlarged prostate,
- pain,
- erectile dysfunction,
- depression,
- cardiovascular diseases.
A runny nose is also a possible side effect of ingestion hormonal contraception.
Allergy
Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, can cause a runny nose. In spring or fall, you can often experience a runny nose associated with allergies. Most often it occurs as an inflammatory reaction in your body to pollen in the air.
Nasal discharge resulting from allergies is most often clear and colorless, although in some cases it may resemble a runny nose from an infection (greenish or yellow discoloration).
If you have mild to moderate allergy symptoms, an oral antihistamine or a nasal antihistamine is your first line of treatment. It is best to consult an allergist for an effective therapy.
Churg-Strauss syndrome
Churg-Strauss syndrome, also known as eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a rare disease in which cells in the tissues or blood become inflamed or swollen. It most often affects people with asthma or allergies. It is a rare disease that primarily affects the lungs, sinuses, and nose. Runny nose is a common symptom of Churg-Strauss syndrome. Other symptoms include:
- dyspnoea
- pain in the chest,
- stomach pain,
- bloody stool
- skin rash
- arthralgia,
- muscle pain,
- numbness in the limbs.
If your doctor diagnoses you with Churg-Strauss syndrome, he will most likely prescribe a steroid drug. This will reduce inflammation.
Cerebrospinal fluid leak
The cerebrospinal fluid surrounds your spinal cord and your brain. The liquid is enclosed in a surrounding membrane. When it is torn, the fluid may leak out. It can happen due to a head injury, during certain surgical procedures or when performing a lumbar puncture. Leakage from the ear and nose are rare symptomswhich may signal a cerebrospinal fluid leak. A characteristic symptom is a headache after the body is upright, which disappears in the supine position.
We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we were wondering why switching our thinking and acting to slow life is a real challenge? Why is listening to your needs so important? What will it do for us? You will hear about it below.