This article looks at 14 reasons you may have a runny nose, how to deal with it, and when to see a healthcare provider.
The common cold can be caused by over 200 viruses, with rhinovirus being the most common.
When you have a cold, fluids can pass more easily than usual out of your blood vessels and into your nose. The running usually starts within the first two to three days after you pick up the virus.
Mucus usually starts out clear and may turn white, yellow, or even green after a couple of days.
Treatments for a runny nose from the common cold include:
Atrovent (intranasal ipratropium) nasal spray Dimetapp Cold & Allergy (brompheniramine) Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine) Benadryl Allergy (diphenhydramine)
Fever or chillsSore throatNasal congestionCoughShortness of breathFatigueMuscle or body achesHeadacheLoss of taste and/or smellNausea or vomitingDiarrhea
If you suspect your runny nose and other symptoms are caused by COVID-19, get tested—especially if you’re at high risk for severe symptoms.
Most people with COVID-19 can treat the disease at home with over-the-counter medicines. If you develop more severe symptoms, your healthcare provider may prescribe:
Antiviral medicinesImmunity-boosting drugs called monoclonal antibodies
You can prevent COVID-19 infection or lower symptom severity by getting vaccinated.
Allergic reactions often cause a runny nose. It may happen most often in the spring or fall.
In allergies, the runny nose comes from your body’s inflammatory response to pollen, spores, mold, or other allergens in the air. When you inhale an allergen, your immune system sounds the alarm and releases chemicals (histamines for example) that cause inflammation in your nasal membranes and eyes.
Pollen comes from:
Flowering plantsTreesWeedsGrasses
You may also be allergic to dust, pet dander, or smoke from wildfires.
Nasal secretions from allergies are usually clear, but they may also contain pus.
For mild to moderate allergy symptoms, the first line of treatment is an oral antihistamine or nasal antihistamine spray. Glucocorticoid nasal sprays, which help decrease inflammation, may also be effective.
While antihistamines help with a runny nose, they’re not generally effective against allergy-related nasal congestion.
Cold, dry air is known to dry out the nasal membranes. The change causes your inflammatory response and nasal nervous system reflexes to work together causing the nasal glands to produce mucus to moisturize and warm the air entering the nose.
As a result, you end up with a drippy nose. Wearing a scarf or mask over your nose may help prevent it.
Spicy foods like hot chili peppers are very likely to make your nose run if you have gustatory rhinitis, a form of nonallergic rhinitis. Common triggers are spices such as black pepper, curry, garlic, hot sauce, salsa, ginger, and chili powder. However, any food can cause this reaction.
Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly why eating food makes some people get a runny nose. What they do know is that it’s not really an immune response.
It’s more likely related to stimulation (or irritation) of the trigeminal nerve. And it may be associated with a parasympathetic response, which is involved in digestion.
Some people love to push their limits, and desire the full experience of their eyes watering, nose running, and throat burning as they eat their fire alarm hot wings. But, if you are not a fan of the experience, you can reduce your symptoms of gustatory rhinitis when you simply avoid spicy foods.
Another option, however, is taking medicine such as intranasal atropine which is helpful when you can’t (or don’t want to) avoid foods that are spicy. As a last resort, surgery can be helpful if it’s significantly impacting your quality of life.
Hormones can directly affect the membranes in your nasal passages, causing your mucus glands to become more reactive. Hormones that may be involved include:
Thyroid hormones Growth hormone Female sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone)
Symptoms related to rhinitis during a woman’s menstrual cycle, while taking birth control, or during pregnancy, seem to mirror estrogen levels.
For example, peak levels of estrogen that occur midway through the menstrual cycle can increase nasal membrane reactivity and trigger cytokine production which can lead to inflammation (congestion and runny nose) at that time.
Those are also common symptoms during pregnancy when mucus membranes become more reactive and there is an increase blood flow to your nasal blood vessels. Research shows that 39% of women experience runny nose and congestion during pregnancy.
If you’re pregnant, you can try nasal saline spray or exercise to potentially decrease symptoms. If you need more help, talk to your healthcare provider about whether any of these drugs are a safe option for you and your baby:
Pseudoephedrine Claritin Zyrtec Atrovent
Many other possible treatments may be harmful to your baby. Always ask your healthcare provider before starting a new medication.
A runny nose is a known side effect of some medications. Each medication can cause a runny nose in a different way.
While not a complete list, medications used to treat the following conditions are known to cause runny nose in some people:
Inflammation, pain High blood pressure Cardiovascular disease Enlarged prostate Erectile dysfunction Mental illness, depression
A runny nose is also a possible side effect of birth control.
Aerobic exercise such as running, aerobics, and even intercourse may cause your runny nose. The increased blood flow to the nose during physical activity causes that watery drip. Research shows that more athletes suffer from exercise induced rhinitis (EIR) than non-athletes and 40% indicate it affects their performance.
But if you experience a runny nose while being active outdoors, the cause may be more realistically related to:
AllergiesCold weatherAnother irritant
If you experience a runny nose frequently while being active, you can ask your healthcare provider if a medication called Atrovent (ipratropium) would be a good choice for you. It relaxes the muscles around your airways so you can breathe better.
Tears drain from your eyes through small openings in your lower eyelids called lacrimal puncta. They then enter a tube called the nasolacrimal ductThat duct drains directly into your nose
Once you stop crying, the runny nose should clear up pretty quickly.
Mucus flushes bacteria and debris out of your nasal passages and into the back of the throat so you can swallow it. This keeps bacteria from getting trapped in your nose and causing an infection.
When you’re congested, bacteria stay in there and can lead to sinusitis (sinus infection). When it lasts for 12 weeks or more, it’s called chronic sinusitis.
Besides a runny nose, symptoms include:
Sinus drainage down the back of the throat Facial pressure and pain Stuffy nose Reduced sense of taste or smell
Some severe sinus infections require antibiotics, but most of them go away without medical treatment. To ease symptoms on your own, you can try:
Using a saline or decongestant nasal sprayA warm moist cloth on your forehead or noseInhaling steam from a warm shower or bowl of hot water
Nasal polyps are common in people who also have:
Asthma Allergic rhinitis Chronic sinusitis Sensitivity to aspirin Cystic fibrosis
A runny nose is just one symptom of sinus polyps. But you may also have:
Nasal congestion Facial pressure Loss of smell and taste Headache Sinus drainage Mouth breathing
A deviated septum can cause breathing problems, including a runny nose. Other symptoms are:
Stuffy nose Difficulty breathing through either one or both nostrils Repeated sinus infections Noisy breathing (in babies and children) Mouth-breathing while asleep (in adults)
Some people are born with a deviated septum. You can also get one from an injury like a broken nose.
When there’s a tear in the membrane, the CSF can leak out. This can occur because of a:
Head injury Surgery Medical procedures such as a spinal tap
Sometimes, a spinal fluid leak occurs for no particular reason.
Drainage from the ear and the nose are both rare symptoms that can occur. You may also develop a headache that gets worse when you sit but decreases when you lie down.
People who develop Churg-Strauss have a history of asthma or allergies. It can affect:
Lungs Sinuses Nose Heart Kidneys Skin Intestinal tract Joints Nerves
In rare cases, Churg-Strauss syndrome can affect the brain.
A runny nose is a common symptom of Churg-Strauss syndrome. Other symptoms include:
Shortness of breath Chest pain Abdominal pain Bloody stool Skin rash Joint or muscle pain Numbness
Mild Churg-Strauss syndrome is often treated with an anti-inflammatory medication called prednisone.
Methotrexate azathioprine Mycophenolate mofetil Cytotoxic agents such as cyclophosphamide Mepolizumab
Due to the risk of side effects and complications, some of these can only be used for a short period of time.
Your runny nose lasts more than 10 days You have a high fever You have a yellow or green discharge from your nose along with sinus pain or pressure You notice a foul smell coming from inside your nose
Summary
If you have a runny nose, it may be caused by something as simple as the common cold. But allergies, COVID-19, cold air, exercise, crying, spicy food, and several medical conditions can also make your nose run.
If you have a runny nose for more than ten days or alongside severe symptoms, contact your healthcare provider.
