Why do our noses run? – GOOD SHAPE

A breeze hits and your nose starts to run. Or, you find yourself sniffling from the office air conditioner. After all, why does our nose run? And what to do when we have a runny nose? This is what we are going to investigate today:

WHY DO OUR NOSES RUN?

“Mucus is needed to keep the airways moist and functioning properly,” explains Dr. Brianna Nicolletti, allergist and immunologist at USP. “Not only does it prevent harmful particles from entering the lungs, it also contains antibodies that help destroy bacteria.”

Usually, she explains, if there is an inflammatory process in the nose, whether due to allergies, irritants or the use of topical nasal decongestants, there is a dysfunction in the normal functioning of the mucus and excessive production can occur, with a runny nose.

For the doctor, a runny nose can have one or more causes:

Allergies (allergic rhinitis)
Cold temperatures, dry weather (or due to dryness from hot or cold air conditioning)
Infections: common coldthe flu
Vasomotor rhinitis, a form of non-allergic rhinitis that causes a runny nose by irritating factors (strong smells, changes in temperature, etc.)
Chronic use of nasal decongestants

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE NOSE RUNNING?

“When a runny nose interferes with quality of life and daily activities, decongestants, anti-allergy medications or even topical nasal medication can be used”, explains Dr. Maura Neves, otorhinolaryngologist from USP.

The main thing, however, is to pay attention to the symptoms that accompany this runny nose: sore throat, nasal obstruction or dark secretion can mean an infection, according to the doctor.

“Secretion coming out of only one nostril is also a cause for concern. In this specific case, it could be a CSF fistula (when the CSF that surrounds the brain drains through a bone gap in the nose), something a little rarer, but which should be investigated by the doctor.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF WASHING THE NOSE

You must have heard of course about the importance of nasal washing to keep your nose healthy and free of excess runny nose, right? Well, here, this washing comes in as a very important form of prevention and seems to be part of the routine.

“Nasal washing plays a fundamental role in the control and treatment of nasal dysfunctions, including nasal discharge”, says Dr. Roberta Pilla, otorhinolaryngologist from the Brazilian Association of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervico-Facial Surgery – ABORL-CCF. “It will mechanically remove the secretions that are in the nose and, with that, remove agents that cause infections and inflammation such as pathogens, allergens existing in the nasal cavities, viruses, bacteria and fungi that we frequently inhale in our daily lives.”

In this way, nasal washing promotes cleaning and also hydration, fluidization and nasal decongestion. Other than that it helps in the prevention of colds, flu, sinusitis and still controls rhinitis crises.

The ideal is to wash your nose at least twice a day, after waking up, to remove the accumulated secretion of the night, and at the end of the day, to wash away the impurities that remained in our nose during breathing.