Causes of runny nose

Runny nose is the most common condition in our lives. Many people will have a runny nose even if they don’t have any disease. In fact, people don’t have a runny nose for no reason. If you have a runny nose often, there must be some reason that causes the runny nose. So, what exactly is the cause of a runny nose?

Snot is a kind of mucus secreted by the human body to keep the nasal cavity moist. Although normal people will have snot, it usually does not flow out automatically. Unless it is squeezed out manually, there will be no runny nose. Runny nose is most common in rhinitis, nasal polyps, sinusitis, etc. Common causes of a runny nose include:

1. Cold: In the early stage, the discharge is clear water or mucus, and purulent discharge may appear in the later stage of the cold.

2. Chronic rhinitis: The nasal discharge is mostly mucous. The amount can be more or less.

3. Allergic rhinitis: The patient has clear watery nasal discharge in large amounts, accompanied by sneezing and nasal itching. It can occur year-round or seasonally. Patients with allergic rhinitis may have asthma, especially children.

4. Chronic sinusitis: mostly mucopurulent secretions, bilateral or unilateral, accompanied by nasal congestion, dizziness, memory loss, etc. Unilateral sinusitis should be considered odontogenic sinusitis.

5. Nasal polyps may also cause clear nasal discharge, which may be accompanied by purulent nasal discharge when infected. Nasal congestion, dizziness, memory loss, etc. may also occur.

6. Children's secretions are relatively vigorous. If there is no other discomfort, it may be caused by cold air irritating the nasal cavity and no special treatment is required. Unilateral nasal congestion with blood in the mucus may be caused by foreign matter in the nasal cavity.

7. If there is yellow watery discharge, the possibility of a cyst in the sinus should be considered, and a sinus X-ray or CT scan should be taken.

8. If there is blood in the mucus, please refer to the common causes of nosebleeds.

9. Other causes include cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea, atrophic rhinitis, etc. The latter is mainly characterized by dry nasal crusts, thick, scanty and smelly nasal discharge.

The above are all the reasons for runny nose. In fact, people will also have a runny nose when they have a cold. However, this situation usually disappears when the cold symptoms disappear. If the runny nose occurs for a long time, it is recommended that you check whether it is caused by the above diseases so that you can receive targeted treatment.