Let’s talk about runny noses
It all begins with Mucus (say: MYOO-kus). This is the slimy, sticky stuff that’s inside your nose.
Some people call it “snot”.
Your nose produces a lot of snot – up to a pint a day. But you swallow most of it.
While mucus may seem gross, it is actually very important and helps you stay healthy.
Your snot keeps germs, dirt, and bacteria from getting into your lungs. Kind of like an air filter as you breathe.
Sometimes your snot decides to wander, and this is when you get a “runny nose”.
Here are the main reasons you may get a runny nose:
Cold or Flu.
When you have a cold or flu your nose is making extra mucus to prevent germs from getting into your body.
Also, mucus removes the virus or bacteria from your body.
So even though you’re already sick, you could get even sicker if it weren’t for the job your mucus is doing.
So when you have this extra mucus, and your nose feels stuffy, it’s a good idea to blow your nose into a tissue.
Allergies
Kids with allergies get runny noses when allergies flare up, like when around pets or outside during pollen season.
This “runny nose’ reaction is the same as when reacting to germs – to protect your body from ingesting those particles that you’re allergic to.
Crying
When you cry, your tear ducts work overtime.
Your tear ducts (which drain the liquid in your eyes) are connected to your nose, so when you have a lot of tears, the liquid will mix with mucus and cause a runny nose.
Cold weather
When you’re outside on a cold day, your nose tends to be runny.
Why?
It’s trying to stay warm to warm up the air you breathe into your lungs.
Blood vessels in your nose open wider (they dilate) which help to warm up the air you’re breathing.
That extra blood flow causes more mucus production, so now your nose is runny.
Here’s The Fix!
The FIX is simple. If your nose is runny, blow your nose.
Then be sure to put your tissues in the garbage, away from other people. You don’t want to spread germs.
And remember, always wash your hands after you blow your nose!
#YouGotThis
