Vitamin G

Answered! Why Your Nose Runs When It's Cold Out


First: having a runny nose is technically known as rhinorrhea. Which is perfect, because it sounds exactly like what it is. Anyway, according to EverydayHealth:

"Our noses warm and humidify--add moisture to--the air we breathe as it travels down into the lungs. So when you inhale cold, dry air, the moist tissue inside the nose automatically increases fluid production to do its job of protecting sensitive lung tissue. But when there's too much fluid, the excess tends to drip out, creating a runny nose."

Cold air also speeds up mucus production, so there's more stuff up there to drip out. People who exercise in the cold are especially apt to experience runny-nose syndrome (also known as "skier's nose"). The best way to keep your nose normal in the cold? Cover your mouth and nose with your scarf. The air that you breathe in through the material will be warmer and moister so your nose doesn't have to do as much work.

Do you like exercising outside, even when it's cold out? Do you ever get "skier's nose"?

More nose news:


Photo: Thinkstock

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