Some causes, such as stress or environmental exposure, may be easier to remedy through lifestyle change.
The running usually starts within the first two to three days after you pick up the virus.
COVID-19
Maskot / Getty Images
A runny nose is one possible symptom ofCOVID-19.
FG Trade / Getty Images
Most people with COVID-19 cantreat the diseaseat home with over-the-counter medicines.
If you develop more severe symptoms, your healthcare provider may prescribe an antiviral medicine.
Available antivirals for COVID-19 include Paxlovid, Veklury, and Lagevrio.
Maskot / Getty Images
you’ve got the option to prevent COVID-19 infection or lower symptom severity by getting vaccinated.
At Risk?
Treatments are most effective when started within days of developing symptoms.
LeoPatrizi/iStock
Allergies
Also known as:Hay fever andallergic rhinitis
Allergic reactions often cause arunny nose.
It may happen most often in the spring or fall.
Pollencomes from:
You may also be allergic to dust, pet dander, or wildfire smoke.
Axel Bueckert / EyeEm / Getty Images
Nasal secretions from allergies are usually clear.
Cold, dry airis known to dry out thenasal membranes.
As a result, you may have a drippy nose.
JBfotoblog / Getty Images
Wearing a scarf or mask over your nose may help prevent it.
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.
Hero Images / Getty Images
What they do know is that it’s not really an immune response.
But avoiding foods is your first-line defense against symptoms.
Research shows that 39% of women experience runny nose and congestion during pregnancy.
Photography by ZhangXun / Getty Images
Always ask your healthcare provider before starting a new medication.
Each medication can cause a runny nose in a different way.
The increased blood flow to the nose during physical activity causes that watery drip.
Holde Schneider / Getty Images
The sinuses are in charge of making mucus that drains from the nasal passageways into the nose.
When you’re congested, bacteria stay in there and can lead tosinusitis(sinus infection).
When it lasts for 12 weeks or more, it’s called chronic sinusitis.
Sollina Images / Getty Images
They make it difficult for you to breathe.
But you may also have:
Treating Polyps
The first treatment for nasal polyps is usually medication.
If that doesn’t work, you may need surgery.
Cecilie_Arcurs / Getty Images
Deviated Septum
Hello Africa / Getty Images
The septum is the bone and cartilage between your nostrils.
When it leans to one side of the nasal cavity, it’s called adeviated septum.
A deviated septum can cause breathing problems, including a runny nose.
Dmytro Bosnak / Getty Images
Other symptoms are:
Some people are born with a deviated septum.
you could also get one from an injury like abroken nose.
If symptoms are mild, adeviated septumdoesn’t need treatment.
Hello Africa / Getty Images
If symptoms are more serious, a surgery called septoplasty can correct it.
When there’s a tear in the membrane, theCSF can leak out.
This can occur because of a:
Sometimes, a spinal fluid leak occurs for no particular reason.
SCIEPRO / Getty Images
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.
Spinal fluid leaks are rare.
dowell / Getty Images
The first treatment is usually bed rest.
Other treatments may include saline infusions and hydration with caffeine.
If those treatments don’t work, you may need surgery.
Iaflor / Vetta / Getty Images
People who develop Churg-Strauss have a history of asthma or allergies.
It can affect:
In rare cases, EGPA can affect thebrain.
A runny nose is a common symptom of EGPA.
undefined undefined / Getty Images
Other symptoms include:
Mild EGPA is often treated with the anti-inflammatory medication prednisone.
They’re resulting from stomach contents that wash back up from the stomach into your esophagus and upper airway.
Diet and lifestyle changes, like smoking cessation, are important in treating GERD.
Ron Levine / Getty Images
Medication and surgery (in some cases) are common treatment options.
Along with the tonsils, they are part of your infection-fighting lymphatic system.
And like your tonsils, sometimes they need to be removed because they become enlarged.
Creative RF / ADAM GAULT / SPL / Getty Images
When the heart rate speeds up and blood vessels narrow, your nasal passages can open up.
Stress related to exercise may be beneficial, but emotional stress can lead to a host of health issues.
Talk to your healthcare provider about steps to manage stress.
Branimir76 / Getty Images
The aging process leads to changes in nose structure that may contribute to the problem.
Treatment will depend on the cause, but may include inhaledcorticosteroiddrugs or antihistamines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily.
A runny nose can be a symptom of something that’s contagious, like the common cold or COVID-19.
But it could also have a non-contagious cause, like cold air, hormones, or allergies.
One side of your nose may be runny because of various reasons.
Sometimes the common cold causes a runny nose on one side.
Or, you may have a deviated septum.
In rare cases, it could be a spinal fluid leak or nasal/sinus cancer.
A constant runny nose may not be serious.
but talk to your healthcare provider if it lasts more than 10 days.
Stanford Medicine Childrens Health.Chronic rhinorrhea (runny nose).
2022 May 28;39(3):354-359. doi:10.1093/fampra/cmab153.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About common cold.
Stanford Children’s Health.Common cold in children.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Viruses or bacteria: What’s got you sick?
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of COVID-19.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Types of COVID-19 treatment.
Yale Medicine.Seasonal allergies (allergic rhinitis).
Harvard Health Publishing.You don’t say?
Why does your nose run in cold weather?
Liva GA, Karatzanis AD, Prokopakis EP.Review of Rhinitis: Classification, Types, Pathophysiology.J Clin Med.
2021 Jul 19;10(14):3183. doi:10.3390/jcm10143183.
Molnar I, Kelemen E, Somogyine-Vari E.The prevalence and characteristics of allergy in autoimmune thyroid diseases.
2013;755:213-20. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4546-9_27
Cedars Sinai.Nonallergic sinusitis.
UpToDate.Patient education: Nonallergic rhinitis (runny or stuffy nose) (Beyond the Basics).
Harvard Health Publishing.What to do about sinusitis.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Sinus infection.
Sedaghat AR.Chronic rhinosinusitis.Am Fam Physician.
2017 15;96(8):500-506.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection basics.
Sarber KM, Dion GR, Weitzel EK, McMains KC.Approaching chronic sinusitis.South Med J.
2013;106(11):642-648.
Stanford Medicine.Deviated nasal septum.
Penn Medicine.Cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF leak).
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis.
2017;56(22):3003. doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.8457-16
American Lung Association.Symptoms and diagnosis of EGPA.
American Lung Association.Treating and managing EGPA.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
2021 Feb 8;21(1):53. doi:10.1186/s12890-020-01364-8.
2014 Feb;78(2):218-22. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2013.10.057.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) treatment.
2016 May;36(2):343-57. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2015.12.010.
Cedars Sinai.Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.
