Runny nose is the idiom that Americans use to describe what happens when your nose runs (that is, when liquid comes out of your nose because of a cold, allergy, or crying). This is the term for the general condition of having a running nose and is used in a sentence like the word cold when it refers to an illness.
A stuffy or congested nose occurs when the tissues lining it become swollen. The swelling is due to inflamed blood vessels. The problem may also include nasal discharge or “runny nose.” If excess mucus runs down the back of your throat (postnasal drip), it may cause a cough or sore throat.
Lack of vitamin B12 and iron deficiency can cause anemia and lead you to feel cold.
Raynaud’s (ray-NOSE) disease causes some areas of your body — such as your fingers and toes — to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress. In Raynaud’s disease, smaller arteries that supply blood to your skin become narrow, limiting blood flow to affected areas (vasospasm).
When mucus starts to build up or trickle down the back of the throat, this is known as postnasal drip. Causes of postnasal drip include infections, allergies, and acid reflux. As well as feeling the need to clear the throat frequently, a person with postnasal drip may also experience: a sore throat.
Clearing the mucus by blowing the nose should reduce this congestion somewhat. At the beginning of colds and for most of the time with hay fever, there’s lots of runny mucus. Blowing the nose regularly prevents mucus building up and running down from the nostrils towards the upper lip, the all-too-familiar runny nose.
In many people, the nasal septum is off-center — or deviated — making one nasal passage smaller. When a deviated septum is severe, it can block one side of the nose and reduce airflow, causing difficulty breathing.
After dealing with a blocked nose during a bout of cold or flu, it is not uncommon for a runny nose to emerge soon after. The good news is that this is a positive sign, though – it is just your body’s way of getting rid of any bacteria.
So when your body is prepping to poop, it also fires up nerves in your nasal regions as a byproduct, too—which can cause the blood vessels in your nose to widen. Basically, pooping puts your body in sensory overdrive, dilating the vessels in your nasal region, resulting in the runny nose.
While you are standing or sitting upright, you have gravity helping you drain the mucus from your nasal cavity, but when you lie down, it becomes easier for mucus to accumulate and cause sinus issues at night. Nasal congestion at night can become especially noticeable when you have a cold, the flu or a sinus infection.
Blood Flow Changes. When you lie down, blood flow to the upper part of your body increases. This includes your head and nasal passageways. This increased blood flow can inflame the vessels inside your nose and nasal passages, which can cause or worsen congestion.
If you feel that you are blocked up but are not really producing mucus, then this is more indicative of a physical abnormality, such as nasal polyps or a deviated septum. It is quite common for people to complain of having a blocked nose on one side.
Many people think a stuffy nose is the result of too much mucus in the nasal passages. However, a clogged nose is usually the result of inflamed blood vessels in the sinuses. A cold, the flu, allergies, or a sinus infection can all inflame these blood vessels.
Without enough B12, you might not have enough healthy red blood cells to move oxygen around your body (anemia). That can leave you shivering and cold, especially in your hands and feet.
The study, the largest to date on the link between vitamin D and common respiratory infections, shows that people with the lowest vitamin D levels report having significantly more cases of cold and flu than those with higher levels.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency- a pale yellow tinge to your skin.
a sore and red tongue (glossitis)
mouth ulcers.
pins and needles (paraesthesia)
changes in the way that you walk and move around.
disturbed vision.
irritability.
depression.
Cold skin may be from an imbalance or problem with how your body controls temperature (thermoregulation). This can include imbalances in the hypothalamus, the area of your brain that processes temperature. It can also be due to metabolic causes, including lack of body fat.
There’s a condition called Raynaud’s Syndrome. It’s triggered by cold temperatures and causes blood vessels in extremities to go into a temporary spasm. This blocks blood flow and frequently leaves fingers and toes deathly white or purple. And it can leave your bum feeling like a block of ice.
Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Use a saline nasal spray to help relieve symptoms. Limit the use of decongestant nasal sprays to no longer than a few days, as instructed on package labels. A cool-mist humidifier at your bedside can combat congestion worsened by dry winter air.
Mucus producing foods- Dairy products. It’s at the top of mucus producing food list for a reason.
Wheat. Gluten found in wheat products (like bread and pasta) can cause excessive mucus, especially for those with a gluten intolerance.
Deep fried foods.
Sugary treats.
Soy.
Red meat.
Caffeine.
Alcohol.
Things like allergies, eating spicy food, and being outside in the cold can result in a more watery nasal leakage. Your body usually makes thicker mucus when you have a cold (caused by viruses) or sinus infection (caused by bacteria). Most mucus problems are temporary.
Hot showers provide relief from cold or respiratory symptoms
The heat from the water and the steam can help to: open airways. loosen up phlegm. clear out your nasal passages.
Elevate Your Body Temperature To Fight Viruses
Soaking in your hot tub to increase your body’s temperature and induce a slight fever can help boost your immune system and stop the cold virus in your nose from reproducing.
If you have blockage that is continuous, it could be a result of a deviated septum. Inflammation and nasal polyps. There are people who have chronic inflammation and nasal polyps. In rare cases, this can be due to a tumor, but these are uncommon.