Why is my nose runny? Here are 5 causes of mucus discharge.

When you have the flu or allergies, you will definitely feel uncomfortable with your nasal passages. The reason is, you will be busy cleaning the nasal discharge or mucus that flows non-stop even though it has been expelled many times. Actually, where does snot come from? Can mucus in the nose be a sign of problems with the body? Read on for the following reviews, yes!

Unique facts about snot

Talking about snot may sound ridiculous to some people. In fact, this thick liquid has interesting facts that you may not have known before, you know.

Snot is mucus or fluid produced by the mucosal glands that line the respiratory tract. These passages include the nose, throat, and lungs. The body produces mucus continuously, even reaching one to two liters of mucus every day.

Interestingly, you don't realize that you swallow your nose every day when you don't have the flu. This occurs when the fine hairs on the nasal cells (cilia) move mucus down the back of the nasal passages to the throat and swallow it.

But make no mistake, nasal mucus has an important role for your body, including:

• Keeps the inner lining of the nose moist so it doesn't dry out
• Traps dust and other particles while breathing
• Fight infection
• Humidifies the air you inhale so that it becomes more comfortable when you breathe

Another fact, dust and particles that have been caught in the nasal cilia will dry up and become covered in nasal mucus. This is where a crust of dirt forms inside the nose, or what you are more familiar with as upil.

Where does snot come from?

Normal nasal mucus has a very thin and runny texture. Increased production of mucus is one of the ways the body responds to foreign substances that enter the body. This is because the mucus acts as a barrier to infection by cleaning the nasal organs from particles that cause inflammation.

When the mucous membrane is inflamed, it can make the mucus texture thicker, thicker, and stickier. This condition tends to make you uncomfortable when you have the flu. Causes of inflammation of the mucous membrane can be due to infection, allergies, irritants, or vasomotor rhinitis.

The color of the mucus is a sign of health conditions

Have you ever noticed the color of mucus when you have a cold? If you pay attention, the color of the mucus produced is not always the same. Sometimes they are yellow, green, brown, or even reddish.

Healthy or not in your body condition can be seen from the color of the snot. However, a change in the color of your mucus does not always indicate a bacterial infection in your body. Therefore, immediately ask your doctor for a more precise diagnosis.

Well, here are various characteristics of nasal mucus that indicate a problem with your body's health or a problem with your nose:

1. Color clear mucus

Clear mucus is generally in the form of esinusitissinutisincer and transparent. This is a sign that there is an increase in mucus production. However, in general, clear mucus does not indicate a specific health problem. Every day we produce about 4 cups of mucus to keep the lining of the nose moist and as an antidote to fungi, viruses, bacteria and pollutants.

2. The color of white snot

Winter is usually prone to colds, allergies and dehydration. This occurs when the nasal hair cells are injured due to inflammation, so that the mucus is difficult to pass and loses moisture which causes the mucus to turn white. Even so, white nasal discharge is still considered normal.

3. Yellow snot

Basically, the color changes depending on how much mucus is in the nose as well as the severity of the inflammation that is being experienced. If your runny nose is yellow, it means you may have an infection or sinusitis, provided that the cold has persisted for more than ten days.

Light yellow mucus means your body is fighting something, such as a fever. Yellow mucus doesn't mean you have to see a doctor, it's a normal symptom as a form of defense. However, if these symptoms last more than a week, sometimes accompanied by fever, headache, or coughing up mucus, this is a sign that you should see a doctor.

4. Green snot

Green mucus means you have a bacterial or fungal infection. The green color is produced by white blood cells that respond to infection or inflammation. When your nasal cavity is inflamed, it will swell. This causes mucus to get trapped and fungus to grow.

5. Red or brown snot

The red or brown hue of nasal mucus is blood that comes from damaged blood vessels. This bloody discharge occurs when you may sneeze too hard or because the lining of the nose is too dry, causing blood vessels in the nasal cavity to burst. This condition is sometimes also associated with nosebleeds.

How to get rid of mucus that has accumulated in the nasal passages

Thick, sticky nasal mucus often runs out of the nose, even down the back of the throat. This condition is really annoying and makes you uncomfortable.

Luckily, you can easily treat this runny nose at home. The method of treatment may depend on what caused it, but here are general steps you can follow to get your nose properly:

1. Drink lots of water

Whenever your nose produces excess mucus, make sure you meet your daily fluid needs. By drinking lots of water, the mucus becomes thinner and easier to pass. It is recommended that you drink 8 glasses of water a day.

2. Breathe in hot water vapor

Pour hot water into a bucket or basin. Then, bring your face closer to the steam that comes out of the hot water. Cover your head with a towel or cloth, then breathe normally with the hot steam.

This method is believed to help the mucus get out of the nose more easily, so you can get rid of it immediately.

3. Install humidifier

If you are often in a place or room with dry air, for example in an air-conditioned room all day long, you should consider using it humidifier . Its function is to balance the humidity in the room, so that this moisture helps mucus drain more easily from the nose.

4. Using drugs

Apart from following the home remedies above, you can also take medicines that are in accordance with the cause of your runny nose. The medication will work directly on the main cause of a runny nose, so that the mucus no longer builds up in your nose.

For example, if your nose is runny due to allergies, you can try using antihistamines or steroid nasal medications such as budesonide and fluticasone.

According to the Wexner Medical Center website, the length of time that excess mucus stays in the nose will depend on the cause:

• If it is caused by a bacterial infection, even without antibiotic treatment, the mucus will disappear on its own in 10-14 days.
• Viral infection takes longer, which is about 3 weeks.
• Inflammatory respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD take longer, and even tend not to improve, unless the disease is handled optimally.