What is a runny nose?

Almost everyone has experienced a runny nose at some point in their life. When you have experienced this, you know that it can be very annoying. The nose continues to drip and therefore has to be blown again and again. The main entrance to the respiratory system is the nose. On the inside of the nose is a layer of mucous membranes and these are covered with fine hairs. The hairs ensure that the air that is inhaled is filtered. The mucous membranes ensure that the hairs remain moist and warm the air. The nasal mucous membranes always produce a little bit of fluid, but are they inflamed or irritated? Then the mucous membrane produces more fluid than normal and this fluid, a light and cloudy secretion, runs out of the nose. The discharge can also be a bit yellow / greenish, usually there is an inflammation in the nose.

How does a runny nose develop? What can cause a runny nose?

A runny nose can be caused by a variety of reasons. People often think of a cold or allergy, but there are various stimuli that can cause a runny nose. Here is a list of causes for you to think about.

• Cold: thin snotty nose and/or sneezing
• Allergy: this can be caused by pets, house dust mites or food allergies, for example
• Hypersensitivity to dust: sometimes the nasal mucous membranes are very sensitive and react quickly to dust in the air.
• Temperature change: from being warm inside to the cold air outside. Or a cold air chafing the face and nose.
• Spraying perfume: it can irritate the nose causing a runny nose.
• Effort and sport: by being intensively involved with something, the nose has to work harder. One then breathes in harder, which creates cold and dry air in and around the nose. This causes the nose to create extra mucus and this runs out of the nose.
• Old age: the mucous membranes become more porous and allow more moisture to be released into the nose.

Whatever the cause, the nose is stimulated, the nasal mucous membranes swell and therefore more moisture is produced. This fluid, possibly with snot, runs out of the nose; and this creates a runny nose.

chronic runny nose

There are also people who suffer from a chronic runny nose (vasomotor rhinitis). There is then a disturbance in the nasal mucous membranes, often due to hypersensitivity to a certain substance, such as an allergy or random dust particles in the air.

There are also many elderly people who suffer from a runny nose. When we get older, certain processes in the body are less well regulated. In the case of a chronic runny nose, the vascular tension of the blood vessels can decrease, making the nose more irritated. The blood vessels may also become slightly porous, causing fluid to be released and drip from the nose. This can lead to a chronic runny nose.

How do you fix a runny nose?

The small, short-lasting runny noses quickly resolve on their own. When you stop exercising or look for warmth again. The symptoms usually disappear after half an hour.

But what if it lasts longer? A runny nose is very annoying and everyone wants to get rid of it as soon as possible. We give a few tips. Blow your nose gently if you have a runny nose. This releases the bacteria and allows you to breathe properly through the nose again. Make sure not to blow your nose too often and use a soft handkerchief when blowing. Don’t you? Then the skin can burn and irritate. Drink plenty of fluids such as water, herbal tea, or fruit juice. This helps to get the excess moisture out of the nose. Skip the caffeinated drinks. This can actually make the nose even more clogged.

Capsinol against a continuous runny nose

Do you continue to suffer from a runny nose? Then you can use Capsinol. Capsinol is a nasal spray that contains capsaicin. This is the substance from a red pepper that provides a hot effect. Medical research has shown that the capsaicin is effective in a chronic runny nose. The capsaicin stimulates the nasal mucous membranes and ensures that the mucus and fluid production decreases to normal levels. In many cases, Capsinol also offers a good solution for the complaints for the elderly. While a nasal spray based on xylometazoline can only be used for 7 days in a row, Capsinol can be used for a long time in succession. Capsinol is not harmful to the nose. The pepper can be a bit of a shock.

Note: Capsinol is a spicy nasal spray, which may take some getting used to. In addition, it has a constructive effect. It can take several days to two weeks before really good results are achieved. If there is no difference after two weeks, there is a good chance that Capsinol does not offer a solution for you. Sometimes the mucous membranes do not react to the stimulus of the pepper.

The fact is that for a large part of the people it does help. Often with a long-term positive result.