The Best Food Items to Eat When One Has a Running Nose

Perhaps no other medical problem may feel so socially embarrassing as a running nose. And it is so common! Well, the thing is, running nose is not so much a medical problem or disease by itself as the human body’s defensive reaction to one.

This happens when viruses or other microbes attack the body. The human body has mucus glands in nasal and food passages. When glands in nasal passages react to the attack by germs by creating mucus in more than usual amounts, it leaks from the nose. The same reaction may also result if one breathes in an allergen or dust.

Foods to Eat When You Have Running Nose

This article explores a list of various food items, the consumption of which can help ease the symptoms of a runny nose. Let us get a deep dive into those:

1. Fluid, fluids, fluids…

The first and one of the most important things to remember when one has a runny nose is to avoid dehydration. As your nose is releasing a lot of one’s body’s fluids, the loss is suffered by the rest of the body through dehydration. Also, you want to supply the mucus gland with all the water it may need to create mucus (even if it is annoying); otherwise, the mucus may grow thick, solidish, and sticky, resulting in a congested nose. Warm water is the best friend one can have in this condition.

2. Hot Teas

Tea, especially garlic tea, is another good food item that one eats with a runny nose. Herbs like ginger, mint, and nettle are good for health when one has a runny nose, and one can add them to tea. It is also good to inhale a stream of tea before drinking. Tea is also beneficial for another condition that often accompanies runny noses, and inhaling the steam from tea may also be helpful.

It is also important to note here that tea should not be caffeinated as caffeine dehydrates the body. For the same reason, one must also note that while tea is good, one must avoid coffee as it drains; according to some research, it is terrible when one’s body needs hydration. Also, check out our list of foods to avoid when you have certain conditions.

3. Spicy Foods

If the reader is a spicy food lover, then here is an excellent reason to eat more. Certain spices like ginger, Chilli pepper, wasabi, and cayenne pepper can be particularly beneficial when consumed if one has a runny nose. When eaten, they create a lot of heat and dilate the nasal and other passageways. Capsaicin, a compound found in spices like chili pepper, has been proven to be an effective treatment for runny noses, and it might also be beneficial with a congested nose.

Also, check out our guide on Foods to Eat when you are dealing with certain health conditions here!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Many people have doubts and questions regarding runny noses and what to eat when one has a runny nose. Some of the most important of these frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are discussed in detail below:

Question: When to see a doctor?

Answer: By itself, a runny nose is not something drastic – even if it is socially embarrassing, but it should be thought of as a cause of concern when there are some other symptoms involved; in this case, one may want to see a physician.

Question: What kind of substance is mucus? Why is it there in the body in the first place?

Answer: Mucus refers to a semi-aqueous, slippery secretion. Among humans, mucus is generally produced by cells found in the neck or nose – these cells form a kind of endocrine gland called mucous glands.

These glands are located in passages and cover mucous membranes. They are thus present in food pipes and windpipes. Their purpose is to serve as a kind of natural protection against any germs and viruses. Excessive mucus can also be a barrier against several harmful germs and insects, leading to running noses and coughs. In other words, a running nose is just a sign that one’s immune system is working extra hard.

Question: What is a congested nose? Is it different from a runny nose?

Answer: A congested or stuffy nose that commonly occurs in nasal congestion might be caused due to inflammation of the lining of one’s nasal passages, making breathing harder to breathe through your nose. A runny nose might occur with or without a stuffy nose.

Question: What are some of the methods of stopping a running nose?

Answer: While there is no foolproof method of getting rid of running nose, One can use the following methods to reduce its effects:

• Using humidifiers.
• Using Neti pots
• Using Nasal sprays
• Taking hot showers

Question: Apart from the food mentioned above, are there any helpful tips for coping with a runny nose?

Answer: The following are some of the other helpful tips that the reader might find beneficial when having to deal with a runny nose:

• Rest – It is important to rest as much as possible, including sleeping long hours. That shall help your body to focus its resources on fighting the viral attack.
• Shower – As mentioned before, a good shower can be soothing when one has a runny nose. A shower before bedtime, in particular, can help one sleep better.
• Avoid alcoholic drinks – Alcohol is never good for health, making most health problems worse. One should make a point of avoiding beverages with alcohol in them when one has a runny nose.
• Let it out – The best way to deal with mucus is to let it out, no matter how embarrassing it may be. One can use a soft tissue to blow or wipe the excess mucus from one’s nose.
• Basic hygiene – One should sanitize or wash hands to avoid the spread of germs. That has grown doubly important ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began. One should also make a point of regularly disinfecting any other objects one touches.

None of these tips are meant to cure or eliminate the underlying cause of a runny nose — namely colds, viral infections, or allergies that may still need treatment, and they will only make the problem more bearable.

Question: Why might one have a running nose?

Answer: One might have a runny nose for several reasons, and the most common sense is a viral infection of the sinuses. In most cases, it results from the common cold, and other common causes include cold weather, allergies, etc.

If the reader has any other questions or doubts, they can feel free to ask these questions.

The Bottom Line

One can quickly wrap up the above discussion by concluding that a runny nose might be socially embarrassing, but certain food items can help make it bearable.