A dripping, runny nose is not a welcomed part of winter, but it happens to the best of us—and there's actually a good reason for it.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.
So, Why Does Your Nose Always Run When It’s Cold?
Updated on Dec. 02, 2024
A nose that drips like a faucet in winter is business as usual for many people, especially those with chronic allergic or nonallergic rhinitis. It even has an official diagnosis: cold-induced rhinorrhea, or skier’s nose.
In a study in the journal Annals of Allergy, researchers found that 96% of poll respondents reported experiencing some degree of the condition, and 48% reported having a more moderate or severe case. And–it turns out–an annoying runny nose in the winter serves a real purpose.
Apparently, getting a runny nose when we step out into a chilly winter breeze is a bodily defense mechanism, according to Murray Grossan, MD, of the Grossan Sinus and Health Institute. That’s because the nose has two main purposes: to filter bacteria so they don’t reach our lungs, and to warm the air before it reaches our lungs.
“In cold weather the cilia, the tiny oars that move mucus along, are slowed,” explains Dr. Grossan, who is also the author of The Whole Body Approach to Allergy and Sinus Relief. When cilia slow, bacteria remain in place and multiply, which can contribute to making you sick in the winter.
All that dripping you experience is your nose working overtime to produce more fluids and help move bacteria along. To help it out, Dr. Grossan says to try physically warming your nose when you come inside: “Rub your hands together, and then breathe into cupped hands or inhale steam from hot green tea and drink it, as green tea stimulates cilia.”
Our nose also runs in winter to combat the drier air. “It needs to humidify the air we breathe in, which is done by the mucus and various secretions in our nasal cavity,” says Ehsan Ali, MD, of Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor in California. “In winter, or when it’s cold outside, the air is much drier than in the summer, which is more humid. Our noses respond by producing more secretions and mucus to help humidify the air to a level our bodies need.”
When there’s a lot of fluid being produced, that’s when it starts to run out of the end of your nose.
For daily wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy by Reader’s Digest newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
Sources
- Annals of Allergy: "The skier's nose: a model of cold-induced rhinorrhea."
- Murray Grossan, MD, of the Grossan Sinus and Health Institute
- Ehsan Ali, MD, of Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor in California
Medically reviewed by
