Good Question: Why Do Our Noses Run In The Cold?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Most of Minnesota hasn't gone above the freezing mark since Feb. 9, so anyone spending time outside might be feeling that drip, drip, drip from the nose.
That had Carole from Hibbing wanting to know: Why do our noses run in the cold?
"Every time you step out the door, it seems to just turn on like a faucet," St. Paul resident Victoria Stewart said.
Lisa Ferguson-Stegall, a professor of exercise physiology at Hamline University, says the linings inside our noses typically create about a liter of mucus a day.
"Our noses run for really normal, perfectly fine reasons, although snot is irritating and annoying and can be embarrassing," Ferguson-Stegall said.
Our nasal mucus is useful for many things, like keeping our nasal passages moist for comfort as well as preventing bacteria and debris from entering our bodies.
In cold weather, our noses work overtime to warm and humidify the cold air we breathe in by producing extra fluids. That extra mucus helps properly condition the air so it's not a shock to the lungs.
"Gravity being what it is, it's mostly going to drain out," Ferguson-Stegall said.
Adding to runny nose is when the warm air we breathe out hits the cold air outside.
Ferguson-Stegall says it creates condensation in the nose, "and really amplifies the problem."