Why is it that children always have drippy wet noses when playing outside in the winter?! Anyone who cares for kids has experienced that moment of gross indecision about what to do when they can’t find which of their many pockets holds that much-needed hanky! We’ll leave the rest of that story to the imagination. But don’t you wonder why noses run so much in the cold weather?
Sure, your child might have a head cold, caused by a virus, not by cold temps. But, assuming that that nose wasn’t runny while you were bundling up to go out, the more likely answer is that your child’s nose is just doing its important job, making the air your little one breathes wet and warm. Plus, the mucus and hairs in our noses filter the air a bit, capturing germs and particulates so they don’t get into our bodies. Our noses and sinuses make a lot of mucus every day – a lot, like 1-2 quarts. Most of that mucus goes down the back of our throat to our stomach to be digested, killing the germs it contains. But we make even more when we play outside in the cold. Called cold-induced rhinitis, that additional mucus protects the membranes in the nose and the bronchioles in the lungs from damage due to the cold, dry air of winter. So that runny nose on a cold day may actually be a sign of good health. You’ll just want to keep a handkerchief handy in every pocket!
Read this document from the Washington State Department of Health for some strategies for staying healthy during cold season.