Whether due to allergies, illness or other causes, a runny nose can be problematic when you're running. By hindering your ability to breathe properly, a runny nose can affect your oxygen intake, stamina and overall enjoyment. As these effects can limit benefits of your run, it is important to understand the possible causes of and treatments for a runny nose while running.
Benefits
Despite being bothersome, your runny nose may have health benefits and is often a natural response to running. By increasing your metabolism, running can lead to an increased production of mucus by your mucous membranes. This extra mucus can help to catch dust, dirt and other airborne particles as you run. As your breathing rate increases, this extra mucus may help to protect you from the increased amount of airborne particles that you inhale when running.
Rhinitis
Though your runny nose may be no more than a natural adaptation to running, it may also be caused by rhinitis. This condition, which causes inflammation in the mucous membrane, leads to excess mucus production and watery nasal discharge. As these symptoms are characteristic of a runny nose, it is possible that your symptoms are caused by rhinitis. Combined with the increase in mucus production associated with your increased metabolism, rhinitis can significantly hinder your ability to breathe and run comfortably.
Allergies and Rhinitis
Though rhinitis may be the cause of your runny nose, rhinitis is often caused or made worse by other conditions. Common conditions that may lead to rhinitis symptoms include ear, nose and throat problems and allergies. If you are allergic to dust, pollen or pollution and find that your symptoms are worse when running outdoors, your allergies might be the primary cause of your runny nose. Whether or not you also suffer from rhinitis, you may be able to treat your runny nose with allergy medications, such as prescription and non-prescription antihistamines. Similarly, ear, nose and throat problems such as nasal polyps or chronic infections may be the primary cause of your rhinitis symptoms and are treatable with antibiotics.
Chronic and Exercise-Induced Rhinitis
If you find that these treatments do not work, you may be suffering from chronic or exercise-induced rhinitis. Chronic rhinitis has symptoms similar to those of other forms, but does not respond to most treatments for rhinitis and does not arise from another condition. In such cases, a prescription, steroid-based nasal spray may help to prevent a runny nose from developing while you run.
Exercise-induced rhinitis, or EIR, is characterized by chronic rhinitis symptoms that worsen with exercise and affect allergic and nonallergic people whether or not they exercise indoors. A team headed by Lawrence Schwartz of Virginia Commonwealth University states, in a 2008 review of the literature, that a diagnosis of EIR should be used only when other forms of rhinitis and possible causes of rhinitis symptoms have been ruled out.
Treatments for EIR
Despite not responding to traditional rhinitis treatments, EIR may be treatable with a combination of medications. In a 2006 review of the literature on EIR, Sergio Bonini of the Second University of Naples and his colleagues suggest a number of possible treatments for EIR. Though they divide EIR sufferers into allergic and non-allergic groups, they suggest that the same treatments may be beneficial whether or not you also suffer from allergies. Their findings indicate that a combination of prescription-strength antihistamines, immunotherapy and oral, intravenous or intramuscular rhinitis medications may help to control your EIR and prevent your runny nose while running.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Runny Nose
- "HealthMad"; Do You Have a Runny Nose When Exercising?; Kristie Leong; Dec. 21, 2010
- "Allergy"; Exercise-Induced Hypersensitivity Syndromes in Recreational and Competitive Athletes: A PRACTALL Consensus Report; Lawrence B. Schwartz et al.; August 2008
- "Allergy"; Rhinitis and Asthma in Athletes: An ARIA Document in Collaboration with GA2LEN; Sergio Bonini et al.; June 2006
