A runny nose while eating your meal is quite common but extremely irritating as well. Medically called gustatory rhinorrhea, this condition should not be ignored otherwise further complications can be caused. Why does your nose run when you eat? It can be due to serious underlying medical conditions like hay fever, food allergy, etc. The temperature of the food you eat may also cause a running nose. You can however treat your condition through OTC medications and some diet modification.

Why Does My Nose Run When I Eat?

With causes listed below, you can be clearer about your own specific condition. Here are some of the most common problems leading to a running nose.

1. Certain Food Allergy

Sinus complications often come along with food allergies. Allergic symptoms can involve a runny nose, nasal congestion, or excessive sneezing if you have a food allergy. Common food allergens include nuts, fish, soy, peanuts, eggs, wheat, and milk. As for the running nose, it can be due to increased levels of histamine, causing irritation and inflammation in your sinus cavity. The levels of histamine increases when your immune system produces antibodies and histamine to eliminate certain proteins found in the food you eat.

2. Temperature Due to Certain Foods

Why is my nose running when eating? If you have asked yourself such a question, temperature can be one of those factors to blame. There are mucus membranes in your sinus cavity that help protect your nasal passages from debris and irritation. If you have excessive mucus buildup in your sinus cavity, it may become loose due to the heat from the food. This will lead to a runny nose. Some spices can have the same impact – the most common culprits are curry powder, chili pepper, and cayenne pepper.

3. Hay Fever

If you have been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis or hay fever, you are likely to develop an allergic reaction when eating certain fruits and vegetables, causing a runny nose. Your immune system basically responds to tree pollen and mistakenly takes the structure of certain fruits and vegetables as tree pollen.

4. Certain Taste or Smell

Why does your nose run when you eat certain foods? Aside from the above triggers, certain taste or smell can cause an allergic reaction. Being exposed to odors such as scented candles, perfumes, diesel exhaust, smoke, or paint fumes can also lead to a runny nose.

5. Scar Tissue

Sometimes, the constant drip from your nose is due to excessive amount of mucus, but this excessive mucus buildup can be due to a scar tissue developed after you may have sustained a nose injury in the past, instead of allergy or infections.

6. Other Causes

What's more, changes in the air temperature, hormonal change during menstruation, emotional stress, and common medications can also cause a runny nose. Some people develop non-allergic rhinitis that affects the nasal lining, which in turn produces several symptoms including runny nose.

How to Deal With Runny Nose While Eating

Why does my nose run when I eat something? You already know the causes and will naturally want to know how you can do to ease this condition.

1. Apply Nasal Spray

If you have developed gustatory rhinitis, a type of non-allergic rhinitis, you may benefit from the nasal spray Ipratropium bromide. Sold as Atrovent nasal spray, it needs to be taken before a meal to prevent certain symptoms. The FDA has approved Atroven as treatment for allergic and non-allergic rhinitis. It has fewer side effects and is not addictive. The elderly are more likely to deal with rather severe side effects, including loss of bladder control. They can take oral antihistamine as an alternative to deal with runny nose while eating.

2. Take Antihistamines

Antihistamines are available in different forms. You can take oral antihistamines but they may have certain side effects such as drowsiness. Just avoid using nasal sprays and antihistamine pills together. Also, take these medications only when you really need them and are going to be part of a social gathering.

3. Keep Good Hygiene

Be sure to keep your nose clean. It is a good idea to blow your nose several times a day. You need to remove the fluid to ensure you do not have to deal with a runny nose when eating.

4. Neti Pot May Help

Try a neti pot if it seems difficult to get rid of the irritant from your nostrils. You can even fill the neti pot with salt water to clean your nose and flush out your nasal passages. Anything like neti pot, syringe, and other nasal irrigation products may work.

5. Prepare Enough Tissues Handy

Keep a packet of tissues handy to deal with your problem. Just touch your nose lightly with a tissue whenever you feel it has started dripping. You may also want to avoid spicy food such as Thai or Mexican food to make your runny nose more manageable.

6. See a Doctor When Necessary

Contact your doctor if your runny nose becomes worse. They may ask for certain tests to confirm if you have an allergy. They will also examine your nose to determine if a scar tissue is the reason behind your problem.