Runny Nose While Eating
Runny Nose While Eating: Causes and Treatment
Are you plagued by runny nose while eating? It can be an acutely embarrassing and can significantly limit your social interactions. Going out to dinner with friends or handling party invitations can become torturous experiences as there is always the concern about the runny nose. This can affect people’s personalities in some cases as they find it easier to avoid social setting rather than deal with their problem in a public place. It may help to know that this is a well-established medical problem called vasomotor or non-allergic rhinitis. The specific issue of clear nasal discharge triggered by eating is called gustatory rhinitis. As the name suggests, this is a reaction triggered by taste and eating.
It is important to keep in mind that while this problem is annoying it is not in any way life altering. Rhinitis is a condition where there is inflammation in the nasal passage. The sensitive blood vessels dilate and this prompts the lining inside the nostrils to produce mucus and so there is excessive fluid in the nose. Rhinitis manifests as a patient experiencing a sneezing fit, a runny nose or a blocked nose. Sometimes there is also localized itching triggered by the discomfort in the nasal passage. As there is some swelling inside the nose, there is also a sense of breathing becoming more difficult.
Vasomotor rhinitis is used by doctors to refer to cases where the nasal lining of a patient seems highly sensitive to minor irritants. Patients dealing with vasomotor rhinitis may find themselves experiencing symptoms brought on by a whole variety of triggers – strong smell of food, aromatic candles or perfumes; a particular taste such as a food item or a drink; changes in ambient temperature such as strong air-conditioning inside a restaurant or a feeling of crowd and heat; to medication and stress or hormonal change. Many of these are triggers that others barely register, and yet those who suffer from vasomotor rhinitis find it hard to cope with many of life’s basic stimuli.
While there is no permanent solution for the problem gustatory rhinitis or of the body’s tendency to have a runny nose while eating, there are ways to suppress that reaction of the body. Experts recommend the use of Atrovent, an anti-cholinergic drug with ipratropium. This is available as a nasal-spray and it is a prescription medicine. You should talk it over with your doctor to ensure that it is safe for you to use and if cleared it is a great aid for managing a dinner with friends. The spray is topical and is not known to have any major side effects. It can be used a couple of times a day. Some patients experience dryness in the nose and throat when using nasal sprays and this usually indicates the need for a dose adjustment.
Other than the medication, there are some other tips for managing the problem. One important consideration is making sure you stay well hydrated. Coffee and some alcoholic drinks can cause dehydration and this is known to aggravate the symptoms of vasomotor rhinitis. Over time it may also help to isolate the food items or perfumes that cause a reaction and while it may be impossible to predict or avoid some things in a social setting, it may be possible to limit contact with the triggers.
Now that there is clarity about the exact nature of the problem, you can also manage it without too much self-consciousness. It is a matter of being prepared and treating the body’s allergic reaction as a bad case of the cold. Between the nasal spray and a packet of tissue, it should still be possible to enjoy a dinner out with friends without having to feel paralyzed by the problem.