Definition

By Mayo Clinic Staff

A runny nose is having fluid run out of the nose. The fluid can range from thin and clear to thick and yellow-green. The fluid might drip or run out of the nose, down the back of the throat, or both. If it runs down the back of the throat, it's called postnasal drip.

A runny nose is often called rhinorrhea or rhinitis. But the terms are different. Rhinorrhea involves a thin, mostly clear fluid running from the nose. Rhinitis involves irritation and swelling inside the nose.

Rhinitis is the usual cause of a runny nose. A runny nose also might be stuffy, also called congested.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

April 07, 2023

See also

  1. Alcohol intolerance
  2. Allergies
  3. Allergy medications: Know your options
  4. Allergy-proof your home
  5. Alpha-gal syndrome
  6. Aspergillosis
  7. Bronchiolitis
  8. Chronic cough
  9. Chronic daily headaches
  10. Cluster headache
  11. Cold and flu viruses: How long can they live outside the body?
  12. Cold or allergy: Which is it?
  13. Cold remedies
  14. Cold symptoms: Does drinking milk increase phlegm?
  15. Common cold
  16. Common cold in babies
  17. Dust mite allergy
  18. Flu shots
  19. Flu: When to see a doctor?
  20. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
  21. Guide to different tick species and the diseases they carry
  22. Headache and Migraine
  23. Headaches and hormones
  24. Headaches in children
  25. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
  26. High-dose flu vaccines: How are they different from other flu vaccines?
  27. Humidifiers
  28. Influenza (flu)
  29. Mayo Clinic Minute: Why getting vaccinated for the flu is doubly important this season
  30. Measles
  31. Measles vaccine: Can I get the measles if I've already been vaccinated?
  32. Milk allergy
  33. MRSA infection
  34. Nasal Cleaning
  35. Nasal polyps
  36. Neti pot: Can it clear my nose?
  37. Nighttime headaches: Relief
  38. Nonallergic rhinitis
  39. Pain Management
  40. Peanut allergy
  41. Pet allergy
  42. Plugged ears: What is the remedy?
  43. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
  44. Roseola
  45. Rubella
  46. Swollen lymph nodes
  47. Vicks VapoRub: An effective nasal decongestant?
  48. Warm-mist versus cool-mist humidifier: Which is better for a cold?
  49. Whooping cough
  50. Whooping cough
  51. Do zinc supplements shorten colds?