Definition

By Mayo Clinic Staff

A runny nose is excess nasal drainage. It may be a thin clear fluid, thick mucus or something in between. The drainage may run out of your nose, down the back of your throat or both.

The terms "rhinorrhea" and "rhinitis" are often used to refer to a runny nose. Rhinorrhea actually refers to a thin, mostly clear nasal discharge. Rhinitis refers to the inflammation of nasal tissues. Rhinitis often results in a runny nose.

If you have a runny nose, you may or may not also have nasal congestion.

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March 16, 2021

See also

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  2. Allergies
  3. Allergy medications: Know your options
  4. Allergy-proof your home
  5. Alpha-gal syndrome
  6. Aspergillosis
  7. Avoid rebound nasal congestion
  8. Bronchiolitis
  9. Can chicken soup cure a cold?
  10. Chicken soup: Can it treat a cold?
  11. Chronic cough
  12. Chronic daily headaches
  13. Cluster headache
  14. Cold and flu viruses: How long can they live outside the body?
  15. Cold or allergy: Which is it?
  16. Cold remedies
  17. Cold symptoms: Does drinking milk increase phlegm?
  18. Common cold
  19. Common cold in babies
  20. Does honey offer sweet relief for allergies?
  21. Does zinc work for colds?
  22. Dust mite allergy
  23. Flu shots
  24. Flu: When to see a doctor?
  25. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
  26. Have a cold? Common sense rules
  27. Have a cold? Fight back with humidity
  28. Have a cold? Fight it with fluids
  29. Headaches 101: Know your type
  30. Headaches and hormones
  31. Headaches in children
  32. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
  33. High-dose flu vaccines: How are they different from other flu vaccines?
  34. Humidifier care 101
  35. Humidifiers
  36. Influenza (flu)
  37. Measles
  38. Measles vaccine: Can I get the measles if I've already been vaccinated?
  39. Milk allergy
  40. MRSA infection
  41. MRSA prevention
  42. Nasal Cleaning
  43. Nasal polyps
  44. Nasal spray addiction: Is it real?
  45. Neti pot: Can it clear your nose?
  46. Nighttime headaches: Relief
  47. Nonallergic rhinitis
  48. Pain Management
  49. Peanut allergy
  50. Pet allergy
  51. Plugged ears: What is the remedy?
  52. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
  53. Roseola
  54. Rubella
  55. Stress and headaches: Stop the cycle
  56. Stuffy nose? Try saline spray
  57. Swollen lymph nodes
  58. Vicks VapoRub: An effective nasal decongestant?
  59. Vitamin C: Can it prevent colds?
  60. Warm-mist versus cool-mist humidifier: Which is better for a cold?
  61. Whooping cough
  62. Whooping cough
  63. Do zinc supplements shorten colds?