Where do snot come from. Snot: where do they come from in a person's nose and how do they appear with a runny nose. The mechanism of the appearance of secretory secretions

If we talk about where the runny nose comes from and, accordingly, the mucous discharge from the nasal cavity, then several reasons can be considered. It is generally accepted that snot appears as a result of colds. And what is it anyway?

Mucous discharge (snot), what is it?

These are secretory secretions that have a complex composition: proteins (mucin), salts, water, nucleic acids and epithelial cells. The substance mucin gives the snot viscosity and allows you to significantly increase their volume if necessary. This liquid is constantly in the nasal passages. If it is not there, then this is an occasion to consult a doctor. main function nasal secretions is to protect the nasal cavities and respiratory passages from drying out, mechanical influences, external stimuli.
In addition, the secret protects the nasopharynx from bacteria and viruses. But there are times when the discharge becomes intense, sometimes with impurities of pus, with a smell. This suggests that the disease has begun, and it requires immediate treatment.

There is another nuance that speaks in favor of nasal mucus. Some scientists say that the nasal secret has not only protective, softening properties, but also healing, and this is fully manifested when a person has mechanical damage nasal cavity.

Now it becomes more or less clear where the snot comes from - they are produced by the mucous membranes, inside the nasal cavity. And they appear when a person catches a cold or has allergic diseases.

Causes of snot

There are not so many of them and we will briefly describe and list them:

colds(influenza, pneumonia, acute respiratory infections, bronchitis);
allergens. For each person, there can be such an allergen that will surely cause the active formation of nasal secretions (mucus);
crying (during crying through a special channel, the amount of snot in the nasal cavity increases);
mechanical damage (here the nasal mucus acts as an enveloping and healing agent)

What to do with allergic discharge

If a person suffers from any type of allergy, then in the presence of an irritant, nasal discharge increases significantly. This happens because the body receives a signal - urgently get rid of the allergen! And here the substance mucin comes to the rescue, which helps to produce a large amount of mucous secretion. A person begins to actively blow his nose and thus gets rid of the allergen that has entered the body. In order to stop the release of snot, you need to eliminate the cause that causes allergic manifestations. In these cases, certain drugs are prescribed that neutralize the effect of an allergic irritant.

What to do with colds?

At severe hypothermia the human body ceases to resist the disease, in addition to other symptoms, a lot of blood flows to the nasal mucosa, as a result of which the internal membranes of the nasal cavity increase in volume, in order to fight viruses and bacteria, mucus is released many times more than it should be. And it is necessary to take measures to remove them.

Firstly, this is elementary blowing your nose, but such a process is rather tedious and does not always bring relief. Secondly, nasal drops are prescribed, which relieve swelling of the nasal passages well. After 2-3 days of treatment with drops, the runny nose becomes less intense and the mucous discharge practically stops.

Snot discharge when crying

There is another reason why snot appears in the nose, where do they come from this case we'll try to figure it out. The fact is that the eyes and nose are connected by a canal, which is called the nasolacrimal canal. When a person cries, a large amount of tear fluid is formed, which enters the nasopharynx through the canal, waterlogging is created in the cavity, and everything together with nasal mucus accumulates in the cavity. That's all the explanation. As you can see, it's very simple.

What happens if you swallow snot

Sometimes it happens that a person accidentally swallows snot. Some are afraid, because they believe that it is very harmful, especially during diseases such as bronchitis, acute respiratory infections, influenza. Indeed, in the mucus at this time there are many bacteria and viruses. But we hasten to reassure you, for the body it is completely harmless, since gastric juice completely destroys these harmful microorganisms.

And at the very end a little interesting information about nasal mucus:

standing out from the nasal cavity when sneezing, snot fly at the speed of a good car (up to 160 km / h);
per day, the nasal passages secrete up to a glass of mucus;
almost all the mucus produced by the body is swallowed and enters the stomach;
the volume of secretions can increase up to 600 times

It is probably difficult to imagine at least one person who has never been ill with one or another cold disease, the constant companion of which is the notorious runny nose. But have people ever wondered where the snot comes from with a cold and what this banal phenomenon is.

Snot or, as they say in the medical world, muconasal secretion, is a special mucus that is produced in the nasal mucosa. This mixture mainly consists of water (about 95 percent), mucin protein (3%), salts (from 1% to 2%) and epithelial cells. The viscosity of snot is precisely what gives mucin, it also has antiviral and antifungal properties.

By the way, even in the nose of a healthy person there is always a small amount of snot. This is due to the fact that the aforementioned mucin protein has a remarkable property of absorbing moisture from the air, while increasing in volume many times over.

The reasons

In a word, speaking about where the snot comes from in a person with a cold, we can imagine the following process.

The human upper respiratory tract is "attacked" by bacteria or viruses.
The mechanism for the destruction of foreign organisms on the nasal mucosa is launched.
The increased production of mucin protein begins, which begins to neutralize the action of pathogens, enveloping them.
In the process of “work”, the protein gradually loses its protective properties and is removed from the nose (leaks), and instead of the waste material, the body produces a new one, and the process repeats again.
Part of the harmless waste material ends up in the stomach, where it is safely neutralized with hydrochloric acid.

By the way, for sure, many people have noticed that snot flows with a cold. different color and different consistency. They are liquid, thick, transparent or saturated colors (gray, yellow, brown, green). By the type of discharge from the nose, one can conclude what is the nature of the infection that affected the patient's body, bacterial or viral.

For example, liquid colorless snot indicates that viruses are "host" in the body. But if the discharge from the nose acquires a thick consistency and becomes green, then this is a signal to the sick person that the upper respiratory tract is “attacked” by bacteria.

Snot that has a rusty tint is an indicator that severe inflammatory processes (pneumonia) occur in the body or there is bleeding.

Body protection

To the question “where do cold snot come from” and why do we need them, we can add that discharge from the nasal mucosa not only protects the body from the penetration of microbes, bacteria and viruses from outside, but also constantly moisturizes the nasopharynx, giving it the opportunity to dry out and crack.

Why does snot flow profusely with severe hypothermia and with a cold? This is due to a decrease defensive forces an organism that is no longer able to cope with multiply multiplying viruses. The more they become, the more mucin is produced, and so on until the body is completely cleansed of the "aliens".

But the protective capabilities of the body are not unlimited, since the glands are capable of producing no more than 700 ml of fluid per day (in healthy condition- 500 ml). Therefore, the snot becomes more viscous in consistency and thicker, and begins to spontaneously flow out of the nose, because their amount can no longer gradually and imperceptibly dissolve in acidic environment stomach.

Thus, mucous discharge from the nose is a necessary and important defense mechanism human body.

It is considered a common disease that is diagnosed in humans different ages and gender. characteristic feature such a pathology is considered a runny nose, that is, a stuffy nose and snot.

At different types diseases in humans secrete mucus certain color and consistency, so you need to know where the snot comes from. The fact is that one or another shade of mucus may indicate various types inflammatory processes occurring in the nasal cavity.

Snot is mucus that flows from the nose

Snot is produced by a large number of special glands, which are localized in the thickness of the mucous membrane. A healthy person produces up to 500 ml of mucus daily. Such secretory secretions contain proteins, water, salts, epithelial cells and nucleic acids. The presence of a substance such as mucin in the mucus makes it viscous and, if necessary, allows you to increase its volume to the desired volume.

Such a liquid is constantly in the nasal passages and, in its absence, it is necessary to seek the advice of a specialist. The main purpose of nasal secretions is considered to be a protective function, that is, they protect the nasal passages from the effects of various external irritants, drying out and damage.

In addition, the protective function of the secret lies in the fact that it prevents the penetration of bacteria and viruses into it.

However, in some cases, the discharge becomes too plentiful, they have a specific smell and sometimes pus. Such pathological condition indicates that some disease has begun in the human body, and it needs mandatory treatment.

When hit in nasal cavity infection is expanding blood vessels and the result is the formation of edema.Mucus-secreting glands respond to such infection by increasing their activity, so a person begins to produce an increased amount of secretion during an illness.

In fact, the production of mucus is carried out both in accessible for inspection outer parts nasal cavity, as well as paranasal sinuses. In the event that, for some reason, snot stagnation occurs, this creates favorable environment for the development of sinusitis.

Causes of snot

Many patients associate with colds, because in most cases it occurs with severe hypothermia of the body. However, there are other factors that can cause formation in the nasal cavity increased amount secret. It is important, first of all, to identify the cause of the appearance of snot, which will allow you to choose the right and effective treatment.

Most often, rhinitis is not an independent pathology, but a side disease that begins its development against the background of other more dangerous disorders.

Become the cause in children and adults can:

severe hypothermia
allergic reaction
injuries of the nasal mucosa of varying complexity
the presence of foreign objects in the nose
viral disease
decline protective functions organism

The study characteristic symptoms allows the specialist to assess the stage of the disease and prescribe proper treatment. In the event that a runny nose is a consequence of others, then it is usually prescribed complex therapy. For each patient, a individual method treatment, taking into account the cause that caused the appearance of snot.

What snot is considered dangerous?

The color of the snot may be different and indicate a certain pathological process flowing in the paranasal sinuses and nasopharynx.

Rhinitis may be a manifestation allergic reaction, as well as the beginning chronic pathologies. In children and adults, the color of the snot can be white, clear, yellow, green, or brown.

What can "tell" the color of the snot:

In the absence of an inflammatory process in the nasal cavity, the discharge usually has a transparent color and an average consistency. However, they are present in in large numbers and do not cause a person any discomfort. In the same time, transparent snot may be with an allergic reaction at the very beginning of development viral disease. With such pathologies clear slime it is produced in large quantities and differs in consistency, that is, the snot is liquid and resembles water.
Yellow or yellow-brown snot indicates that a purulent process is taking place in the nasal cavity. Most often, such snot appears with a disease such as. white slime considered the main manifestation initial stage inflammatory process occurring in the paranasal sinuses. In addition, nasal discharge white color may also appear in this pathology. oral cavity, how .
Green or yellow-green discharge indicates a strong inflammatory process actively flowing in the nasopharynx. After pus appears in the mucus, the snot may turn brown. Often green slime is released from the nasal passages if the inflammatory process occurs in the lower respiratory tract. Not so often, green snot can signal quite serious and dangerous pathologies, for example, and .
dangerous signal the appearance of a runny nose in an adult or child is considered Brown color. This coloration of the snot indicates that the nasal cavity is progressing severe inflammation, which is accompanied by the formation of pus. brown discharge are considered one of the symptoms occurring in acute and chronic form. When brown snot from the nose, it is necessary to apply for medical care because the risk of developing acute laryngitis or .

Medical treatment

It is necessary to start treatment immediately when the first signs of the disease appear, that is, sneezing and copious discharge. At home, you can make a mustard foot bath, however, such treatment is allowed only if the patient has no temperature. In a feverish state, a mustard bath can cause an even greater increase in body temperature.

A good effect in the fight against the common cold is given by inhalations, which are recommended to be carried out with the help of. This procedure can be done based on mineral water or physiological saline. With the help of inhalations, it is possible to moisten the nasal mucosa and eliminate swelling of the tissues, and when using medicines manages to get rid of pathogenic microorganisms and bacteria.

Thanks to washing, it is possible to free the mucosa from accumulated bacteria and thereby speed up recovery.Especially popular in the treatment of rhinitis in children and adults are drops from the common cold, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. With the help of such medicines it is possible to greatly facilitate the life of the patient and allow the nose to breathe in a short time.

At the same time, such drops have some contraindications for their use, so be sure to read the instructions before using them. It is not allowed to use such drugs for a long time, as this can be addictive and cause allergic rhinitis.

You can learn more about what a runny nose is from the video:

Many of these drops contain a substance such as xylometazoline. With the help of medicines such as Xymelin, Rinonorm and Dlyanos, it is possible to relieve swelling and their effect lasts for several hours.

In the presence of oxymetazoline drops, the duration of the drugs lasts up to 12 hours, but it is forbidden to use them during pregnancy and in childhood. Among the whole variety of drugs with oxymetazoline, and is considered the most effective.

Folk methods

Runny nose can be treated with prescriptions traditional medicine but only after consultation with a specialist. The fact is that misuse funds can further aggravate the swelling of the mucosa and cause a burn.

What traditional medicine is considered the most effective in the fight against rhinitis:

With a runny nose, it is recommended to rinse the nose as often as possible. cool water. With the help of this procedure, it is possible to clear the nose of secretions and stop the further spread of the inflammatory process.
With abundant discharge, you can rinse your nose laundry soap. After such a procedure, the patient begins to sneeze a lot and over time there is a noticeable relief.
At home, you can do onion inhalation according to following scheme: grate the onion, heat it in a water bath and inhale the vapors emanating from it. Such a procedure should be carried out no more than 2-3 minutes, otherwise a burn of the mucous membrane is possible.
A popular remedy for a cold is considered to be instilled into the nasal passages. It is important to remember that before the procedure, it is necessary to dilute the juice with water.

Rhinitis is an unpleasant condition of the body, which causes the patient a lot of anxiety. Snot in the human body can appear on various reasons and it is imperative to find out before prescribing treatment.

A little cold and immediately snot! Where do these come from unpleasant discharge from the nose, how dangerous are they, and how to deal with them effectively? These are the questions facing people weak immunity, and the slightest hypothermia, damp weather, rain or mild wind cause them to have a runny nose.

And then the question arises, what is it - a profuse flow from the nose? Where do snot in the nose come from? Most of us will be very surprised to learn that snot is almost always secreted - both in healthy people and in sick people. In addition, it is normal when such secretions per day are up to 500 ml. However, if there is no infection, the discharge is clear, 95-96% water. We do not notice them, because we simply swallow them together with saliva. The remaining 3% with a little account for a special protein - mucin, and a little more than 1% are insoluble salts.

The most important part of this secret (snot) is mucin. it natural substance effectively fights different kind bacteria, harmful viruses.

To understand how snot is formed, you need to know the following: when air enters the nasal mucosa, it also contains a significant amount of bacteria. Mucin destroys these bacteria, and then harmless snot enters the stomach, where it is processed hydrochloric acid. Usually healthy people they don't notice it. (Hence the answer to the question of whether it is harmful to swallow snot). A new portion is produced in place of the used mucin.

Copious discharge from the nose appears during crying. This is due to the fact that tear ducts go into the nasopharynx and when a person cries, not all tears have time to get out, some of them end up in the nose and come out in the form of snot.

Why do we need snot in the human body

The secret is produced by microscopic glands located in the nasal mucosa. However, in addition to protecting the body from microbes, this substance also performs other important functions for the body, there are several of them. The secret secreted by the glands of the nasal cavity:

protects the body from infection. As has already been said.
Moisturizes the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and does not allow it to dry out. This is very important, since a lack of moisture can lead to cracking of the dry mucosa and the formation of wounds.
Protects the nasal cavity from damage. When a wound occurs in the nose, the secret fills it, as if forming a film on top. This prevents germs from entering the bloodstream.

Causes of a runny nose

Now let's figure out why snot flows. If too many microorganisms enter the nasal cavity, then more mucin will be required to destroy them. The glands are capable of producing no more than 700 ml, so more mucin is produced, and the amount of fluid remains almost unchanged. The snot just becomes more viscous, it can no longer be swallowed unnoticed - we get a runny nose that flows out of the nose (sometimes this happens spontaneously).

At allergic manifestations snot is a reaction of the nasal mucosa to an allergen. The mucosa swells, provokes a large separation of fluid. Here the discharge is usually liquid, plentiful.

How can you find out by the type of snot about the cause of their occurrence?

Nasal discharge itself is not a disease - it is only one of its symptoms. A runny nose can have a different consistency and color, they can be used to determine the cause of the snot.

So, an abundant flow from the nose appears with rhinitis and sinusitis (including sinusitis), here it is a sign purulent inflammation. The discharge will be thick green (sign bacterial infection) or even yellow (an admixture of leukocytes). In this case, snot is mucus and pus accumulated in the nasal cavity and sinuses (nasal sinuses).

A runny nose can be a symptom of bronchitis or pneumonia (green or yellow discharge). In this case, the mucus that has accumulated in the bronchi or lungs gets not only into the larynx, but also into the nose and a runny nose is formed. Here, along with nasal discharge, great weakness, cough, heat body. When these symptoms appear, it is very important to consult a therapist.

However, brown or yellow snot is observed in smokers with a long history. From which it follows that in this case they get their shade due to tobacco products, as well as the friability of blood vessels.

With allergies, the discharge is transparent, abundant, sometimes it can have greenish color. Before snot is formed frequent sneezing, tearing, pain in the eyes, discomfort in the nose.

Abundant and viscous, but light snot with SARS and common colds. Here, a runny nose will be accompanied by coughing, sneezing, a slight increase in body temperature, sometimes a slight sore throat.

Some treatments for the common cold

In order to be sure to know why snot appears, to establish their cause.

Productive treatment of snot is possible only after establishing the cause and its effective treatment.

In some cases, having cured the cause, you can get rid of the common cold.

Often, to eliminate the flow of their nose with allergies, along with antihistamines, vasoconstrictor nasal drops are attributed: Nazol, Knoxprey, Xylen, etc. Apply special antihistamines: Zyrtec, Claritidine, Erius, etc.

For rhinitis and sinusitis, nasal lavage is indicated antiseptic solutions: saline, Dolphin, Physiomer. Used along with systemic treatment topical antibiotics: Bioparox, Isofra.

Periodic nose blowing is very effective, but do it in in public places it does not follow.

The nasal mucosa is very sensitive and in people with weak immunity, snot appears even after walking in the park in wet weather. by the most good treatment scientists call hardening of the body: contrast foot baths and cold and hot shower, physical exercises on the fresh air, quitting smoking - all this will help get rid of snot for a long time.

An important role in preventing the appearance of snot plays proper nutrition, healthy lifestyle life and outdoor activities.

Any person, regardless of gender and age, is prone to a cold. This disease occurs at least several times throughout life, but is most susceptible to it. children's body. During this period, colds can occur up to 3-5 times a year.

A common accompanying symptom of a cold is a runny nose, and a runny nose is a stuffy nose and snot.

Snot with a runny nose: general information

Why does nasal mucus appear?

The cause of up to 90% of all cases of snot is hypothermia, which undermines the immune system and allows viruses to gain a foothold on the nasal mucosa, where they begin to multiply profusely. What does the body react to? copious excretion snot having a pronounced antiviral effect.

The cause of about 10% of cases of snot is a reaction to allergens. In this case, the snot serves as a protection of the mucous membranes from allergens, an attempt by the body to wash them with internal surfaces nose. If the source of the allergy has disappeared, then the mucus quickly ceases to stand out.

And finally, the last one rare cause the appearance of snot is a mechanical damage to the surface of the nasal mucosa. In this case, the snot serves to protect the wound from infection and its fastest healing.

Why does snot come out of the nose?

Sometimes a seemingly strange question can be heard from a child: Why is snot flowing? But if you think about it, it doesn't seem so strange after all. Indeed, why do snot flow, if it would seem that it was enough for them to envelop the mucous membranes, thereby protecting them from external influences.

In fact, this is what happens in normal conditions. But when the body is attacked by viruses, yellow mucus begins to flow without ceasing.

The point is that destroying harmful microbes, mucus itself loses its bactericidal and antiviral properties, so it constantly needs to be updated. Used flows out in the form of snot, and fresh is generated by the mucous membrane.

reasons current snot many, consider the most common:

An allergic reaction has developed;
- vasomotor rhinitis disease;
- against the background of a disorder of the central nervous system neurovegetative rhinitis;
- began to develop sinusitis;
- acute phase of viral infection.

Watery snot, flowing like water

What determines the density of snot?

Viruses are main reason runny nose and snot, but if you have not managed to get rid of it within two or three days, replace viral infection comes bacterial. Bacteria are larger than viruses and have a completely different physiological structure. It takes more snot to neutralize them.

But the body is not a machine for the production of mucus, it cannot produce more than a certain volume, which is limited by 150 glands per square centimeter capable of secreting up to 500 ml per day. Therefore, another path is chosen - saturating the mucus with mucins, which naturally leads to an increase in the density of snot.

The more advanced the disease, than large quantity bacteria multiplied on the mucosa, the