rhinorrhea
It is a very common reaction in life
Usually
People find themselves runny nose
It is automatically associated with colds and rhinitis
however
This is not always the case
The following news frightened many people
Note this
This is not unique
Some people are unaware
The "tragedy" happened
so
What is cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea?
Under what circumstances is it easy to run a nose?
What signals does the different colors of the snot send?
After reading this popular science, you will understand!
How does cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea occur?
Cerebrospinal fluid is a colorless and transparent fluid present in the ventricles and subarachnoid space, which has a certain protective effect on brain tissue to deal with trauma, and also has the function of removing metabolites and inflammatory exudates.
Normally, the cranial cavity and nasal cavity do not communicate with each other, separated by a "barrier" of skulls and bones in the nasal cavity. However, when the "barrier" is destroyed by various reasons, the cerebrospinal fluid will flow out from the opening of the "barrier", that is, the phenomenon of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, which is mostly manifested as nasal flow of clear water-like liquid.
The causes of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea are generally divided into two broad categories: traumatic and non-traumatic causes. Traumatic causes account for the vast majority of traumatic injuries, and a few are caused by surgical trauma to the base of the skull and sinuses. Non-traumatic causes are mostly caused by intracranial hypertension caused by intracranial tumors or cerebral edema, and rarely due to congenital defects.
We all know that the nasal cavity communicates with the outside world and is a bacterial environment, so the cranial cavity is cleaner than the nasal cavity. If cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea occurs, bacteria in the nasal cavity will enter the skull through the defect site of the "barrier" and cause intracranial infection, so you need to seek medical attention in time!
In which cases is it easy to get a runny nose?
There are many causes of runny nose, but the three most common are: crying, cold air irritation, and illness.
Lacrimation: Tears are secreted by lacrimal glands, which are located above the outer part of the eyeball. Normally, tears are secreted from the lacrimal glands and return from the veins in the corners of the eyes. When people shed tears, too much tears pass through the channel between the eyes and the nasal cavity - the nasolacrimal tube, and are discharged from the body. When tears pass through the nasal cavity, the nasal cavity is stimulated by the tears and the discharge is also increased. When crying, it is a mixture of tears and snot, and when the crying stops, the nasal cavity is the real snot.
Cold air irritation: can be seen in patients with vasomotor rhinitis, and the symptoms mainly sneezing are mostly in the morning, followed by clearing the nose and flowing out. Sudden changes in ambient temperature can cause excessive release of parasympathetic transmitters, or non-specific release of histamine, vasodilation, and increased glandular secretion.
Illness: When the body is invaded by pathogens, the nasal cavity as the first line of defense, there will be a series of reactions, and the nasal discharge is also a very important reference for the diagnosis of the disease.
Snot color or indicative of disease?
Watery nasal discharge: common in allergic rhinitis and the early acute rhinitis phase of a cold. If it is allergic rhinitis, it is often accompanied by symptoms such as continuous sneezing, itchy nose, and itchy eyes. If there is a clear water-like fluid flowing out of the nasal cavity after traumatic brain injury or strenuous activity, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea should be considered if it does not coagulate on its own after a long period of time. If the nasal discharge is yellowish and transparent, it usually flows out of one side of the nostril, occurring intermittently, most commonly in ruptured nasal cysts.
Mucous nasal discharge: the nasal discharge is translucent, slightly viscous, and is common in non-allergic rhinitis and chronic rhino-sinusitis, which often flows down the posterior nostrils.
Mucopurulent nasal discharge: yellow-purulent nasal discharge, commonly associated with bacterial infection secondary to chronic sinusitis, often with constitutional symptoms such as fever or headache. If the nose turns yellow-green with a foul odor, it is common in odontogenic maxillary sinusitis. Purulent nasal discharge with large crusts is seen in atrophic rhinitis.
Bloody nasal discharge: mostly due to ruptured capillaries on the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, resulting in bloody discharge in the nasal mucosa, most common in dry winter climates. However, if the blood in the nasal discharge exceeds two weeks, especially if the unilateral nasal discharge is persistently carried with blood, it is necessary to be vigilant against nasal or nasopharyngeal tumors and nasal fungal infections, and it is recommended to seek medical attention in time.
Black snot: mostly inhaled with more soot or a serious fungal infection.
What is the correct way to deal with runny nose?
The correct way to deal with runny nose: one side of the blow, that is, press one side of the nose wing, slightly force the other side of the nose blow.
Blowing the nose too hard will make the air enter the middle ear from the Eustachian tube, so that the pressure of the middle ear will increase, the light will only cause earache, the heavy may cause rupture of the eardrum; especially when the cold, if the nasal discharge on both sides is blown at the same time, it may cause the nasal discharge containing pathogens to enter the middle ear along the Eustachian tube and cause otitis media.
Expert of this article: Wang Qiuyuan, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, MD
Reviewer of this article: Gao Yun, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, PLA General Hospital, Deputy Chief Physician, Doctor of Medicine