Runny Noses on Rides

[trickycoolj]

Went on my longest ride yesterday, 60 miles! Perfect 75 degree sunshine that started with a layer of clouds in the morning. One of the biggest annoyances on the ride was that my nose wouldn't stop running! I get a runny nose just eating warm food so minor temp changes and I assume 4-5 hours of wind in my face did the same. I was about ready to see if I could shoot snot rockets it was so annoying. Luckily about 20 mi in, there was a freshly stocked restroom at a trailhead and I stocked up on paper towels. Would a decongestant help? Or would that aggravate the mucous membrane even more with the wind? Both myself and DBF were just constant snot factories and both of our gloves are pretty gross. Ew. And fwiw there is no pollen in our air here anymore, everything is dead/dormant.

[roo4]

My nose runs constantly during bicycling and running. I would blame allergies, but it seems to happen all year round. It's just a drizzle, so I can't get a good snot rocket going.

In summary, I am no help to you whatsoever, but I will be checking back in to see how others respond.

[OakLeaf]

Probably more than you wanted to know. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16498856 If your gloves aren't enough, you can always carry a bandanna in a pocket or tied around your handlebars.

It's not necessarily allergic, but if it only happens to you at certain times of the year it likely is. Molds are also very high this time of year, and though I don't know for sure, I would think the damp climate of the PNW would be particularly susceptible to molds.

[Owlie]

I get a runny nose if the air temperature is less than 70 or so. The terry patch on your gloves, a bandanna or a handful of tissues in your jersey pocket should do the trick.

[PamNY]

There are a couple of threads on this issue. Just run the term "snot rocket" through the search engine. PSA: snot rockets are not appropriate unless you are in a really deserted area.

I carry a bandana or paper towel in winter. If I'm wearing a Buff, in an emergency it might be pressed into service.

I think runny noses in cool weather just happen.

[jessmarimba]

I think cool weather or dry air. Mine runs when I'm running even if its 90+ out. My sister was asking the other day why I always wear short sleeves when I run (rather than tank tops)...because it's easier to just turn my head and wipe my nose on my shoulder! In cool weather, arm warmers work well, too.

Fatcyclist has coined the word "snotulum" for his problems with a runny nose while riding. Mine never accumulate to that amount, just get drippy. It will eventually make my nose a little raw so I sometimes apply chapstick to my nose as well while exercising.

[roo4]

Probably more than you wanted to know. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16498856 If your gloves aren't enough, you can always carry a bandanna in a pocket or tied around your handlebars.

Thanks for the link! At least now I can give it a fancy name.

[marni]

Oh yay for EIR- sometimes there just isn't enough terry on the glove. I also have a similar reaction in my eyesmost days which water and weep almost non stop. This in spite of allergy pills, diet changes, and lots of kleenex. I was informed by the eye doctor that it was a fuction of aging. Great! At least my SAG guy is finally learning to realize that I am not constantly crying but it is just an eye thing.

marni

[zoom-zoom]

Probably more than you wanted to know. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16498856 If your gloves aren't enough, you can always carry a bandanna in a pocket or tied around your handlebars.

I totally have this and I don't do anything outdoors without a bandana...if it's not snot it's sweat running into my eyes (even with a buff on my head).

I have sinus/allergy issues on top of that, so even if my allergies aren't bad I still get a drippy nose. I also can't snot rocket, since it's just a thin drip much of the time.

[Catrin]

I have this problem when it starts getting into the mid-high 50's. Totally temperature related. This is when I start keeping my inhaler with me as a precaution as the drainage can cause my asthma to remember itself - though that is more associated with colder air.

[Crankin]

I have the runny eye issue, only when I ride in the very early AM, in cold weather, mostly in my right eye. It stops after I warm up.
It does happen occasionally when I ride in colder weather, again, only in the beginning of the ride.
The mold is terrible now. It's one of the few "real" allergies i have and I've had a miserable 2-3 weeks. But, my nose still doesn't run. I sneeze, but I never blow my nose. Just the thought of blowing my nose makes me gag.

[fetchspot]

I would love to live in Seattle. Weather.com shows all 4 major allergy maps have nothing there.

from a person living in semi-tropical NC

fs

[malkin]

Terry cloth wrist band here.

[Irulan]

[QUOTE=PamNY;655044 PSA: snot rockets are not appropriate unless you are in a really deserted area.
[/QUOTE]

Why would you say this? I figure as long as there's no one in the path of the trajectory and you are not like on a sidewalk, why not?

[IBrakeforPastry]

I was just going to start a thread on this subject - glad I searched. I love the autumn. Unfortunately, my sinuses don't, making cool weather riding uncomfortable. In addition to the runny nose, I get bad headaches, probably from sniffling. So now I'm trying not to sniff (hard habit to break) and have tissues handy. I started taking allergy medicine several months ago. The doctor couldn't pinpoint exactly what the allergy was, but said they're perennial. I may pre-treat with a decongestant. I don't like the idea, but the once or twice I did, it seemed to help.

For those who use a bandanna: how hard are they to wash out? I would rinse it as soon as I got home, of course, but is there any special laundering techniques they would require? Are there different types?

Thanks - I hope to get out and enjoy the fall a bit. I didn't go snowshoeing last year, partly because I was afraid of the headaches.