How does nose mucus produce so quickly?

Asked by Plucky (10316

) October 10th, 2010

Seriously, I have wondered this over the years and have yet to find out the answer. Most of what I find is on how the nose works and different decongestants.

I’m wondering how nose mucus (snot) produces so quickly. I know our body’s need mucus for various reasons but I don’t understand the mechanics involved. I could be blowing my nose for days ..constantly. How does my body create that much mucus in such a small area so fast?

I have several olfactory type allergies so I deal with this alot ..lol. I would think all that overworking would cause nasal problems after many years.

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3 Answers

Mucus is not only produced in your nose. It is produced in your lungs to line the bronchi, so that any particulates will be caught in the mucus, which is then gradually expelled by the cilia. Normally, the mucus works its way up to the trachea, and when it gets to your throat you swallow it along with your saliva. When you are sick though, your body does not want to keep the pathogens in the system, so it takes the shortcut and expels it through your nose. When you have a runny nose, or in fact a blocked nose, you aren’t producing any more mucus than when you are healthy – it just goes to a different place.

FireMadeFlesh (16593

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What @FireMadeFlesh said.

Plus, have you seen the size of my nose? I could only wish it was “such a small area”.

CyanoticWasp (20271

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Ohhh…well that makes sense. I didn’t even think of it in terms of it being the same amount already in my system. Thank you so much for explaining it :)

Plucky (10316

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