Runny Nose
By the AllHealth UK editorial teamLast reviewed Next review due Compiled from published NHS and NICE guidance. Not reviewed by a clinician.
Key facts
A runny nose (rhinorrhoea) is excess drainage from the nose, which may be clear, white, yellow, or green. It's one of the most common symptoms and is usually caused by infections or allergies.
Most often affects:ChildrenHay fever sufferersPeople during cold/flu season
What commonly causes runny nose
- Common cold — the most frequent cause
- Allergies (hay fever) — clear, watery discharge
- Flu or COVID-19
- Sinusitis — thicker, coloured discharge with facial pressure
- Cold or dry weather — 'runner's nose'
- Spicy foods — gustatory rhinitis
What helps at home
- Blow your nose gently — one nostril at a time to prevent ear pressure
- Use saline nasal spray or drops several times a day
- Stay well hydrated with warm drinks — they help thin mucus
- Breathe in steam to ease a blocked nose — sit in the bathroom with a hot shower running. Do not let children breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water, because of the risk of scalding.
- Rest and allow your body time to fight off infection
- Apply a little petroleum jelly under the nose to prevent soreness
When to get help
These three levels are different. Getting the level right is the single most useful thing this page can do for you.
Non-urgent advice: see a GP if
- Symptoms have lasted more than 10 days without improving
- You have thick green or yellow discharge with facial pain
- Your nose is blocked on one side all the time
- You get frequent or recurrent nosebleeds
- Symptoms return every year at the same time
Urgent advice: ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if
- You have a high temperature and feel very unwell alongside the blocked nose
- You have severe pain around your eyes or cheeks and it is getting worse
- There is swelling or redness around one eye
- A nosebleed has not stopped after 15 minutes of pinching your nose
- You have a blocked nose with a stiff neck or a severe headache
Immediate action required: call 999 or go to A&E if
- Clear fluid draining from nose after a head injury (possible CSF leak)
- Severe nosebleed that won't stop after 20 minutes of pressure
What to do next
Not sure whether runny nose needs a doctor? These are your options, cheapest and fastest first.
Questions people ask about runny nose
Reducing the chance of it coming back
- Wash hands frequently — rhinoviruses spread by touch
- Avoid touching your face, especially nose and eyes
- Start hay fever treatment before pollen season begins
- Keep your home well-ventilated and humidity controlled
Conditions this can be part of
Listed alphabetically, not by likelihood — this page does not tell you which one you have.
- Allergic rhinitis
- Common cold
- Nasal polyps
- Sinusitis
Sources and further reading
This page was written from the following published guidance. All links checked 26 August 2026.
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