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Article: Blood vessels help trigger runny nose in cold weather
- Article from:
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI)
- Article date:
- March 22, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2004 The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Ask Dr. Julie
Blood vessels help trigger runny nose in cold weather
By JULIE MITCHELL
Monday, March 22, 2004
Q. How come your nose runs when you go out in the cold? Is this
how you catch a cold?
A. Even though April is fast approaching, it's still been cold
enough outside that I, too, am grabbing for the tissues when I first
come in. I asked Thomas Kidder, a professor of otolaryngology at the
Medical College of Wisconsin, exactly why this happens. He started
his explanation with a discussion of the normal functions of the
nose.
While the obvious job of the nose is the sense of smell, the
nose's other big job is to ready the inhaled air for the throat,
voice box and lungs. The nose warms up ...