It is normal to have watery eyes runny nose, and sometimes, a headache when you have the common cold. However, these symptoms can be due other health problems as well. If you think your symptoms are unrelated to a common cold, we will help you determine what the symptoms are caused by. It will also help you learn how to get rid of these conditions.
Watery Eyes and Runny Nose Causes
Watery eyes and runny nose have been well known to be a condition brought about by either cold flu or respiratory issues to be general. It is important to know the exact cause of your condition for you to determine the rightful treatment. The following are some of the causes of these symptoms.
Symptoms
The characteristic triad of runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing is usually a sign of allergic rhinitis. Hay fever is a kind of allergic rhinitis. This is an allergic reaction. It can be triggered by things like pollen, dander, grass, dust, mites, minute insects and their smells, pets and mold. In some cases, it is because of an upper respiratory tract infection, in which case there may be sore throat.
Common Cold
The most common symptoms of a common cold are watery eyes runny nose and sometimes, chest congestion. If you experience these symptoms, they are most likely to be due to the common cold. The common cold is often a viral infection that has taken up residence in the upper respiratory tract, mainly in the throat and nose.
This is usually a harmless condition even though it can make you feel sick. The main symptoms besides watery eyes and runny nose are itchy throat, sore throat, congestion, cough, mild headache, sneezing, body aches, fatigue, and a low grade fever.
Hay Fever
This is usually also called allergic rhinitis. The symptoms are just similar to that of a common cold. Besides the watery eyes runny nose, also congestion, you may have itching of the eyes and nose, with a bit of sneezing. It is also common to have a sinus headache and blocked ears. Hay fever is usually caused by an abnormal response to an allergen, including dust mites, pollen, other outdoor allergens, mold, and saliva or skin flakes that come off of animals with feathers or fur.
Sinusitis
This condition is also known as acute rhino sinusitis. It is caused by mucus buildup in the air pockets around your nasal passages. These air pockets become swollen and inflamed, causing watery eyes and runny nose. The mucus builds up inside the sinuses and you get the following symptoms:
- Nasal blockage or obstruction, leading to problems with nose breathing.
- Thick yellow or greenish drainage from the nose or down the throat.
- Decreased perception of taste and smell.
- Swelling, tenderness, pain, and pressure in the area of the cheeks, eyes, behind the nose or in the forehead.
- Coughing which can be worse during the nighttime.
You can also get other symptoms, such as headache, jaw and teeth pain, pain in the ears, tiredness, fever, and bad breath, or halitosis. Acute sinusitis is usually triggered by the common cold but it can be due to fungal infections, bacterial infections, or allergies as well.
Pink Eye
This is also known as conjunctivitis. It occurs when there is inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva that lines the inner portion of the eyelids and the whites of the eyes. When the blood vessels in the conjunctiva are very inflamed, they are easily seen as red stripes. The whiteness of the eyes turns pink or red in color. This disease is caused by a viral or bacterial infection but can be as a result of allergies.
You can get watery eyes runny nose, and eye discharge. It can affect just one eye or both eyes at the same time. Common symptoms and signs include the following:
- Itchiness of the eyes
- Eye redness
- Grittiness of the eye
- Tearing of the eye
- Crustiness around the eyes that cause your eyes to be stuck together when you wake up
If the conjunctivitis is from allergies, watery eyes runny nose are often seen along with the above symptoms.
Drug Allergy
This occurs when your immune system reacts to the intake of a medication. Any type of medication, including herbal medications, prescription medications, and over the counter medications, can cause drug allergy. This condition is more common with some medications than with others.
The symptoms usually begin within one hour following ingestion of the drug, but it can occur up to several days afterwards. The most common drug allergy symptoms include watery eyes and runny nose, rash, itching, fever, hives, shortness of breath, swelling of the body, wheezing and itchy eyes. It is rare to have anaphylaxis when taking a drug, but it can occur although in some cases.
Other Causes
Apart from what we have mentioned there are some diseases and illnesses that can lead to these symptoms. These involve having respiratory syncytial virus, whooping cough, narcotic abuse, and nasal polyps.
Watery Eye and Runny Nose on one Side of Face
The symptoms for these problems are sometime worrisome. Eye is in communication with nasal cavity through nasolacrimal duct. Runny nose suggests that there is either collection of fluid at the sinuses which drains when you lie down or you are allergic to something – maybe when you come in contact prior or during going to bed.
In case you are a victim of these symptoms on one side, few investigations like CT for brain and sinuses to see for the severity of inflammation or blood tests if any is required. Till then try to see if you can identify triggers, have balanced diet and adequate fluid, avoid alcohol and smoking, have food rich in vitamin C so as to avoid repeated allergies or infection that will cause you to have watery eyes runny nose on one side or even both sides of the eyes and nose.
Sinuses are air filled bony cavities around the face that are lined by mucosa. They may get inflamed or infected leading to collection of fluid i.e. secretion from the mucosa which generally gets drained from the openings in the nasal cavity. A CT scan for Para-nasal sinuses will provide more answers to your condition.
Cluster headache which may be one of the symptoms you experience is a primary neurovascular primary headache disorder characterized by severe strictly unilateral, typically retro-orbital or periorbital. They are of short duration. Pain is accompanied by ipsilateral lacrimation, conjunctival injection, rhinorrhea, eyelid edema, ptosis, and mitosis. Alcohol, smoking or any other triggers may cause start of pain.
How to Stop Runny Nose and Watery Eyes Fast
A runny nose and watery eyes usually mean that excessive mucus is being produced by your nasal passages. Fortunately, there are home remedies you can consider that will attack the symptoms of watery eyes runny nose, congestion in the nose, cough, and sneezing. As much as you are look for help to handle your problem, you should be very careful not to worsen the situation.
Take a steam bath
Wherever you are facing watery eyes runny nose situation, try to take a steam bath. This is an effective method as it will soothe your congestion. You can also use another method – take a mug and fill it with hot water. Then add some Vicks Vapor rub or menthol in your water. Then cover your head with a big and thick towel. After that, inhale the steam. Surely this will help you a lot to get rid of watery eyes and runny nose fast.
Use Vicks vapor rub
This is a temporary method. Rub some Vicks over and underneath your nose. This will give you a sudden relief from the watery eyes runny nose. You can also use Vicks on your chest too.
Warm towel method
Take a towel and soak it in warm water then put this over your nose area. This helps to break down the mucus or sinuses. This is very useful for the people who suffer a lot from dust allergies.
Bedtime remedy
Take a big towel and roll it round. Then place the towel under your neck. This will help you to get rid of watery eyes and runny nose at the time of sleeping.
Blow your nose
Blowing your nose is a common solution for us all. There’s some question arises if this will make your congestion problem good or worse. Survey has been served regarding this matter and an astonishing thing came up. Blowing your nose can create heavier situation then it actual is. So, keep one thing in your mind to blow one side of nostril first and then the other. This will help you give complete relief without being making it worse.
Antihistamines & decongestants
If you are facing a long term runny nose then you can take the medication of antihistamines. But before using it try to consult with your doctor. You can use decongestants like nasal spray to fond quick relief. You can also make homemade decongestants.
Use of Heat
You can use steam in order to let the nose run clear. Steam heat can loosen up the mucus and can help flush out the irritants and infections causing the symptoms. It also helps keep your nasal cavities moist.
Use a facial steamer or even a dish of hot water, inhaling deeply to let the heat do its job. Do this twice a day for better relief of watery eyes and runny nose. You can also use a hot steam vaporizer in order to keep the air moist in the bedroom. This will loosen the mucus and help your nose drain. Make sure the room is aired out in the daytime to keep mold from growing in the room.
Use Saline Nasal Drop
You can use nasal sprays or drops made from salt water. This can relieve the nasal congestion and help get rid of the bacteria inside the nose. The mucus and irritants can be flushed out with the drops. You can make your own saline nasal drops by mixing ¼ tsp. of salt with 8 oz. of regular water.
Drop a few mixtures into your nose. Another choice is to use ¼ tsp. of baking soda along with the salt. After you use the dropper, blow your nose carefully to clear out the solution and mucus.
Avoid Allergens
Allergens in your living space, such as dust mites, pollen, mold, and pet dander can cause watery eyes runny nose and nasal congestion. You need to get rid of these things in your house as well as irritants that can cause symptoms such as fumes, strong perfumes and paint smells.
Medications
You can take antihistamines to block the symptoms. They will help clear up the sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, and itchy eyes you see in allergies and colds. Antihistamines work by blocking histamine in the system and are available both by prescription and over the counter. There are antihistamines that can be sedating and those that will keep you awake.
Home Remedy for Watery Eyes and Runny Nose
Some people experience dry cough and stuffy nose when they suffer from cold, however some other people suffer from a runny, dripping nose. The eyes are watery – there is constant discharge of watery phlegm from the nose which is often discomforting. Constant sneezing makes matters worse. In such a situation, one can get relief if the constant stream of watery phlegm from the nose is stopped.
Home Remedies
There are lots of home remedies to curb these symptoms. This provides great relief to the person and they can move outdoors and sleep peacefully. No need for handkerchief all the time. The first thing to dry is obviously the vapor rub. It contains many natural and some synthetic ingredients that are excellent for cold induced symptoms.
For runny nose
Lady fingers or Okra
This is a vegetable that contains a sticky substance called mucilage. Wash the okra pods and take out the seeds and then eat the okra pods after boiling them. Also drink the water in which the okra pods were boiled to prevent any wastage of mucilage.
This mucilage is very soothing for the throat and it prevents the irritants from inflaming the throat. This prevents the much more troublesome sore throat condition. Moreover, it improves also digestion. This in turn helps with the runny nose condition.
Ginger
This is the most effective natural remedies for getting rid of runny nose. Chew each day a small size of crushed ginger with a little bit of salt. It has many potential to fight against the germs or bacteria which resides in our body because of cold, flu or runny nose. Regular eating of ginger will trigger your immune system and will also help you to feel boosted in your everyday activity.
Lime juice mixture
Take a deep size tablespoon. Now take some mustard oil in the spoon. Add the same amount of lime juice in it and a pinch of salt. Now place the spoon directly over the stove. When it is going to heat up the oil will splash a bit. As the solution contains two conflicting ingredients, do not fear if your mixture starts to pop a bit. After the mixture is hot enough then gallop 2 tsp. of that mixture.
Do not drink more of that solution. You can store the remaining or can make other batches the next day. If you drink this solution before going to bed this will give you a quick relief from runny nose and congested coughing situation.
Sour fruits
Take out the juice of lemon, lime, orange or pineapple and put this in warm water. Drink this sour juice. It should provide relief from runny nose and frequent sneezing.
Hot water after peppercorns
Chew some peppercorns in the mouth. It is going to feel spicy. Drink some hot water over it. It will make the runny nose runnier and make the body release phlegm at a high rate. A lot of phlegm is expelled and the nose and throat is relieved greatly. A similar remedy is to do a gargle with a pinch of cayenne pepper. It is a reverse kind of remedy, one that provides relief by aggravating the condition in the beginning.
Turmeric
When preparing food, add some turmeric into it. When the food starts cooking, turmeric vapors emerge along with other vapors of the food. They can be really helpful in stopping a runny nose. Also eat the food containing the turmeric. It is strongly anti-inflammatory and reduces the redness around the nose, inside the mucus membranes and near the eyes. This yellow spice is a miraculous food when it comes to lowering inflammation. However don’t drink this with milk in this condition, as milk can increase phlegm production.
Sniff Caraway Seeds
Get some caraway seeds and inhale their smell. They have a mild cooling odor which helps to calm watery eyes runny nose. This happens because caraways seeds are a natural antihistamine that curbs the body’s histamine based inflammatory response to allergen. The body still does its job, but not with too much external symptoms.
Thyme Steam
In a pot of boiling water put some dried thyme, about 2 tablespoon. Now, it turns into a big pot of thyme tea. Inhale the vapors from this tea. It has a similar effect as caraway seeds and stops a runny nose.
For Watery Eyes
Cucumber
The easiest and the best remedy for excessively watery eyes is the cool cucumber. Apply cucumber slices over the eyes to reduce the watery eyes and redness. Cool cucumber is great for the eyes. It also takes care of dark circles under eyes and puffiness. Keep the cucumber for 5 minutes every hour till the eyes become normal.
Tea Bags
Take 2 used black tea bags. Cool them in the refrigerator. Then apply them on the eyes. It reduces inflammation; swelling and thus the inflamed tear glands are relieved. They stop releasing so many tears.
Cold Milk
put it to use for getting relief from excessively watery eyes. Put the milk in a finely knit cloth and tie a knot at the top. Now place two such handkerchiefs, one on each eye. Milk is really soothing for the eyes.
Besides these remedies, get adequate sleep and wash the eyes with a good eye drop. Keep them as clean as possible. Try not to rub the eyes. It really promotes the watering.
Itchy Nose and Sneezing Home Remedy
Sneezing is an indication that the body is trying to eliminate the irritant or allergen. However, if you have to sneeze like every few seconds, then it becomes a problem. Moreover, if it happens in public, then it becomes a peculiar situation. The more you think about controlling the sneeze, the more you may want to do it.
Using these remedies, you can stop sneezing and give some rest to the nose, throat and chest.
Peppermint Inhaler
Get an empty inhaler. Add about 1/2 tablespoon of dried peppermint. Use this inhaler and breathe deeply with each nostril for 5 seconds. It immediately stops sneezing in most people. One can also sniff peppermint essential oil. The mint family contains menthol and many other aromatic, cooling compounds that reduce inflammation in the nasal mucus membranes.
Chamomile Tea
Prepare herbal tea with 1 tablespoon of chamomile in about 250 ml water. Drink this tea when cool. Chamomile is powerful anti-histamine and it helps to curb all the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Other herbal teas that one can use are ginger, nettle, parsley seed and fennel.
More references
- Watery eyes and runny nose: http://www.newhealthadvisor.com/Watery-Eyes-Runny-Nose.html
- A difference between allergy and cold: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/cold-or-allergy#1
- Allergic rhinitis: http://www.healthline.com/health/allergic-rhinitis#Overview1
- Watery eyes and runny nose only one side: http://www.justanswer.com/medical/4516g-watery-eye-runny-nose-one-side-when-lying-down.html