‘My nose won’t stop running and it’s ruining my sex life’

A Sydney man has confessed that the most “embarrassing moment of his life” with a new girlfriend has left him scared to go to bed.

Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from news.com.au. This week, Dr Zac Turner helps a man whose runny nose is affecting his sleep and sex life.

QUESTION: Hi Dr Zac, I’m in a bit of a bother, and I’m hoping you can help me out.

I’ve recently started dating the perfect girl (this isn’t the bother!), but something is getting in the way of our love: my nose. It has essentially become the world’s leakiest tap. As much as I try to stop it, it always seems to be dripping and gross. I’m trying my best to hide it, and have even started breathing through my mouth to avoid my girlfriend hearing my blocked nose and constant snorting.

It’s even affecting my sex life. On two occasions now, when we were having sex, I dripped directly into her face! One of the most embarrassing moments of my life!

Now it’s also having an impact on my sleep. I lie awake all night, scared my blocked nose might cause me to snore, which could be a deal-breaker at the start of any relationship.

Please help me, help my nose. What can I do to improve it before my girlfriend catches on and leaves me? Louis, 26 Sydney

My runny nose is ruining my sex life. Picture: Brittany Colette/Unsplash

ANSWER: Great question Louis, let’s get this sorted so you don’t end back up in the dating pool. I think there’s a general misunderstanding around just how important our nose health is.

No one should ever ignore a runny nose, even if it doesn’t seem that big of a deal. You have to consider how important your nose actually is. Imagine a life without the ability to smell? Sounds pretty awful to me! Did you know that at least 75 per cent of what we think is taste, is actually smell? So without our noses, we wouldn’t enjoy the food we eat!

As I have said in a previous column, our nose is perfectly designed to breathe in air. It can filter out foreign particles due to its nasal hairs. It can humidify inhaled air to make it easier for your lungs to use, and it produces nitric oxide, which is a natural vasodilator (so it widens blood vessels to help improve oxygen circulation in your body).

If I were you, I would stop breathing through your mouth as it can lead to asthma, tooth decay, gingivitis, exposure to bacteria and pathogens and, as you’ve discovered, snoring.

The sinus is the first line of defence for your respiratory system, which means your nose is the security gate. If your nose isn’t up to scratch, it will lead to your respiratory system being defenceless against infection.

Now that my rant about the importance of nose health is over, let’s try to fix your leaky tap.

A runny nose happens when the nasal tissues inside become irritated or inflamed. This can occur during infections such as the common cold or influenza, or due to allergies and other irritants such as tobacco smoke. It’s essentially your body’s mechanism to flush everything out of your sinuses.

If you have a chronically runny nose for no reason, this is a condition called non allergic rhinitis or vasomotor rhinitis.

Let’s try to figure out what’s causing your runny nose by going through a checklist.

– Have you recently become sick with a cold or flu, and the symptoms have lingered?

– Could you be allergic to something you hadn’t known about? Is there a dog or cat sitting around or flowers always nearby when you are with your girlfriend?

– Do you smoke cigarettes?

– Do you work outside in places like parks, dusty worksites or in the desert?

I hope one item from that checklist is ringing alarm bells for you. Now let’s talk about possible ways to fix your leaky nose.

Nasal spray

You can start with a handy over-the-counter option such as saline spray, which is a natural treatment that helps to rinse the nose, or you could try a medicated one. Both options can help with congestion and sleep quality, which is two birds with one stone for your predicament!

Steamy shower

Taking a hot shower is a quick fix for a runny nose, as the hot vapours unblock your nose and ease congestion. Just put your face directly in the steam and spray.

The hot vapours from a shower can ease congestion. Picture: Majestic Lukas/Unsplash

Drinking water stops your nose getting clogged like glue. Picture: Jacek Dylag/Unsplash

Drink, drink, drink (water)

If you hydrate your body, this thins out the mucus in your nose to a runny consistency which makes it easier to dispel. If you are dehydrated, your nose will be clogged like glue.

Antihistamines

If you believe your runny nose is caused by allergies, try using antihistamines. These can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies and will help alleviate allergic reactions.

I hope this helps put you on the right track to sorting out your runny nose. And without wanting to state the obvious, I’ll end with a gentle reminder to blow your nose a few times before having sex.

Got a question: [e-mail]

Dr Zac Turner has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Sydney. He is both a medical practitioner and a co-owner of telehealth service, Concierge Doctors. He was also a registered nurse and is also a qualified and experienced biomedical scientist along with being a PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering. | @drzacturner

Originally published as ‘My nose won’t stop running and it’s ruining my sex life’