Do You Have a Runny Nose in the Morning?

Many people wake with a runny nose in the morning.  Some people wake up with a stuffy nose every morning.  Does this sound like you?

Do you get up out of bed and start to move around and start sneezing.? You might wonder for a minute if you are coming down with a cold. 

But, once the morning routine is underway the symptoms go away.  By mid-afternoon, you might have even forgotten that you woke up feeling poorly or that you had a runny nose in the morning.

Does this describe you or someone you know?  The foggy feeling in the head that clears by the time you take a shower?

According to the Mayo Clinic,one common cause of a runny nose in the morning may be non-allergic rhinitis, which can be made worse by changes in temperature, such as the cooler air encountered during the night. 

Another reason for a runny nose in the morning is related to allergies. Many individuals have allergies to indoor allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, or mold, which can trigger nasal symptoms upon waking up.

Dust mite allergen is the most common household allergen.  Allergy to dust mites is often undiagnosed and misdiagnosed.

Dust mites are microscopic creatures closely related to spiders.  They are so tiny it takes a very powerful microscope to even see them. However, their body parts and feces contain a protein that can be a powerful allergen and makes it difficult for many people to get a good night’s rest.  It can also cause a stuffy or runny nose in the morning.

Dust mites feed on shed human skin cells.  They like it warm, dark, and humid.  Our bedrooms and our beds are the perfect environments for this miniature maker of misery. 

We wash our clothes every time we wear them. They don’t collect skin cells, so they don’t have much for dust mites to eat.  Dust mites don’t want to be in your clothes.

However, we sleep on our sheets, blankets, and mattresses night after night after night.  Because humans shed skin constantly, the bedding fibers trap the skin cells and set the table for the dust mite buffet. 

We don’t wash our sheets and bedding after each use.  We certainly can’t get our mattresses and box springs in the washer either!  This is exactly why our sleeping places are literally a hotbed of dust mite allergen.

As we move about in our sleep, these particles become airborne and rain down on us only to be inhaled.  Once inhaled, the allergic chain reaction begins. 

By the time the alarm clock goes off and it is time to get up, we have been inhaling that allergen for anywhere from 6 to 9 hours.  No wonder you have a runny or stuffy nose!

Allergists recommend that you encase your mattress and pillows in zippered dust mite proof covers.  All bedding should be washed every 7 days in 140° degree water. 

If it isn’t possible to get your water that hot (most hot water heaters may be set to 120° or less) you can add something like De-Mite Laundry Additive  (my favorite) to your detergent to remove dust mite waste.

So, if you have wondered why you have cold symptoms in the morning that go away as the day goes on…stop wondering!  The next question is what will you do about it now you know the root cause?