My boss now has the AC at my work running all day long (which might burn out the compressor, but anyway). Whenever it clicks on (before the thermostat got reset that is), my nose starts to run, like clockwork. Now I have a head cold on top of that, and I am running to the tissue box every 5 minutes to clear up the mixture of clear and yellow mucus.
When I mentioned this to my GP last week, he wondered if their filters haven’t been changed lately.
Anyone else suffer from this problem? I’m not sure if it is the cold temperatures per se, or any particulates/pollen floating around in the air.
Couldn’t hurt to change the filter, that’s something which should be done every 3-4 months anyway, or monthly if you’re running the A.C. continuously.
Also, running the A.C. will lower the indoor humidity, which could contribute to the problem you’re having.
AC pulls moisture from the air. Unless the moisture is being replaced, the lining of your nose will be drier.
An increase in clear mucus could be your bodies attempt to remove dust, viruses, bacteria, tumble weeds, etc. before they can set up house in your olfactory farm. Or it’s a reaction to Snow Cone Chili.
Mucus comes in many colors.
*Yellow Mucus
If you have yellow snot, it can mean that you have a virus or a sinus infection. Light or bright yellow mucus typically means that your body is fighting off something, most likely a cold. The mucus color is usually brighter at first, possibly even being a neon color. It typically darkens over a few days. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria typically produce a golden yellow colored mucus. Dark yellow phlegm could mean bronchitis or another type of infection in the chest.
Yellow mucus does not necessarily mean that you need to go to the doctor. It just means you’re your body is fighting against something. The best cure is your body’s own defenses. Remember, antibiotics will only clear up bacterial infections. Viral infections just have to run their course. There is no cure for the common cold yet.
See a doctor if the symptoms last longer than a week or worsen. Fever, headache, cough with mucus can also be signs to see a doctor if they last for more than a few days*.
http://hubpages.com/hub/snotdecodedwhatdoessnotcolormean
Your boss may be spiking the office air with gaseous methamphetamines, to increase everybody’s productivity.
Cold dry air, allergens in the AC or ducts, or moving air stirring up allergens already in the room. If it’s a noisy room air conditioner you might be physically tensing muscles around your head leading to this, but you’d probably be complaining about a headache instead of your nose running. Occasionally home appliances are cursed and you have to suffer from something if the AC is actually cooling the room. Also, if you are Korean it may be the first sign of ‘Fan Death’ and you should not go to sleep.
My nose runs almost every time I run or ride a bike for more than a few minutes, but only outdoors (not on a treadmill or stationary bike) and especially in a windy area, so my guess is the Bernoulli effect, like a chimney.
I sometimes get this with dust being unsettles during cleaning. The solution for me seems to be a air filter in the room. I know there are mini versions and perhaps you can find one that you can place on the floor or on your desk to blow filtered air near where you breath.
I recently spent four months in hospital. That is, four months not leaving the same building. The air-con really, really messed with me. I broke out in a kind of dry rash around my arms and shoulders, and I had to let my beard get long and wild, because the two times I tried to shave (once a nurse tried, and once I tried it myself), my dry skin just got cut to ribbons.
All this improved within days of being transferred to a rehabilitation hospital which was an old building with no air conditioning, ceiling fans, and big doors opening out onto a balcony.