# Why does spicy food make my nose run?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-spicy-food-make-my-nose-run/51939>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 27, 2001, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-spicy-food-make-my-nose-run/51939 "2001-01-27T00:04:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-spicy-food-make-my-nose-run/51939/1 "2001-01-27T00:04:38Z")

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I mean, why? It isn’t heat-hot, so it isn’t actually melting the snot. Still, when I have a cold the only way I can breath is to down a plate of curry.

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-spicy-food-make-my-nose-run/51939/2 "2001-01-27T00:09:27Z")

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It is an irritant. The body says ‘Hot flavoring? Get it _outta here_!’, so it purges the mucus and the snot doth flow.

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-spicy-food-make-my-nose-run/51939/3 "2001-01-27T01:55:32Z")

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I compare the human to a wax candle, and the heat melts the wax which runs down. Metaphorically speaking.