# Why oh why am I the only one who gets a runny nose after eating soup? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720 "2016-03-12T06:00:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/1 "2016-03-12T06:00:50Z")
Like the title says. I’m a bit of mucus merchant anyway, but soup (when I have it about, oh, twice a year, maybe?) just brings it on like a Splash Mountain of clear/cloudy white slime. Also - do you _eat_ soup? You can’t quite drink it, exactly. I can definitely slurp it loudly. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/2 "2016-03-12T06:26:54Z")
First, it’s very rare that someone is the “only one who”\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Anyway . . . the hot, steamy soup loosens up your mucus, unleashing Splash Mountain. And, unless you pick up the bowl and drink from it, you \*eat \*soup. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/3 "2016-03-12T13:40:05Z")
I thought that happened to everyone. What makes you think it doesn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/4 "2016-03-12T15:49:06Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > you \*eat \*soup. Even if it’s straight-up liquidy with no food chunks in it? (ok maybe food chunks wasn’t the best way to word that) > [@Chronos](#): > > I thought that happened to everyone. What makes you think it doesn’t? Because everyone I’ve whined about it to just gives me the ole Spockian eyebrow. lol nice to know others are “coming out of the woodwork” on this. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/5 "2016-03-12T16:04:53Z")
Olive Garden’s Toscana soup gives me _and_ my wife the sniffs. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/6 "2016-03-12T17:37:11Z")
I get a runny nose after eating almost anything. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/7 "2016-03-12T19:27:38Z")
Chicken soup is given to people with a cold partially because it can loosen mucous, allowing you to sneeze and/or cough it out. Soup can be an expectorant. So what you experience is normal. ETA: Tea works too, as do most hot liquids. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/8 "2016-03-12T19:31:31Z")
\*\* Why oh why am I the only one who gets a runny nose after eating soup? \*\* God never really liked you very much. Sorry, but you asked. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/9 "2016-03-12T21:45:36Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > God never really liked you very much. Sorry, but you asked. Actually God genuflects before me every Sunday - he knows who the real McCoy is.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/10 "2016-03-12T22:32:44Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And, unless you pick up the bowl and drink from it, you \*eat \*soup. Unless, of course, the soup is in a cup. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/11 "2016-03-13T01:53:00Z")
Hot soup certainly gives me a runny nose. But I love hot soup in winter in part because it does clear my nose. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/12 "2016-03-13T05:19:18Z")
I’ve never gotten a runny nose from hot soup. Clearly there are two types of people in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/13 "2016-03-13T15:27:50Z")
\*\*Why oh why am I the only one who gets a runny nose after eating soup? \*\* It goes in the mouth. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-am-i-the-only-one-who-gets-a-runny-nose-after-eating-soup/748720/14 "2016-03-13T16:32:47Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > Actually God genuflects before me every Sunday - he knows who the real McCoy is.🆒 I stand corrected.