You might have rhinitis if your nose won’t stop running. Rhinitis can cause your nasal passages to swell up or become inflamed, which can lead to a clear, runny discharge.

When you have rhinorrhea, your nose is full of thick liquid called mucus. Rhinorrhea is a typical sign of a cold or an allergy like hay fever.

Even if you are not sick, your nose will have a layer of mucus that traps germs and viruses that could make you sick if they get into your body. Your nose has tiny hair-like structures called cilia that move mucus from the front of your nose to the back of your nasal tubes and then down your throat.

How to End a Runny Nose in Adults

If you want to know how to stop a messy nose quickly, there are a few things you can try to get rid of the extra mucus in your nose. Here are some ways:

• Salt water: Salt water is a great natural way to stop a runny nose. It can be helpful during allergy season because it kills germs. Mix half a teaspoon of table salt with two cups of warm water to make salt water. Put a few drops of the fluid into each nose with a dropper. Then slowly breathe in to get more of the solution into your nose. After that, blow your nose to get rid of any extra snot or fluids.

• Turmeric: Turmeric is a spice that can help with many health problems. It works well against germs, inflammation, and free radicals. Mix together one cup of linseed oil and half a teaspoon of ground turmeric. Cook the mixture on the pan at a low temperature until it starts to smoke. Take deep breaths of the smoke for a few minutes through each nose.

• Ginger: Ginger is also a powerful antioxidant that fights bugs and viruses. It might help break up the mucus in your nose so you can breathe easier. You can use ginger by slicing it up and eating it raw. If the taste is too strong, you can mix it with honey.

• Neti pot: If you have a runny nose, try a Neti pot to clean out the mucus in your nasal tubes. Neti pots are small containers that look like teapots and have a long tube sticking out of one side. Add warm salt water to the container, and then stick it up one of your sinuses. The answer will come out of your other nostril. To keep from getting a sinus infection, make sure to carefully follow the instructions that come with your Neti pot and only use pure water.

• Facial steam. It has been shown that the mist from hot steam can help stop a runny nose. Put a pot of water on the stove to heat up. Just warm it up enough so that the water doesn’t boil. Then, for a few minutes, take big breaths of the steam. Do this over and over, and when you’re done, blow your nose gently. You can also add a few drops of essential oils like tea tree, spearmint or peppermint, eucalyptus, pine, or thyme to the hot water.

• Take a hot shower. If you have a runny nose and want to get rid of it quickly, take a hot shower. The spray from a hot shower may help with a runny nose and swollen nasal passages in the same way that steam from face steam does.

• Hot tea. Drinks like tea that are hot can also help stop a runny nose. Again, the idea is that the heat and steam from the hot drink help open up your nasal airways. You could try mint, nettle, ginger, or chamomile plant teas, which contain antihistamines and painkillers.