10 Symptoms of Pertussis
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
Symptom #3: Runny Nose
Although snot is often the butt of toilet humor jokes, it actually serves a very important purpose. As we breathe, we take in air that can contain a huge variety of pathogens and these could potentially make us ill. Lining the inner surface of our nostrils, however, is a sticky substance we know as snot. This helps to trap germs, preventing them from being inhaled into the lungs.
When we are sick, our bodies start producing more of this mucus in an effort to expel pathogens from the body. This results in what we call a runny nose. While not harmful in itself, it can be annoying.
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