How to Warm a Cold Nose

A cold nose could be a sign of an underlying health issue 1. Your nose, like your fingers and toes, is an extremity. It is made of cartilage and does not require as much blood as other parts of the body. There are hundreds of reasons that noses get cold. Determining the cause of your nose coldness will determine what actions you should take to warm your nose up.

Is This an Emergency?

If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.

Taking care of yourself

Sometimes your nose is cold simply because its cold outside 1. Certain individuals are more sensitive to cold temperatures than others and have different physical responses. Individuals sensitive to cold weather can find relief by simple lifestyle adjustments. It is important for these people to stay warm and keep their feet, hands and head covered in cold temperatures. They should wear layered clothing, sweaters, undershirts, thick socks, boots, scarves, mittens, hats and heavy jackets. There are even masks and nose warmers for certain activities where the face is particularly exposed to the cold and body warmers that can be inserted into shoes and gloves for extreme cold protection 1. When cold sensitive people are indoors, they should keep their feet covered with warm socks and comfortable slippers and wear thick pants and sweaters. When your overall body temperature is warm, your nose should warm up as well. If the nose coldness persists, you may also want to apply a heated pad.

Do Cold Temps Affect Heart Rate While Exercising & Running?

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What you put in your body has a great affect on how you feel. Slight changes in your diet can help keep you and your nose warm when it's cold 1. Drinking warm beverages and eating warm foods like tea, hot chocolate, soups, stews and broths help maintain the inner body's warmth. Certain foods and herbs like ginkgo biloba, Tamari bancha tea, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger have also been found to be easily absorbed by the body and help regulate circulation, encouraging more blood to be pumped to extremities like your nose 2. Cold sensitive individuals should also refrain from smoking since nicotine has been found to worsen the problem.

A person who is obese, inactive, remains seated or standing in a cramped position for long periods of time or who has a poor diet may be suffering from restricted blood circulation 2. Exercise and activity revitalize your body and encourage blood to flow intensely throughout your veins bringing oxygen and energy to all parts of your body.
Improvement of blood circulation can not only warm up your nose and other parts of your body, but can be very helpful in relieving stress, tension, anxiety, nerve and respiratory disorders, high blood pressure, heart conditions and can give a better overall sense of well-being.
Daily exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, stretching, yoga and other sports are a great way to improve blood circulation 2. Massage is also incredibly helpful in encouraging blood to flow to every area of the body.

Do Cold Temps Affect Heart Rate While Exercising & Running?

Learn More

If your cold nose persists, it may be the symptom of an underlying illness 1. A cold nose is associated with hypothyroidism, a disorder where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone necessary for a normal metabolism 1. It can also be associated with Raynaud's disease, where under cold weather and stress the blood vessels dramatically limit blood supply and in the extremities causing the skin to temporarily change color. Along with these a cold nose can be a symptom of Seasonal Affective Disorder and various respiratory tract infections 1. If you suspect you may have any one of these conditions, you should see your doctor.

  • Sometimes your nose is cold simply because its cold outside 1.
  • If you suspect you may have any one of these conditions, you should see your doctor.
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