So, this is going to be quick.
Nasal saline drops are advised for clearing of noses in case of blocked nose in a cold.
Crying causes salty water to flow from the eyes to the nose.
Crying leads to a blocked nose.
Why?
I was told that the reason could be
tears are more than just normal saline
crying leads to vasodilation of the nasal mucosa and hence the feeling of blocked nose.
Point 2 lead to some other questions.
why would vasodilation lead to feeling of blocked nose?
vasodilation is roughly, a relaxation of the wall of the arteries, leading to increased blood flow. How would that translate to the feeling of a blocked nose?
does it cause the mucosa to become thicker? if yes, how much thicker does it get to give the feeling of blocked nose? does the same happen during a cold too?
why would there be vasodilation in the first place?
I was told the nerve supply to the lacrimal gland and the nasal mucosa comes from the same ganglion, hence activation of one leads to activation of another.
which ganglion is this? (I feel like I should know the answer to this one) (Yes, I will look it up)
Why is there activation of both of these together? Do they share the same pre ganglionic neuron or post ganglionic neuron?
this means there is some anatomical variant present in some person where the lacrimal gland and the nasal mucosa’s activation do not coincide, and hence this person does not get a stuffed nose after crying
maybe these are the sort of people who benefit the most from crying (they get the emotional catharsis without having to deal with the sequelae of a blocked nose)
Let me know if you have answers or suggestions.
Take care!
Until next time.