When you live with food allergies, it’s easy to wonder whether all of the symptoms you experience come from them. After all, when you’re trying to manage your allergies, it helps to know what symptoms to watch for.

One symptom people often wonder about is an itchy, runny nose while eating. If you’re experiencing this, here are some possible reasons.

1. Food Allergies

Your food allergies may be the reason your nose itches or runs when you eat. Food allergies can also cause a blocked or runny nose. Most of the time, you’ll have these along with other symptoms, like feeling dizzy or getting a skin rash (hives). If your allergy is severe or you don’t treat it for a while, you might experience anaphylaxis. This life-threatening response can make it hard for you to breathe and can cause you to go into shock.

If your nose starts itching or running while you’re eating, check your food for any ingredients you know you’re allergic to. If you’re at a restaurant, you may need to talk to your server to figure out what might be causing an allergic reaction. If you develop other allergy symptoms, treat them right away or seek help from a health care provider or emergency services. There could be hidden allergens in your food, or you may be developing a new food allergy.

When your first sign of an allergy is in your nose, it’s a good idea to watch for other symptoms in your nose or food allergy symptoms in your mouth, since the mouth and nose are connected. You might notice that your tongue swells or you have a metallic taste in your mouth, for instance.

2. An Irritating Taste or Smell

Nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) is a condition where something other than allergies causes symptoms in your nose and nasal passages that feel like allergies. You might have a stuffy nose, itching, or sneezing. However, these symptoms are not tied to allergens or an immune system response.

NAR can happen for a number of reasons, like aging or certain medications. However, it’s often triggered by something that irritates your nose and nasal membranes when you breathe it in or consume it. If your nose often itches or runs when you eat and you and your health care team can’t find a cause, it’s possible that something you’re eating is irritating your body.

Gustatory rhinitis is a type of NAR that happens when you eat. It’s usually triggered by spicy or hot foods. In one study, most of the foods that caused this response were either hot or strongly spiced. The people in the study were not allergic to these foods, but they still experienced an itchy nose and other nasal symptoms when they ate them. So, if you have an itchy nose when you eat certain foods, it might be caused by gustatory rhinitis rather than a food allergy.

If you experience gustatory rhinitis, you may need to avoid the foods that cause it. This is similar to what you would do if you had a new food allergy. There may also be some medications you can take before you eat these foods that allow you to enjoy them without an itchy, runny nose. Most of the time, the symptoms from gustatory rhinitis don’t last as long as those from food allergies, so you might choose to simply eat the foods and deal with the runny, itchy nose that follows.

3. Other Nasal Issues

There are several other nasal issues that could make your nose itch, sting, or run when you eat.

You might have a sinus infection. Your sinuses are air-filled spaces around your nose, surrounded by the bones of your face. Infections or allergies can make the tissue around your sinuses swell. This swelling can block the sinuses and lead to an infection. One important symptom of a sinus infection is congestion in your nose.

Some people find that eating certain foods helps their sinuses feel better. This might be for the same reasons that some foods cause gustatory rhinitis. These foods irritate the nasal tissue, which can feel itchy and cause your nose to run and help clear congestion. Your sinuses may feel better afterwards.

Breathing in steam can also help loosen nasal congestion and unblock your sinuses. Eating warm, moist food, like soup, might have the same effect. You may feel itching in your nose as the steam does its work.

Common colds and nasal infections, as well as a variety of other issues, can cause symptoms like an itchy or runny nose too. They might also be relieved when you eat certain foods. If you live with these symptoms, it might feel like your nose itches and runs every time you eat.

Talk to Your Doctor Today

If your nose itches or runs when you eat, it’s time to talk to your allergist or immunology expert to get medical advice. They can help you get the allergy testing you need so you can figure out what’s causing your symptoms. This may involve skin tests or blood tests.

If you have a new food allergy, your care team can connect you with a registered dietitian who can help you figure out how to avoid the allergen. You may also find that you have another type of allergy, like a seasonal allergy or hay fever. If your symptoms aren’t allergy-related, your care team can help you find the cause or direct you to another expert.

It’s important that you never ignore a symptom that might be related to your food allergies. Talking to your doctor can give you peace of mind and help you feel your best and thrive.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyFoodAllergyTeam is the social network for people with food allergies and their loved ones. On MyFoodAllergyTeam, more than 41,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with food allergies.

Does your nose itch or run when you eat? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.