When we learned about the immune system we learned that the body has many defense mechanisms in order to protect itself. For example mucus! Mucus coats your body cavities that are exposed to the environment like your GI tract, respiratory tract, and reproductive tract. This mucus can help trap particles, fight pathogens, and moisten the air that we take in. But I have a cold and I want to know why my nose doesn’t stop running! Well basically my airways are inflamed. Woooo! So like I mentioned before mucus helps fight off pathogens, like the common cold. Your immune system activates the inflammation when it detects a pathogen, and it increases its mucus production. Even though I have to use a tissue every 4 seconds, and my nose turns bright red this mucus is helping my body fight the cold. GO MUCUS!!!!
But I think I am going to go take some cold medicine : )
Great explanation, Veronica. It also helps to explain while it may be most comfortable for us, it is not always the most beneficial to have cold medicine that stops mucus production. Think about it! No mucus, one less line of defense from the bad guys coming in! So stock up on the tissues and the OJ!
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