My Nose Runs After Nose Surgery — What Happens When You Eat Liquids with Nasal Packing In
2024. 2. 26.
An answer to a question about something like a runny nose dripping whenever water or soup is consumed while nasal packing is in place after nose surgery — it is nasal secretion that soaked into the packing and drips out; swallowed liquid refluxing from mouth to nose is unlikely.
Key points
- Liquid dripping while nasal packing is in is commonly nasal secretion that soaked into the packing and then came out — but the content and cause cannot be confirmed from text or photos alone.
- Do not pull out or push in the packing yourself — confirm the normal course and removal schedule with the clinic that operated.
- If clear watery liquid keeps flowing, or there is bright-red bleeding, bad odor, fever, severe pain, breathing difficulty, or packing displacement — contact the surgery clinic immediately.
"Whenever I eat liquids like water or soup, something like a runny nose drips from my nose."
This is a question posted by someone who had nose surgery and double eyelid surgery together. They had bridge silicone, donor rib cartilage, alar reduction, plus functional surgery for deviated septum and rhinitis — and had been living with nasal packing in for 6 days after surgery, struggling because something like a runny nose dripped whenever they consumed liquids. They were also worried whether the mouth and nose might be connected, letting soup dangerously flow into the nose.
This article organizes why a runny nose can flow while nasal packing is in, based on the answer to that question.
01
Is a runny nose after nose surgery a problem?
It is common for nasal secretion to soak into the packing and then flow out with the movement of eating or speaking. Still, the content and cause of the liquid cannot be confirmed from text or photos alone — nor can it be concluded that it is unrelated to the surgical outcome.
| The feared situation | The actual situation |
|---|---|
| Soup swallowed by mouth seeps into the nose and drips | In ordinary swallowing, reflux of soup into the nose is unlikely — but what the dripping liquid actually is requires clinic confirmation |
| It is a symptom caused by the surgery going wrong | It may be ordinary nasal secretion, but the surgical outcome cannot be judged from symptoms alone |
02
Can soup swallowed by mouth travel into the nose?
In ordinary swallowing, the likelihood of soup refluxing into the nose is low. Even so, not every liquid should be assumed to be soup or simple nasal discharge. Do not pull out or push in the packing yourself — confirm the current appearance and removal schedule with the clinic that operated. If clear watery liquid keeps flowing, or there is bright-red bleeding, bad odor, fever, severe pain, breathing difficulty, or packing displacement, contact them immediately.
Other care points during post-surgery recovery can also be seen in the rhinoplasty recovery guide.
03
Summary — it is the packing being saturated and dripping
If liquid flows while nasal packing is in after nose surgery, it may be ordinary nasal secretion — but text alone cannot confirm it. Do not manipulate the packing yourself; check with the surgery clinic, and if clear liquid keeps flowing or there is bleeding, bad odor, fever, severe pain, breathing difficulty, or packing displacement, contact them immediately.
If a symptom worries you during recovery, it can be checked directly in a 1:1 video consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions patients ask before a consultation.
Is it dangerous if my nose runs while nasal packing is in after nose surgery?
Is there a reason it only drips when I eat water or soup?
I had several procedures together — does the same explanation apply?
Responses to treatment and recovery progress vary by individual. Outcomes and side effects vary from person to person. Bleeding, infection, swelling and asymmetry may occur. Please consult our medical team before making a decision.