Insane in the Mucus Membranes

Here in Colorado in February, we’re experiencing the typical blackoutdrunkepileptic winter, which is to say that the season of "winter" is too mentally unstable to chose between springy and frigid cold weather, so it just oscillates between the two for about six months. Though it’s not scientifically proven that cold weather makes the human body more susceptible to the common cold, catching a cold seems to go hand in hand with drastically changing temperatures. And with the cold, comes the snot.

Mucus, like everything in the human bod, can be disassembled at the cellular level, where mucus cells are produced in mucus glands in the mucus membrane. Mucous membranes are numerous in the human body, lining areas including the stomach, mouth, lips, eyelids, ears, genital area and anus, though not all secrete mucus. (Or at least not all the time). The cells are rich in proteins and water. The wet, sticky texture of mucus allows it to trap infectious agents including fungi, bacteria and viruses from damaging the protective tissue, or epithelium, in the aforementioned areas. In the nose, mucus traps the agents and holds them there in booger form until ejection.

A runny nose is often a reaction to a sort of ice/heat pack effect on the nose. The nose contains cilia, which are sensory organelles that sweep mucus toward the back of the throat. During cold weather the cilia become sluggish and the mucus becomes thicker. When reintroduced to warmblooded-friendly temperatures, the mucus thaws and runs out the nose until the cilia can shake it off. As for the heat pack effect, spicy food numbs the cilia temporarily useless, causing the should-be medical condition “spicy food nasal drip.” (Author’s note: I am writing this next to an empty bowl of spicy green chili and a resultant mountain of tissues. I‘m not just getting this stuff from wikipedia, I swear.)

Quick Facts on Mucus:

-Mucus is spelled "mucus" as a noun and "mucous" as an adjective. Sounds like Mufasa or Moukassa.

-Your body makes 1 litre of mucus a DAY! Sick!

-People with strong immune systems are more likely to develop symptomatic colds, as the symptoms of the virus occur because of a strong immune response. People with weak immune systems become asymptomatic carriers who unknowingly spread it to others.

-The common cold is a virus, not a bacterial infection. Antibiotics cannot cure your cold. You know this; Stop playing dumb and asking your doctors for them anyway.

-Attempts at creating a common cold vaccine have also been proven futile, as viruses are varied and rapidly mutating.

-If you're experiencing mucus overload, best to just let it ride.

Moussaka--sounds like mucus, tastes totally different