When should you seek professional treatment for a running nose?

Patients should seek professional treatment for a runny nose that lasts more than 10 days or involves a green nasal discharge with sinus pain or fever, which is a possible sign of bacterial infection, according to Mayo Clinic. Patients should also seek medical attention when nasal discharges contain blood.

Patients with runny noses should also see a doctor when they have a persistent clear discharge after a head injury or have a high fever that lasts more than three days, advises Mayo Clinic. Patients with asthma or emphysema and patients who are taking immune-suppressing medications should also seek professional treatment for runny noses.