Is blowing your nose harmful?

What would you do if you have too much mucus in your nose and it is blocked? I believe most people would sink their Qi into their Dantian, then suddenly exert force to blow it out. But is there any hidden danger in this common method? Are there any other better ways to deal with it?

01

What's wrong with blowing your nose?

If you blow your nose hard as we just said, there will be some adverse consequences. For example, when you blow your nose hard, the pressure in the nasal cavity will suddenly increase, allowing the mucus to enter the sinus and cause sinusitis, or squeeze the mucus into the Eustachian tube and cause otitis media, and may also cause lacrimal duct inflammation, nasolacrimal duct obstruction, etc. Therefore, it is best to be gentle when treating your nose.

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You may say, then instead of blowing my nose, can I just pick it?

It is not a good idea either. Picking your nose may bring bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms on your hands into the nasal passages, causing nasal infections. At the same time, mechanical stimulation of the nasal mucosa can easily cause inflammation in the nose. If you accidentally break a blood vessel in the nasal cavity, it will cause nosebleeds. If your nose hairs are picked off, it will also cause nasal infections.

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02

Vascular

What should you do if your nose is blocked?

Don't worry, we have another trick here, nasal washing. Using a nasal wash once or twice a day can greatly help with nasal congestion.

In addition to washing the nose, we can also consider applying hot compress to the nose. Covering the nose with a hot towel for a while can also help nasal circulation and restore ventilation.

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Okay, this is Science Popularization China, see you next time.

Reviewer: Tang Qin, Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association