Sniffing versus blowing: Why raising your nose is healthier

During the cold season, many people's noses run again. Now when someone turns up their nose in the immediate vicinity, most people think “I, use a tissue”. ear, nose and throat doctors have long been arguing about the question of whether blowing your nose or blowing your nose is healthier We will show you which arguments speak for and which speak against pulling up.

What happens when you raise your nose?

You often hear that pulling up your nose leads to new or more severe infections because the nasal secretions can get into the respiratory tract.

In fact, it can happen that bronchi or paranasal sinuses are affected by the secretion and acute inflammation is triggered there. But the probability of this is extremely small, at least if you swallow the mucus like most people do and it ends up in your stomach. Here it is destroyed by the aggressive stomach acid and the pathogens no longer have the opportunity to spread in the body.

What happens when you have a cold? – Dangerous pressure

If you blow your nose instead, you create strong pressure in your nose, which can even be very dangerous under certain circumstances. According to studies, the internal pressure in the nose when you blow your nose is up to ten times higher than when you sneeze normally. This can easily cause the mucus to be pushed not only outwards, but also into the sinuses. A mild cold can then develop into an unpleasant inflammation of the sinuses with flu-like symptoms such as headaches and fever. It is also not unlikely that blood vessels in the nose are damaged by the violent expulsion of air, resulting in severe nosebleeds.

On the other hand, drawing up nasal secretions is no guarantee that infections cannot occur.

Pulling up is more hygienic than cleaning

Nevertheless, pulling up is generally more hygienic, even if it certainly doesn't sound like it to many people. Because when you blow your nose, you inevitably keep pathogens on your hands. This means that if someone doesn't wash their hands immediately after having a cold, but touches a door handle or something similar, they leave behind these pathogens that can infect other people. Washing your hands regularly is therefore important during a cold.

General tip: Regardless of whether you blow your nose or sniffle, doctors agree that you shouldn't use too much force to clear your nose.

Tips for cleaning your nose when you have a runny nose

Even though pulling up is the body's natural way to relieve itself of the sniffles, using tissues is the more accepted method by the public. That's why we have some recommendations for you on how you can gently clear your nose and still adhere to the "cold etiquette":

  • Don't snort too hard when blowing your nose. Lightly dab the nasal secretion with a tissue.
  • Use tissues only once. Paper handkerchiefs should be thrown in the trash can after use, and cloth handkerchiefs should be put in the washing machine.
  • It is best to always keep one nostril closed when blowing your nose. Otherwise, more air will flow through the free nostril and the blocked side will not be freed.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly during the cold season, especially immediately after a cold, to avoid infecting other people.
  • As an alternative to sniffing or pulling up your nose, you can also use nasal douches if your nose is blocked, for example with lukewarm salt water.
  • There are also nasal aspirators for babies with persistent colds. These devices work with negative pressure and simply pull the secretion out of the nose.   

Important: If you follow this advice, you will hopefully only have a mild cold. If, despite all caution, you notice a strong feeling of pressure on your forehead or in the upper jaw or cheek area, this could be a sign of a sinus infection . In this case, see your ear, nose and throat doctor as soon as possible .

Source:

Nose guide

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