Are You Blowing Your Nose Wrong?

We’ve all been there — suffering common symptoms like sinus pain, stuffy nose and headache during a cold, flu or allergy season. Sometimes it feels like blowing your nose as long and hard as you can is the only thing that will help. But blowing your nose correctly is about more than just feeling relief. Doing it right can help keep your nasal passages clear and healthy.

Follow these three simple nose-blowing steps:

1. You can alternate placing a finger over each nostril. Blow your nose gently into a tissue.
2. If the mucus is difficult to expel, use a humidifier or a saline nasal spray to loosen it.
3. Throw away the used tissue and wash your hands thoroughly.

“What we don’t want in our body is for anything that doesn’t belong, such as mucus, sitting inside our nasal passages and sinus cavities,” advises Jonathan Young, M.D., a pediatric otolaryngologist with Sutter. “That can become prime real estate for bacterial infections.”

Nose-Blowing Do’s and Don’ts

Blowing your nose wrong can wreak havoc and lead to worsening symptoms. Dr. Young notes that regular nose-blowing, done correctly, can prevent post-nasal drainage, a common cause of bad breath and throat irritation. 

Here are more ways you can find relief from pressure and make breathing easier:

Do: Blow your nose and clear out mucus to keep your nasal passages and sinuses clear.
Don’t: Don’t squeeze your nose shut when blowing your nose. This could force mucus and air into the sinuses, causing pain.

Tip: Try steaming to increase the moisture in dry nasal passages. Adding a tablespoon of mentholated ointment to boiling water and breathing in the vapor can soothe your parched sinuses.

Do: Use soft tissues to blow your nose.
Don’t: Don’t shove tissues into your nostrils so the mucus has a clear path out.

Tip: Use steroid nasal sprays (with caution and under the supervision of your doctor), a neti pot or a saline spray to help reduce swelling and clear your nasal passages.

Do: Blow your nose frequently over the first 2 to 5 days once congestion starts.
Don’t: Don’t blow your nose as hard as you can. This could add more pressure to your sinuses and cause discomfort to your ears and eyes.

Tip: Gently press your face over your sinus passages with targeted sinus massage. While there’s no specific scientific data saying that target sinus massage helps clear mucus from your sinuses, it can help relieve face pressure and pain.

When To Call the Doctor

Proper nose-blowing and care may not be enough. Talk to a clinician if you have the following symptoms:

• Fever over 100°
• Sticky drainage from tear ducts
• Swelling and redness around the eyes
• Yellowish or greenish mucus

Blowing your nose may sound like a simple task. However, knowing the right way to do it will not only help you breathe easy, but also adds to the care and protection your nose and sinuses need.