- Cold season is upon us — which means you may need to stock up on tissues . . . and watch the way you’re using them.
- Blowing your nose could make it more stuffed and make you feel worse when you’re sick.
- That’s because you’re building up the pressure in your nostrils, which could cause mucus to shoot up into your sinuses, instead of your nose.
- Watch the video above to see the best way to blow your nose.
It’s that time of year where everyone in the office is calling in sick. Those nasty sniffles are just part of the hassle, but you could be making it a lot worse for yourself if you’re not blowing your nose properly.
Following is a transcript of the video.
Blowing your nose could make it more stuffed.
Feeling stuffy? Blowing your nose could make you feel worse. That’s because you’re building up the pressure in your nostrils. This pressure can cause mucus to shoot up into your sinuses, instead of out of your nose.
When you’re sick, that mucus may contain viruses or bacteria.
If the bacteria or virus gets into your sinuses, it could trigger an infection. If that infection spreads, it could make you even sicker.
The stuffy feeling is from inflamed blood vessels.
Blowing will just irritate those vessels even more, which could increase the swelling. So, what’s the right way to blow your nose?
Close one nostril at a time and lightly blow through each one. Anti-inflammitories may help reduce the swelling and open a passage for the mucus to flow out.
Lubricating spray also helps loosen dry, crusted mucus clearing the way for a gentle nose blowing. So, pull up the covers, grab a tissue and gently blow your way to good health.
