Nose-blowing
Nose-blowing is the act of expelling nasal
exhaling forcefully through the nose. This is usually done into a facial tissue or handkerchief, facial tissues being more hygienic as they are disposed of after each use while handkerchiefs are softer and more environmentally-friendly.[1]
Nose-blowing may be used to alleviate nasal congestion (stuffy nose) or rhinorrhea (runny nose) resulting from colds, seasonal allergies, or to expel nasal irritants.
Technique
The tissue or handkerchief is held gently against the nose. Prior to nose blowing, a deep
nostrils at once (or, if only one nostril is congested, just the affected nostril) will effectively eject the mucus.[2]
The process may need to be repeated several times to sufficiently clear the entire nose.
Health effects
While nose-blowing helps to alleviate
symptoms of the common cold and hayfever, when it is done excessively or incorrectly it may bring potential adverse health effects. Nose-blowing generates high pressure in the nostrils.[3] When this pressure is added to a dry nose, it could rupture blood vessels inside the nose, resulting in a nosebleed.[4][5]
In a 2000 study, doctors squirted
In extremely rare but documented cases, nose-blowing has resulted in unusual conditions, such as in the case of a woman who fractured her left eye socket after blowing her nose.[8]
Etiquette
The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (October 2022) |
Nose-blowing becomes a breach of
mucus back into the nose instead of blowing it. When nose-blowing needs to be carried out at the table, the person doing it should turn away from everybody else and especially away from the food on the table. If the nose-blowing session is going to be short, then it may be done at the table, but if the nose is too stuffed and the resulting nose-blowing session will be long and loud, then the person is generally expected to go to the restroom/washroom.[9]
See also
- Nose picking
- Sneezing
- Coughing
References
- ^ "How to Blow Your Nose". wikiHow. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
- ^ "Teachers' Zone | Sneezesafe® AU". Sneezesafe. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
- ^ Cheng, Cheng; Pagano, Alyssa. "You've been blowing your nose all wrong — here's how you should do it". Business Insider. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
- ^ "3 risks of blowing your nose too hard". wexnermedical.osu.edu. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
- ^ "5 Risks of Nose Blowing". @berkeleywellness. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
- ^ Knight-Ridder/Tribune (6 February 2000). "2 RESEARCHERS WARN NOSE-BLOWING MAY BACKFIRE". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
- PMID 10671347.
- ^ "A Woman Fractured Her Eye Socket By Blowing Her Nose". Time. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
- ^ "How to blow your nose in public – according to an etiquette expert". BT.com. Retrieved 2019-05-04.