We've all experienced those times when we feel terribly stuffed up and seek out some tissues for some relief.
This is especially common in the spring and fall when allergens are at their peak, but a lot of people struggle with stuffiness during the winter months, too, because of the dry air and circulating illnesses.
But as it turns out, when we're blowing our noses there's a right way to do it—and a few very wrong ways to do it.
Over on TikTok, pediatrician, allergist, and immunologist Dr. Zachary Rubin revealed in an eye-opening video that trying our hardest to make our noses feel better could actually be causing "damage" elsewhere.
Dr. Rubin pointed out that while we think we learned how to do this when we were kids, many of us are doing it incorrectly.
"Here's how to blow your nose correctly. Now, you might be asking yourself, 'Dr. Rubin, why are you telling me this? I already know how to do this.' Well, many people may not realize that they're actually blowing their nose incorrectly, and it could potentially cause some damage."
"So many people may be doing this incorrectly because they're blowing their nose very hard and doing it with both nostrils at the same time."
This style of nose-blowing could lead to two common ailments, the doctor pointed out.
"The problem with this is that when you have that increased pressure, especially when it's dry out like it is now [in the winter months], you could increase the risk to having damage done to the nasal passages, leading to nosebleeds."
"Also, that built-up pressure in your nasal passages could end up going in multiple directions, including in the back of your nasal passage where the eustachian tubes are."
"That connects to the middle ear, so you could be displacing mucus, bacteria, viruses, etc., into that eustachian tube and potentially increase the risk of having a major ear infection."
Dr. Rubin then suggested how to update the routine.
"The best way to blow your nose is by covering one nostril, and, into a tissue, slowly blowing out [the open nostril]. Don't do it too hard. It should be comfortable. Then you do that again on the other side."
"Afterwards, wash your hands with soap and water to make sure you're not spreading germs to other people."
You can watch the video here:
Some fellow TikTokers were surprised others did not know this and proceeded to share the information.
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
But most of the comment section was flooded with flabbergasted people who had blown their noses incorrectly their whole lives.
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
@rubin_allergy/TikTok
Blowing your nose is one of those things that seems so simple that it'd be easy to assume you're doing it correctly as long as blowing your nose leads to a little relief.
Fortunately, videos like this exist so that we can experience relief without causing other problems along the way!
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
@BillAckman/Twitter