Cold and flu season is upon us. Cases are jumping across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows, bringing plenty of stuffy, runny noses along for the ride. While blowing your nose is a common way to help clear nasal congestion, apparently, you could be doing it wrong. Yup, there’s a right way to blow your nose.
Meet the experts: Purvi Parikh, M.D., an allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network; Kanwar Kelley, M.D., otolaryngologist (ENT) and co-founder and CEO of Side Health; Phillip Purnell, M.D., Ph.D., an otolaryngologist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Mason Krysinski, M.D., otolaryngologist and assistant professor at Vanderbilt Health; Alan Workman, M.D., a sinus and nasal disorders specialist at Mass Eye and Ear, and assistant professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Harvard Medical School.
Some are forceful with their nose-blowing, while others do it gently. We tapped doctors, including an allergist and ear, nose, and throat specialists, for more information on the proper nose-blowing technique—including what may happen if you do it the wrong way.
Is there a right way to blow your nose?
While there are some variations on nose-blowing, there are a few generally agreed-on ways to effectively blow your nose.
The CDC recommends:
- Getting a clean tissue.
- Covering your nose.
- Throwing out the tissue.
- Washing your hands immediately afterward.
How to blow your nose
Purvi Parikh, M.D., an allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network, recommends blowing one nostril at a time by putting a finger or pressure on one side of your nose, closing that nostril, and blowing out of the nostril that is open. Then, repeat on the other side.
“Avoid blowing too hard or with too much force,” Dr. Parikh says. This should be a relatively quiet process, too. “You should not be making a very loud honking noise when blowing your nose,” says Alan Workman, M.D., a sinus and nasal disorders specialist at Mass Eye and Ear, and assistant professor of otolaryngology—head and neck surgery at Harvard Medical School.
You can also keep your mouth open a bit while you blow, says Phillip Purnell, M.D., Ph.D., an otolaryngologist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “That helps to reduce some of the pressure,” he explains.
Some people will pinch the bridge of their nose shut while blowing, but research has found that blowing your nose without pinching is safer and better at getting rid of mucus.
While nose blowing is considered the go-to way to clear your sinuses, it actually shouldn’t be your first choice, says Kanwar Kelley, M.D., otolaryngologist (ENT) and co-founder and CEO of Side Health. “Nose-blowing is OK, but there are a few things you can do that might be better,” he says.
“Salt water sprays and salt water irrigation can help to really rinse out your nose, and to get rid of viruses, bacteria, and allergens that may be in your nose.”
That doesn’t mean blowing your nose is unsafe, though. “In most healthy people without pre-existing conditions, blowing the nose is considered quite safe,” says Mason Krysinski, M.D., otolaryngologist and assistant professor at Vanderbilt Health. Dr. Krysinski points out that there is “no medical gold standard” for blowing your nose, although most doctors recommend not pinching both nostrils when you do it.
Potential side effects of blowing your nose wrong
While it’s rare to have serious complications from blowing your nose incorrectly, there is a risk of certain health complications if you do it wrong.
Prolonged discomfort
At a basic level, blowing your nose ineffectively raises the odds you’ll continue to have nasal congestion and discomfort.
Nose bleed
But blowing your nose too hard can trigger nosebleeds, Dr. Kelley says. “Our noses have lots of blood vessels,” he explains. “If you blow too forcefully, you’ll set yourself up for a higher incidence of nosebleeds.” That nosebleed can happen while you’re blowing or at a later time, he says.
Ear infection
Not only that, “too much force can lodge mucus into your Eustachian tube—which connects the back of your nose, throat, and ear—and trigger a potential ear infection,” Dr. Parikh says.
Blown eardrum
There’s even a risk of rupturing your eardrum, which Dr. Purnell has seen happen before. “You have to put some pressure into it, but it can happen,” he says. (Before you worry about this happening to you, Dr. Wakeman says it’s rare.)
If you have to blow your nose, Dr. Kelley stresses the importance of blowing with care. “Don’t do it too vigorously,” he says.
Other ways to clear mucus from your nose
While blowing your nose is one of the easier ways to clear it out, there are other things you can do to reduce your congestion. Be sure to consult your physician before experimenting with new methods to ensure you use what’s best for you. That said, experts say you may consider:
“These are great to moisten and loosen up hard mucus so it blows out easier,” Dr. Parikh says. In fact, Dr. Kelley calls salt water irrigation the “gold-standard intervention” for nasal congestion and recommends you try that first.
If you find that nasal congestion is a consistent issue, and you’re unable to clear your sinuses effectively, Dr. Parikh says it’s time to see an allergist or ear, nose, and throat specialist for an evaluation.
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