Blehhh, the hay fever season is still going on and we can’t wait until we can breathe a sigh of relief again. We can leave all the pollen out again, because we continue to blow or pick up our noses. That immediately brings us to the question, is it actually better to blow your nose all the time, or just blow it? We looked into it for you.
Also read: Is your nose closed? This is how you get it open again
Nasal cold
There is nothing more horrible than having to blow your nose every other minute during hay fever season. Still, no one would rather walk around with a runny nose, so there is no other option than to put your nose in your tissue or cloth handkerchief. The other has just learned not to blow his nose, but to turn it up. There are advantages to both. This way, all your sniffles will be gone after blowing your nose, but you will get less irritation in and around your nose from blowing your nose. Which way is best now?
Blow your nose or pick it up?
ENT doctor Liane Tan tells the Tergooi MC website that *drumroll* picking up your nose is better for you. The doctor also explains why: “It works like this: the mucous membrane of your nose contains cilia that ensure that the mucus from your nose and sinuses is properly drained. Every day they drain hundreds of millimeters of snot towards your pharynx. This happens unconsciously. When blowing your nose, air and snot go in the exact opposite direction. Due to the pressure, it also ends up in your cavities, which hinders your natural drainage.” Ah!
Pain in the ears
But, there is more according to Liane. “In addition, blowing your nose has another major disadvantage: it can hurt your ears. Because people blow their nose too hard, they even inflate their eardrums. That’s why my advice: even though it may not sound that fresh, you Picking up your nose is really much better and healthier than blowing your nose.”
Avoid eating with hay fever
Do you suffer from hay fever? Then you can try to avoid it by giving up certain foods and drinks. It is better to avoid spicy food if you suffer from hay fever. This is because your airways are more sensitive to humidity, temperature fluctuations and, you guessed it: spicy food. So be careful with this too! No one wants you to sneeze on their (spicy) food. It is also better to give up alcohol (sad) this season.
