Why you should not blow your nose too hard

When you blow your nose too hard, you increase pressure in your sinus, ear and brain. Here's what happens next.

Blowing the nose when it's blocked with mucus seems to be relieving when you're down with cold. But does it actually help relieve symptoms? And, is it the right thing to do? Researchers say blowing the nose too hard could be dangerous.

Sinus infection: According to recent study conducted at the University of Virginia, cited in The Wall Street Journal, when you blow your nose your generate 10 times more pressure than you do while coughing or sneezing. Sometimes, the pressure generated can be so intense that the accumulated mucus may even propel into the sinus spaces and drainage passageways. This can cause sinus infections, making your condition worse. An earlier study by Gwaltney JM J revealed that a single nose blow can propel nearly 1 ml of viscous mucus or fluid into the intranasal sinuses. Further, blowing also forces air into the sinus spaces, giving rise to mucus bubbles that increase intranasal pressure. This can cause headache and inflammation of the sinuses or sinusitis [1]. According to Dr Rohit Vishnoi, Senior Consultant, ENT, Delhi based Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, when blockage of sinus ostium (an opening that connect sinus to the nasal cavity) become worse, surgical intervention may be needed to remove the blockage.

Ear infection: Sometimes, you may even hear a crackling sound in your ear while blowing your nose. This means that generated pressure has forced the mucus to get drained into the middle ear. This can cause ear infection and is the reason why you may experience ear pain when you're suffering from cold.[2]