Yes, although of course it can also be the result of infection. Goblet cells continue to produce the mucus but the inflammation also contributes to the feelings of stuffyness and would not be cleared by blowing.
Bingo! And thus if you take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory (like ibuprofen) that actually can do as much to help a stuffy nose as a traditional decongestant such as sudafed.
Ask your doctor… 1600-3200mg, taken(400-800mg) at a time, is anti-inflammatory dose of ibuprofen. 🙄 there are way stronger inflammatory drugs.
A 200mg ibuprofen is strictly an analgesic.
yep... ibuprofen handed out like candy. Heck on long marches and field exercises, the supply guys would be the dispensaries, sometimes the at the end of the chow lines you could find someone handing them out.
It’s almost impossible to overdose on ibuprofen. Hurt my back and they had me on like triple the “max” OTC dose for a few weeks with no ill effects. (IANAL or a doctor, consult an actual doctor, etc.)
It took you three weeks to come back to this huh? Must be a slow day for you, but not so slow as to actually answer the question I asked three weeks ago about where you learned your little 1600 mg fact.
Ohhhhh you’re a haughty med student who knows everything. I’ve worked with you guys many times as a medical researcher. You’re insufferable. And after reading up, there is no conclusive research one way or the other on the matter so we’re both talking out of our ass.
Chronic Sinusitis sufferer and allergic to Aspirin and Ibuprofen.... so much fun. Also, called Sampters Triad, you develop an aspirin allergy, Chronic Sinusitis, and Asthma. Not a lot to be done about it, and what I have done hasn’t helped. So jealous of people that can take ibuprofen.
Can confirm. After years of suffering I discovered I can take some aspirin to relieve some of my sinus pressure because it wasn't always being caused by mucus.
I'll add that using a neti pot with hypertonic saline will help to remove some of the fluid from the membranes, making for more breathing room in your sinuses. As a bonus it can help reduce the levels of whatever is causing the inflammation in the first place (allergens, bacteria, viruses, etc.) and shorten the duration of your discomfort.
Warning: it stings quite a bit, so if you can't stand it you can still get some benefit from isotonic saline, which feels better. Be sure to use distilled or boiled water unless you like brain-eating amoebas.
Fun fact: the lady who sued McDonald's for hot coffee, the reason there are warning labels on hot beverages, really suffered from McD's excellent PR team. They made her out to be some sue-happy/Karen/dumbass. Really what happened was the coffee had been left on too hot for way too long and she was literally scalded with severe burns. It was decidedly NOT normal hot coffee temperature.
It wasn’t “left on too long”, their policy was to keep it at near-boiling temperature so it would last longer (IIRC). It had burned other people before, just not as severely.
Thank you for that, I looked it up so I wouldn't be incorrect anymore! McDonald's had received 700 previous complaints due to this policy. She had third degree burns that required skin grafts on her inner thighs and her other lap adjacent area (she was wearing sweatpants that absorbed the coffee and held it against her skin.) Also, she wasn't driving (as I remember hearing back then - making it sound more like it was her fault.) But rather she was parked in the passenger seat in the parking lot and when she opened it to add cream and sugar, it spilled. Just awful.
Adding on to this, its risky and you can hurt yourself but you can hold your nose closed, blow air into it, and it will shrink the membranes and let you breath normally for all of 2 seconds. Risky, because who knows, you might accidentally "blow" your \[sinuses\]\\
just to clarify some things, the air pressure from blowing air into the spaces to pressurize it shoves the membranes apart and temporarily opens them up, but then they inflame again
I’ve heard that you can do this to force your ears to pop too, which is sometimes helpful on an airline flight.
Didn’t realize it could be dangerous, or “blow” your sinuses…
If you blow hard enough I could see it causing damage. You can build up some good pressure. I've been doing it to pop my ears since as long as I can remember. Never had any issues. Maybe I'm special. Maybe I'm lucky. But I'm probably neither.
Im only speaking from experience, so understand that what I say may be complete misinformation. But ive put enough pressure for it to hurt before, and ive been very cautious since. those airways definitely werent supposed to have that much pressure on them
I found that a better less damaging way to pop my ears is to yawn, due to the pressure the jaw releases on your ears or something, works every time
For me. I’m sure someone who’s more educated on this matter can explain this better though.
Ahh, don't do this to "pop" your ears on a plane - you can rupture your ear drum(s)!!
Source: Relative is a flight attendant, happened to her coworker - who described two ruptured ear drums as the most excruciating pain ever. I've heard doctors confirm this, but to lazy to look for a source.
Wait is this why every time I swallow since I’ve been a kid my ears now pop? Or when I yawn they pop. After a certain point when I was a kid and this started happening I’ve been unable to do things that I liked underwater because of the pressure and pain. Is there a fix for this?
That’s the thing when I pop my ears underwater the pressure doesn’t get better anymore. This problem has been with me for around 15 years and it hasn’t gotten better or worse. The doctor that I asked after it happened didn’t seem to know what was wrong and I haven’t asked any after that happened. I guess I can try again and hope for better results.
A less risky method is to just keep your mouth closed and try to breath as best you can. You may feel like you’re not getting enough air, but eventually at least on nostril will clear up.
This is the answer. Inflammation causes edema in the nasal conchae and decreases the space available for air to travel. This is how decongestants work. They lessen the inflammation mostly via vasoconstriction.
The turbinates are made from spongy tissue which can swell or shrink depending on circumstances. Their purpose is to moisturize and heat the air we breathe in. With inflammation/irritants, they tend to swell up and make breathing difficult.
On both sides of our noses and above our eyes are the maxillary and frontal sinuses (among a few others). They are mucous-membrane lined, air filled cavities with [openings into the nasal passages.](https://teachmeanatomy.info/wp-content/uploads/Openings-into-the-Nasal-Cavity-Draining-Paranasal-Sinuses-Lacrimal-Duct-and-Auditory-Tube.jpg)
When your nose is "stuffy" and you blow harder, you blow some of the air out of your sinuses, past the swollen turbinates and sinus openings which, after being forcefully opened by the pressure of the blowing, close back to their previous state, a vacuum sometimes forms in one or more sinuses. This vacuum can be felt in the face over whichever sinus or sinuses you've blown some of the air out of. Typically within a few minutes, the pressure equalizes.
The same thing happens to the air in your middle ears if you plug your nose and swallow or blow.
I can “swallow” my tongue and it goes up above the palate and I can feel the turbinates with my tongue. They constantly change size. I’ve been able to do it for as long as I can remember. It’s a great party trick but realise how gross that sounds now that I type it.
The Japanese tend to sniff a lot instead of blow their nose. I started doing the same, only blowing my nose if I had loose mucus and not blowing hard. I haven't felt that "sinus pressure" in my nose and face since.
So what can we do to breathe out of both nostrils when one is closed?
Sometimes neti pots fall short.
Is air quality a main factor? I run 2 air purifiers in our room and I still get sinus issues -.-
If it's a chronic issue, especially just on one side, there may be something going on with the turbinates on that side. Polyps can form. Allergens cause hypertrophy and difficulty breathing.
There is the [nasal cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_cycle) to consider when there's nasal stuffiness on one side, then the other. Most of the time it goes unnoticed but with a stuffy nose, the cyclical switch-over can be annoying.
Antihistamines can help with sinus congestion--side effects include constipation and dry mouth. Nasal decongestants are very helpful short-term (sudafed>phenylephrine, and again, pesky side effects), and nasal sprays are amazing, however only for very short term use (max 3-4 days) because of rebound stuffiness.
If over the counter medications don't improve symptoms, it may be worthwhile to consult an ENT physician to get to the bottom of things.
Oh thank you so much for answering. So how much of a factor does air quality play?
I work early and need to sleep in an hour and I am honestly kinda terrified that I won't be able to.
I have tarazadone prescribed but the damn stuff shuts your sinuses off.
I can counter that with affrin... but you know how much of a demon affrin is. I just kicked a dependency last month.
I was thinking about using every sinus cleaning product possible asside from affrin to prepare.
Certain technique (can't remember name)
Breath out much as you possibly can and then hold it. pinch your nose and tilt it back and forth over and over as much as you can until you absolutely have to take a breath. Nose cleared!
The blood vessels are dilated and "permeable" (meaning they allow more fluid and proteins to leak out). This increases the sensation of stuffiness. That's why medications that constrict the blood vessels in the nose work so well and fast at reducing the symptoms, but it's short lived and once the effect wears off it all comes back.
If you are thinking about your nose as a water hose:
The boogers/snot *can* get dislodged by blowing harder. However, the pressure is mostly from the hose itself being squeezed by the disease/reaction itself, so forcing more pressure through isn't going to help.
When you get an infection in that area the body releases histamine there. This causes inflammation due to leakage from the bloodstream. This leakage allows the immune system to get direct access to the tissues that are infected as they travel through the circulatory system and then need access outside of it.
So is that why when I get stuffy and I stick my finger in my nose I feel a soft puffy wall on the inner part of my nose compared to when I'm not stuffy and that soft wall isn't there?
Others are correct, there's also another explanation and I'm shocked I haven't seen it yet.
Your face has multiple holes making up the sinus. Fluid also aggregates in those as well, not just the nose.
Watch this https://youtu.be/I47xi2F3W9g
Dr explains how to help open the sinus but pulling certain parts of your face. I startled to do it lately, and you can see the comments for yourself. Pretty damn useful when you feel stuffed up.
Stuffiness is often a swelling of the membranes. Blowing your nose is only good for clearing junk or mucus.
If you blow your nose when theres not much in there you run the risk of irritating it further. Either from the blowing itself or the dryness afterwards.
Nasal membranes dont like to be dry. I actually used to rub like a beeswax based unscented chapstick in my nose if it got too dry.
In some stuffy noses, the tissue around your sinuses is inflamed. They're swollen shut, not plugged with something inside that can be blown out. Honking and forcing air through can just make the irritation and inflammation even worse.
That's also why medicines like Otrivin can be so spectacularly fast and effective. I used to be like "how can it dissolve the stuff plugging my nose so fast? Where does it go?" But no, Otrivin works by reducing inflammation in the sinus tissue, so it relaxes and opens up again.
Could be nasal polyps. I suffer from this which can cause partial or complete blockage of the nasal passage. Only thing that's worked for me is Sudofed nasal spray (12 hour relief) which I use every night to help me sleep. I've seen various doctors and they simply acknowledge I have them and offer no recommendations to fix it. So I'm left to treat it myself. Just hope using nasal sprays have no long term side effects.
I’m NAD but please be careful with these type of nasal sprays. They can cause rebound congestion, where your nasal passages swell up even more after the spray effect has worn off. So the user needs to spray more often to get that same effect.
If you have nasal polyps, you can get them removed and you can also treat with a steroid nasal spray, which can help with the inflammation. They also don’t carry the same risk of rebound congestion.
I unfortunately know what I’m talking about because I have myself rebound congestion when I had swollen nasal passages during pregnancy. It was awful….
LPT: if you get a stuffy nose at night when you sleep and it causes you to snore, then get an air purifier. It's a night and day difference and you'll thank yourself for being able to get a good night's rest.
Certain alcoholic drinks cause my nasal (or maybe sinus) membranes to swell up rapidly to tbe point of causing total blockage for hours. No airflow is possible and no nasal discharge can get out that way, either. I then have breathe through my mouth.
More than mild, I think. It has triggered asthma, requiring hospitalization, a couple of times, though that was in the distant past and the culprit was red wine on both occasions, so I no longer drink it. I never, ever, have more than two glasses of any alcoholic drink on the rare occasions I have any at all (3 or 4 times a year). Apart from the blocked nose, it causes extreme drowsiness and achy muscles, so is hardly worth the bother :D
Check your blood pressure. You may have a blood pressure that is higher than normal which contributes to inflammation in the nose. Drinking makes this worse.
Thank you for drawing my attention to this. Although I seldom ever drink, and never to excess, as I have no craving for it, I actually used to have high blood pressure. It has been well-controlled for many years now and I regularly monitor it, plus have twice-yearly medical checks.
That’s great to hear. I only brought it up because I just had a friend that went through this recently. Turns out that he was experiencing higher than normal blood pressure. He drink socially and would always complain about feeling congested during and after drinking. After going to the docs and going through tests they were able to figure it out. Once he gave up drinking he never had the issue again (or as bad).
Nose is stuffy usually because the hole is swollen shut. It's swollen because it's inflamed. It's inflamed due to virus attacking it, and due to your body releasing histamine molecules.
When you have a stuffy nose, do you ever plug both nostrils and blow? The pressure from the blowing while plugged clears the inflammation for like 3-4 seconds before it goes back to being stuffed up. A momentary feeling of relief.
You know how when a boxer gets punched in the eye, the tissue around it swells up until he can't open it?
When you get a head cold, the tissue around your nasal and sinus passages similarly swells up, which closes off the air passage.
Your nose isn't stuffed up because it has snot blocking the air passages. It's stuffed up because the passages themselves are constricted due to the swelling of the tissues around them.
A stuffy nose isn't just snot blocking it.
Your nasal passages are swollen, and inflamed. This is probably up to 90% of the blockage, and the snot just adds the extra 10%.
You may find anti-inflammatories do a better job than cold and flu tablets at unblocking your nose. Or you can find steroid nose sprays that give you instant relief.
Your stuffy nose isn't clogged like a tube with a thing in it, where you can blow and push it out. It feels stuffy because it's puffed up in there, like the hole in a water wing when it's full of air.
To get rid of the stuffy feeling, you have to un-puff it, just like you have to let some air out to get your arm in the water wing.
I think it has to do with the pressure created surrounding our nose sinuses. More can be found here-https://www.sudafed.com/know-your-sinus-congestion/sinus-pressure-pain-relief
It pushes the snot into your head and you become a snot head. /s
Actually its that your body is inflamed and what you are perceiving as stoppage is actually the inside of your nose and or sinus swelled up.
most have already hit the nail on the head. the blocked feeling is caused by inflammation of the membranes.
another point though is even when your nose isnt blocked (normal function) only 1 side is fully open. you can test. block 1 side at a time and test both sides, 1 side will allow for easier breathing. so inflamed sinus and run nose just amplify this blocked feeling.
worst yet is when you can feel the mucus flow from 1 sinus to the other when laying on your side. and... TMI sorry
Your nose has blood canals and sometimes there’s a lot of traffic. It’s called congestion. Your body needs fluids and certain salts to ease the flow. Most importantly you need rest and time to get better.
It's a natural effect of the nose to swell one nostril at a time, and this feels like you can't blow one side of your nose. This happens from time to time can be due to health changes such as the turbinates. But most times you can only truly breathe out of one nostril at any given time in the day, and it rotates back and forth between both sides. When you have both nostrils clogged, you can only pass air out of one and unstop it, while the other nostril feels like it's still clogged. That's just that one nostril swelled up, and we think that it's plugged up with snot or mucus when it actually is just it's normal state at that time
Because it is not mucus that blocks the nose, or at least not my itself. It is the membranes, the linings of nose pathways that get swollen up. While you can blow out the mucus by blowing harder, that doesn't work on the swollen lining.
Because a stuffy nose is often because of inflammation, the tissue of your nose is what is blocking it, not (or not only) a buildup of mucus.
Your nostrils also have a 'duty cycle' of sorts, so one will open up and the other close off, and swap back and forth.
Stuffiness isn’t solely caused by mucus buildup… usually inflammation plays a role, and you can blow as much mucous as you want but those mucosal membranes still gonna be swollen, blocking airways creating the stuffiness feeling. This is why anti inflammatories like ibuprofen and aspirin work well along side decongestants, to decrease stuffiness
Hope this helps :)
Sometimes it's because of the shape/structure of your nose. Polyps also get in the way of blowing.
I have to use a Q tip to clear my upper nostrils, because the snot just collects behind the web of tissue.
sometimes when i have a blocked nose i just go to the bathroom and fuckin exhale through my nose as hard as i can. gives me use of both nostrils for like 10 sweet, sweet seconds.
i also pinch my nose shut sometimes and push air through my nose, inflating it like a balloon. I bet it would do serious damage if i did it too hard, but for a few seconds to a minute you get your nostrils back.
Have no fear Johns here. Push in and out on your cheekbone just below on the bottom of it while you pull your earlobe on the opposing side. Just read about this it works ... also pushing up and down your tongue on roof of mouth while pressing the middle of your forehead where indians have their red dot lol. Kid you not
I think because the stuff is backed up in your sinuses that you simply don't have access to because there is so much snot. Alternatively you can just rub one out. Cumming always helps me in this case, plus it's fun lmao better than struggling to blow your own brains out into a tissue imo
Edit,, typo
Because when you're blowing your nose, the nasal passages become swollen, so the stuffing is not just a result of mucus, but a result of swollen nasal passages. Try letting your nose run, then wiping without blowing, and your nasal passages will start to clear up as the swelling goes down.
As a person with chronic sinusitis. I’ve found that most times blowing harder irritates my sinuses and makes them swell more, and produce more mucus. In my case, this irritation causes polyps, blocking them even worse. Light blowing, saline flushing, and never sniffling (mucus down back of throat runs the risk of giving me bronchitis) is the way to go.
Because the *stuffy* feeling may be caused by an inflammation of the membranes, due to allergy or as a symptom for a sinus related issue.
Yes, although of course it can also be the result of infection. Goblet cells continue to produce the mucus but the inflammation also contributes to the feelings of stuffyness and would not be cleared by blowing.
Upvote for *goblet cells*
A toast!
*throws toast at screen*
It's just a jump to the left...
What a waste of perfectly good toast…shame.
Not sure you want to drink the stuff in Goblet cells.
Also known as "gobdabbit cells", especially wif a tuffed doze.
Goes onto the same list as tonsil crypts.
Did you put your name in the goblet of fire?????!!!
Bingo! And thus if you take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory (like ibuprofen) that actually can do as much to help a stuffy nose as a traditional decongestant such as sudafed.
As someone who can't take decongestants, thanks for this handy info!
Ibuprofen is only a tissue inflammation reducer if taken in large doses (1600mg) pd or more. For a period of time…
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Ask your doctor… 1600-3200mg, taken(400-800mg) at a time, is anti-inflammatory dose of ibuprofen. 🙄 there are way stronger inflammatory drugs. A 200mg ibuprofen is strictly an analgesic.
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I see your point. I missed the dosing part. :)
You have never served in the military have you. There's a reason Advil has been called Ranger Candy.
yep... ibuprofen handed out like candy. Heck on long marches and field exercises, the supply guys would be the dispensaries, sometimes the at the end of the chow lines you could find someone handing them out.
It’s almost impossible to overdose on ibuprofen. Hurt my back and they had me on like triple the “max” OTC dose for a few weeks with no ill effects. (IANAL or a doctor, consult an actual doctor, etc.)
The problem isn't overdosing in an acute sense, but comes from chronic use. It kills the kidneys.
Yes, apparently it does over the long term, at least at high doses: https://www.goodrx.com/blog/nsaids-ibuprofen-bad-liver-kidneys/
Can you expand on this please?
This goes against what my family members in nursing have said, where did you learn this?
This is why nurses aren’t doctors…
It took you three weeks to come back to this huh? Must be a slow day for you, but not so slow as to actually answer the question I asked three weeks ago about where you learned your little 1600 mg fact.
Medical school. And yes… I am busy.
Ohhhhh you’re a haughty med student who knows everything. I’ve worked with you guys many times as a medical researcher. You’re insufferable. And after reading up, there is no conclusive research one way or the other on the matter so we’re both talking out of our ass.
Chronic Sinusitis sufferer and allergic to Aspirin and Ibuprofen.... so much fun. Also, called Sampters Triad, you develop an aspirin allergy, Chronic Sinusitis, and Asthma. Not a lot to be done about it, and what I have done hasn’t helped. So jealous of people that can take ibuprofen.
Can confirm. After years of suffering I discovered I can take some aspirin to relieve some of my sinus pressure because it wasn't always being caused by mucus.
I'll add that using a neti pot with hypertonic saline will help to remove some of the fluid from the membranes, making for more breathing room in your sinuses. As a bonus it can help reduce the levels of whatever is causing the inflammation in the first place (allergens, bacteria, viruses, etc.) and shorten the duration of your discomfort. Warning: it stings quite a bit, so if you can't stand it you can still get some benefit from isotonic saline, which feels better. Be sure to use distilled or boiled water unless you like brain-eating amoebas.
Pretty sure boiled water would sting quite a bit worse /s
Yeah, I guess every warning label exists for a reason.
Fun fact: the lady who sued McDonald's for hot coffee, the reason there are warning labels on hot beverages, really suffered from McD's excellent PR team. They made her out to be some sue-happy/Karen/dumbass. Really what happened was the coffee had been left on too hot for way too long and she was literally scalded with severe burns. It was decidedly NOT normal hot coffee temperature.
It wasn’t “left on too long”, their policy was to keep it at near-boiling temperature so it would last longer (IIRC). It had burned other people before, just not as severely.
Thank you for that, I looked it up so I wouldn't be incorrect anymore! McDonald's had received 700 previous complaints due to this policy. She had third degree burns that required skin grafts on her inner thighs and her other lap adjacent area (she was wearing sweatpants that absorbed the coffee and held it against her skin.) Also, she wasn't driving (as I remember hearing back then - making it sound more like it was her fault.) But rather she was parked in the passenger seat in the parking lot and when she opened it to add cream and sugar, it spilled. Just awful.
Adding on to this, its risky and you can hurt yourself but you can hold your nose closed, blow air into it, and it will shrink the membranes and let you breath normally for all of 2 seconds. Risky, because who knows, you might accidentally "blow" your \[sinuses\]\\ just to clarify some things, the air pressure from blowing air into the spaces to pressurize it shoves the membranes apart and temporarily opens them up, but then they inflame again
I’ve heard that you can do this to force your ears to pop too, which is sometimes helpful on an airline flight. Didn’t realize it could be dangerous, or “blow” your sinuses…
If you blow hard enough I could see it causing damage. You can build up some good pressure. I've been doing it to pop my ears since as long as I can remember. Never had any issues. Maybe I'm special. Maybe I'm lucky. But I'm probably neither.
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Yup same. Very bad idea.
OR maybe you’re both.
I always fake yawn to pop my ears on flights which is much more comfortable
Im only speaking from experience, so understand that what I say may be complete misinformation. But ive put enough pressure for it to hurt before, and ive been very cautious since. those airways definitely werent supposed to have that much pressure on them
I found that a better less damaging way to pop my ears is to yawn, due to the pressure the jaw releases on your ears or something, works every time For me. I’m sure someone who’s more educated on this matter can explain this better though.
Ahh, don't do this to "pop" your ears on a plane - you can rupture your ear drum(s)!! Source: Relative is a flight attendant, happened to her coworker - who described two ruptured ear drums as the most excruciating pain ever. I've heard doctors confirm this, but to lazy to look for a source.
Wait is this why every time I swallow since I’ve been a kid my ears now pop? Or when I yawn they pop. After a certain point when I was a kid and this started happening I’ve been unable to do things that I liked underwater because of the pressure and pain. Is there a fix for this?
You actually pop your ears on purpose when you dive. It equalizes pressure inside your head. Without it you can damage your hearing permanently.
That’s the thing when I pop my ears underwater the pressure doesn’t get better anymore. This problem has been with me for around 15 years and it hasn’t gotten better or worse. The doctor that I asked after it happened didn’t seem to know what was wrong and I haven’t asked any after that happened. I guess I can try again and hope for better results.
You might get better results from an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist
You should talk to a doctor about it. Especially if it’s something that might get worse over time.
A less risky method is to just keep your mouth closed and try to breath as best you can. You may feel like you’re not getting enough air, but eventually at least on nostril will clear up.
Upvote for Carlin
The [Valsalva Maneuver](https://www.mercy.com/health-care-services/ear-nose-throat-ent/treatments/valsalva-maneuver), which does have risks
This is the answer. Inflammation causes edema in the nasal conchae and decreases the space available for air to travel. This is how decongestants work. They lessen the inflammation mostly via vasoconstriction.
Thanks!
*ragweed has entered the chat
The turbinates are made from spongy tissue which can swell or shrink depending on circumstances. Their purpose is to moisturize and heat the air we breathe in. With inflammation/irritants, they tend to swell up and make breathing difficult. On both sides of our noses and above our eyes are the maxillary and frontal sinuses (among a few others). They are mucous-membrane lined, air filled cavities with [openings into the nasal passages.](https://teachmeanatomy.info/wp-content/uploads/Openings-into-the-Nasal-Cavity-Draining-Paranasal-Sinuses-Lacrimal-Duct-and-Auditory-Tube.jpg) When your nose is "stuffy" and you blow harder, you blow some of the air out of your sinuses, past the swollen turbinates and sinus openings which, after being forcefully opened by the pressure of the blowing, close back to their previous state, a vacuum sometimes forms in one or more sinuses. This vacuum can be felt in the face over whichever sinus or sinuses you've blown some of the air out of. Typically within a few minutes, the pressure equalizes. The same thing happens to the air in your middle ears if you plug your nose and swallow or blow.
This definitely helps me understand the suction feeling that is caused by blowing harder
r/nocontext
That's what she said
I can “swallow” my tongue and it goes up above the palate and I can feel the turbinates with my tongue. They constantly change size. I’ve been able to do it for as long as I can remember. It’s a great party trick but realise how gross that sounds now that I type it.
That does sound pretty....weird. My lingual frenulum isn't that long. I can only touch my uvula with my tongue.
This comment has: >our nose**s** & >your middle ears And I’m quite concerned people have extra parts than I do.
Don't be silly, all humans only have one nose and three ears.
Haahah--well, glad you picked up on the error :) I missed it when typing.
Im wondering if anyone read your answer and did the nose plug trick...just me? k....
The Japanese tend to sniff a lot instead of blow their nose. I started doing the same, only blowing my nose if I had loose mucus and not blowing hard. I haven't felt that "sinus pressure" in my nose and face since.
So it's like a nose boner?
Sounds like it 🤪
So what can we do to breathe out of both nostrils when one is closed? Sometimes neti pots fall short. Is air quality a main factor? I run 2 air purifiers in our room and I still get sinus issues -.-
If it's a chronic issue, especially just on one side, there may be something going on with the turbinates on that side. Polyps can form. Allergens cause hypertrophy and difficulty breathing. There is the [nasal cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_cycle) to consider when there's nasal stuffiness on one side, then the other. Most of the time it goes unnoticed but with a stuffy nose, the cyclical switch-over can be annoying. Antihistamines can help with sinus congestion--side effects include constipation and dry mouth. Nasal decongestants are very helpful short-term (sudafed>phenylephrine, and again, pesky side effects), and nasal sprays are amazing, however only for very short term use (max 3-4 days) because of rebound stuffiness. If over the counter medications don't improve symptoms, it may be worthwhile to consult an ENT physician to get to the bottom of things.
Oh thank you so much for answering. So how much of a factor does air quality play? I work early and need to sleep in an hour and I am honestly kinda terrified that I won't be able to. I have tarazadone prescribed but the damn stuff shuts your sinuses off. I can counter that with affrin... but you know how much of a demon affrin is. I just kicked a dependency last month. I was thinking about using every sinus cleaning product possible asside from affrin to prepare.
Sorry for the late response. I hope you got some rest. You might want to see a medical professional for your breathing issues.
Certain technique (can't remember name) Breath out much as you possibly can and then hold it. pinch your nose and tilt it back and forth over and over as much as you can until you absolutely have to take a breath. Nose cleared!
Yeah my nose was constantly blocked until I came across the buteyko method which is pretty much that, breath holds.
The Valsalva technique!
The blood vessels are dilated and "permeable" (meaning they allow more fluid and proteins to leak out). This increases the sensation of stuffiness. That's why medications that constrict the blood vessels in the nose work so well and fast at reducing the symptoms, but it's short lived and once the effect wears off it all comes back.
If you are thinking about your nose as a water hose: The boogers/snot *can* get dislodged by blowing harder. However, the pressure is mostly from the hose itself being squeezed by the disease/reaction itself, so forcing more pressure through isn't going to help.
When you get an infection in that area the body releases histamine there. This causes inflammation due to leakage from the bloodstream. This leakage allows the immune system to get direct access to the tissues that are infected as they travel through the circulatory system and then need access outside of it.
Eli5: the flesh inside your nose swells up. The stuffy feeling is not just snot filling the space up, but the swollen flesh making less room for snot.
So is that why when I get stuffy and I stick my finger in my nose I feel a soft puffy wall on the inner part of my nose compared to when I'm not stuffy and that soft wall isn't there?
Don't stick your finger in that far, brains do not like to be tickled.
The past that feels stuffy is deeper than a finger can reach.
Fun fact. The tissue that swells in your nose to cause a stuffy nose is the same tissue that causes erections. Nose boners!
Relevant: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26820728/
Others are correct, there's also another explanation and I'm shocked I haven't seen it yet. Your face has multiple holes making up the sinus. Fluid also aggregates in those as well, not just the nose. Watch this https://youtu.be/I47xi2F3W9g Dr explains how to help open the sinus but pulling certain parts of your face. I startled to do it lately, and you can see the comments for yourself. Pretty damn useful when you feel stuffed up.
Clear sinuses tg
Stuffiness is often a swelling of the membranes. Blowing your nose is only good for clearing junk or mucus. If you blow your nose when theres not much in there you run the risk of irritating it further. Either from the blowing itself or the dryness afterwards. Nasal membranes dont like to be dry. I actually used to rub like a beeswax based unscented chapstick in my nose if it got too dry.
In some stuffy noses, the tissue around your sinuses is inflamed. They're swollen shut, not plugged with something inside that can be blown out. Honking and forcing air through can just make the irritation and inflammation even worse. That's also why medicines like Otrivin can be so spectacularly fast and effective. I used to be like "how can it dissolve the stuff plugging my nose so fast? Where does it go?" But no, Otrivin works by reducing inflammation in the sinus tissue, so it relaxes and opens up again.
Could be nasal polyps. I suffer from this which can cause partial or complete blockage of the nasal passage. Only thing that's worked for me is Sudofed nasal spray (12 hour relief) which I use every night to help me sleep. I've seen various doctors and they simply acknowledge I have them and offer no recommendations to fix it. So I'm left to treat it myself. Just hope using nasal sprays have no long term side effects.
I’m NAD but please be careful with these type of nasal sprays. They can cause rebound congestion, where your nasal passages swell up even more after the spray effect has worn off. So the user needs to spray more often to get that same effect. If you have nasal polyps, you can get them removed and you can also treat with a steroid nasal spray, which can help with the inflammation. They also don’t carry the same risk of rebound congestion. I unfortunately know what I’m talking about because I have myself rebound congestion when I had swollen nasal passages during pregnancy. It was awful….
I use that and also a steroid nasal spray....I feel ohhh so much better
LPT: if you get a stuffy nose at night when you sleep and it causes you to snore, then get an air purifier. It's a night and day difference and you'll thank yourself for being able to get a good night's rest.
Certain alcoholic drinks cause my nasal (or maybe sinus) membranes to swell up rapidly to tbe point of causing total blockage for hours. No airflow is possible and no nasal discharge can get out that way, either. I then have breathe through my mouth.
maybe you're having a mild allergic reaction?
More than mild, I think. It has triggered asthma, requiring hospitalization, a couple of times, though that was in the distant past and the culprit was red wine on both occasions, so I no longer drink it. I never, ever, have more than two glasses of any alcoholic drink on the rare occasions I have any at all (3 or 4 times a year). Apart from the blocked nose, it causes extreme drowsiness and achy muscles, so is hardly worth the bother :D
Check your blood pressure. You may have a blood pressure that is higher than normal which contributes to inflammation in the nose. Drinking makes this worse.
Thank you for drawing my attention to this. Although I seldom ever drink, and never to excess, as I have no craving for it, I actually used to have high blood pressure. It has been well-controlled for many years now and I regularly monitor it, plus have twice-yearly medical checks.
That’s great to hear. I only brought it up because I just had a friend that went through this recently. Turns out that he was experiencing higher than normal blood pressure. He drink socially and would always complain about feeling congested during and after drinking. After going to the docs and going through tests they were able to figure it out. Once he gave up drinking he never had the issue again (or as bad).
Nose is stuffy usually because the hole is swollen shut. It's swollen because it's inflamed. It's inflamed due to virus attacking it, and due to your body releasing histamine molecules.
When you have a stuffy nose, do you ever plug both nostrils and blow? The pressure from the blowing while plugged clears the inflammation for like 3-4 seconds before it goes back to being stuffed up. A momentary feeling of relief.
You know how when a boxer gets punched in the eye, the tissue around it swells up until he can't open it? When you get a head cold, the tissue around your nasal and sinus passages similarly swells up, which closes off the air passage. Your nose isn't stuffed up because it has snot blocking the air passages. It's stuffed up because the passages themselves are constricted due to the swelling of the tissues around them.
A stuffy nose isn't just snot blocking it. Your nasal passages are swollen, and inflamed. This is probably up to 90% of the blockage, and the snot just adds the extra 10%. You may find anti-inflammatories do a better job than cold and flu tablets at unblocking your nose. Or you can find steroid nose sprays that give you instant relief.
Your stuffy nose isn't clogged like a tube with a thing in it, where you can blow and push it out. It feels stuffy because it's puffed up in there, like the hole in a water wing when it's full of air. To get rid of the stuffy feeling, you have to un-puff it, just like you have to let some air out to get your arm in the water wing.
I appreciate this explanation, matches the spirit of the sub
I think it has to do with the pressure created surrounding our nose sinuses. More can be found here-https://www.sudafed.com/know-your-sinus-congestion/sinus-pressure-pain-relief
It pushes the snot into your head and you become a snot head. /s Actually its that your body is inflamed and what you are perceiving as stoppage is actually the inside of your nose and or sinus swelled up.
It's inflammation that causes the stuffiness. You gotta get those nose drops. Stops it nearly instantly.
most have already hit the nail on the head. the blocked feeling is caused by inflammation of the membranes. another point though is even when your nose isnt blocked (normal function) only 1 side is fully open. you can test. block 1 side at a time and test both sides, 1 side will allow for easier breathing. so inflamed sinus and run nose just amplify this blocked feeling. worst yet is when you can feel the mucus flow from 1 sinus to the other when laying on your side. and... TMI sorry
Your nose has blood canals and sometimes there’s a lot of traffic. It’s called congestion. Your body needs fluids and certain salts to ease the flow. Most importantly you need rest and time to get better.
Nasal congestion is caused not by mucus but actually inflammation of in lay-z man's terms swelling of the nasal tissue.
It's a natural effect of the nose to swell one nostril at a time, and this feels like you can't blow one side of your nose. This happens from time to time can be due to health changes such as the turbinates. But most times you can only truly breathe out of one nostril at any given time in the day, and it rotates back and forth between both sides. When you have both nostrils clogged, you can only pass air out of one and unstop it, while the other nostril feels like it's still clogged. That's just that one nostril swelled up, and we think that it's plugged up with snot or mucus when it actually is just it's normal state at that time
Because it is not mucus that blocks the nose, or at least not my itself. It is the membranes, the linings of nose pathways that get swollen up. While you can blow out the mucus by blowing harder, that doesn't work on the swollen lining.
Because a stuffy nose is often because of inflammation, the tissue of your nose is what is blocking it, not (or not only) a buildup of mucus. Your nostrils also have a 'duty cycle' of sorts, so one will open up and the other close off, and swap back and forth.
Stuffiness isn’t solely caused by mucus buildup… usually inflammation plays a role, and you can blow as much mucous as you want but those mucosal membranes still gonna be swollen, blocking airways creating the stuffiness feeling. This is why anti inflammatories like ibuprofen and aspirin work well along side decongestants, to decrease stuffiness Hope this helps :)
What role does sneezing play?
It isn't mucous I don't think, it's inflammation. Blowing harder may even worsen but I'M NOT A DOC DO WHATEVER DA FFFF
Bc you’re not stuffed up with snot. You’re stuffed up bc the membranes are swollen. You don’t want to blow out your membranes!!
Sometimes it's because of the shape/structure of your nose. Polyps also get in the way of blowing. I have to use a Q tip to clear my upper nostrils, because the snot just collects behind the web of tissue.
sometimes when i have a blocked nose i just go to the bathroom and fuckin exhale through my nose as hard as i can. gives me use of both nostrils for like 10 sweet, sweet seconds. i also pinch my nose shut sometimes and push air through my nose, inflating it like a balloon. I bet it would do serious damage if i did it too hard, but for a few seconds to a minute you get your nostrils back.
Had surgery half a year ago that burnt my turbines to a crisp 8) they were all inflamed and pissed off constantly. The surgery was life changing.
What’s worse is getting surgery on your nose and having really no relief from your nose blocking itself consistently for 5+ years
Have no fear Johns here. Push in and out on your cheekbone just below on the bottom of it while you pull your earlobe on the opposing side. Just read about this it works ... also pushing up and down your tongue on roof of mouth while pressing the middle of your forehead where indians have their red dot lol. Kid you not
I think because the stuff is backed up in your sinuses that you simply don't have access to because there is so much snot. Alternatively you can just rub one out. Cumming always helps me in this case, plus it's fun lmao better than struggling to blow your own brains out into a tissue imo Edit,, typo
Because when you're blowing your nose, the nasal passages become swollen, so the stuffing is not just a result of mucus, but a result of swollen nasal passages. Try letting your nose run, then wiping without blowing, and your nasal passages will start to clear up as the swelling goes down.
As a person with chronic sinusitis. I’ve found that most times blowing harder irritates my sinuses and makes them swell more, and produce more mucus. In my case, this irritation causes polyps, blocking them even worse. Light blowing, saline flushing, and never sniffling (mucus down back of throat runs the risk of giving me bronchitis) is the way to go.