Can blowing your nose too hard cause tinnitus

It may sound strange but very few of us actually know how to blow our noses properly. Instead, we often overdo it, causing all sorts of issues from ruptured blood vessels through to a headache or an ear infection. Given that this is the time of year when anyone who has seasonal allergies is likely to be sneezing and nose blowing on a daily basis, what is it crucial to avoid and how can you blow your nose safely?

What not to do when you’re sneezing and blowing your nose

If you’re the kind of person who just lets rip when it comes to sneezing etc then you might need a few tips to help ensure that you’re not hurting yourself in the process. This is what we recommend you avoid doing.

  • Don’t blow your nose forcefully. It might feel good to do this at the time but it can do damage, especially to your ears - the benchmark for blowing your nose too hard is making your ears pop. If that’s happening then try to bring the intensity down a bit.
  • Avoid a dramatic “ACHOO!” Why? Well because if you really go for it when you’re sneezing you could rupture a blood vessel. It can also cause issues with your ears, for example by forcing air into the middle ear and damaging it.
  • When you’re blowing into a tissue don’t squeeze. This is something that many of us do, especially if we have a particularly nasty cold and are just a bit tired of being bunged up. But if you squeeze your nose when you’re trying to blow then the air you’re blowing isn’t going to make it out of your nose and could cause sinus problems instead. So, keep the tissue close when you blow but don’t pinch your nose with it.

The safe guide to nose blowing

Once you’ve learned how to blog your nose the safe way you won’t go back, as this is a simple technique that will ensure you’re not risking damage to other parts of your body that could be sensitive right now.

  • Start by placing a finger against one nostril and applying pressure - the safest way to blow your nose is one nostril at a time.
  • Take a gentle breath in and then gently blow the side of your nose that doesn’t have your finger against it - into a tissue. Do the same again on the other side.
  • Put that tissue in the bin and then make sure you wash your hands so that you’re not passing on anything to anyone else.

This tried and tested technique is by far the safest way to blow your nose and avoid any potential issues that could result from being too forceful or gripping your nose in the wrong way. As we get into the heart of hayfever season it could make your experience a much more comfortable one if you know how to handle it when your nose really needs a blow.

Cold and flu season is here, which means lots and lots of snot.

If you’re sick and experiencing nasal congestion, it can be tempting to forcefully blow your nose to get rid of runny mucus. But according to experts, blowing your nose too hard could potentially do damage — both minor and major.

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“The issue with blowing your nose too hard is that air and pressure can go into places that you don’t necessarily want it to go into,” said Dr. Vincent Lin, an otolaryngologist and surgeon at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.

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Lin said one of these places is the ears, as the pressure can cause them to become blocked — a similar sensation to when an airplane takes off and your ears “pop.”

“The eustachian tube basically connects your ear to the back of your nose and allows you to change pressure,” he explained to Global News, adding that the tube is a one-way valve.

In order to help alleviate that pressure, swallowing and yawning can open up the valve and allow air to move into the ear, he said.

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What are some serious risks of aggressive nose blowing?

While blocked ears is an annoying feeling, it’s rarely serious unless you have a faulty valve in your ear, Lin said.

“For people who have a faulty valve and blow their nose really hard, they blow air up the [eustachian] tube and into the ear, [and] the eardrum can pop out … and can cause what’s called barotrauma,” he said.

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“This means you can get very, very dizzy all of a sudden and it can sometimes cause permanent hearing and balance loss.”

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While rare, there have also been reported cases of orbital blowout fractures from nose blowing. Lin said he’s seen patients who’ve developed meningitis from aggressive blowing as well.

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But in the case of meningitis, however, people often have an underlying health problem and the nose blowing is what introduces the bacteria that becomes meningitis.

In other words, the serious repercussions of nose blowing are not common, Lin said, and most people are likely to just block their ears.

How to properly blow your nose

While we often reach for a tissue and blow both nostrils at once, some people suggest blowing one nostril at a time to help alleviate pressure.

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But Lin said that the single nostril method isn’t really necessary, and the best thing to do is blow your nose gently.

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“You want to try to avoid doing anything in extreme, so you don’t want to blow super, super hard,” he said.

“If you blow gently, everything will clear just as it would [from] blowing your nose hard.”

© 2018 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Can blowing your nose too hard damage your ears?

It's a simple thing that we often don't think about, but this repetitive action can damage your ears. In severe cases, blowing your nose too hard can cause you an earache or even rupture your eardrum.

How do you stop your ears from ringing after blowing your nose?

Swallowing helps to activate the muscles that open the eustachian tube. Sipping water or sucking on hard candy can help to increase the need to swallow. If yawning and swallowing do not work, take a deep breath and pinch the nose shut. Keeping the mouth closed, try to blow air through the nose gently.

How long does sinus tinnitus last?

Will my tinnitus ever go away? The greatest majority of new tinnitus cases will resolve within 6-12 months of onset. If your tinnitus is more longstanding, it is likely that you will hear it less over time, even if it persists beyond this period.

Does sinus tinnitus go away?

Ear or sinus infections – Many people, including children, experience tinnitus along with an ear or sinus infection. This will generally lessen and gradually go away once the infection is healed.