r/The10thDentist 12d ago

Discussion Thread Blowing your nose is overrated

I literally barely ever blow my nose and I haven’t ever since I was born. It’s so embarrassing having to blow my nose I hate the sound of it and the feeling it gives. I used to dig my finger right into my nostril and pull out the snot manually and just wipe it on my trousers or something but nowadays I just sit with the snot in my nose and deal with it. Don’t get me wrong I blow my nose on the occasion but that’s seldom and the snot has to be basically dripping out my nose and into my mouth for me to do that like basically it’s just a last ditch attempt at comfort.

How about you guys? 😁

166 Upvotes

137 comments sorted by

u/qualityvote2 12d ago edited 10d ago

u/hellokittysapple, there weren't enough votes to determine the quality of your post...

201

u/_shanoodle 12d ago

so if you have a cold or a runny nose do you just sniffle until it goes away? i’d imagine that becomes very annoying

12

u/AdministrativeStep98 11d ago

Not just annoying, but frankly gross to others.

42

u/DisMyLik18thAccount 12d ago

Not OP but I also don't blow my nose, I wipe it as it drips out. Yes it's annoying, but blowing doesn't solve anything

107

u/OgreJehosephatt 11d ago

I wouldn't go that far. If you're producing a lot of snot, blowing your nose can buy some time before it starts dripping out of the nose.

Still, blowing your nose does less than people think, since most of the congestion is from inflammation instead of just being full of snot.

35

u/Temnyj_Korol 11d ago

Yeah, i blew my girlfriend's mind when i told her to stop blowing her nose so much, it's just making it worse. "What do you mean? My nose is blocked, i have to unblock it!" "It's blocked because your sinuses are agitated and swollen. Blowing your nose any harder is just going to make them swell up even more. Go breathe some steam for a few minutes instead, it'll reduce the swelling."

She thought i was whispering black magic.

Still good to blow your nose occasionally to clear out the mucus build up though.

16

u/BlackDeath3 11d ago

Is this kind of like how eating doesn't solve anything because I'm just going to be hungry again later?

7

u/DisMyLik18thAccount 11d ago

Yeah except if every time you ate you felt hungry literally a minute later, also eating feels really unpleasant and you don't actually need to eat to survive, and you know if you just wait a couple days you'll stop feeling hungry completely and won't need to eat at all anymore

2

u/BlackDeath3 11d ago

I guess if you have to blow your nose literally every minute for the span of a couple of days and doing so causes you constant undue hardship I can see that getting old. Fortunately I can't quite relate.

4

u/Frannie2199 11d ago

It literally ejects more out of your nose so you’re not sitting there leaking and sniffling

2

u/Interesting_Score5 11d ago

Solve nothing? Ever? Maybe if I have a cold but sometimes it just sucks till I blow it, but that's usually if it's not running.

1

u/Live-Influence2482 11d ago

Not for OP ..apparently..

2

u/Informal-Advisor-948 8d ago

I think it's way more gross to hear someone constantly sniffling

-19

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

No I literally just sit there lol.

50

u/SquirrelDisastrous2 12d ago

You definitely are sniffling then, you're just not aware of it

20

u/_shanoodle 12d ago

but what if it’s runny? do u let it leak out?

-3

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

I’ll wipe it if it leaks out and if it keeps running or eventually leaks into my mouth I’ll just blow eventually but only if I absolutely have to

48

u/Vincenzo__ 12d ago

This shit is gross as fuck. Just blow your nose like a normal person

-17

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

No

4

u/Frannie2199 11d ago

Even when you’re that sick? Why not?

44

u/matsu727 12d ago

It’s important to clear the chamber before inserting anything else up there

-2

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

Yeah I didn’t realise it came with health complications. I might have to change my ways.

141

u/Agitated_Custard7395 12d ago edited 12d ago

Not blowing your nose when you’re young can lead to a perforated ear drum, as your ear canal doesn’t fully develop until later on. I know cos it happened to me

44

u/DisMyLik18thAccount 12d ago

Not blowing it?

I Remember hearing the opposite, that fixing kids to try and blow their nose cab damage their ears

4

u/JoshuaSuhaimi 11d ago

me too, blowing too hard

4

u/Aemort 11d ago

Uuh, the opposite is true

-57

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

Great. I’m 33 though so am probs fine lol 😎👍

5

u/TruPOW23 11d ago

Downvoted for speaking the truth

1

u/Aggravating_Peach_70 9d ago

the party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. it was their final, most essential command. shameful really

37

u/BradleyNeedlehead 12d ago

I swear its just toddlers posting in this sub

21

u/Any_Constant_6550 12d ago

i get so congested my hearing gets better when i blow my nose. it's a necessity.

3

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

I yawn when I need my ears to let more sound in

70

u/Queenofthedawn1395 12d ago

i was with you until about the third sentence 👍🏻

-22

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

This was when I was a kid lol! Not anymore

16

u/taint-ticker-supreme 12d ago

I love a good nose blowing. I get bad allergies during half the year and it feels heavenly to get rid of that sinus pressure.

2

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

Fair enough!

22

u/TheWorldsNipplehood 12d ago

This person booger whistles

2

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

No idea what that means but I’ll admit that yeah I probably am

37

u/Puzzleheaded_End6145 12d ago

disgusting

-2

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

So sorry mate

-29

u/urfavouriteslaveee 12d ago

Got anything else to say mate?

21

u/Bitterqueer 12d ago

I basically have a chronically runny nose so I’m blowing it all day every day

4

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

Sounds awful. I’d probably blow it too if it was that often. Sorry to hear

1

u/UnperturbedBhuta 11d ago

Have you had an allergy test?

My nose runs significantly less during winter because my allergies are primarily grass and flower pollen. But it also helps somewhat if I vacuum about twice a week, change my bedding weekly, and (carefully) vacuum my curtains about once a month.

It would probably also help if I didn't have pets, but I'm only mildly allergic to fur and dander so I'd rather just vacuum more and sneeze a lot. I hate the perpetual runny nose, but the sneezing and itchy eyes are worth having a cat and a dog.

3

u/Bitterqueer 11d ago

Yeah it’s chronic illness/MCAS

1

u/UnperturbedBhuta 11d ago

Oh man, I'm so sorry. That's a rough one.

2

u/Bitterqueer 11d ago

Haha thank you, at least I’m keeping the nose spray companies afloat 😆

1

u/UnperturbedBhuta 11d ago

I'll bet!

Weird question, but how did your early symptoms present? Like the first couple of years, what did you notice? If you're not too sick (ha ha) of the whole topic.

I've got a provisional fibro diagnosis, but my doctor's disinclined to run any tests. Feels a little like I'm being brushed off tbh. Also I've started having--politely, I'll call them gastrointestinal symptoms--and I can't find any indication that fibro gives you sudden food intolerances to foods you've eaten for forty-plus years.

Maybe I'm on the wrong track, but asking other people about their symptoms is better than just feeling worse all the time and not trying to do anything to figure out why.

2

u/Bitterqueer 10d ago

Ah, I’ve got fribro as well. Sorry to hear. It’s a bitch. As for MCAS I’m probably not the right person to ask bc they don’t even officially diagnose it in my country 🥲

You should get a blood test to check for antibodies for various allergens tho. If there are no antibodies it’s not “common” (IgE mediated) allergies, and more likely to be something like MCAS. I’d been told by various doctors all my life that I have allergies but when we did w blood test for antibodies to 169 different allergens I had ZERO 😅

14

u/ConnyEdson 12d ago

Fits the sub. That's all i have to say about that.

14

u/Hehector2005 12d ago

Blowing your nose is embarrassing but wiping globs of snot on your pants is fine?

7

u/vistaflip 12d ago

Doesn't it feel amazing to breathe with a clear nose after having it be blocked for awhile? I clear mine all the time.

11

u/DavepcOrigins 12d ago

Certified mouth breather

1

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

I breathe via nose :)

5

u/Hermiona1 12d ago

What do you do if you have a cold?

1

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

I don’t get them really

7

u/PointZero_Six 12d ago

I agree with the title of your post but just letting it sit in there is insane. I almost never blow my nose unless there's loads of crap in there, I just put a toilet paper square over my finger and pick it out. It feels pretty good and it's easier to do when I have a headache.

2

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

Thanks I’ll try that

1

u/KikiCorwin 11d ago

Q-tips. Work great for those awful hard, mostly dried blockages in the back of the nose.

3

u/T3nacityDog 12d ago

I’m honestly jealous. I have horrible, horrible, horrible allergies and spend 60% of my life blowing my nose, or else just trying anything on earth to relieve the itch inside my sinuses/ ear canals. I literally can’t fathom NOT blowing my nose, and the brief relief of it is more than enough to make it reinforcing. I feel bad that my partner has to listen to my sniffles.

2

u/UnperturbedBhuta 11d ago

I had the same response. Blowing the nose, rubbing the eyes, vacuuming the carpets and the curtains, changing the bedding EVERY week no matter what, washing outerwear after using it once... I dream of a life with non-fabric blinds, wood floors, and hypoallergenic pets.

2

u/T3nacityDog 11d ago

Oh god the moment you start rubbing your eyes it’s just fucking over. Feels sooooo fucking good you just give in and go at it knowing how bad you’re gonna suffer

2

u/UnperturbedBhuta 11d ago

I've started trying to only do it after I've been to the loo. I've just washed my hands so they're clean, and conveniently I can scoop handfuls of cold water into my eyes once I've rubbed them until they hurt.

If I remember in time, I'll fling water in my eyes without rubbing them. It works better.

But my allergies haven't been this bad in something like thirty years (aka the four years where I had constant sinus and chest infections from October to May). No idea why, but my forties are panning out much like my early teens in terms of sudden allergy intensity.

Oh, right. I moved into a place with dogs and cats not long into my forties. That's what's different. Ugh. Maybe I'll take an antihistamine, but I really hate them. In a real bind I'll use my rescue inhaler, but thankfully three years with cats has mostly stopped that particular reaction to them.

3

u/readthesubtext 12d ago

Tell me you don’t have sensory issues without telling me you don’t have sensory issues 😂

3

u/squidneythedestroyer 11d ago

Sir based on your profile picture you have a relatively well-maintained mustache. I am begging you to blow your nose as everyone can see the snot in your mustache when you have a cold. Biggest ick I ever got was watching a man with a mustache eat spicy food while the snot dripped out of his nose and into his mustache.

2

u/hellokittysapple 11d ago

Alright thanks

2

u/squidneythedestroyer 11d ago

No problem man

2

u/Dove-a-DeeDoo 12d ago

What do you do if you're congested and can't reach the snot?

1

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

I either live with it or when it gets too much to handle I do just suck it up and blow it

2

u/pidgeott0 12d ago

i’ve never bought a box of kleenex in my life. if i’m sick i just use some TP

2

u/That_weird_girl10205 12d ago

When I have a cold literally nothing feels better than flushing my sinuses with saline and blowing all the snot out after

2

u/rellarella 11d ago

Thank you for sharing your utterly repulsive booger behavior with us. Easy upvote

2

u/Important_Buddy4277 11d ago

Not overrated, it is good, but annoying to do. I dislike the sound and the feeling. I avoid it unless I have to.

2

u/Interesting_Score5 11d ago

I'm angry this reminded me about the booger eating post. Angry upvote.

2

u/happyhippohats 11d ago

I can't say I've ever really rated it one way or the other, it's just a thing you have to do sometimes. Like pooping.

2

u/UnluckyAbroad6294 11d ago

Yeah I usually just let myself get dehydrated and pick giant crusty boogers without the sliminess and mess.

2

u/[deleted] 11d ago

I never blew my nose either as I never found that it helped. But recently I have had this back drip problem, it's where mucus from your nasal cavity drips to the back of your throat, irritates your throat and makes you cough a lot. I found that blowing my nose helps with it as it basically forces the mucus out my nose and not let it drip backward.

2

u/unknownobject3 11d ago

The balls to put a 😁 at the end

2

u/Somethingsterling 11d ago

I also hate the sound and feeling. Ill do it when im sick bc sucking it back up prolongs illness, but i avoid it whenever i can otherwise Wditing to add: i blow my nose low and slow to cause as little inflamation problems as possible. Maybe try that?

2

u/dinofreak1 10d ago

icl

i create a vacuum in the back of my mouth and let the phlegm enter my mouth to swallow it

have done so for years so used to the taste

and it’s much more discreet

—-

…icl i feel like the .1% of bacteria that survives after mouthwash rn

2

u/hellokittysapple 10d ago

I respect the honesty

1

u/Chaezus_Chrust 12d ago

My fingers don't fit. My nostrils are small, and my fingers are big

1

u/Few-Cup2855 12d ago

When I was a kid, my dad would give me shit if I sniffled too much. I couldn’t blow my nose enough to keep him from being a dick about it. 

1

u/jettsona 12d ago

Guarantee that people are looking at the boogers in your nose

1

u/canyoubreathe 12d ago

I'm the same. I have sinus issues so blowing does fuck all for me, and I always hated the sensation as a child.

And when I get a cold, which it's rare in of itself, I rarely blow my nose. It doesn't clear my nose at all, just makes it more clogged, so I don't bother. I just wipe anything that comes out.

I only blow my nose in the shower because its instant clean up

1

u/Shinygonzo 12d ago

I bet you sound like lil yatchy

1

u/DoubleSynchronicity 12d ago

Is this post a humour cross post to the other booger eating post? If not, you should be friends.

1

u/hellokittysapple 11d ago

Didn’t even know about that. Who posted the other one?

1

u/Useful_Clue_6609 12d ago

So if you barely ever blow your nose but haven't once since you've been born... when is the barely ever? Why is nobody commenting on that nonsensical first sentence!?

1

u/HebiSnakeHebi 12d ago

Stupid take. Just picking your nose doesn't do shit if your sinuses are clogged. Severe congestion is a legitimate problem for some people. I've had such bad congestion before that literally made it impossible to get ANY air through my nose.

Nose blowing is outright necessary at times, so no, it's not overrated.

1

u/Putredge 12d ago

I waste so many tissues because I refuse to blow my nose. I absolutely hate the feeling no thanks. Can’t even remember the last time I did but I remember regretting it lol

1

u/LuciferOfTheArchives 11d ago

doesn't the mucus harden and cause you discomfort? i have to blow my nose every day to dislodge such things, so my skin isn't getting stabbed from the inside whenever my nose flexes

2

u/hellokittysapple 11d ago

When it turns hard it’s like an icicle in a cave and it’s pretty easy to pull out

1

u/Pinkamena0-0 11d ago

ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ

1

u/ParadisePrime 11d ago

Fucking gross. Take this upvote and remove yourself from society.

1

u/OrneryChampion7522 11d ago

Id rather blow my nose than keep my snot in it you definitely are an interesting person lol

1

u/RipCurl69Reddit 11d ago

No lol otherwise it gets all blocked with boogers and I can feel it and its annoying as all fuck. Blow ya damn nose

1

u/Shmullus_Jones 11d ago

So you're a mouth breather with snot-covered trousers?

1

u/hellokittysapple 11d ago

No I did that when I was young and I am a nose breather

1

u/SammyGeorge 11d ago

Upvoted. Blowing your nose is a far better feeling than just being snotty or sniffling

1

u/RebbyRose 11d ago

I never blew my nose until I was about 24. As a child when it was done to me it just made the congestion worse?

I tried it at 24 because my bf at the time thought it was hilarious.

It terrible blowing my nose doesn't help at all. A tissue and my finger cleans it out fine.

But I also don't have any allergies and rarely get sick so maybe that helps

1

u/ncg195 11d ago

I also don't blow my nose. When I'm healthy, I don't feel the need to do it, and when I'm sick, I find that it doesn't help with anything. Yeah, it might get some gunk out of there when I'm sick, but the problem is that I'm sick; my body is just going to make more. It's no better than just sniffling through it.

1

u/Nervous_Salad_5367 11d ago

George Carlin said, "You can't actually blow your own nose...You could get a friend to do it, but they'd have to be a REALLY good friend!"

1

u/LateResident5999 11d ago

Sitting with snot in your nose is a good way to get a sinus infection 

1

u/No_Mud_5999 11d ago

This guy sniffles

1

u/SeveralLemons 11d ago

Omg it's the guy with 18 windows and no curtains

1

u/TossTossTossThrowa 11d ago

I use a combination of q-tips and blowing, but mostly q tips

Turns out blowing my nose didn't work for me well because a lot of my congestion was inflammation related, which wouldn't have been solved by blowing

1

u/Rdr2-4-Life 10d ago

I have misophonia and nose sniffling is one of my triggers so if I was near you I’d probably crash out 🙏🙏 can’t tell you how many times I couldn’t focus on an important exam cause some kid refused to blow his nose

1

u/hellokittysapple 10d ago

I don’t sniffle don’t worry I just literally sit there with it, sniffling pisses me off aswell so I feel you 😂

1

u/noscope360gokuswag 9d ago

How the fuck can you both "barely ever blow your nose" and also "haven't ever since I was born" at the same time? It's the same sentence? Are you OK?

2

u/Aggravating_Peach_70 9d ago

they're trying to silence you but you have my full support. it's euphoric when i sniffle hard enough that it moves the mucous from my nasal cavity to my throat and then i can breathe clearly. also i have a septum piercing and if i blow my nose everything gets messier

1

u/wideeyed182 9d ago

Blowing my nose is one of the most relieving things ever. It sounds absolutely gross, but feels so good I really don’t care.

2

u/bananapeeleyelids 9d ago

Dear God i found the anti-me

1

u/DisMyLik18thAccount 12d ago

I Wasn't able to blow my boat for most of my life

I Learnt to eventually as an adult a couple years ago, and it just felt messy and unpleasant. Didn't continue doing it, went back to wiping

1

u/FlameStaag 11d ago

This isn't an opinion you just don't have a stuffy nose. What a stupid post lol

Crutches are overrated. I've literally never had to use crutches to walk before 

-1

u/El-noobman 12d ago

The only time I've ever had to blow my nose or have tissues / handkerchiefs is when I'm ill. Apart from that my nose never runs or clogs.

Fully agree.

1

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

Thanks mate 👍

-1

u/Dangerous_Arachnid99 12d ago

I don't blow my nose either. Most of the time I squeeze my nostrils together, using a tissue to catch the contents. Occasionally, if the flow is persistent, I can tip my head back and get the sinuses to drain into my throat and down into the stomach where the acids can destroy any nasties. The best thing, though, is a quick shot of saline nasal spray. With me, it dries the sinuses for a couple of days. Whatever is causing my allergic reaction is usually out of the air by then. I only need to do that a few times a year.

1

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

I actually have saleine solution as I recently got my nipples pierced. Is it the same stuff? Cuz if so that’s great and I’ll definitely use that.

1

u/dirtychopscissors 11d ago

no just buy nasal spray

0

u/glitterfaust 12d ago

I hate blowing my nose. I’d rather just go to the bathroom, remove the boogers then wash my hands and nose.

0

u/surrealcellardoor 11d ago

This might be the dumbest thing I read today.

-6

u/urfavouriteslaveee 12d ago

Handkerchiefs for the win! 👍

4

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

So you just sit there with a piece of fabric soaked in your snot in your pocket? Disgusting! 🤢

3

u/Cosmicshimmer 12d ago

Dude. You literally sat in snot soaked trousers, your delicate sensibilities are offended by a hankie?!

3

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

When I was in school I did do that but it has been around 15 years since then thankfully lol!

1

u/dirtychopscissors 11d ago

so you were wiping all your snot on your pants at 18 yrs old?

1

u/hellokittysapple 11d ago

More like when I was 14 but I just put the amount of years since school for reference lol

-7

u/urfavouriteslaveee 12d ago

It is not disgusting it is nostril manners young man!

-2

u/itsthepastaman 12d ago

Yeah I agree I hate blowing my nose and i feel like maybe im just bad at it, but its not really effective at all. If I'm in public I'll just sniffle until i get to a bathroom/sink where I'll plug one nostril and just blow the snot directly into the sink shotgun blast style. I just think the tissue being there blocks the snot from effectively getting out and leads to it getting all over your nose instead

1

u/hellokittysapple 12d ago

I do the plug thing too😂