Verdi: Is it better for me to blow my nose or pick it up?

Verdi admits: It’s a rather unpleasant question. But now that he’s caught a cold for the 1,000th time this year, he still wants to get professional advice from a GP. “I get a lot of conflicting advice now that I have a cold. On top of that, catching an illness seems unnatural because I then have the idea that I’m keeping pathogens in my body. Plus, I find it more distasteful than blowing my nose.” And because I don’t go to a doctor with a cold, I want to know once and for all: Which is more correct: blowing your cold nose or picking it up?”

Rubriek: friend request

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GP Marnix van der Leste finds that many people are currently breathing. “Although during this period last year we were fully involved in care with respect to coronavirus, as a GP, I saw quite a few people with ear infections, colds or sore throats. Currently, many people who are contacting They suffer from these complaints again with our practice.”

But the answer to Verdi’s question is a cold? Van der Leest: “It’s best to turn your nose up. This is the natural direction in which the nose drains mucus throughout the day. This way you send the mucus down your throat to your stomach and stomach acid settles there any pathogens. So Verdi feels that he’s giving off these pathogens.” Chance is not right.”

“Blowing is more likely to cause problems. If you have a cold and blow your nose, bacteria and viruses can end up in my sinuses. This can lead to sinusitis, in which case I also have pressure pain in my sinuses. Your face plus Your complaints are a cold. That can be very painful, and if you’re not lucky, take a long time,” says van der Lyst.

Blowing every now and then “when your nose is empty,” according to the doctor, doesn’t hurt. “In addition, a nasal spray is also recommended. This ensures that the mucus clears up and you can open things up and get more air.”

Make sure you don’t use xylometazoline nasal sprays for a long time, van der Lyst warns. “We recommend that you do not use the spray for more than a week. Xylometazoline can damage the nasal mucosa after that time, making your nose more stuffy. A saline nasal spray is a good alternative, you can use. Longer use.”

There is also a chance – with prolonged use – that you will become “addicted” to a nasal spray, like the Lisa Smits, which you used last summer. The story told by RTL Nieuws.