Medical Journalist Haidak Lee Young-Seop DirectorㅣSource: Haidak
It is good practice to wash your nose for nasal health. Even if you have rhinitis or no rhinitis, it is good to wash your nose once a day before going to bed. This is because washing the nose removes inflammatory secretions or specific antigens that cause allergies that remain in the nose, thereby improving the recovery and cleansing function of the mucous membrane. The nasal washing methods and instructions that many people are familiar with also help to clean the inside of the nose, but there are separate methods that are more effective for each symptom.
◆ washing liquid
It is recommended to use a physiological saline solution for washing the nose, and a lukewarm temperature of 30 to 35 degrees is appropriate. Salt water is sometimes used, but if the concentration is too high, it can irritate the nasal mucosa or cause inflammation, so be careful.
◆ How to wash your nose
When washing the nose, it is good to lower your head about 45 degrees, turn it slightly to the side, open your mouth and make an ‘ah’ sound while washing. When you open your mouth and make an ‘ah’ sound, the roof of your mouth rises to prevent the physiological saline solution from passing from the nose to the throat, helping the injected washing liquid to come out easily through the opposite nose. In addition, if the washing solution is sprayed with too much pressure when washing the nose, care must be taken that the washing solution can enter the ear and cause otitis media.
Nasal washㅣSource: Getty Image Bank
◆ Nasal wash direction
It is easy to find information about how to wash the nose and the washing liquid anywhere, but there are many times when people do not know the exact direction of washing the nose according to the symptoms.
The purpose of nasal washing is to relieve seasonal allergy symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, and itching, to remove scabs when the nose is dry and often forms, or to wash away foreign substances and antigens attached to the nose when working in dusty. It cleans the mucous membranes.
In this case, direct the direction of the irrigation solution inlet towards the nasal septum so that it is comfortable to wash the nose in the normal direction of nasal irrigation. However, when symptoms of sinusitis, such as a stuffy nose, a runny nose, especially a yellow nose, pressure as if something is in the nose, or a headache are felt, it is more effective to wash the nose in a different direction .
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinus cavity, which is located on the side of the cheekbone next to our nose, and is also known as sinusitis. If you have these symptoms of sinusitis, you should spray the washing solution towards the entrance of the sinus to wash away the inflammation in the sinus. This nasal wash direction suitable for nasal congestion is very effective for patients who have undergone rhinitis surgery or sinusitis surgery.
If you have symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing or a stuffy nose, it is good practice for a healthy nose to wash your nose twice a day, morning and evening, before going to bed even when not are there any symptoms. If you feel a lot of nasal discomfort, you can maximize the effect by using the prescribed nasal spray after washing your nose.
Article = Medical Reporter Haidak Lee Young-seop (Otorhinolaryngologist)
