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I have a stuffy nose, how can I tell if it’s hay fever, COVID or something else?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/deryn-thompson-1449312">Deryn Thompson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Hay fever (also called allergic rhinitis) affects <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/national-health-survey-state-and-territory-findings/latest-release">24%</a> of Australians. <a href="https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergic-rhinitis-hay-fever-and-sinusitis/allergic-rhinitis-or-hay-fever">Symptoms</a> include sneezing, a runny nose (which may feel blocked or stuffy) and itchy eyes. People can also experience an itchy nose, throat or ears. But COVID is still <a href="https://theconversation.com/xec-is-now-in-australia-heres-what-we-know-about-this-hybrid-covid-variant-239292">spreading</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-feel-sick-how-do-i-know-if-i-have-the-flu-covid-rsv-or-something-else-234266">other viruses</a> can cause cold-like symptoms. So how do you know which one you’ve got? <h2>Remind me, how does hay fever cause symptoms?</h2> <a href="https://www.allergy.org.au/hp/papers/allergic-rhinitis-clinical-update">Hay fever</a> happens when a person has become “sensitised” to an allergen trigger. This means a person’s body is always primed to react to this trigger. Triggers can include allergens in the air (such as pollen from trees, grasses and flowers), mould spores, animals or house dust mites which mostly live in people’s mattresses and bedding, and feed on shed skin. When the body is exposed to the trigger, it produces IgE (immunoglobulin E) antibodies. These cause the release of many of the body’s own chemicals, including histamine, which result in hay fever symptoms. People who have asthma may find their asthma symptoms (cough, wheeze, tight chest or trouble breathing) worsen when exposed to airborne allergens. Spring and sometimes into summer can be the worst time for people with grass, tree or flower allergies. However, animal and house dust mite symptoms usually happen year-round. <h2>What else might be causing my symptoms?</h2> Hay fever does not cause a fever, sore throat, muscle aches and pains, weakness, loss of taste or smell, nor does it cause you to cough up mucus. These symptoms are likely to be caused by a virus, such as COVID, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or a “cold” (often caused by rhinoviruses). These conditions can occur all year round, with some overlap of symptoms: <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/624085/original/file-20241007-16-xf6euv.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/624085/original/file-20241007-16-xf6euv.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/624085/original/file-20241007-16-xf6euv.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/624085/original/file-20241007-16-xf6euv.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/624085/original/file-20241007-16-xf6euv.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/624085/original/file-20241007-16-xf6euv.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=731&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/624085/original/file-20241007-16-xf6euv.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=731&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/624085/original/file-20241007-16-xf6euv.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=731&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><a class="source" href="https://theconversation.com/i-feel-sick-how-do-i-know-if-i-have-the-flu-covid-rsv-or-something-else-234266">Natasha Yates/The Conversation</a></figcaption></figure> COVID still <a href="https://theconversation.com/xec-is-now-in-australia-heres-what-we-know-about-this-hybrid-covid-variant-239292">surrounds</a> us. <a href="https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/about+us/health+statistics/surveillance+of+notifiable+conditions/respiratory+infections+dashboard">RSV and influenza</a> rates appear higher than before the COVID pandemic, but it may be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10888990/#:%7E:text=Increases%20in%20RSV%20patient%20volume,with%20an%20RSV%20diagnosis%20occurred">due to more testing</a>. So if you have a fever, sore throat, muscle aches/pains, weakness, fatigue, or are coughing up mucus, stay home and avoid mixing with others to limit transmission. People with COVID symptoms can take a rapid antigen test (<a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-04/coronavirus-covid-19-rapid-antigen-tests.pdf">RAT</a>), ideally when <a href="https://www.cochrane.org/CD013705/INFECTN_how-accurate-are-rapid-antigen-tests-diagnosing-covid-19">symptoms start</a>, then isolate until symptoms disappear. <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2023/219/11/covid-19-rapid-antigen-tests-approved-self-testing-australia-published">One negative RAT alone</a> can’t rule out COVID if symptoms are still present, so test again 24–48 hours after your initial test if symptoms persist. You can now test yourself for COVID, RSV and influenza in a <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-02/covid-19-rapid-antigen-self-tests-are-approved-australia-ifu-406813.PDF">combined RAT</a>. But again, a negative test doesn’t rule out the virus. If your symptoms continue, <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-02/covid-19-rapid-antigen-self-tests-are-approved-australia-ifu-406813.PDF">test again</a> 24–48 hours after the previous test. <h2>If it’s hay fever, how do I treat it?</h2> Treatment involves blocking the body’s histamine release, by taking antihistamine medication which helps reduce the symptoms. Doctors, nurse practitioners and pharmacists can develop a <a href="https://www.allergy.org.au/images/pc/ASCIA_Allergic_Rhinitis_Treatment_Plan_2024.pdf">hay fever care plan</a>. This may include using a nasal spray containing a topical corticosteroid to help reduce the swelling inside the nose, which causes stuffiness or blockage. Nasal sprays need to delivered <a href="https://allergyfacts.org.au/are-you-using-your-nasal-spray-correctly/">using correct technique</a> and used over several weeks to work properly. Often these sprays can also help lessen the itchy eyes of hay fever. Drying bed linen and pyjamas inside during spring can <a href="https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergy-treatments/allergen-minimisation">lessen symptoms</a>, as can putting a <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/consumers/managing-hay-fever">smear of Vaseline</a> in the nostrils when going outside. Pollen sticks to the Vaseline, and gently blowing your nose later removes it. People with asthma should also have an <a href="https://asthma.org.au/manage-asthma/asthma-action-plan/">asthma plan</a>, created by their doctor or nurse practitioner, explaining how to adjust their asthma reliever and preventer medications in hay fever seasons or on allergen exposure. People with asthma also need to be <a href="https://www.nationalasthma.org.au/living-with-asthma/resources/patients-carers/factsheets/thunderstorm-asthma">alert for thunderstorms</a>, where pollens can burst into tinier particles, be inhaled deeper in the lungs and cause a severe asthma attack, and even death. <h2>What if it’s COVID, RSV or the flu?</h2> Australians aged 70 and over and others with underlying health conditions who test positive for COVID are <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/covid-19/medications#at-home">eligible for antivirals</a> to reduce their chance of severe illness. Most other people with COVID, RSV and influenza will recover at home with rest, fluids and paracetamol to relieve symptoms. However some groups are at greater risk of serious illness and may require additional treatment or hospitalisation. For <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/respiratory-syncytial-virus.aspx">RSV</a>, this includes premature infants, babies 12 months and younger, children under two who have other medical conditions, adults over 75, people with heart and lung conditions, or health conditions that lessens the immune system response. For influenza, people at <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/Influenza/Pages/at-risk.aspx">higher risk</a> of severe illness are pregnant women, Aboriginal people, people under five or over 65 years, or people with long-term medical conditions, such as kidney, heart, lung or liver disease, diabetes and decreased immunity. If you’re concerned about severe symptoms of COVID, RSV or influenza, consult your doctor or call 000 in an emergency. If your symptoms are mild but persist, and you’re not sure what’s causing them, book an appointment with your doctor or nurse practitioner. Although hay fever season is here, we need to avoid spreading other serious infectious. For more information, you can call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria); use the <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/symptom-checker">online Symptom Checker</a>; or visit <a href="http://healthdirect.gov.au/">healthdirect.gov.au</a> or the <a href="https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergy-treatments/allergen-minimisation">Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/240453/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/deryn-thompson-1449312">Deryn Thompson</a>, Eczema and Allergy Nurse; Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-have-a-stuffy-nose-how-can-i-tell-if-its-hay-fever-covid-or-something-else-240453">original article</a>.

Body

What your nose can tell you about your health

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dan-baumgardt-1451396">Dan Baumgardt</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bristol-1211">University of Bristol</a> Thanks to a quirk known as <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-babble/201502/is-how-the-brain-filters-out-unimportant-details">unconscious selective attention</a>, your brain has learned to ignore your nose. A prominent feature that’s positioned closely to the eyes, the schnoz could get in the way of our vision – but the nervous system cleverly filters it out. You can choose to look for your nose though. Either close one eye or look left, right or downwards and it’ll pop into view. But, although your brain works hard to stop your nose from interfering with your line of vision, your snout is not something to ignore. Like <a href="https://theconversation.com/navel-gazing-checking-your-belly-button-can-tell-you-a-lot-about-your-health-228759">many other</a> parts of your body, examining the nose can help diagnose external skin conditions – and internal diseases. <h2>Acne</h2> While there are a <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acne/">number of forms</a> of <a href="https://patient.info/skin-conditions/acne-leaflet">acne</a>, <a href="https://dermnetnz.org/topics/acne-vulgaris">acne vulgaris</a> is the most common – and it often affects the nose. This skin condition develops from the clogging of tiny glands in the skin that secrete protective oils, which leads to <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/comedonal-acne#outlook">open and closed comedones</a>. Open comedones – better known as blackheads – develop a dark coloured plug, whereas closed comedones are whiteheads that form when the pore is blocked completely. Clogged pores can also develop into larger lumps and bumps which can become infected, inflamed and and pus-filled and can even scar the skin. <a href="https://dermnetnz.org/topics/rosacea">Acne rosacea</a> has a different appearance. It is an inflammatory skin condition that causes erythema – or reddening of the skin – most often across the nose and cheeks. Rosacea <a href="https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/skin-hair-and-nails/rosacea/#:%7E:text=Although%20rosacea%20can't%20be,you%20can%20stop%20treatment%20temporarily.">is currently incurable</a> but it can be managed, often with long-term treatment. Patients with rosacea may often develop a rash papules and pustules that resembles acne – and also have visible blood vessels that appear as thin red or purplish lines across the nose and cheeks. In some cases, rosacea can cause the skin of the nose to grow and thicken. This condition is referred to as <a href="https://patient.info/doctor/rosacea-and-rhinophyma">rhinophyma</a>, and, like other visible skin conditions, can result in profound changes to appearance and seriously affect self-esteem in sufferers. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cO9pa0aGBTY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Both acne vulgaris and rosacea have been connected with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32238884/">various risk factors</a> and health conditions, though some links are stronger than others. In the case of rosacea, the list includes <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32621366/">high blood pressure and cholesterol</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29107339/">diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis</a>. <h2>Wolf’s nose</h2> <a href="https://www.sarcoidosisuk.org/information-hub/what-is-sarcoidosis/">Sarcoidosis</a>, is an inflammatory disease that can affect any of the body’s tissues – though mainly the lungs and lymph nodes. The condition can generate patches of bluish or purplish rashes, particularly on the body’s extremities where the skin is typically cooler. This includes the ears, the fingers and toes, and of course, the nose. When sarcoidosis affects the nose, it’s known as <a href="https://dermnetnz.org/topics/lupus-pernio">lupus pernio</a>, although the name is a misnomer because this condition is not the same as the <a href="https://lupusuk.org.uk/the-symptoms/">autoimmune disease known as lupus</a>. Regular lupus is a completely different condition where the body attacks its own tissues. It takes its name from the Latin word for “wolf” and the name dates back to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32380218/">medieval times</a> when the associated skin rash was said to resemble the bite of a wolf. When lupus, rather than sarcoidosis, affects the skin it generates a <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321594">butterfly rash</a> – or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555981/">malar rash</a>, which fans across the cheeks and nasal bridge. This rash can look very similar to rosacea. In fact, lupus is known as <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nm1103-1337a">“the great imitator”</a> because it shares similar symptoms to many different diseases. <h2>Trigeminal trophic syndrome</h2> <a href="https://dermnetnz.org/topics/trigeminal-trophic-syndrome">Trigeminal trophic syndrome</a> is a rare condition triggered by damage to the <a href="https://teachmeanatomy.info/head/cranial-nerves/trigeminal-nerve/">trigeminal nerve</a>, which controls chewing but also gives sensation to the face. When the smaller nerve branches supplying the area of skin around the nostrils are damaged, sensation is affected. The patient notices either the skin becoming desensitised, or numb – or that it prickles, like pins and needles, creating an urge to pick or scratch. Repeated damage to the skin can <a href="https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/trigeminal-trophic-syndrome/">cause ulcers</a> to develop around the nostrils. This condition differs from <a href="https://theconversation.com/skin-picking-is-often-trivialised-as-a-bad-habit-but-dermatillomania-can-be-dangerous-224659">skin picking disorder</a> – or dermatillomania – when a psychological compulsion drives the desire to pick at the skin. So, close one eye every now and then in order to admire your hooter, or, even better have a good look at it in the mirror. It deserves more recognition than the blind spot your brain allows.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/228760/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dan-baumgardt-1451396">Dan Baumgardt</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bristol-1211">University of Bristol</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-your-nose-can-tell-you-about-your-health-228760">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Hello hay fever – why pressing under your nose could stop a sneeze but why you shouldn’t

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/theresa-larkin-952095">Theresa Larkin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-nealon-1481995">Jessica Nealon</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> If you have <a href="https://theconversation.com/sniffles-sneezing-and-cough-how-to-tell-if-its-a-simple-allergy-rather-than-the-virus-139657">hay fever</a>, you’ve probably been sneezing a lot lately. Sneezing is universal but also quite unique to each of us. It is a protective reflex action outside our conscious control, to remove irritants from inside our nose. The <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/holding-in-a-sneeze">pressure in the airways</a> during a sneeze is more than 30 times greater than heavy breathing during exercise. Estimates of how fast a sneeze travels range from <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0059970">5 metres a second</a> to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19617285/">more than 150 kilometres per hour</a>. You can sometimes stop a sneeze by holding your nose or pressing underneath it. This is related to the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/gate-control-theory">gate control theory of pain</a> and the idea you can change neural responses with external stimulation. But given the velocity of a sneeze, it might not be a good idea to stop it after it has started. <h2>An involuntary reflex</h2> A sneeze is initiated when sensory nerves in our nose are <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1753465809340571?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed">stimulated by an irritant</a> such as allergens, viruses, bacteria or even fluid. The sensory nerves then carry this irritant information to the brain. When a threshold amount of irritant signals reach the brain, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2077498/">sneeze reflex is triggered</a>. A sneeze first involves a deep intake of breath and a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-we-sneeze/">build-up of pressure inside the airways</a>. This is then followed by <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/back-pain/back-pain-when-sneezing#sneezing-as-a-cause">contraction of the diaphragm</a> and rib muscles, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2077498/">reflex closing of the eyes</a> and a strong exhalation. These are the “ah” and the “tchoo” phases of a sneeze. On the exhalation of a sneeze, your tongue is lifted to the roof of your mouth. This <a href="https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/rccm.202004-1263PP">closes off the back of the mouth</a> so the air is forced mostly through your nose. The air expelled through the nose flushes out the irritants that caused the sneeze. The “tch” sound of a sneeze is the reflexive touching of the tongue to the roof of your mouth. <h2>The trigeminal nerves</h2> The trigeminal nerves are the <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21998-cranial-nerves">largest of our 12 pairs of cranial nerves</a> and the largest sensory nerves in the body. The left and right trigeminal nerves carry sensory information from the face to the brain. This includes touch, pain and irritation sensory information from the facial skin and from inside the nose and mouth. Within each trigeminal nerve are thousands of individual nerve branches that each carry a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1744806920901890">specific type of sensory information</a>. <h2>Sensory nerves communicate in the spinal cord</h2> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555217/original/file-20231023-25-1lg691.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555217/original/file-20231023-25-1lg691.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555217/original/file-20231023-25-1lg691.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=631&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555217/original/file-20231023-25-1lg691.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=631&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555217/original/file-20231023-25-1lg691.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=631&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555217/original/file-20231023-25-1lg691.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=792&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555217/original/file-20231023-25-1lg691.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=792&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555217/original/file-20231023-25-1lg691.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=792&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="drawing of face with nerves labelled" /></a><figcaption>Henry Gray’s anatomical illustration of the trigeminal nerve. <a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Gray778.png">Gray's Anatomy/Wikimedia Commons</a></figcaption></figure> Sensory nerves travel to the brain via the spinal cord. The sensory nerves that carry pain and irritant signals are narrow, whereas those that carry touch information are wider and faster. In the spinal cord, these nerves communicate with each other via interneurons before sending their message to the brain. The interneurons are the “gates” of the <a href="https://www.physio-pedia.com/Gate_Control_Theory_of_Pain#:%7E:text=and%20trigger%20%E2%80%A2-,Introduction,be%20let%20through%20or%20restricted.">gate control theory of pain</a>. A nerve carrying a pain signal tells the interneuron to “open the gate” for the pain signal to reach the brain. But the larger nerves that carry touch information can “close the gate” and block the pain messages getting to the brain. This is why rubbing an injured area can reduce the sensation of pain. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.01037/full">One study</a> showed stimulating the trigeminal nerves by moving the jaw reduced tooth pain. We can observe this in action when babies instinctively <a href="https://chaimommas.com/2013/11/05/what-to-expect-with-teething-and-tooth-development-chart/">bite on things or pull their ear</a> when they are teething. These actions can stimulate the trigeminal touch nerves and reduce pain signals via the gate control mechanism. <h2>So does putting your finger under your nose stop a sneeze?</h2> There are <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-sneezing">many suggestions</a> of how to stop a sneeze. These include pulling your ear, putting your tongue to the roof of your mouth or the back of your teeth, touching your nose, or even sticking your finger in your nose. All of these stimulate the trigeminal touch nerves with the goal of telling the interneurons to “close the gate”. This can block the irritant signals from reaching the brain and triggering a sneeze. <h2>But should you stop a sneeze?</h2> What if an irritant in your nose has triggered a sneeze response, but you’re somewhere it might be considered inappropriate to sneeze. Should you stop it? Closing your mouth or nose during a sneeze increases the pressure in the airways <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26914240/">five to 20 times more than a normal sneeze</a>. With no escape, this <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1945892418823147#:%7E:text=The%20high%20Valsalva%20pressure%20generated,to%20all%20people%20who%20sneeze.">pressure has to be transmitted elsewhere</a> and that can damage your eyes, ears or blood vessels. Though the risk is low, brain aneurysm, ruptured throat and collapsed lung have been <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/holding-in-a-sneeze#can-holding-a-sneeze-kill-you">reported</a>. So it’s probably best to try and prevent the sneeze reflex by treating allergies or addressing irritants. Failing that, embrace your personal sneeze style and <a href="https://theconversation.com/handkerchief-or-tissue-which-ones-better-for-our-health-and-the-planet-213065">sneeze into a tissue</a>. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215265/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/theresa-larkin-952095">Theresa Larkin</a>, Associate professor of Medical Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-nealon-1481995">Jessica Nealon</a>, Lecturer in Medical Sciences (Neuroscience), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hello-hay-fever-why-pressing-under-your-nose-could-stop-a-sneeze-but-why-you-shouldnt-215265">original article</a>.

Body

Does picking your nose really increase your risk of dementia?

No matter your age, we all pick our nose. However, if gripping headlines around the world are a sign, this habit could increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. One international news report <a href="https://www.the-sun.com/health/6565520/common-habit-increase-risk-alzheimers-dementia/">said</a>: <blockquote> ‘SCARY EVIDENCE’ How a common habit could increase your risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia </blockquote> Another <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/alzheimers-disease-risk-increased-picking-28378042">ran with</a>: <blockquote> Alzheimer’s disease risk increased by picking your nose and plucking hair, warns study </blockquote> An Australian news article <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/could-picking-your-nose-lead-to-dementia-australian-researchers-are-digging-into-it/rn7xqef2w">couldn’t resist a pun</a>: <blockquote> Could picking your nose lead to dementia? Australian researchers are digging into it. </blockquote> Yet if we look at the research study behind these news reports, we may not need to be so concerned. The evidence connecting nose picking with the risk of dementia is still rather inconclusive. What prompted these headlines? Queensland researchers published <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-06749-9">their study</a> back in February 2022 in the journal Scientific Reports. However, the results were not widely reported in the media until about eight months later, following a <a href="https://news.griffith.edu.au/2022/10/28/new-research-suggests-nose-picking-could-increase-risk-for-alzheimers-and-dementia/">media release</a> from Griffith University in late October. The media release had a similar headline to the multiple news articles that followed: <blockquote> New research suggests nose picking could increase risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia </blockquote> The media release clearly stated the research was conducted in mice, not humans. But it did quote a researcher who described the evidence as “potentially scary” for humans too. What the study did The researchers wanted to learn more about the role of Chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria and Alzheimer’s disease. These bacteria have been found in brains of people with Alzheimer’s, although <a href="https://academic.oup.com/femspd/article/48/3/355/506227?login=true">the studies</a> were completed more than <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s004300050071">15 years ago</a>. This bacteria species can cause respiratory infections such as pneumonia. It’s not to be confused with the chlamydia species that causes sexually transmitted infections (that’s C. trachomatis). The researchers were interested in where C. pneumoniae went, how quickly it travelled from the nose to the brain, and whether the bacteria would create a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease found in brain tissue, the amyloid β protein. So they conducted a small study in mice. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/493175/original/file-20221103-22-znvia5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/493175/original/file-20221103-22-znvia5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/493175/original/file-20221103-22-znvia5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/493175/original/file-20221103-22-znvia5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/493175/original/file-20221103-22-znvia5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/493175/original/file-20221103-22-znvia5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/493175/original/file-20221103-22-znvia5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/493175/original/file-20221103-22-znvia5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="White mouse in open cage with raised nose" /></a><figcaption>The study, which was conducted in mice, didn’t mention nose picking. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/funny-curious-white-rat-looking-out-402796495">Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> The researchers injected C. pneumoniae into the noses of some mice and compared their results to other mice that received a dose of salty water instead. They then waited one, three, seven or 28 days before euthanising the animals and examined what was going on in their brains. What the study found Not surprisingly, the researchers detected more bacteria in the part of the brain closest to the nose in mice that received the infectious dose. This was the olfactory brain region (involved in the sense of smell). Mice that had the bacteria injected into their noses also had clusters of the amyloid β protein around the bacteria. Mice that didn’t receive the dose also had the protein present in their brains, but it was more spread out. The researchers didn’t compare which mice had more or less of the protein. Finally, the researchers found that gene profiles related to Alzheimer’s disease were more abundant in mice 28 days after infection compared with seven days after infection. How should we interpret the results? The study doesn’t actually mention nose-picking or plucking nose hairs. But the media release quoted one of the researchers <a href="https://news.griffith.edu.au/2022/10/28/new-research-suggests-nose-picking-could-increase-risk-for-alzheimers-and-dementia/">saying</a> this was not a good idea as this could damage the nose: <blockquote> If you damage the lining of the nose, you can increase how many bacteria can go up into your brain. </blockquote> The media release suggested you could protect your nose (by not picking) and so lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Again, this was not mentioned in the study itself. At best the study results suggest infection with C. pneuomoniae can spread rapidly to the brain – in mice. Until we have more definitive, robust studies in humans, I’d say the link between nose picking and dementia risk remains low. – Joyce Siette <hr /> Blind peer review Nose picking is a life-long common human practice. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7852253/">Nine in ten people</a> admit doing it. By the age of 20, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6345537/">some 50% of people</a> have evidence of C. pneumoniae in their blood. That rises to 80% in people aged 60-70. But are these factors connected? Does one cause the other? The study behind these media reports raises some interesting points about C. pneumoniae in the nasal cavity and its association with deposits of amyloid β protein (plaques) in the brain of mice – not humans. We cannot assume what happens in mice also applies to humans, for a number of reasons. While C. pneumoniae bacteria may be <a href="https://academic.oup.com/femspd/article/48/3/355/506227?login=true">more common</a> in people with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, association with the hallmark amyloid plaques in the mouse study does not necessarily mean one causes the other. The mice were also euthanised at a maximum of 28 days after exposure, long before they had time to develop any resultant disease. This is not likely anyway, because mice do not naturally get Alzheimer’s. Even though mice can accumulate the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s, they <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07484-w#:%7E:text=Alzheimer's%20is%20marked%20by%20cognitive,not%20occur%20naturally%20in%20mice">do not display</a> the memory problems seen in people. Some researchers have also argued that amyloid β protein deposits in animals are different to humans, and therefore <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2813509/">might not be suitable</a> for comparison. So what’s the verdict? Looking into risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s is worthwhile. But to suggest picking your nose, which introduces C. pneumoniae into the body, may raise the risk of Alzheimer’s in humans – based on this study – is overreach. – Mark Patrick Taylor<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193463/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by Joyce Siette. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-picking-your-nose-really-increase-your-risk-of-dementia-193463" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-blue-denim-button-up-shirt-picking-nose-4584166/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ketut Subiyanto (Pexels)</a>, CC BY-SA

Mind

Beyond Cyrano de Bergerac’s nose – the real man behind the swashbuckling hero

There’s something quite striking missing in Peter Dinklage’s performance of Cyrano de Bergerac. In the upcoming musical film, Cyrano is missing his iconic large nose. Cyrano’s nose has been integral to popular images of the character ever since Edmond Rostand’s swashbuckling 1897 verse drama <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1254/1254-h/1254-h.htm">Cyrano de Bergerac</a>. This connection became even more so after Gérard Depardieu’s take on the role in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099334/">1990</a>. In every iteration of Cyrano’s tale till now, his large nose causes him trouble and affects how people perceive him. In the new film, Dinklage’s form of dwarfism, called achondroplasia, as <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58678918">one critic wrote</a>, “serves the same purpose the character’s oversize schnoz originally did, lending Cyrano an outsider quality that he must overcompensate for in personality”. Cyrano is a witty wordsmith and staggeringly proficient swordsman, able to defeat his opponents with both verbal and physical deftness. For instance, in one scene in the Depardieu film, Cyrano duels and vanquishes a vicomte who insults his nose. He does this while improvising an elaborately complex poem called a ballade. Despite such prowess, his looks limit him. Secretly in love with his dazzling cousin Roxane, Cyrano is held back by shame at his physical appearance. He can only find selfless, vicarious satisfaction by feeding lines of passionate poetry to his rival-cum-alter-ego, the handsome but ineloquent hero Christian, who wins Roxane’s heart. In each new retelling of the story of Cyrano we see the fragile romantic hero tormented by his own perceived lack – it is easy to forget that another Cyrano lurked still further in the background: the real-life playwright, satirist, novelist, and duellist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Savinien-Cyrano-de-Bergerac">Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac</a> (1619-55). Because of his taste for bluster and grandiose self-mythologisation, we know relatively little for certain about the historical Cyrano. <h2>A colourful life</h2> As a young man, the real Cyrano was taught by the idiosyncratic polymath <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/gassendi/">Pierre Gassendi</a> and mixed in free-thinking “libertine” circles. He was known to spend time with writers such as Paul Scarron and Tristan l’Hermite. It’s even believed that perhaps at the fringes of these circles was the great comic playwright Molière. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OAXX-tr0gzg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> In his short life, Cyrano proved himself to be a talented and adaptable writer. He never settled down to one genre for long (tragedy, comedy, letters, fiction and more) but maintained a strong intellectually satirical vein throughout. The impressive verbal ingenuity we see in Rostand’s play is also reflected in Cyrano’s various writings, perhaps most cruelly in his witty <a href="https://www2.unil.ch/ncd17/index.php?extractCode=1643">fat-shaming</a> of the actor known as Montfleury. <h2>A would-be astronaut</h2> The real Cyrano was very adept at self-construction and even self-mythologisation. As a young soldier, he fostered rumours that he had routed 100 attackers at once. He claimed some symbolic kinship to classical heroes and warriors by styling himself “Hercule” de Bergerac. Unsurprisingly, both these elements find their way into Rostand’s play. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5e8apSFDXsQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> While the persona Cyrano adopts for himself as protagonist and narrator of his philosophical novel <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comical_History_of_the_States_and_Empires_of_the_Moon">L’Autre monde</a> is somewhat more modest and cryptic (the name of its hero “Dyrcona”, a near-anagram for Cyrano). The first-person, pseudo-autobiographical fiction he spins here is even more outlandish. In this tale of adventure and daring, he claims to have travelled through outer space to visit the Moon and the Sun and to have conversed with the curious inhabitants of both. As well as inspiring a scene in Rostand’s play, the novel also anticipates the various philosophical travel narratives of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Letters">Montesquieu</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/eight-surprising-things-its-time-you-knew-about-gullivers-travels-88061">Jonathan Swift</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-voltaires-candide-a-darkly-satirical-tale-of-human-folly-in-times-of-crisis-157131">Voltaire</a> in the following century. Indeed, Dyrcona’s discussions with his various otherworldly interlocutors cover a range of theological, scientific, political, philosophical, and “libertine” topics – from theories of atomism to biblical accuracy, from cannibalistic orgies to the existence of God. Knowing that the text was philosophically and theologically contentious, he did not publish the work during his lifetime. It was published in a heavily sanitised version entitled Histoire comique (Comical Story) in 1657. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440450/original/file-20220112-25-70qd7h.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="Illustration of Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac." /> Portrait of playwright Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrano_de_Bergerac#/media/File:Savinien_de_Cyrano_de_Bergerac.JPG" class="source">Wikimedia</a> L’Autre monde remains Cyrano’s most popular work and has various quirks to interest the modern reader. Among other things, the novel anticipates caravans (some moon-dwellers own mobile houses) and audiobooks (small boxes which read chapters out loud). Some of Cyrano’s other fabrications are rather more fantastic: hunting weapons that simultaneously cook the game they shoot, intercontinental flight with the help of bottles of evaporating dew, musical communication, and poetry as a means of currency. One of the most suggestive moments of the novel for many comes when the moon-dwellers explain how a large nose is the marker of someone “spiritual, courtly, affable, noble-minded, [and] liberal”. This leads us back to Cyrano’s actual nose: was it purely Rostand’s invention? Yes and no. Contemporary illustrations of Cyrano show him to be relatively well-endowed nasally but never quite reaching the grotesque extremes we find in Rostand. Even so, in his overall encapsulation of Cyrano’s swagger, ebullience, and creative verve, it is fair to say that Rostand’s depiction was very much on the nose.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174811/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joseph-harris-1306409">Joseph Harris</a>, Professor of Early Modern French and Comparative Literature, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/royal-holloway-university-of-london-795">Royal Holloway University of London</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-cyrano-de-bergeracs-nose-the-real-man-behind-the-swashbuckling-hero-174811">original article</a>. Image: Universal Pictures

Movies

Keep your nose out of it: why saliva tests could offer a better alternative to nasal COVID-19 swabs

Saliva is one of our biggest foes in the COVID-19 pandemic, because of its role in spreading the virus. But it could be our friend too, because it potentially offers a way to diagnose the disease without using invasive nasal swabs. Our research review, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/10/5/290">published in the journal Diagnostics</a>, suggests saliva could offer a readily accessible diagnostic tool for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and might even be able to reveal whether someone’s immune system has already encountered it. COVID-19 testing is a crucial part of the pandemic response, especially now countries are gradually lifting social distancing restrictions. This requires widespread, early, accurate and sensitive diagnosis of infected people, both with and without symptoms. Our review looked at the results of three different studies, in Hong Kong, the nearby Chinese mainland city of Shenzhen, and Italy. All three studies found SARS-CoV-2 is indeed present in the saliva of COVID-19 patients (at rates of 87%, 91.6%, and 100% of patients, respectively). This suggests saliva is a potentially very useful source of specimens for detecting the virus. Saliva <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202031254X">spreads the SARS-CoV-2 virus</a> via breathing, coughing, sneezing, and <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25769/rapid-expert-consultation-on-the-possibility-of-bioaerosol-spread-of-sars-cov-2-for-the-covid-19-pandemic-april-1-2020">conversation</a>, which is why guidelines suggest we maintain a distance of at least 1.5 metres from one another. We also know <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7094991/">SARS-CoV-2 can survive in tiny droplets of saliva</a> in an experimental setting. Saliva is an attractive option for detecting SARS-CoV-2, compared with the <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19-seeing-a-doctor-getting-tested-faqs#diagnosis">current tests</a> which involve taking swabs of mucus from the upper respiratory tract. Saliva is easy to access, which potentially makes the tests cheaper and less invasive. Saliva can hold up a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19726214">mirror to our health</a>, not just of our mouth but our whole body. For this reason, saliva has already been widely investigated as a diagnostic tool for chronic systemic diseases, as well as for oral ailments such as periodontal disease and oral cancers. But less attention has been given to its potential usefulness in acute infectious diseases such as COVID-19, perhaps because researchers and clinicians don’t yet appreciate its full potential. What a mouthful When we get sick, much of the evidence is present in our saliva – from the germs themselves, to the antibodies and immune system proteins we use to fight them off. Saliva also contains genetic material and other cellular components of pathogens after we have broken them down (for the full biochemical breakdown of the weird and wonderful things in our saliva, see pages 51-61 of our <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/10/5/290">review</a>). Saliva is also hardy. It can be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=High-yield+RNA-extraction+method+for+saliva">stored at –80℃ for several years with little degradation</a>. This means it would be relatively straightforward to track the progression of COVID-19 in individual patients, by collecting saliva at various times during the disease and recovery. Saliva tests from recovered patients could also tell us if they have encountered the disease for a second time, and how strong their immune response is. However, there is no research yet available on using saliva to monitor immune responses. This will be well worth investigating, given the pressing need for a reliable and cost-effective way to monitor the population for immunity to COVID-19 as the outbreak continues. Could saliva testing replace nasal swabs? An ideal saliva test would be a disposable, off-the-shelf device that could be used at home by individuals, without exposing them or others to the risk of visiting a clinic. One drawback with the research so far is that it has involved small numbers of patients (each of the three studies we reviewed involved no more than 25 people), and there is little published detail on exactly how these studies collected the saliva – whether from the mouth or throat, whether by spitting, drooling or swabbing, and whether collected by the patient or by a clinician. Nevertheless, based on the modest amount of research done so far, saliva looks like a promising candidate for COVID-19 testing. More research is now needed, in larger groups of people, to learn more about how to confidently test for SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva of both symptomatic and non-symptomatic people. Earlier this month the US Food and Drug Administration <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/health/fda-coronavirus-spit-test.html">approved the sale</a> of saliva-based COVID-19 test kits that will allow people to collect their own samples and send them to a lab for analysis. A reliable test would offer a cheaper, less invasive and potentially even more accurate way to detect the virus, which would also reduce the risk posed by routine COVID-19 checks to both patients and front-line medical professionals. Written by Pingping Han. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/keep-your-nose-out-of-it-why-saliva-tests-could-offer-a-better-alternative-to-nasal-covid-19-swabs-138816">The Conversation.</a>

Legal

Doctors uncover disgusting find in man’s unbearably blocked nose

Zhang Binsheng, 30, went to the doctors after struggling to breathe for the last three months. His symptoms were so severe that he could not sleep properly at night and reported smelling “decay” out of one nostril. The doctors advised him to undergo an X-ray, where a shadow of ‘high density’ material was uncovered at the back of his nasal cavity. Zhang was left stunned when medics explained that it was his own tooth. “(It) looked a lot like a tooth,” Dr Bai Zhibang, a deputy director at the hospital’s ear, nose and throat department, told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.pearvideo.com/video_1620810" target="_blank" title="www.pearvideo.com">Pear Video</a>. The tooth had been knocked out of Zhang’s mouth when he fell from the fourth floor of a mall at the age of ten and had managed to root and grow in his nasal cavity. This means that the tooth had been growing in Zhang’s nose for the last twenty years. Doctor Guo Longmei explained that the reason that the body hadn’t rejected the tooth was because it was Zhangs and not a ‘foreign object’. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7832417/tooth-body.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/05204a0162064ff59685b602d25dcaea" /> The tooth measured at 1cm and was removed from Zhang’s nose in a 30-minute surgery. He is said to be recovering well. According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/11/mans-blocked-nose-caused-tooth-growing-nostril-11080867/" target="_blank">Metro</a>, having a tooth growing inside your nose is considered to be rare, with less than 0.1 per cent of the population likely to be affected.

Body

5 steps to stop a nosebleed

Nosebleeds (or epistaxis) are fairly common, especially in children. They usually happen as a result of a minor injury, nose picking, or nose blowing. Occasionally, nosebleeds can signal underlying illness or injury. Very rarely, a nosebleed can be life-threatening, especially in older people. Treating a nosebleed incorrectly can prolong bleeding and make things worse. Follow these five steps to handle a nosebleed. 1. Sit the patient down. Ask them to lean forwards (not backwards) so that the blood drains away from the nose, not down the throat. Wear disposable gloves if you have them to protect yourself and the patient. 2. Pinch the nose. Tell the patient to breathe through their mouth and pinch the soft part of their nose to help reduce blood flow, blocking the nostrils. He or she can lean over a sink or a bowl so that they can spit out any blood as swallowing it can make them sick. Advise them not to sniff, swallow, or cough, as it can disturb the clots that are forming. 3. Check the nose. After ten minutes, release the pressure and check the nose. If still bleeding, pinch the nose for another ten minutes. 4. Offer a cold compress. Give the patient an ice or cold pack to hold against the bridge of their nose to help reduce blood flow. 5. Check the nose again. Once the bleeding has stopped, let the patient clean around their nose with a damp cloth. Tell them not to blow their nose and avoid strenuous activity for up to 12 hours. Seek medical advice for a nosebleed if you have: <ul> <li>Frequent nosebleeds (more than once a week) – this can be a sign of high blood pressure.</li> <li>Persistent nosebleeds in a person who is on blood-thinning medication such as Warfarin.</li> <li>Thin watery blood from the nose following a blow to the head, which can indicate a possible skull fracture.</li> <li>Frequent nosebleeds accompanied by bleeding gums as well as bruises that develop for no apparent reason.</li> </ul> This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/tips/5-Steps-to-Stop-a-Nosebleed">Reader’s Digest.</a> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">Here’s our subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Caring

Taking selfies makes your nose look bigger than it is

It is the inescapable 21st-century vexation of the vain. Smartphones allow a person to take selfies as fast as the index finger can click, yet from a dismayingly close distance that may leave the subject dissatisfied. Don't fret, a team of researchers from Rutgers and Stanford says in a new analysis published recently. The culprit is distortion. Using a mathematical model, the group found that in a selfie taken from 30cm away, the nose appears 30 per cent wider than in a photo taken from 150cm. The researchers undertook the analysis because plastic-surgery patients - who spent more than US$16 billion on cosmetic procedures in 2016, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons - often cited their appearance in selfies as justification for getting a nose job. Boris Paskhover, an assistant professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School's department of otolaryngology, wanted to set the record straight. "Young adults are constantly taking selfies to post to social media and think those images are representative of how they really look, which can have an impact on their emotional state," Paskhover said in a Rutgers news release. "I want them to realise that when they take a selfie, they are in essence looking into a portable funhouse mirror." To calculate the degree of nasal distortion in up-close photos, Paskhover worked with Ohad Fried, a research fellow in Stanford's computer science department. In addition to the 30 percent increase in the apparent width of the nose in selfies, the team also found that the close vantage point made the tip of the nose appear 7 per cent wider. Their findings were published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. In this social-media-obsessed world, Paskhover, who specialises in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, is not alone in seeing patients who are unhappy with their selfies. In a 2017 poll, 55 per cent of surgeons reported they had seen patients who sought plastic surgery in order to look better in selfies, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons said. Yet nose jobs, formally called rhinoplasty, appear to be on the wane, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Surgeons performed 218,924 of the procedures in 2017, down 2 per cent from the year before, and down a whopping 44 per cent since 2000. Maybe selfie-snappers are coming to grips with reality. Do you agree with this work? Written by Tom Avril. Republished with permission by <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Technology

Mum’s trick for unblocking baby’s nose divides internet

A mum has shared her simple way for unblocking her baby’s nose – but it has divided the internet with some labelled it “genius” while others are calling the method “dangerous”. In the video, an unnamed woman holds her toddler daughter’s head still as she shoots a syringe of saline up her right nostril. As the mum counts to three, a stream of thick, green mucus pours out of the baby’s other nostril. The child stays still as another three syringe-loads are squirted into her nose. She clearly feels much better as the toddler smiles and laughs. The video, which was shared to Facebook, has clocked up over 18 million views. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Satqf2xe0pA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> But the reaction to the video has been divided to say the least, with some hailing it at a clever hack and others claiming it could actually kill a child. One commented: “This is not a safe practice. It can lead to choking and aspiration which could result in a pneumonia. But what do I know. I’m only a children’s nurse.” One woman said they had tried the trick and had a bad experience, commenting, “I tried this once and nearly drowned ... worst feeling ever!!!” Another parent wrote she tried it with her adult son and it worked. She wrote: “Yes it’s safe! I had to do this to my adult son. He could not breathe nor sleep for days. Doctor kept giving him Meds that didn’t work. “I told him he would hate me for what I was about to do. On the 3rd squirt this disgusting chunk of yuck came out and he could breathe again. “He took a hot shower and his nose was running clear. He put Vick’s under his nose and slept for two days.” Using salt water to clear blocked noses is not new, and is referred to as a “saline lavage or irrigation” in the medical world. It’s possible to buy saline drops at the chemist. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Caring

5 money lies we tell ourselves that are bleeding us dry

It’s easy to get caught up in misinformation around personal finances. Here are five common red herrings to steer clear of. 1. I'll start investing next year when things are better – Investing can be complicated, and so many of us avoid it altogether because we fear what we don't know. Don't shy away from informed commitment – it’s never too late and you’ll reap the rewards down the track. 2. I'll need less money in retirement, so I can live off my savings and the pension – In reality, you are probably going to need more money in your later years. Even if you manage to ease into retirement debt-free and fully owning your home, there are a lot of expenses that come along with getting older. These include: <ul> <li>Medical expenses</li> <li>Major fixes on an old home</li> <li>Helping out children in financial trouble</li> <li>Inflation</li> <li>Higher taxes</li> <li>Living longer than expected</li> </ul> If you don't think you have enough money for your retirement, make sure you are contributing extra to your super, or looking at other ways to boost your retirement nest egg. 3. It’s on sale – This has to be one of the best spending excuses. Whether it’s an international flight, a new suit or television, it is easy to get caught up in the hype and fall for marked-down prices, but a sale item is only a great buy if you genuinely need it. We are easily susceptible to slick marketing hype, such as 50% off already exaggerated prices or selling items at prices just below a larger round number. Unfortunately, these tricks have been proven to work and are being played out on us constantly. 4. It’s an investment – Beware of using this justification for luxury spending – whether it’s that a new set of golf clubs, couch, piece of jewellery or other “must-have” item. At the end of the day, unless you really need it, your bank account will have less in it and that is probably a poor investment. 5. I deserve this – Telling yourself spending is a reward can be a good old pick-me-up. You might have had a tough time recently and just need to do something that will give you a bit of a boost. So you go out and get your quick retail fix, feel great for a while and then realise that you just blew more than you intended for something you don’t even need that much. There are times we need to do something to make ourselves feel better or even act as a reward for an achievement. Maybe try a different approach – helping others can also be hugely satisfying, so next time you feel the need to splurge, find a charity that is close to your heart and donate.

Money & Banking

5 best moments from the Love Actually sequel

Red Noise Day Actually has aired in the UK and eager fans have finally found out how their favourite characters love stories turned out. The mini-sequel premiered in honour of Red Nose Day, a fundraiser held by Comic Relief that aims to reduce poverty by raising funds and awareness. The sequel comes fourteen years after the release of the original rom-com in 2003. Stars the reunited for the film reprisal include Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Andrew Lincoln, Lucia Moniz, Rowan Atkinson, Marcus Brigstocke, Olivia Olson and Thomas Brodie-Sangster. The sequel includes our favourite characters continuing their lives a decade later. Here are the standout moments of the film. 1. David recreates his iconic dance scene Hugh Grant’s character is busy leading the country as Prime Minister but that doesn’t mean he can’t steal a few moments to create another iconic dance scene. In this film he gets carried away dancing to “Hotline Bling” by rapper Drake. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fofficialrednoseday%2Fvideos%2F1430284670325280%2F&show_text=0&width=400" width="400" height="400" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> 2. Mark reveals who he is married to in a card skit Andrew Lincoln’s character uses more giant cards to profess some huge news to Juliet (Keira Knightley). It turns out Mark’s rejection in the last film has worked out for his benefit as he is now married to Kate Moss. 3. Jamie and Aurelia have grown their family Jamie played by Colin Firth and Aurelia played by Lucia Moniz have had three adorable children since the last film. Apparently, Aurelia also announces that another addition to the family is on its way as well. 4. Joanna and Sam are getting married Love-birds Joanna and Sam are all grown up and are now getting married. After serenading him with “All I want for Christmas is you” all those years ago, there love is a strong as ever. The couple return to the UK to ask stepdad Daniel (Liam Neeson) for Sam’s hand in marriage. 5. David says an empowering speech Hugh Grant’s character, David, closes the film by tying in all the themes of the sequel with another empowering speech. “Wherever you see tragedy, you see bravery too — wherever you see ordinary people in need, you see extraordinary ordinary people come to their aid," he said. "Today is Red Nose Day and people are giving their hard-earned cash to people they'll never meet. But whose pain and fear they feel and want to fight. So, it's not only romantic love that's all around—most people still, every day, everywhere, have enough love in their heart to help other human beings in trouble. Good's going to win. I'm actually sure of it."

News

Paying through the nose to take pets on holidays

Pet owners are dishing out thousands of dollars to make sure their four-legged friends are by their side during their holidays. Garry Walker, manager of Air Care Pet Services, which specialises in arranging international pet travel, said some owners were willing to shell out the equivalent of a business class flight for their cat or dog to fly in the cargo hold. Walker, who has also booked international trips for his pets, said his company was sending a dog from New Zealand to Melbourne this week where she will be mated with another pedigree - the flight to Australia costing about $900 one-way. When some people say 'oh that's incredibly expensive, I can fly there cheaper myself' roughly the price is about the same as a business class ticket," he said. The longest trip organised by Air Care Pet Services was sending a terrier to Russia via Sydney, Dubai and Frankfurt, before arriving in Moscow. "It took a while, but he bounced out of the crate at the end and said 'Right-o, I'm in Moscow, this is pretty cool'," Walker said. "They do travel well." Returning home the bill can be even higher, according to Chris Mune, owner of pet moving service Dandy Dogs. "You're going to be charged GST on the value of the animal, plus GST on all the costs attached to getting it into the country, the vet work in Australia, the airway bill and that can add up to another thousand dollars." But the big price tag was not enough to put one person off paying Mune's company to organise 25 cats to be flown to Spain. A special sign-off was needed by authorities to let all the felines fly on the same flight. Walker's company transports about 3000 animals a year, including bearded dragons, turtles, pigeons and rabbits. He has also arranged for two adult great danes - which can weigh up to 90 kilograms each - to be sent to London. "You can't imagine how much that would cost. It was, like, mega dollars. That was a lot more than business class tickets," he said. If an owner wants to bring their pet pal to this country, it may need to sit in quarantine for as long as six months before being given entry, Walker explained. "If you're trying to come from China or India or somewhere like that where rabies is a real worry, then [your animals has] got to go into boarding in a country where it is under control and that country is normally Singapore," he said. "You don't normally travel to places like that and take your dog, because it's a bit of a one-way trip." What do you do with your pets when you go on holidays? Do you think you’d be more interested in taking them with you if Share your thoughts in the comments section. Written by Katarina Williams. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/15-pet-faces-too-cute-to-stay-mad-at/">15 pet faces too cute to stay mad at</a> <a href="/travel/international/2016/09/pug-and-cat-hike-the-spanish-camino-together/">Pug and cat hike the Spanish Camino together</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/dying-cat-comforts-owners-on-last-trip-to-vet/">Dying cat comforts owners on last trip to vet</a>

Travel Tips

Hankies proven to be best way to clean nose

Remember the good old fashioned hanky? Sadly, the handkerchief has been forsaken for the tissue in today’s society, but we have to wonder why? A hanky can be used hundreds of times, but a tissue must be thrown out straight away. Plus, with nine million cases of the cold and flu a year in Australia, we waste about 273,000 tonnes of tissue products annually. Is it time to return to the hanky? The biggest misconception is that using reusable cloths like the hankies spread disease, but that’s just not true. Dr Martyn Kirk, epidemiologist at Australian National University, told Helen Shield on <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-12/hankies-get-tick-over-tissues-as-better-for-environment/7835662">936 ABC Hobart</a>, "I don't think hankies are all that bad.” "I'm definitely pro-hanky. I think it's a bit of a waste with tissues and they make a big mess." Unless people are using someone else’s already-used hanky (and why would anyone do that?), handkerchiefs are unlikely to spread germs. "The main way people get infections is when other people sneeze or they have contact with other people when they have a cold," he said. "[When an infected person is] sneezing and they're generating droplets that other people inhale, that's how they get infected rather than by a hanky." To prevent the spread of germs, Dr Kirk says a healthy person should not touch a person’s used hanky. Once hankies are washed though, there’s little risk of infection. Do you want to see a return to the handkerchief or do you prefer tissues? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/your-bed-sheets-could-be-making-you-sick/">Your bed sheets could be making you sick</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/how-to-clean-your-bathroom-like-a-professional/">How to clean your bathroom like a professional</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/ways-to-ripen-your-avocado-in-minutes/">5 ways to ripen your avocado in minutes</a>

News

How to clear a blocked nose instantly

We’ve all had that experience where you wake up in the middle of a cold, sniffily night and your nasal passages feel like they’ve been reinforced with cement. For hay fever sufferers, the discomfort is endless and nasal spray become an essential item for your bed side table. Whether you suffer from a frequent or occasional blocked nose, this video from Prevention has two pretty nifty tricks for unblocking your nose, with no medicines or equipment needed. Related links: <a href="/health/body/2016/02/tips-to-beat-hay-fever/">3 tips to beat hay fever</a> <a href="/health/body/2016/01/how-to-allergy-proof-your-home/">How to allergy-proof your home</a> <a href="/health/body/2016/04/ways-to-overcome-carsickness/">5 ways to overcome carsickness</a>

Body

How to stop lipstick bleeding

Don’t let lipstick bleed ruin your look. Follow our advice to avoid the dreaded smearing. Choose your weapon If you are after staying power, a gloss lipstick may not be the best option. These tend to bleed out from the mouth faster than a matte based lipstick. Stay inside the lines The professionals have long used lip liners to keep colour in its place. They act as a barrier to stop the lipstick from smearing or moving around. Match your colours Always avoid using a liner that is darker than your lipstick colour, otherwise you will run the risk of the dreaded clown mouth. The liner and lipstick should match in shade and tone. You can use the liner to fill in the lips first before applying the colour over the top. Blot twice to seal To keep your colour where you want it, apply the lipstick, blot with a tissue, and then apply again. Keep lips supple Before you even take out your makeup bag, it’s important to ensure your lips are in good shape. A lip exfoliator will remove dead flaky skin from the lips when used once a week. Change your shade Don’t get caught in a lipstick rut. What suited you ten years ago may not suit you anymore due to changes in skin tone or hair colour. Be bold and try new shades. You never know, you might just find your perfect match. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/12/diy-natural-shampoo/"></a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/11/ways-to-style-short-hair/">12 age-defying ways to style short hair</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/12/diy-natural-shampoo/"></a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/11/base-coat-for-nails/">Do you really need a base coat for your nails?</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/12/diy-natural-shampoo/"></a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/11/common-beauty-myths/">7 beauty myths to stop believing</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/12/diy-natural-shampoo/"> </a>

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Taking selfies makes your nose look bigger than it is

Mum’s trick for unblocking baby’s nose divides internet

5 money lies we tell ourselves that are bleeding us dry

5 best moments from the Love Actually sequel

Paying through the nose to take pets on holidays

Hankies proven to be best way to clean nose

How to clear a blocked nose instantly

How to stop lipstick bleeding