Q: Well, it appears I have hurt my leaky nose because as it is, the mucus flow out of my nose has some patches of blood in it. What do I do please?

A: When you’ve got a cold, and you feel congested in the nose, what’s the natural thing you do? You blow your nose, right? 😀 In fact, if it appears to be yielding results, you blow more vigorously 😀 However, you could be doing some serious damage to the myriad of small, delicate blood vessels in your nose. These vessels are easily bruised and bleed when the air is too dry (from cold or dry air) or when we aggressively try to blow out all of that annoying mucous in our nostrils 😀 Gentle blowing is key…if you must. I can see all of you turning up your noses and saying ‘gentle blowing? Seriously?’ 😀 Yes, seriously! Work on the technique!

Provided the blood is just a spot or two, it shouldn’t be a problem. If the bleeding is more significant, please see your doctor. Better safe than sorry! For the slight blood-stained mucous, focus on thinning out the mucous by drinking a lot of water. You could also use a saline spray to keep your nostrils nice and moist and prevent more bleeds. Nasal decongestant sprays, if used, should not be used for more than 3 days…except your doctor expressly allows this. Anti-histamines are also helpful.

Have a great day!

Here’s to a healthier you!