Sometimes medical advice goes in one ear and out the other.
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advice → go → other
We chug our beloved hot morning beverage of choice, potentially putting our throats at risk for long-term tissue damage.
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We → chug → damage
And who among us hasn’t picked a booger, even though it can irritate the sensitive lining of the nose, trigger bleeding and introduce bacteria into the body?
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it → pick → body
And those are just the medical don’ts we know we’re doing.
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we → know → ?
As it turns out, when it comes to our nose and throats, there are plenty of other medical no-nos you might be committing without even realizing it.
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you → turn → it
Dr. Tonia L. Farmer, a board-certified otolaryngologist, took to TikTok to share five lesser-known medical don’ts she would never do as a medical doctor who specializes in treating conditions of the ear, nose and throat.
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who → certify → ear
1. Waxing or plucking nose hairs
If you prefer your nasal cavities bald, you might want to reconsider.
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you → pluck → hairs
“Those hairs are there for a reason,” Farmer said.
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Farmer → say → reason
“They’re your first line of defense to prevent particles from going into your airways.
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They → ’re → airways
Waxing and plucking can cause painful ingrown hairs, swelling and infections, including boils or nasal vestibulitis.
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Waxing → cause → boils
The latter happens when bacteria enter the open wound left behind after a hair is pulled from the root.
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hair → happen → root
And some blood vessels in the nose connect to veins that drain toward the brain, a serious infection in this area can, in rare cases, lead to severe complications, including cavernous sinus thrombosis.
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infection → connect → thrombosis
Farmer recommends trimming the hairs that stick out instead, using clean, rounded-tip scissors or an electric nose trimmer.
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that → recommend → scissors
Using an inhaler without rinsing afterward
Pulmonary inhalers help people with chronic respiratory conditions literally breathe easier, but Farmer advised against using a steroid-containing pulmonary inhaler, like Advair, without rinsing your mouth afterward.
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Farmer → use → mouth
A quick swish and spit of water can help prevent a yeast infection, which can develop when leftover steroid medication lingers in the mouth and throat, she explained.
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she → help → mouth
Rinsing can also wash residue that may contribute to a hoarse voice, sore throat or cough.
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that → wash → voice
A rinse generally isn’t needed after using a rescue inhaler, like albuterol, unless it’s part of a steroid-containing combination.
3.
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it → need → combination
Popping a pimple in the triangle zone
Kenny Loggins was right: The danger zone is real — and it’s much closer than you think.
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you → pop → zone
The triangular area running from the corners of your mouth up to the bridge of your nose contains blood vessels connected to the cavernous sinus, a major venous space inside your skull near the brain.
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area → run → brain
Some of these veins lack valves, the tiny flaps that normally help stop the blood from flowing backwards.
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that → lack → blood
So popping a pimple or picking a sore in this area — or plucking or waxing nose hairs — can introduce bacteria into the bloodstream and, in rare cases, lead to serious infections.
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popping → pop → infections
Potential complications include cavernous sinus thrombosis, a dangerous and rare blood clot in the brain’s venous space, as well as meningitis, brain abscesses and vision loss.
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complications → include → space
Snorting drugs
Doing recreational drugs is pretty much a universal health care don’t.
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Doing → snort → drugs
But sometimes knowing the why behind the don’t is a much more helpful deterrent.
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do → know → the
Farmer warned that repeatedly snorting drugs such as cocaine can lead to a perforated septum, a hole in the tissue separating the two sides of the nose.
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snorting → warn → nose
Chronic cocaine use can also severely damage the mucosa, a tissue lining the nasal passages, potentially causing the nose to collapse.
5.
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nose → damage → passages
Cleaning a grill with a metal brush
BBQ grills can get pretty gnarly — but metal grill brushes can be a major safety hazard because the metal bristles can break off.
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bristles → clean → grills
They can then transfer to the foods being cooked.
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They → transfer → foods
“Then when you swallow the foods, you can accidentally get those fibers lodged in your throat,” she said.
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she → swallow → throat
“How do I know?
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I → know → ?
Because I’ve had to remove them in the operating room.
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I → have → room
According to a 2026 study, an estimated 5,470 people visited US emergency departments between 2002 and 2003 after swallowing or inhaling stray metal bristles from BBQ brushes.
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people → accord → brushes
Thankfully, alternatives like plant-fiber brushes, pumice stones, nylon-grit pads and wooden scrapers exist.
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alternatives → exist → brushes
The Aporia
