Sometimes medical advice goes in one ear and out the other.
We chug our beloved hot morning beverage of choice, potentially putting our throats at risk for long-term tissue 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?
And those are just the medical don’ts we know we’re doing.
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.
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.
1. Waxing or plucking nose hairs
If you prefer your nasal cavities bald, you might want to reconsider.
“Those hairs are there for a reason,” Farmer said. “They’re your first line of defense to prevent particles from going into your airways.”
Waxing and plucking can cause painful ingrown hairs, swelling and infections, including boils or nasal vestibulitis. The latter happens when bacteria enter the open wound left behind after a hair is pulled from the 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.
Farmer recommends trimming the hairs that stick out instead, using clean, rounded-tip scissors or an electric nose trimmer.
2. 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.
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. Rinsing can also wash residue that may contribute to a hoarse voice, sore throat or cough.
A rinse generally isn’t needed after using a rescue inhaler, like albuterol, unless it’s part of a steroid-containing combination.
3. Popping a pimple in the triangle zone
Kenny Loggins was right: The danger zone is real — and it’s much closer than you think.
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.
Some of these veins lack valves, the tiny flaps that normally help stop the blood from flowing backwards.
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.
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.
4. Snorting drugs
Doing recreational drugs is pretty much a universal health care don’t. But sometimes knowing the why behind the don’t is a much more helpful deterrent.
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.
Chronic cocaine use can also severely damage the mucosa, a tissue lining the nasal passages, potentially causing the nose to collapse.
5. 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. They can then transfer to the foods being cooked.
“Then when you swallow the foods, you can accidentally get those fibers lodged in your throat,” she said. “How do I know? Because I’ve had to remove them in the operating 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.
Thankfully, alternatives like plant-fiber brushes, pumice stones, nylon-grit pads and wooden scrapers exist.
