# Who shoved a check valve up my nose? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2002, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547 "2002-12-13T17:29:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/1 "2002-12-13T17:29:42Z")
For about six weeks, my right nostril has been acting funny. If i inhale really deeply, it’s fine. However, if I exhale with any force, it stops right up. It literally feels like there’s a check valve up there… as though a flap is shutting when i blow out through that nostril. At that point, if I’m using enough force, the air goes out my ear. It’s been tolerable so far, but now it’s driving me nuts because I have a cold and am unable to clear my nose when I blow. Does anyone have any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/2 "2002-12-13T19:36:00Z")
It`s not a check valve. They are called booger nuts. You have to get up there with a vice-grip and a needle nose pliers to undo it. Remember that the threads are COUNTER clockwise. Just so you don`t end up tightening and making it worse. Good luck ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/3 "2002-12-13T19:49:00Z")
Wait, wait, wait! The LEFT nostril is threaded counterclockwise; the RIGHT nostril is clockwise, to keep them from coming unthreaded when you, um, you know. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/4 "2002-12-13T19:54:58Z")
Try holding your thumb over your left nostril and exhaling with great force through your nose. That gets you twice the pressure in the right nostril to dislodge the clog. If that doesn’t work, try a toilet plunger. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/5 "2002-12-13T20:18:20Z")
You might also try one of them bulb things that’re used for getting snot out of babies’ noses. Damn near saved my life when I was attacked by Sinusitis from Hell. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/6 "2002-12-13T21:10:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*Try holding your thumb over your left nostril and exhaling with great force through your nose. That gets you twice the pressure in the right nostril to dislodge the clog. > > If that doesn’t work, try a toilet plunger. \*\* Ifn` your eardrums are made of Kevlar. ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/7 "2002-12-13T23:44:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*Try holding your thumb over your left nostril and exhaling with great force through your nose. That gets you twice the pressure in the right nostril to dislodge the clog. \*\* Yep, I’ve tried that… and almost destroyed my eardrums. ---
**Author:** ![lesa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/34f0e0/32.png) [@lesa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lesa)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/8 "2002-12-14T00:41:57Z")
What you’re feeling IS kind of a flap. It can become swollen and make it hard for you to breathe. If I can find the name of it I’ll post that. The best thing to do is a saline wash. These two sites give great instructions on how to do it: [http://asthmatrack.org/tips\_saline.html](http://asthmatrack.org/tips_saline.html) [http://nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html](http://nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html) I started doing this after an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist explained it to me. I find it’s great for all kinds of congestion. ---
**Author:** ![Daylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@Daylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylon)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/9 "2002-12-14T21:39:44Z")
And all this time I was wondering about what kind of person bought that “Nori” glassbulb nasal watering thingy… D. ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-shoved-a-check-valve-up-my-nose/142547/10 "2002-12-15T16:19:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lesa \* > **What you’re feeling IS kind of a flap. It can become swollen and make it hard for you to breathe. If I can find the name of it I’ll post that.** Thanks for the info and links. I’ll give it a shot.