Dr. Tonia L. Farmer, an ENT surgeon, shared five habits that can harm your nose and throat on TikTok. These include waxing or plucking nose hairs, which removes protective barriers against particles entering the airways; using a steroid-containing inhaler without rinsing the mouth afterward, which can lead to yeast infections and hoarseness; and popping pimples in the triangle zone between the nose and upper lip, risking severe complications like cavernous sinus thrombosis or meningitis.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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
