“Nose cartilage inquiry?”
Over these past two years, I have developed a habit with my nose, where I will squeeze the sides of my nostrils together (using only my nose; no fingers). I think I squeeze it where my upper and lower cartilage meet. Whenever I am doing anything I notice I still do this as a habit, and I do this constantly throughout the day. It's become very natural to me. I have no issues with this whatsoever. I am breathing completely fine. I have no symptoms of anything wrong and I've been doing it for two years now. I was wondering however, if i keep doing this will there be any bad repercussions in the future for my nose cartilage, or can i still keep doing it with no worries?
Male | 18 years old
2 Answers
Ear,NoseandThroatDoctor(ENT)Ear,NoseandThroat(ENT)
You'll be fine, but sounds like an odd habit. Constant pressure on cartilage can shift the shape somewhat, but this is seen when the cartilage is growing, like in puppies ears or young children.
It's unlikely that deep inspiration, like you're describing, would cause damage to the cartilage itself. That being said, there are ligaments which connect various cartilages in the nose as well as to the skin itself. These can weaken over the years which leads to changes in nasal appearance and function. Over many years, you may be accelerating some of this process.
