Is It Safe to Sneeze or Cough After Rhinoplasty?

It’s not unusual for patients to have nasal congestion following rhinoplasty.  This is often secondary to swelling with crusting and scabbing within the nasal passages.  When this occurs, patients can have an irresistible urge to sneeze, cough or blow their nose.

            We generally recommend that patients avoid blowing their nose for at least two weeks following routine rhinoplasty and four to six weeks following septoplasty.  Unfortunately coughing and sneezing are often involuntary activities.  Under these circumstances patients should try to cough and sneeze through their mouth to avoid nasal trauma.

            When patients blow their noses, cough or sneeze in the early post-operative period, they can potentially damage the nasal mucousa and cause bleeding.  For this reason, we generally recommend nasal saline irrigations in the immediate post-operative period.  This moisturizes the internal nasal structures and minimizes the potential for bleeding in the post-operative period.   

Blowing your nose or sneezing during the first few weeks after rhinoplasty could cause bleeding and/or swelling. You can learn to cough and sneeze with an open mouth, which can relieve some of the pressure and minimize the risk for side effects. Talk to your allergist to see if you can find a way to better control your symptoms after your procedure so that you can avoid blowing your nose. Also do let your facial plastic surgeon know what medications you are on, as they could affect the degree of bleeding, swelling, etc. I hope this helps.

After rhinoplasty you need to avoid things that with stir up bleeding and cause complications.  Anything that raises blood pressure can do this and particularly sneezing and coughing.