Content Warning / Educational Disclaimer: This article post contains sensitive topics and reflects Open College UK Limited’s opinions for informational purposes only.

Otherwise known as the Nasopharyngeal Mucus Reservoir!

It is advisable that you’re not eating any food whilst reading this article!!!

In the rear of your nose, nasal cavity there is a phlegmy mucus reservoir of thick gunge that sometimes but rarely empties and you blow your nose for ages to release all this super elastic gunge which takes ages to clear.

Deep within the caverns of your nasal behind the nose and above your throat area there lies a mystical secret reservoir.

Actually, it’s not mystical although it may feel like a mind-altering release when it finally empties.

Some people have never had the experience whilst others actually deliberately make it happen.

We’re talking about a thick stubborn phlegmy pocket that collects in the nasopharynx which is the upper part area of your throat directly behind your nasal cavity. Most of the time this unsightly reservoir goes unnoticed but every now and then usually when you least expect it, it unleashes a torrent of snakey, stringy phlegmy mucus that appears to defy all laws of elasticity and volume mass.

In other words, it is incredibly voluminous and elastic, is an understatement. It often releases by chance and for some people it is strangely cathartic about discharging that satisfying snotty gobbet of clotted phlegm.

This reservoir area holds about an egg cup size full of this snotty gobb of phlegm. Nasal passages and sinuses are similar to a finely tuned drainage system. The mucosa producing tissue lines your nasal cavity and sinuses, and it constantly produces mucus to trap external dust, particles, pathogens and any irritants which is its main purpose.

This gungy mucus typically flows down the back of the throat unnoticed in smaller doses and then swallowed into the stomach reflectively as part of your body’s own natural cleaning system. Lovely!

When your system slows down for various reasons or when this mucus thickens which it does, it gets trapped or pulls into hard-to-reach sinus recesses and things then get very sticky.

The nasopharynx becomes a kind of store reservoir stacking up gobby mucus that can become super elastic and gelatinous which can be due to dehydration and or inflammation.

It tightly adheres itself to nasal walls for the above outlined purposes and it can just become gluttonous and stuck!

This can become the case during seasonal allergies, dry environments, upper respiratory infections of one kind or another or even severe sinusitis.

This reservoir of snotty mucus isn’t always responsive to a simple nose blowing episode as it is incredibly stubborn and likes to cling and stick onto everything in your nasal passages and for many, they don’t even know it’s there. Sometimes you might feel a fullness behind the nose, a slight pressure or a tickle at the back of the throat sometimes there’s a sensation like you need to cough something up but nothing comes until it actually does come out of your nose.

The release of this gunge can be triggered by sudden temperature or even humidity shifts. Steam inhalation or hot showers which can loosen this mucus, physical or postural changes such as exercising, the pressure of weight lifting or even yoga or other forms of vibration or pressure buildup due to external physical activity as well running.

Some yogic practitioners who may stand on their head find that after certain vigorous stretching exercises this elastic material is discharged and it seems to keep on coming with no end.

When it finally does shift it often results in excessive rounds of vigorous nose blowing producing stringy, ropey strands of spunky mucus that feel like they came from another dimension and weirdly people find it very liberating, cathartic and amazing because the amount of muck that comes out defies all the laws of gravity!

Ways to clean your mucous reservoir

Here are some tips on how to release it in a safe and effective way although you should always be careful.

Warm and moist air often softens this mucus to make it easier to release. You can sit over a bowl of hot water with a towel over your head for five minutes and maybe you can use some menthol or eucalyptus oil in it.

Hot showers may also work when you breathe deeply through your nose.

You could use a saline rinse to flush this through your nasal passageways safely.

Sinus massage and pressure points are areas around the sinuses that can be stimulated to produce movement by applying a circular pressure between your eyebrows and gently massaging your cheeks alongside your nose. Or you can use a warm heated compress placed over your face.

You could also try kneeling over with your head on a cushion and pressing your head weight down onto the floor and just gently tilting your head around and you’ll feel the pressure change inside your nasal passages especially if you’re already feeling something’s on the move which would have prompted you to do that in the first place.

You could also undertake targeted nose blowing but be careful not to blow your eyeballs out as it will require some effort. If in doubt consult your GP first.

For anything that comes out of your nose that is either yellow or green or even has an odour to it then you may have an infection and again consult your GP.

For those who have had this experience for the first time it can act as a sensory reset, a sort of reconnection back to the breath a moment of clarity and inner flow.

It often leaves people feeling a light released head feeling and once you’ve done it, especially after the first time, you’ll know it. You really will know it and you’ll never underestimate the power of a well-timed nose gunge blow again. Amazing!!!!

Disclaimer
The content on this website, including all articles, posts, and comments, is provided by Open College UK Limited for educational and informational purposes only. It reflects the views, experiences, and opinions of Open College UK Limited at the time of writing. Nothing on this site constitutes professional advice—medical, psychological, legal, or otherwise.

Always consult a licensed professional (such as a GP, medical doctor, psychologist, or therapist) before making any decisions that could affect your health, well-being, or legal obligations.

The views expressed here are those of Open College UK Limited and are opinion-based. They are not intended to accuse, defame, or target any individual, group, business, organisation, or entity. Any resemblance to real persons, organisations, or events is purely coincidental.

Use of this website and any reliance on its content is entirely at your own risk. Open College UK Limited does not accept responsibility or liability for any consequences, direct or indirect, resulting from actions taken based on this content.

This website may discuss sensitive, controversial, or challenging topics intended to inform, provoke thought, and raise awareness, not to incite or offend. Readers are responsible for interpreting and applying the content responsibly and legally in their own context.

Accuracy and completeness: All information in this article, post, or any other content on this website may not be accurate, complete, or up to date at the time of reading. Readers must undertake their own research and exercise independent judgment before acting upon any information contained herein.

Copyright: All content on this website is owned by Open College UK Limited. Reproduction, distribution, or use without prior written consent is prohibited.

Please feel free to link to this post.