Worried I've damaged myself

[sinuspain]

So I did a lateral flow test earlier and I've clearly stuck the swab too far up my nose, while rotating it it bloody hurt behind my eye and still hurts now ! It feels like sinus pain
Honestly I can't describe how much it hurt it's like I scraped my brain !!

I did this to my 5 year old and after a lot of extensive googling you can’t reach your brain through your nose!!

My son complained of something similar but he had a positive over Xmas so was poking every day. Maybe go at it a little more gently and keep an eye out for a sinus infection. The cavities in our heads are all pretty close together so it's not hard to have a knock on injury/overly poked bit. X

A nurse in hospital did this to me. Hurt like hell as you describe but was much better by the next day and no lasting damage.

My FIL had this. 'Worst pain ever' according to him,

Told him not to try childbirth...

You'll be fine OP, go easy next time!

Oh honestly I can't believe I managed to do that to myself ! The pain is behind my eye so I convinced myself I touched my optic nerve or something lol really hurts

The swab can only go so far up

You'll be fine. I had to have a pre hospital swab done by a professional! Jesus she bloody hurt my nose, like you explain, my nose was burning. It'll be fine in a day or two! Never been as painful doing my own tests though... maybe I'm not so thorough 😅

@userperuser

A nurse in hospital did this to me. Hurt like hell as you describe but was much better by the next day and no lasting damage.

Professional PCR tests always go high up and all but one have hurt me. I can then 'feel' it during the day though it no longer hurts. With self tests you usually rotate rather than go high up. I could never do that to myself anyway.

Gwenhwyfar

Didn’t know that! I’ve struggled with the at home ones since as it really frightened me (felt like my eye would pop out!) I’m always really careful with them.

@userperuser

Gwenhwyfar

Didn’t know that! I’ve struggled with the at home ones since as it really frightened me (felt like my eye would pop out!) I’m always really careful with them.

I've done an at home PCR and LTF and both times the instructions said to insert and turn around, not to insert very high into the nose like the professionals do.

I've had 7 PCR tests and all were done by the staff at the testing centre and none of them hurt so surely nurses shouldn't be causing pain!

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

I've had 7 PCR tests and all were done by the staff at the testing centre and none of them hurt so surely nurses shouldn't be causing pain!

I think it must depend on your nose then because all but one of mine have hurt. Also, the staff warn you at the time that it will be 'uncomfortable' so they obviously know they're painful for some of us. I don't think all people authorised to perform PCR tests are nurses.

That’s strange @Gwenhwyfar as no one I know has found them painful either. Yes they are uncomfortable (especially the throat part) but not painful.

LFTs on the other hand made my nose feel as though it’s on fire! I did 6 as a close contact and my nose was so painful by the last one. If I’m a close contact again I’ll only bother with them if I’m going out.

The membrane up there is really sensitive and it isn’t used to having things swiped over it.

Think of it like a paper-cut; hurts like a bastard, disproportionate to the scale of the injury, feels like, but heals quickly.

It’ll get better, promise.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

That’s strange *@Gwenhwyfar* as no one I know has found them painful either. Yes they are uncomfortable (especially the throat part) but not painful.

LFTs on the other hand made my nose feel as though it’s on fire! I did 6 as a close contact and my nose was so painful by the last one. If I’m a close contact again I’ll only bother with them if I’m going out.

I and my husband had them done by the same nurse. His just tickled bit mine hurt.

We have very different shaped noses, mine is short and fat and his is much longer.

I think I’ve got a problem with my nose as it’s permanently blocked. I was hit in the face by a 5kg medicine ball at the gym a while back and I wonder if it did some permanent damage to my nose.