Next time you flip on the radio, hum along to all your favorite songs. It may help you avoid sinus infections, according to a study published in the July, 2002 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
[sidebar]When Swedish researchers tested 10 people, they found that after humming even just a single note, they exhaled 15 times more nitric oxide from their nasal passages. Scientists measure this naturally produced gas as an indicator of how well your sinuses are expanding when you breathe.
"Good ventilation helps keep sinuses open and unblocked, which is vital for keeping them healthy," says lead researcher Eddie Weitzberg, MD, PhD, of Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm. "And humming through the nose seems to be an extremely effective way to increase sinus ventilation.
"If a single hum is so effective at increasing sinus ventilation, maybe a few hums in the morning and in the evening could be helpful. But we need more research to know for sure," he says.
More from Prevention: 6 Houseplants That Can Help You Breathe Easier