Person demonstrating the allergic salute.
The allergic salute (sometimes called the nasal salute) is the characteristic and sometimes habitual gesture of wiping and/or rubbing the nose in an upwards or transverse manner with the fingers, palm, or back of the hand. It is termed a salute because the upward movement of the hand acts as an unintentional gesture.[1] The habit of using the hand to wipe the nose is observed more often in children but is common in adults as well.[2][3] Saluting most commonly temporarily relieves nasal itching as well as removing small amounts of nasal mucus.[4]
In people who are experiencing seizures, nose wiping has been observed as a semi-voluntary action.[5]
- ^ Jim McMorran; Damian Crowther; Stew McMorran; Steve Youngmin; Ian Wacogne; Jon Pleat; Clive Prince. "allergic salute - General Practice Notebook". Gpnotebook.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ^ "Allergic Salute". Medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ^ "Allergic rhinitis: spring into action". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
- ^ "Ask the Allergist - What Are Allergic Shiners". Acaai.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ^ Fisher, RS; Schachter, SC (2000), "The Postictal State: A Neglected Entity in the Management of Epilepsy.", Epilepsy & Behavior, 1 (1): 52–59, doi:10.1006/ebeh.2000.0023, PMID 12609127, S2CID 20393636