do you breathe through one nostril or both?
do you breathe through one nostril or both?
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petemurphy

Original Poster:

10,895 posts

212 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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I only breathe through one nostril although which one can vary - is this normal? - do you always breathe out of both or one?

house where are you..

MacGee

2,513 posts

259 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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one...my GP mate told me this is very common.

Sheets Tabuer

21,384 posts

244 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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One, when I lay on alternate sides in bed I can feel stuff move to block the lower nostril however blowing my nose produces sod all so god knows what is moving.

Uriel

3,244 posts

280 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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All my life I've only ever been able to breate through one nostril. It would checnge which, but I'd always have one blocked. It was weird because the blocked one would always be 100% blocked, not snotty or sniffly like I had a cold, just as if it wasn't actually a mostril at all.

It was when I started cycling seriously a couple of years ago (at 30) that things changed. Now I have two permanently open, clear nostrils and it's great. biggrin

petemurphy

Original Poster:

10,895 posts

212 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
quotequote all
Uriel said:
All my life I've only ever been able to breate through one nostril. It would checnge which, but I'd always have one blocked. It was weird because the blocked one would always be 100% blocked, not snotty or sniffly like I had a cold, just as if it wasn't actually a mostril at all.

It was when I started cycling seriously a couple of years ago (at 30) that things changed. Now I have two permanently open, clear nostrils and it's great. biggrin
do u think it makes a diff breathing through 2?

Uriel

3,244 posts

280 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
quotequote all
Definitely. Even though I grew up not knowing anything other than having the one at a time so I never knew anything else I was dissatisfied with the performance of my nose for breathing and prefered to use my mouth.

Now, I can comfortably get a proper lungful with my mouth closed and just feel much better. It sounds a bit silly, but although I'm now used to having two working nostrils, I do get struck by the fact every now and again and will sit for a few seconds just enjoying and appeciating the sensation. It's hard to explain, but it's a big feeling of relief; like a weight has been lifted. I suppose there is a literal restriction that's been removed and when that restriction was on your breathing, shifting it is bound to have a positive effect.


petemurphy

Original Poster:

10,895 posts

212 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
quotequote all
Uriel said:
Definitely. Even though I grew up not knowing anything other than having the one at a time so I never knew anything else I was dissatisfied with the performance of my nose for breathing and prefered to use my mouth.

Now, I can comfortably get a proper lungful with my mouth closed and just feel much better. It sounds a bit silly, but although I'm now used to having two working nostrils, I do get struck by the fact every now and again and will sit for a few seconds just enjoying and appeciating the sensation. It's hard to explain, but it's a big feeling of relief; like a weight has been lifted. I suppose there is a literal restriction that's been removed and when that restriction was on your breathing, shifting it is bound to have a positive effect.
is it down to just cycling? did u do anything else?

Uriel

3,244 posts

280 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
quotequote all
One way or the other it's down to the cycling.

Whether it's a direct result of the cycling (I think I tend to gulp air in through my mouth more than breathe through my nose, but I do know that during hard efforts, particularly in the cold, it really does seem to clear my pipes and I'll regularly be getting rid of large amounts of mucus through my nose) or whether it's a side effect of the weight loss and general increase in fitness/health that came from the cycling (6'6" - 21st7lb down to 12st5lb).

petemurphy

Original Poster:

10,895 posts

212 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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thanks - interesting - anyone else?

Henry Fiddleton

1,597 posts

206 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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Uriel said:
cycling (6'6" - 21st7lb down to 12st5lb).
Sweet jeezus- well done!

I only breathe through one, I can see the bone/cartilage causing the issue but I am fine with it. Its not a full block, just partical, I can only assume air finds the easiest way out and flows out of my left side.

Lippitt

869 posts

238 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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I can't really breathe through my nose very well - my nostrils aren't blocked but they are freakishly small. If I physically hold them open then I can breathe through them really clearly, but it looks a bit odd.
I'm weird.

Zad

13,005 posts

265 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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I seem to remember this was on QI, and they said it was an almost exclusively male trait. Most men do it, but just don't notice. My guess would be that it is more efficient at low flow rates, using less blood to heat the air, and being less prone to infection.

condor

8,837 posts

277 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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Sheets Tabuer said:
One, when I lay on alternate sides in bed I can feel stuff move to block the lower nostril however blowing my nose produces sod all so god knows what is moving.
Sort of similar to you - if I sleep on my preferred left hand side then I get a blocked nostril...so then move to the right hand side to clear it. Usually only happens winter months though.

steve_bmw

1,591 posts

204 months

Wednesday 21st September 2011
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never thought about it before, hold on, I breath through bothsmile


craigb84

1,494 posts

181 months

Thursday 22nd September 2011
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Mine alternate but it's either left or right but never both.

Omaruk

734 posts

188 months

Saturday 24th September 2011
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I had this pretty chronic for years, kept getting bouts of sinusitis . In the end I had an op after seeing an ENT consultant. The Op basically consisted of creating a horizontal hole from left to right inside my nose linking my each nostril. Sorted me out but it was the most painful recovery night from an Op I have ever had.

sinizter

3,348 posts

215 months

Saturday 24th September 2011
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Both, unless one of them is blocked.

Firefoot

1,600 posts

246 months

Saturday 24th September 2011
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Not sure, but I have noticed that only one nostril blocks at a time when I have a cold (unless it is proper flu and then everything is bunged up)

trackdemon

13,422 posts

290 months

Sunday 25th September 2011
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You can choose?

powwerr

1,978 posts

201 months

Monday 26th September 2011
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I would say its about 30/70 left/right

Have had left cloterised (sp?) a few times due to nose bleeds