I Can Only Breathe from One Side of my Nose Which Changes Day To Day, What's The Cause?

Question

I can only breathe from one side of my nose, and that side changes throughout the day. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. While playing basketball in high school I was hit in the nose, and received the only bloody nose I've ever had. If I had to pin point a time where I may have experienced "trauma" to my nose it would be then.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

Trauma to the nose can result in a fracture or deviation of the internal portion of the septum known as a deviated septum.  A deviated septum usually causes decreased breathing issues consistently out of one side of the nose.  A tall thin nose with flail upper lateral cartilages can also cause what is known as valve collapse and vestibular stenosis on the internal portion of the nose and is accentuated when trauma occurs to his midthird of the nose.  The breathing issues that occur from side to side consistently changing throughout the day is more likely caused from turbinate hypertrophy, which is caused from a variety of issues such as allergies, altitude, air pressure changes, hormones, and sinuses problems.  The diagnosis of this must be made at the time of the physical examination.

Jonathan Sonne, MD (retired) · Answer

What you are describing is normal.  Throughout the day, one side of the nose will be congested while the other side does most of the breathing.  When breathing, the movement of air through one nostril can cause dryness.  To allow the nostril to remoisten itself, it will become congested and the other side will do the breathing.  This cycle occurs continuously throughout the day

I Can Only Breathe from One Side of my Nose Which Changes Day To Day, What's The Cause?

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I Can Only Breathe from One Side of my Nose Which Changes Day To Day, What's The Cause?

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Septoplasty

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