When we have a cold or flu, we usually only have one nostril blocked. This is really annoying. Why?
Nasal congestion can have many causes. Acute illness, such as: common cold, viral infection, etc.
Or chronic diseases such as: Chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, small tumors in the nose, sinuses that obstruct the circulation of nasal secretions, abnormal structures in the nose and sinuses such as crooked nasal septum, etc.
Sensory disturbances : Causes the patient to feel stuffy all the time, even though there is no actual blockage in the airway.
In fact, you always breathe through the stronger side of your nose.
To understand why we only have one side of the nose blocked, but not both, we must first understand how the nose works .
Even though you didn’t do it on purpose, you’re actually always breathing through the stronger side of your nose . All day, the two nostrils kept taking turns breathing harder, not balanced.
This process is controlled by the nervous system automatically and rhythmically, like automatic control of other parts of the body, such as: the digestive system and the heart beat.
The nervous system controls the nose in cycles to affect each side of the nose. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, nasal cycles happen several times a day that we only notice when we’re sick. The heart pumps color throughout our body, but the nose is different.
It takes about 3 to 6 hours for the blood to flow into one nostril, causing the blockage to flow to the other nostril. So the nose that opens the hole on one side will close the hole on the other side.
The more blood is blocked when you lie on your head on that side.
Thanks to this cycle of activity, your nose smells odors. Some scents spread quickly through the air and are more noticeable to the nose.
If you close your nose, you can still smell all the scents. This can also cause damage to one side of the nose because the strong airflow dries the nose and damages the nose hairs that trap foreign dust from entering.
When you are sick, you find it difficult to breathe because one side of the nose is closed, now it is even more blocked due to the abnormal functioning of the nose.