What to do if one nostril stops breathing

Causes of congestion

If the left or right nostril is clogged on one side, then you must first find the cause of the phenomenon, and only then begin to eliminate nasal congestion. There are several reasons why it may occur:

1. Often a child's one nostril is blocked due to sinusitis. This insidious disease in the early stages can manifest itself in exactly this way. Due to discomfort, the baby will constantly rub one side of his nose and try to breathe deeper.
2. Sometimes such ailment is a consequence of ordinary rhinitis. In the absence of the opportunity to blow his nose normally, one nostril becomes blocked. This is usually a temporary discomfort that immediately goes away when you change your body position or warm up your nose.
3. If the cause lies in an allergic runny nose, then the nostril through which the largest amount of substances that caused the allergy entered the body may become clogged. In most cases, simultaneously with the blockage of the left or right nostril, the eye also swells.
4. Sometimes people get alternate nostrils when they have a common cold. In this case, to completely get rid of the discomfort, it is necessary to warm up the entire nose and get rid of the mucus accumulated in the nose as soon as possible.
5. If a healthy child has difficulty breathing or one nostril is completely clogged, this may indicate the development of a cold. Often this is how the body reacts to the introduction of an infection and tries to send signals in order to prevent further inflammation in time.
6. Sometimes nasal congestion on one side can be caused by damage to the nasal septum. This often happens after injuries. In this case, the nose may be constantly stuffy, even if there is no cold or runny nose.

Stuffiness in only one nostril: causes

There are many factors contributing to the appearance of such a condition. The main reasons include:

• vasomotor rhinitis;
• allergic rhinitis;
• the presence of tumors in the nose, deviated septum, trauma;
• diseases in which blood vessels grow;
• sinusitis.

Congestion of one half of the nose is characteristic of vasomotor rhinitis. In this case, the blocking of one or another nostril depends on a change in the position of the body, which is in a horizontal position. Most often, this symptom of the disease bothers people at night. When there is a shortage of air, the required volume of oxygen does not enter the lungs and hypoxia develops.

The factors causing vasomotor rhinitis are not completely known. It is believed that the disease can be caused by:

• hormonal imbalance;
• hypothermia;
• irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs with various chemicals;
• inhalation of polluted or dry air.

Attention! There is a neurogenic type of vasomotor rhinitis that occurs due to endocrine disorders, trauma to the nasal membrane and abuse of vasoconstrictor drops.

Another congestion in one nostril occurs with allergic rhinitis, which develops after each contact with an allergen. The most common allergies are to pollen, chemicals, animal dander, cockroaches and mites.

If one nostril is not breathing, but there is no snot, then most often this is due to pathologies of the nasal septum. Other causes of unpleasant symptoms may be the formation of polyps in the nasal passages. In this case, breathing is moderately impaired or completely absent. People with these problems complain of dryness and snoring at night, and their nose shape may change.

Also, in the presence of polyps, many patients begin to frequently use drugs that constrict blood vessels. This is how the body gets used to the drops, and as a result, one of the nostrils will always be blocked.

With sinusitis, only one maxillary sinus can become inflamed, which is accompanied by severe pain in the cheeks, eyes, forehead, purulent discharge and fever. On the affected side of the face, the cheeks and lower eyelid may swell, and sometimes the patient even has toothache. Such conditions develop when bacteria or viruses enter the upper respiratory tract, and timely treatment of the diseases caused by them is not carried out.

Other causes of blockage in one nostril are:

• cystic fibrosis (a hereditary disease that affects respiratory function);
• congenital pathologies of the nose (choanal atresia, enlarged nasal turbinates);
• bacterial and viral rhinitis;
• adenoiditis (inflammation of the adenoids);
• hereditary systemic pathologies (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ciliary dyskinesia).

Important points of treatment

Why the nostril cannot breathe has now become clear. It is also important to understand how to deal with the problem quickly if you cannot immediately see a doctor. We must not forget that even if you manage to eliminate nasal congestion on your own, it is still better to consult a specialist later. Especially if this is not the first time that an unpleasant sensation has occurred.

If one side of your nose is constantly stuffy, you can use the following tips:

1. If a person constantly has one nostril clogged, then special anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of drops should be urgently used. They should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor, based on the general condition of the patient and the cause of nasal congestion. It is recommended to bury the nose in the mornings and evenings.
2. Sometimes it makes sense to take stronger antibiotics. They come in the form of tablets that need to be taken after meals, usually 2 times a day, with plenty of liquid. Taking antibiotics is often associated with nasal congestion due to sinusitis, when radical measures are necessary to free the cavity from pus. The doctor will tell you which tablets to take and according to what regimen.
3. Nasal rinses also have an excellent effect. Dekasan has proven itself well. This drug must be used to treat both nostrils, paying more attention to the blocked one. The solution helps to simultaneously kill the infection and clear the nasal cavities of pus and mucus.
4. If your nose is stuffy, you should periodically warm it up. Heat helps to dilate blood vessels, as a result of which the nasal cavities can be freed from pus much faster. In addition, when exposed to heat, the mucus becomes less thick and is much easier to remove.

Drug treatment of chronic congestion

An otolaryngologist can diagnose a disease that causes one nostril to be blocked. He will identify the factor that provoked the illness and select effective treatment for the patient. The therapeutic course will include the following procedures using pharmaceutical drugs:

• Instillation of vasoconstrictor drops into the nose (“Dlyanos”, “Nazol”, “Oftizin”). The procedure is repeated 2 times a day. The course of such treatment lasts on average up to 5 days.
• Applying medicinal ointment to the problematic nostril (“Zvezdochka”, “Mentoclar”, “Pinosol”). Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to thoroughly clear the nasal sinuses of secretions. Afterwards, you need to apply a small amount of ointment to your finger or a cotton swab and carefully treat the surface of the nasal cavity from the inside. The duration of therapy usually takes about a week.
• The use of antihistamines (Analergin, Vibrocil, Allergodil). This treatment is suitable for patients who have problems with respiratory function due to allergic rhinitis. These drugs are taken drop by drop 2 times a day.
• Nasal rinsing (“Aqualor”, “Aqua Maris”, “Dolphin”). Thanks to this procedure, the cavity of the olfactory organ can be well prepared for instillation or smearing with medicinal compounds.

Drug treatment will not have any effect if the patient has a stuffy side of the nose due to growths or a deviated septum. In this case, you will have to agree to surgery if the person wants to breathe normally again.

Preventing nasal congestion

It’s bad when a child or an adult has a stuffy nose. After all, this can cause many other unpleasant sensations in the form of headache, nausea, weakness and dizziness.

Therefore, everyone should know how to prevent nasal congestion so as not to feel bad later:

1. Try to avoid hypothermia. Usually, after being outside, a person entering a warm room feels redness in his cheeks, and his nose may also suffer. If one nostril is blocked, this already indicates that an inflammatory process has started in the body. And if measures are not taken in time, then the very next morning a severe runny nose will begin.
2. If your nose is stuffy during a cold, you should try not to breathe cold air. You should leave the room while airing and do not go outside unnecessarily during the cold season. This is especially true for people with chronic rhinitis or sinusitis.
3. During seasonal epidemics, periodically rinse the nasal cavity with a saline solution. It is best to use sea salt for this purpose (1 tablespoon per glass of warm water). If possible, it is better to use real sea water.
4. To prevent infection from getting into the nose, people with weakened immune systems should treat both nostrils with foam from laundry soap before going outside. If one side of the nose is blocked, sneezing may occur, which will release mucus and help restore normal breathing. This is an absolutely normal process and you should not be afraid of such a phenomenon.

If one nostril is not breathing or breathing worse than the other, this can be a serious red flag. Therefore, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible and find out the exact cause. This will help you choose the appropriate treatment and avoid unpleasant consequences in the future.

• The main functions of the nose as a respiratory organ
• Causes and treatment of the symptom
• Sinusitis in children

When one nostril is blocked, what should you do? The nose is an organ of breathing, smelling and protecting the respiratory tract from adverse external factors.

Nature has endowed humans with nasal breathing for a reason. The air we breathe is purified, moistened and warmed. This procedure protects our lungs from pathogens and hypothermia.

Non-infectious causes

Nasal obstruction can be eliminated only if the cause of blockage of the nasal canals is identified and eliminated. If you have a stuffy nose on one side for several weeks or months, most likely the cause is a non-infectious pathology. Moreover, difficulty breathing may be a consequence of defects in the intranasal structures or congenital diseases.

Oncological diseases are almost asymptomatic, so signs of breathing problems in the first couple of days are weakly expressed. However, as the pathology progresses, the overgrown tissues block the airways, which leads to obstruction of the nasopharynx. Tumors can destroy surrounding tissues and thereby cause discomfort in patients.

If a person cannot breathe through only one nostril for a long time, the reason for this could be:

• angiofibroma is a benign neoplasm that occurs between the soft palate and the posterior wall of the nasopharynx;
• myxoma - a small lump covered with mucous membrane; is formed mainly in the nasal cavity, which is why the patient cannot breathe through the right or left nostril;
• carcinoma is a malignant tumor that rapidly progresses, destroying the surrounding soft and bone tissue.

Physical and chemical carcinogens are the main provoking factors that increase the risk of malignant tumors by 3 times.

As the tumor grows, the symptoms of nasopharyngeal obstruction only increase. At the initial stages of development of the pathology, the patient has blockage in only one nostril. If the tumors are not eliminated in time, they will block the choanae, which will lead to complete blockage of the airways.

Allergy

When an allergic reaction to the action of irritating substances occurs, a person almost always experiences symptoms of rhinitis. The fact is that when the nasal mucosa comes into contact with allergens (dust mites, fluff, wool), inflammation occurs. Swelling of the soft tissues leads to obstruction of the hone and, accordingly, obstruction of the nasopharynx. In this regard, when breathing through the nose, either the left or the right nostril may become blocked.

Difficulty breathing, watery eyes, lack of fever and itching in the nasal cavity are the main symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Its development can be triggered by:

• household dust;
• animal dander;
• wool and fluff;
• fungal spores;
• plant pollen;
• the smell of perfume;
• household chemicals.

Inadequate treatment of allergic rhinitis can lead to the development of bronchial asthma, otitis media, conjunctivitis and purulent sinusitis.

Vasomotor rhinitis

Vasomotor rhinitis is a disease characterized by obstruction of the nasal canals, which is associated with impaired vascular tone. If you constantly have one nostril blocked for no apparent reason, it is likely that the cause is an inadequate reaction of the mucous membrane to the action of ordinary physiological factors - cold, extreme temperatures, dust, etc.

Chronic nasal congestion, lack of smell and a feeling of dryness in the nasopharynx are the main manifestations of vasomotor rhinitis.

The development of vasomotor rhinitis is based on a violation of the excitability of the peripheral or central parts of the nervous system. In this regard, the ciliated epithelium that covers the nasopharynx cannot adequately respond to the action of specific or nonspecific stimuli. If the patient does not breathe through the nose even when using decongestants (vasoconstrictor medications), in most cases this indicates the development of a neurogenic (vasomotor) runny nose.

The main functions of the nose as a respiratory organ

It often happens that it becomes simply impossible to breathe through your nose, especially at night. People encounter the inability to breathe normally through their nose more than once in their lives. This problem is called runny nose.

Nothing complicates a person’s life more than: it is impossible to sleep normally at night, much less get enough sleep, it is impossible to taste food, smell a flower and do many other things that a healthy person does without thinking. In the end, a runny nose is so exhausting that all thoughts revolve exclusively around a single question - how to get rid of it.

When the ability to breathe through the nose is lost, a person is forced to do it through the mouth, which has a detrimental effect on the condition of the upper respiratory tract; inflammation of the mucous membrane, dehydration of the larynx and pharynx will very soon follow, which contributes to bronchitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis and other ailments.

The preserved functionality of one nostril does not help much in this situation. Scientists believe that a person needs two nostrils to deliver air to the left and right lungs respectively. When one nostril does not work, one lung experiences oxygen starvation. In this case, air for both lungs is forced to flow only through one nostril, which improves the situation only partially: air enters both lungs, but in a reduced amount.

A similar situation occurs with so-called vasomotor rhinitis. Despite the apparent relief of the symptoms of the disease, no real improvement is observed. Lying on one side, you feel that one nostril located below is not breathing; on the other side, congestion gradually moves from the first to the second. This active behavior does little to promote healthy sleep, so immediately go to the otolaryngologist.

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Causes and treatment of the symptom

What to do if one nostril is clogged? An experienced doctor will begin treatment with a diagnosis to make sure that you do not have an allergic reaction, which could result in rhinitis. Then you will have to take an x-ray of the nasal cavities to make sure there is no inflammation or polyps. After this, conclusions should be drawn about the possible causes of such unilateral nasal congestion. There may be several of them:

• sinusitis;
• vasomotor or allergic rhinitis;
• problems of the nasal septum.

What treatment can be prescribed by a doctor:

1. An otolaryngologist who discovers a violation of the shape of the septum will most likely suggest that you correct the defect of the nasal septum surgically. This operation is called septoplasty.
2. If the paranasal sinus is inflamed on one side or the nasal mucosa is enlarged in the same way, then the clinical picture of rhinitis is evident.
3. Any growths such as polyps, if detected, should be removed.
4. For allergies, a course of antihistamines is suitable.
5. There are cases of abnormal proliferation of blood vessels; this pathology is also eliminated through surgery.
6. For less severe cases, injections of anti-inflammatory and hormonal drugs into the nasal cavity are used.

The situation with sinusitis, which cannot be called a mild disease, is much more complicated. A number of techniques are used to treat it. The most popular is a course of antibiotics. Regular hospitals prescribe it first. Recently, a new drug, Sinuforte, has been gaining popularity among otolaryngologists. Along with antibiotics, patients are prescribed medications that help strengthen the immune system and thereby include the body’s own strength in the fight against the disease.

The newest methods for treating sinusitis do not recognize antibiotic injections as being strong enough to relieve inflammation in the maxillary sinuses and suggest using nasal rinsing with special solutions in treatment. In particular, solutions of Ceftriaxone and Decasan are now used alternately for this purpose. The peoples of the East have been using rinsing the nostrils to remove accumulated snot there since ancient times.

As before, otolaryngology has not abandoned the traditional Soviet-era piercing of the cartilage between the nose and the maxillary sinus with a Kulikovo needle. This medical procedure is associated with causing quite severe pain to the patient, so the technique is increasingly giving way to drug treatment and physiotherapeutic procedures.

An otolaryngologist will prescribe such a procedure to a sick child only in exceptional cases when the disease has become very dangerous. But even in this situation, anesthesia is used during the procedure. In addition, a puncture may be prescribed in severe cases of emphysema of the cheek or orbit, blockage of blood vessels, abscess or cellulitis.

Modern doctors understand the risks of such a procedure and in most cases use medication. Do not exclude the use of traditional methods, which are offered in abundance by alternative medicine. But in any case, all this should happen under the close attention of an otolaryngologist.

Health

Are you caught up with a cold or flu and have a stuffy nose? Typically, a feeling of stuffiness occurs in one nostril. Why is this happening? The thing is that our nostrils distribute the load

.

During the day, each of them takes a “break,” so to speak, changing the phases of congestion and relief of swelling, which is called the nasal cycle. If you are currently breathing through your nose, the lion's share of air passes in and out of one nostril and much less passes through the other. Every few hours, the autonomic nervous system, which monitors heart rate, digestion and other important functions we don't consciously control, switches and the other nostril takes on most of the work.

.
The opening and closing of the two passages occurs through the swelling and deflation of the corpora cavernosa in the nose. The same thing happens to our intimate organs when we become aroused. Nasal cycles happen all the time, but when we're sick, the extra mucus often makes the nostril that's currently "resting" more congested
.

There are several reasons why nasal cycles occur. The first is that it makes our sense of smell more complete. Different odor molecules break down at different rates, and our olfactory receptors pick them up accordingly. Some odors are easier to detect in fast-moving air, while others are easier to detect in slow air when the nostril is blocked. Nasal cycles also support the function of the nose as a filter and humidifier. By changing congestion, each nostril has the opportunity to take a break from air flow and prevents drying, cracking and bleeding in the nostrils.

Causes and treatment of nasal congestion without snot in children of different ages + video

Nasal congestion is a serious problem - the child loses the ability to enjoy life and fully relax, experiencing constant discomfort and sleep disturbances. The situation is simple and transparent: if there is a runny nose, it means something is irritating the nasal mucosa, the child has a cold or an allergy has begun. But what if nasal breathing is difficult, but there is no snot?

What is the danger of impaired nasal breathing?

How does nasal congestion develop?

Breathing through the nose is considered normal for humans. In children, the nasal passages are narrower than in adults, which makes them easier to block.

In the presence of an irritant, the mucous membrane swells and the lumen narrows; breathing difficulties can also be caused by the physiological structure of the nasal passages, in general, everything that provokes an even greater narrowing of the passage and impedes the free flow of air.

Impaired breathing through the nose leads to problems and disruptions in the functioning of the body - leading to headaches, snoring during sleep, and a constant feeling of heaviness. The brain does not receive enough oxygen, against which specific symptoms develop.

The problem usually does not lead to suffocation, since it remains possible to breathe through the mouth, but the level of danger of the situation depends entirely on the specific cause that provoked the condition.

Although the manifestations of the problem are quite specific, it is common in childhood. Nasal congestion without mucus discharge can be caused by a number of factors:

• swelling of the mucous membrane in the child’s nasal passages due to the onset of flu or an allergic reaction;
• drying out of the mucous membrane;
• improper treatment of rhinitis, its complicated forms;
• deviated septum in the nose, which is congenital or the result of a nasal injury during childbirth or at home;
• inflammation of the maxillary sinuses;
• formation of polyps in the nasal passages;
• adenoids (inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsils).

Doctor's note: a number of experts call the situation of nasal congestion without snot not a disease, but a problem that arises as a reaction to an unfavorable environmental situation surrounding the child. Thus, nasal breathing problems can be caused by a polluted environment or strong odors of tobacco and smoke.

Typically, conditions associated with nasal congestion in a child always resolve with complaints of a sensation of a foreign body in the nasal cavity, difficulty breathing and speaking, and sleep disturbances. In order for the doctor to make a diagnosis, it is necessary to describe in detail the whole picture of what is happening.

The specific manifestations of the condition depend on the causes that caused it.

Methods for relieving nasal congestion

You need to start the fight against nasal congestion by visiting an ENT doctor. Depending on the source of the problem, treatment will be prescribed, which may include:

• instilling special drops;
• taking antihistamines;
• using folk recipes;
• taking measures to humidify the air in the house;
• surgical intervention (for complex curvatures of the nasal septum).

Antihistamines can be prescribed for both colds and allergies. Their action is aimed at blocking the work of histamine, which is produced by the immune system and provokes inflammatory processes in the nasal mucosa. For infants, antihistamines are prescribed in syrup form.

Vasoconstrictor sprays also effectively help relieve congestion - they relieve swelling and make breathing easier. However, you can use such products for a limited amount of time (no more than 4 days in a row), otherwise they can cause addiction. Age restrictions depend on the specific drug.

Nasal congestion can also be treated with the help of folk recipes, but it is very important to make sure that the child is not allergic to the components of the composition. To eliminate congestion, the following remedies will be relevant:

• tea with raspberry and linden leaves;
• hot foot baths before bed, perhaps with the addition of mustard powder;
• instilling drops of aloe juice diluted in a 1 to 1 ratio with clean water;
• instilling drops of diluted carrot juice.

Massage that makes breathing easier - video

In eliminating nasal congestion without snot in a child, the cause of this problem plays a huge role. In most cases, simple folk remedies and nasal drops will help to cope with it, and sometimes it will be enough to use a humidifier in the nursery.

• Elena Gostishcheva
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Why does our nose run when we cry?

When we cry, tears pour out from the lower eyelid and flow down the face. Some of them fail to pass down and, instead of pouring down, they return to the lacrimal glands and the nasal cavity, which is connected to these glands. If you cry a lot, a few tears will get into your nose, and their saltiness will help thin the phlegm in your nose, which will cause a lot of mucus to come out of your nose.

Vasomotor rhinitis is characterized by nasal congestion on only one side

. At the same time, lying on your side, you can feel stuffiness on the side you are lying on. Turning over to the other side, you will gradually feel that. In order not to endlessly toss and turn from side to side and not to look for time for this activity, you should start treating vasomotor rhinitis.

Treating nostril congestion

Treatment of vasomotor rhinitis presents certain difficulties. Recommended hardening methods, as well as physical therapy, do not always help. Until now, the most effective ways to get rid of vasomotor rhinitis are surgical procedures and the injection of certain medications, including novocaine, hormonal agents, and agents that affect blood vessels.

The surgical operation aims to destroy the blood vessels of the mucous membrane, to prevent the dilation of blood vessels and swelling of the mucous membrane, as a result of which one nostril is blocked

.

Traditional methods of cleaning if one nostril is blocked

There is also a technology for traditional oriental cleansing of the nasal passage - jala neti. Cleansing is done using salt water. In addition to treatment, there is also a powerful preventive function.

As is customary in Eastern practices, when rinsing the nose, multiple nerve endings in the nose are simultaneously stimulated, which improves the function of many organs.

In this case, the correct position of the head, the vessel, warm salt water and a mastered washing technique are necessary. Neti is one of the most effective Eastern methods of preventing and treating colds.