Breathing Through One Nostril? Why Your Septum Might Be to Blame

Remember back to the last time you had a bad cold or allergies and couldn’t breathe through your nose. The level of relief you felt when your nasal passages cleared and you could breathe easily again was probably pretty high. That underscores just how important it is to be able to breathe through your nose. 

In fact, experts have linked being able to breathe through both nostrils to greater well-being. Unhindered nasal breathing can help with stress relief, focus, and more. 

If you’ve been dealing with a blocked nostril, then you’re probably ready to do something about it. Come visit Matthew W. Shawl, MD, and our team at our New York City office in Union Square. 

Here, Dr. Shawl can check to see if a deviated septum is to blame. If it is, he helps you explore your treatment options. 

When a blocked nostril is worth a doctor’s visit

It’s totally normal to only breathe out of one nostril sometimes. You might have allergies or a cold causing congestion, contributing to one side getting stuffed up. 

Even when you’re not impacted by an outside condition, though, your body has a natural nasal cycle. This is the process it uses to regulate air through your airways. 

For most people, the body automatically moves between having one dominant nostril throughout the day. That means you might only breathe through one nostril at a time. 

The key, though, is that with the nasal cycle, the body switches back and forth between nostrils. If you’ve noticed that you always seem to breathe through the same nostril, something could be interfering with your nasal passages. If you can rule out an illness or allergy, you might be dealing with an internal issue like a deviated septum. 

Understanding and treating deviated septums

There’s a thin wall in your nose separating your right and left nasal passages called the nasal septum. If that wall is even a little bit off-center, it can hinder breathing through the affected nostril. Medical experts call this a deviated septum. 

You might notice that the nostril gets particularly affected when you’re sick or allergic. You may also deal with nosebleeds, sinus infections, or the need to sleep on one side to breathe more easily. 

If all of this sounds familiar, come see Dr. Shawl. He can check you for a deviated septum. If you have one, he helps you find treatment to restore the function of the affected nostril.

Sometimes, medication is enough. It can bring swelling down in that nasal passage, helping you get air through.

Other times, you need more involved treatment. With a septoplasty, Dr. Shawl can surgically remove excess bone or cartilage, helping the passageway function better. If he performs this with a rhinoplasty (nose job), it’s called a septorhinoplasty.

You’re not stuck with that blocked nostril. To find out if it’s due to a deviated septum and to find effective treatment so you can breathe more easily, call us or book your visit online today.