Anyone who has experienced sinus congestion knows the feeling of uneven nasal congestion. One nostril breathes fine while the other feels like it’s cemented shut. Why is only one side of the nose stuffy?
Most don’t notice this, but the nostrils regularly work one at a time. While one nostril has a full airway, the other nostril takes a break, passing a smaller amount of air. Unlike when you’re congested, the smaller amount of air passing through your nose won’t be noticeable. This is called nasal cycling.
Every few hours the nostrils switch roles, and this is done through the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system controls the opening and closing of the two nasal airways through swelling and deflating erectile tissue. As the tissue inside your nostrils increases or decreases in size, less air passes through.
If you’re in the process of looking for nasal congestion relief in Los Angeles, this natural process certainly doesn’t help. The additional mucus in your nasal passage that’s constricted will increase the feeling of congestion.
As your body goes through the nasal cycling process, your feeling of blockage will likely shift to the other side in a few hours. If this is uncomfortable for you, then our doctors recommend that you try to keep your head elevated and avoid turn your head to one side when laying down to sleep.
For further sinus pressure relief, our sinus specialists recommend that you try at-home methods, such as:
- Steam therapy
- Neti pot
- Over-the-counter medications
If your sinus congestion is getting to the point where it’s unbearable, then you may need to consider sinus surgery in Los Angeles. Sinus surgery is done by an ear, nose, and throat doctor, and our various methods have gotten stellar reviews from clients.
Don’t continue to suffer; make an appointment with Westside Sinus so that we can help keep your airways clear!
