![](\"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/18-5.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Even when you are perfectly healthy, one nostril often lets in more air than the other. This is a natural mechanism called the nasal cycle, which helps protect and regenerate the nasal mucosa<\/p>\n
Even when we are completely healthy, air often passes more easily through only one nostril. This is a natural body process called the nasal cycle, but allergies, inflammation of the mucous membrane and some drugs can disrupt this rhythm.<\/p>\n
One of the most unpleasant discomforts during colds or seasonal allergies is nasal congestion. However, even when you are completely healthy, you may have noticed that air passes more easily through one nostril than the other.<\/p>\n
This is not a sign of disease, but a natural process of the organism known as the nasal cycle.<\/p>\n
During the day, the nostrils alternate in the dominant role during breathing. This usually happens every few hours: while one nostril allows more air to pass through, the other partially “rests”.<\/p>\n
This alternation allows the nasal mucosa to recover, because the air can dry it out and expose it to harmful microbes and particles.<\/p>\n
The nasal cycle is regulated by the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls many automatic functions of the body. Changes in air flow occur due to the alternating increase and decrease of blood circulation in the tissues of the nose, which causes slight swelling or relaxation of the mucosa.<\/p>\n
The nose filters a very large amount of air every day, therefore this mechanism is important for its protective function. It allows the air to be warmed, moistened and cleaned before it reaches the lungs.<\/p>\n
However, various factors can disrupt this natural cycle.<\/p>\n
Respiratory diseases such as colds, flu or sinus inflammation lead to increased production of mucus, making it difficult for the normal alternation of the nostrils.<\/p>\n
Even allergens, such as pollen or dust mites, can cause strong inflammation of the nasal tissues and disrupt the normal functioning of the nasal cycle.<\/p>\n
Some drugs, especially those for high blood pressure, can irritate the nasal mucosa, because they affect the blood vessels throughout the body, including those of the nose.<\/p>\n
A frequent problem is the excessive use of nasal drops (nasal decongestants). If used more than five days in a row, they can cause rhinitis medicamentosa, a condition that leads to swelling of the mucous membrane and disorder of the nasal cycle.<\/p>\n
Problems can also be caused by structural changes in the nose, such as nasal polyps or deviated septum (the separation between the two nostrils). In these cases, one hole may remain permanently blocked.<\/p>\n
The position of the body also affects the air flow. When you lie down, blood collects more in the tissues of the nose, so the hole that is closest to the pillow may seem more blocked.<\/p>\n
If the nasal congestion lasts more than two weeks or if one nostril is constantly blocked, it is recommended to consult a doctor to find the exact cause.<\/p>\n
We use cookies to improve the experience and display ads (Google AdSense).
\n By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the use of cookies according to
\n Privacy Policy
\n and
\n Cookies Policy.
\n You can reject non-necessary cookies by clicking “Reject”.<\/p>\n
Source: prizrenpost<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Even when you are perfectly healthy, one nostril often lets in more air than the other. This is a natural mechanism called the nasal cycle, which helps protect and regenerate the nasal mucosa Even when we are completely healthy, air often passes more easily through only one nostril. This is a natural body process called […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"views":49,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25613"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25615,"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25613\/revisions\/25615"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prizrenpost.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}