Difficulty in nasal breathing

Breathing is one of the main functions of the human body, which determines the quality of our life. At the same time, the quality of the respiratory process itself directly depends on whether we breathe through the nose or mouth.

It is noteworthy that if you first take a few deep breaths through your nose, and then inhale deeply through your mouth several times, it turns out that breathing through your mouth is much easier and, at first glance, more comfortable. However, in fact, mouth breathing is the so-called “emergency method”, intended only for emergency cases, when nasal breathing is difficult for any reason.

Why is it so important to breathe through the nose? First of all, the possibility of hypothermia of the upper respiratory tract is significantly reduced. If we breathe through the mouth, unchanged air enters the lungs, maintaining its original temperature. At the same time, the human nasal cavity is pierced by blood vessels, thanks to which the air is rapidly warmed.

In addition, nasal breathing helps to mechanically purify the air from harmful impurities contained in it. This is achieved due to the fact that the nasal mucosa is covered with a special ciliated epithelium, on which there are special cilia that trap large particles of dust and allergens. In addition, every 10-20 minutes, the mucous film in the nasal passages is updated, which traps pathogenic microorganisms and moisturizes the inhaled air.

Thus, nasal breathing is designed to protect our body as much as possible from the aggressive effects of the environment. Therefore, the state when breathing through the nose is difficult, most people are nervous and frightening. Difficulty in nasal breathing occurs when air loses its ability to freely pass through the nasal passages, since some obstacles appear in its path. They can be both functional and anatomical.

What is fraught with difficulty in nasal breathing

Regardless of what caused the failure of nasal breathing, it causes not only subjective discomfort, but can also cause a number of negative consequences.

In the event that a person has difficulty breathing through his nose, he resorts to an “emergency” method of breathing – mouth. However, the air entering the respiratory tract is not warmed and not subjected to the necessary cleaning. In addition, the mucous membrane of the mouth and throat dries up, as a result of which the risk of developing various diseases increases significantly.

Due to inadequate nasal breathing, the supply of oxygen to our body is disrupted. This deals a serious blow to all organs and systems without exception. First of all, the brain suffers – we experience a headache, it is difficult for us to concentrate, memory is disturbed. It is known that children suffering from nasal breathing disorders often lag behind in development.

Persistent swelling in the nose provokes a violation of the air passage of the auditory tube, which can lead to hearing loss.

Prolonged obstruction of nasal breathing can provoke an increase in intracranial pressure.

As you can see, the consequences of difficulty breathing through the nose can be very serious. Therefore, if the nose is “stuffed up”, a visit to the doctor should not be delayed. The specialist will conduct all the necessary studies and be able to determine what provoked this unpleasant symptom.

The main causes of difficulty breathing through the nose

There are many reasons why breathing through the nose can be difficult. All of them can be divided into four types.

First of all, nasal breathing can be complicated due to swelling of the mucous membrane. A similar problem can provoke acute and chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis and chronic vasomotor rhinitis.

Difficulty breathing can be caused by anatomical disorders of the intranasal structures. So, the nasal septum can be curved, the nasal conchas are hypertrophied. Doctors are also aware of cases of congenital obstruction of the nasal passages. In addition, the probable reason that air cannot freely pass through the nasal passages may be choanal atresia or the presence of some foreign bodies in the nasal cavity.

It is impossible to exclude the possibility of excessive growth of the tissues of the nasal cavity. We are talking about tumors, polyps, and adenoids.

Finally, sometimes nasal breathing disorders can be triggered by hormonal disorders or side effects of certain medications.

Consider the most common causes of difficulty in nasal breathing in more detail.

Acute rhinitis

Acute rhinitis is the medical name for the common cold that accompanies most colds. Most often it is provoked by viruses, but the bacterial flora can also be the cause. When the virus invades the cells of the nasal mucosa, an inflammatory process begins, which is accompanied by swelling and the release of a huge amount of mucus. Breathing is difficult, while the “congestion” of the nose can either be constant or appear periodically.

As a rule, in the absence of complications, acute rhinitis resolves in three to five days. However, this does not mean at all that you can simply “wait for the weather by the sea.” It is essential to seek medical advice.

Chronic rhinitis

Chronic rhinitis is a prolonged inflammation of the nasal mucosa. It is accompanied by swelling and a feeling of “congestion”. Occasionally, copious mucus may be present.

Chronic rhinitis can be infectious. As a rule, it is provoked not by viruses, but by bacteria or fungi. Infectious rhinitis cannot occur in an absolutely healthy person. As a rule, other chronic diseases (for example, heart failure or diabetes) are present in the background. Also, a person can become a victim of chronic infectious rhinitis if for a long time he was in a room where external irritants acted on the nasal mucosa – for example, dust, dirt, aerosols.

Another type of chronic rhinitis is called vasomotor. This disease develops due to dysregulation of vascular tone.

The cavernous tissue located in the region of the inferior nasal concha has the property of increasing in volume, partially blocking the nasal passage. This happens, as a rule, under various adverse environmental influences: for example, if the air we inhale is too cold or contains harmful impurities. After a short time, the swelling subsides, after which the patency of the nasal passage returns to normal. This mechanism is a normal protective reaction of the body. However, sometimes it is inadequate: swelling appears at the slightest stimulus and lasts for a long time, making nasal breathing difficult.

Doctors note that the main cause of vasomotor chronic rhinitis is the abuse of vasoconstrictor drops. These drugs are stimulants of the muscular wall of blood vessels. If you use them uncontrollably, then the receptors simply cease to be susceptible to them. As a result, in an effort to get rid of the usual runny nose, the patient gets a long difficulty in nasal breathing. The cold passes, excess mucus is no longer observed, and the nose is still “stuffed up”. Getting rid of vasomotor rhinitis is extremely difficult.

Finally, chronic rhinitis is sometimes allergic in nature. At the same time, in addition to the “congestion” of the nose, sneezing, itching, and lacrimation are also observed.

In allergic rhinitis, swelling of the nasal mucosa occurs due to the antibody-antigen reaction. At the same time, a large number of biologically active substances with a vasodilating effect are released. The antigen can be plant pollen, dust, aerosol chemicals, pet hair, mold fungus, food products. Allergic rhinitis can be seasonal, with an exacerbation during the flowering period of plants of a certain group, or year-round (as a rule, this is how household allergies manifest themselves).

Sinusitis

Often the cause of difficult nasal breathing are acute and chronic sinusitis. This is a disease of the paranasal sinuses, which is infectious and inflammatory in nature. Sinusitis is manifested by a pressing headache, fever, nasal discharge, which is either mucous or purulent, as well as fatigue, weakness, irritability, poor general well-being and a constantly stuffy nose. If sinusitis is suspected, an x-ray or ultrasound of the paranasal sinuses should be taken.

Deviated septum

An irregularly shaped nasal septum is a common cause of difficulty breathing. With this pathology, breathing problems develop very slowly. Often even the patient himself does not immediately notice that something is wrong with him. First, nasal breathing is disturbed on one side, then on the other. Gradually, the patient gets used to breathing through the mouth, but often does not connect the “stuffy” nose, headache, insomnia, decreased performance and general deterioration of well-being with the curvature of the nasal septum.

The curvature of the nasal septum can be both congenital and acquired – for example, due to trauma or uneven growth of various parts of the septum during puberty.

A deviated septum can only be corrected through surgery.

Concha hypertrophy

Often the cause of a constantly “stuffy” nose and a prolonged runny nose is hypertrophy of the turbinates. The patient may confuse the manifestations of this disease with allergic or chronic rhinitis.

The nasal conchas are three pairs of “bone outgrowths” located in the nasal cavity on the side wall. The inferior, middle, and superior turbinates perform many functions, including regulating airflow in the nasal passages. Sometimes, due to various diseases or as a result of injury, an asymmetry occurs in the development of the nasal conchas or their mucous membrane. The phenomenon when the mucosa thickens or grows, and an increase in mucus secretion is also fixed, is called turbinate hypertrophy.

This disease leads to the fact that the surface of the mucosa becomes bumpy and uneven, begins to resemble a pineal formation. Conservative treatment in this case is often not very effective.

As a rule, with hypertrophy of the turbinates, doctors recommend surgery. This can be, for example, galvanocaustics: an electrode is inserted into the cavity of the sink under local anesthesia and heated. The mucosa eventually increases even more and as a result dies. After that, the rest of the shell normalizes and nasal breathing is restored. A conchotomy may also be performed. In this case, the overgrown part of the mucosa is removed using a special wire loop. The bone base of the shell is not affected. Can also be performed turbinate plastic, during which part of the bone plate and mucous membrane is removed. As a result, the size of the shell is reduced, but the air jet is able to move freely.

Choanal atresia

Choanal atresia is a phenomenon in which the nasal cavity is completely or partially overgrown with connective, cartilage or bone tissue. Naturally, in this case, the patency of the cavity is disturbed, and breathing through the nose is difficult.

Choanal atresia can be either congenital or acquired as a result of trauma or inflammation. The main symptom of this disease is a violation of nasal breathing, which can be very serious, but, in the initial stages, almost imperceptible. In order to make this diagnosis, an examination by an otolaryngologist, rhinoscopy, and radiopaque examination is necessary.

Alas, choanal atresia is not amenable to conservative treatment. The only way to get rid of this problem is through surgery. The surgeon removes excess tissue, forms a choanic opening, thus restoring natural air circulation.

Choanae are also called “internal nostrils”. These are openings on the back wall of the nasal cavity, through which it communicates with the pharynx. In order for air to enter the upper respiratory tract, it must pass through the choanae.

Congenital choanal atresia is diagnosed in the first year of life, and acquired can develop at any age as a result of trauma or inflammation. Doctors believe that the risk of intrauterine formation of choanal atresia increases if the mother suffers from diabetes mellitus, chronic pyelonephritis, suffered influenza or bronchitis during pregnancy. Acquired atresia occurs most often as a result of serious trauma or burns to the nose.

Adenoids

Adenoid vegetations or hypertrophy of the nasopharyngeal tonsil is one of the main causes of difficulty in breathing through the nose in children.

In a healthy child, the nasopharyngeal tonsil is very small. It is an organ of the immune system that protects the body from infections. With SARS, it becomes inflamed and increases in size. In the event that the child often “picks up” respiratory infections, the amygdala simply does not have time to recover and grows, blocking the nasopharynx.

Overgrown adenoids are diagnosed most often in children aged three to seven years. When a child reaches adolescence, the overgrown tissues most often atrophy. However, by this time they can already become a source of very serious health problems and significantly affect the quality of life.

So, among the main symptoms that may indicate a problem with the nasopharyngeal tonsil:

1. Violation of nasal breathing. The child first breathes only through the mouth at night, and then completely switches to mouth breathing.
2. Snoring in a dream.
3. Hearing loss.
4. The formation of the so-called “adenoid” face – a constantly ajar mouth, a decrease in the size of the lower jaw.
5. Frequent respiratory illness.
6. Delayed mental and physical development.

Treatment of adenoids is possible both by conservative methods and by surgery. At the same time, surgical removal of the adenoids cannot guarantee the absence of recurrence.

Polyps in the nose

Nasal polyps are round-shaped growths that are painless and do not cause discomfort in themselves. However, they can provoke a number of symptoms that significantly affect the quality of life.

First of all, polyps significantly impede or make nasal breathing impossible. In addition, due to compression of the tissues of the nerve endings, a headache occurs. Mucous discharge may appear, as well as frequent sneezing when the polyp touches the internal mucosal cilia, which classify it as a foreign body and try to get rid of it. With polyps of the nasal cavity, problems with the sense of smell are likely, up to its complete loss, as well as a violation of the voice, nasality.

Nasal polyps are surgically removed, followed by treatment to prevent recurrence.

Difficulty in nasal breathing in a child

As a rule, children tolerate nasal congestion worse than adults. It is impossible for them to explain the situation and ask them to be patient. Babies become irritable and cry all the time. Babies refuse to feed.

The most common causes of difficult nasal breathing in children are rhinitis, adenoids and foreign bodies in the nasal cavity (beads, small fragments of toys).

When stopping the symptom of “congestion” of the nose in children, several points should be considered.

First of all, all products used should be in the form of drops, not sprays, so that the infection does not get into the auditory tube.

Vasoconstrictor drugs are used very carefully, strictly in the dosage that corresponds to the age of the child. Salt solutions are used to wash the nose. Essential oils are used with caution, because an individual intolerance reaction is possible.

Please note that all preparations in which menthol is present cannot be used to treat children who have not reached the age of five.

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