It's down to what's known as the 'nasal cycle'. We might not realise it, but our bodies deliberately direct the airflow more through one nostril than the other, switching between nostrils every few hours.
Patients frequently complain that they have one side of their nose that is always blocked. This is typically due to structural issues in the nose. The nasal septum is the divider between the right and left side of your nose. It is made of cartilage and bone and it may be deviated into one side of the nose.
See your doctor if you experience: A blocked nostril (or nostrils) that doesn't respond to treatment. Frequent nosebleeds. Recurring sinus infections.
When you've got a blocked nose, try sleeping on your back with your head elevated so gravity can then help to drain away congestion. Sleeping on your side can also help keep your airways open, so you can breathe more easily. If acid reflux is causing your blocked nose, sleeping on your left side is best.
It's common and usually clears up on its own within 2 to 3 weeks. But medicines can help if it's taking a long time to go away.
Blowing the nose can worsen the feeling of congestion due to pressure build-up within the nostrils, which may shoot up the mucus into the sinuses instead of ejection through the nose.
Sinusitis (also called rhinosinusitis) starts when this drainage system becomes blocked, usually from swelling due to inflammation caused by infection or allergy. Soon, your head hurts, you feel facial pressure or pain, and thick mucus clogs your nose.
If you feel that you are blocked up but are not really producing mucus, then this is more indicative of a physical abnormality, such as nasal polyps or a deviated septum. It is quite common for people to complain of having a blocked nose on one side.
Place both of your middle fingers beside each of your nostrils and your index fingers next to them. Press into your cheekbones on both sides with your middle finger, hold for 30 seconds, release, then apply pressure with your index fingers for another 30 seconds.
The frontal sinus has the most complex and variable drainage of any paranasal sinus.
Symptoms of Sinus Drainage
Some of these symptoms include: fever, headache, pressure in the ear, reduced sense of taste and smell, coughing, bad breath, and fatigue. Symptoms that are closely related to sinus drainage are most commonly thick drainage from the nose or down the throat.
Keep your head over a sink or tub and tilt your head sideways to the left. Gently pour or squeeze the solution into your right nostril. The water will come out the left nostril. Repeat on the other side.
According to Dr. Leann Poston of Invigor Medical, “Elevating your head before bed can increase drainage and decrease congestion.” That's why the best position to sleep with a stuffy nose is on your back with different types of pillows elevating your head and neck.
A sinus infection is diagnosed in a physical exam by a primary care doctor, who will look inside your nasal cavity and check for sinus pressure or tenderness by gently touching or feeling your face.
This pattern happens when there is more blood flow to the structures inside the nose, such as the turbinates, which are the round masses that you may see if you look into the nostrils. Increased blood flow causes congestion in one nostril for about 3 to 6 hours before switching to the other side.