About Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Expertise I am a board-certified otolaryngologist with additional subspecialty training in otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery. This is the subspecialty of otolaryngology that involves the ear, hearing, balance organs, the facial nerve, and surgery of the skull base including surgery for acoustic neuroma and other benign and malignant tumors of the base of the skull.
Experience Medical school, residency in otolaryngology, fellowship in otology/neurotology/skull base surgery
Organizations American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery North American Skull Base Society American Neurotology Society
Publications Laryngoscope Otology and Neurotology
Education/Credentials MD Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 2001 Otolaryngology Residency, University of Iowa Department of Otolaryngology, Iowa City, IA Otology/Neurotology Fellowship, House Ear Clinic, Los Angeles, CA
Expert: Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Date: 5/22/2007 Subject: Breathing trouble?
Question I have an odd situation that I think may be related to another problem, but wanted some expert advice.
I cannot breathe through both nostrils at the same time. Example: If I plug my left nostril I can breathe through my right. If I plug my right nostril, I cannot breathe at all (except through my mouth, of course ;). Which nostril I can or cannot breathe out of can change within a 10 minute period…so it isn’t necessarily general congestion (I don’t think). Blowing my nose won’t alleviate the problem. It just seems one nostril is always closed off.
Generally speaking I don’t have any problems with heavy exercise…I can jog 3+ miles and still not be out of breath (of course, most of those breaths come through my mouth)…as such, I don’t feel like I have any “lung” problems.
My real problem? I wake up in the morning exhausted…and I usually don’t feel alert until well into the day (4 hours or so). I also frequently have trouble falling asleep. I’m wondering if the fact I cannot breathe through both nostrils is affecting my breathing at night…to where I’m not getting enough oxygen when I sleep.
I’ve considered doing a sleep study, but I don’t know if I’m just being too “extreme”.
Answer What you are describing with your nose is actually the normal nasal cycle. However, your symptoms of daytime sleepiness are probably enough to warrant a sleep study. An exam by an ENT physician may help reveal the source of any obstruction.
