Why can't i breathe through my nose ...?

Triathlon Forum
1

well, i CAN, when i’m sitting at my desk typing, or when i’m walking around … but during pretty much any level of aerobic exercise i breathe in and out through my mouth. I’m in reasonably good shape, with a resting heartrate of around 50, i’m not sick and have no symptomatic congestion, my nose has never been broken and i’ve never smoked or done drugs that go up your nose … i just feel like breathing through my nose is like breathing through a straw …

i hear things like when you’re running easy you “breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth” … doesn’t work for me, regardless of pace i’m a mouth breather =(

… what gives?

2

could be poylps… was for me.
got roto-rootered out, no problems now.
i was a very extreme case, though,
maybe you need to see an ENT.

3

A number of possibilities-

low-level allergies
chronic sinusitis
enlarged nasal turbinates
smaller than normal nasal passages

I have the last two and 6 weeks ago went in for some outpatient surgery to reduce the size of the turbinates. I can now breathe through my nose while just sitting around, which I could never do before. I understand why breathing through your mouth while sleeping can lead to problems, but have never understood why breathing through your nose at other times (especially while exercising) is supposed to be preferable.

4

i think i’ll go the ent route …

… i always figured that breathing through your nose was more a measure of how hard you’re working … that is, you know you’re running easy if you can breathe in through your nose.

5

A number of possibilities-

low-level allergies
chronic sinusitis
enlarged nasal turbinates
smaller than normal nasal passages

I have the last two and 6 weeks ago went in for some outpatient surgery to reduce the size of the turbinates. I can now breathe through my nose while just sitting around, which I could never do before. I understand why breathing through your mouth while sleeping can lead to problems, but have never understood why breathing through your nose at other times (especially while exercising) is supposed to be preferable.

I have a deviated septum and have had it for about 15 years since I broke my nose (one day I’ll have it fixed and my nose straightened) and I can’t breathe through my nose. I was told that I’d swallow less air into my stomach if I had it fixed and was able to breathe in through my nose when running and that would lead to less GI distress when running.

6

Does it really matter?? As long as you can breathe fine through your mouth, what is wrong with that?