How Having Narrow Nasal Passages May Affect Your Wellbeing

If you have trouble breathing through your nose when working out at Fitness Works Philadelphia and have trouble sleeping, you may have narrow nasal passages. This may sound harmless enough, but it could actually affect your wellbeing. We review how below.

Signs & Symptoms of Narrow Nasal Passages

Symptoms of narrow nasal passages differ between adults and children. Adults may have difficulty breathing, loud breathing, sleep problems or frequent sinus infections. Babies and young children may exhibit difficult or loud breathing, mouth breathing, trouble sleeping and feeding difficulties.

Causes of Narrow Nasal Passages

There are many potential reasons for narrow nasal passages, including:

• Genetics
• Aging
• Underlying health conditions
• Injury

Risks of Having Narrow Nasal Passages

If you have narrow nasal passages, you’re at risk of:

• Breathing difficulties
• Sleep problems
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Nosebleeds
• Trouble eating (for infants and children)

Treatment for Narrow Nasal Passages

Your doctor will recommend different treatments depending on how your symptoms present and what health problems you’re experiencing. You may need a combination of treatments, including surgery to repair part of the nose, surgery to insert stents or implants, dilation of the nasal passage or use of nasal spray.

Some conditions and their corresponding treatments are outlined below:

• Deviated septum. This means the septum (the section of cartilage that divides your nostrils) is crooked. The surgery to correct this is known as a septoplasty.
• Nasal valve collapse. This is usually treated with surgery or by using a nasal valve dilator.
• Inferior turbinate hypertrophy. The nasal turbinates are long, narrow passageways that warm and moisten the air you breathe. If they’re too large, they can block airflow. This can be treated with over-the-counter solutions or surgery.
• Nasal vestibular stenosis. This condition occurs when the vestibular lining of the nose becomes disrupted from injury or infection. It is treated with a nasal stent.
• Choanal atresia. This condition occurs when the back of the nasal cavity is completely blocked or narrowed and requires immediate surgery.
• Pyriform aperture stenosis. This is a rare condition that occurs from birth and means the maxilla is overgrown. It can be treated with saline spray or drops and in some cases surgery.
• Sleep apnea. This condition is often treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy or surgery.

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