# One Nostril or Two?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nostril-or-two/186990>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 8, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nostril-or-two/186990 "2003-07-08T13:21:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jakeboy76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/76d3ee/32.png) [@jakeboy76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakeboy76)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nostril-or-two/186990/1 "2003-07-08T13:21:47Z")

</div>

I’ve heard rumors that humans only breath out of one nostril at a time, depending on which side of their brain is being used at that moment – i.e., if you’re in a logical, or left-brain mood, you’ll breath out of your right nostril, and if you’re in an intuitive, or right-brain mood, you’ll breath out of your left nostril, because the left brain controls the right side of the body and vice-versa. Is this true? I’ve observed my own breathing, and I would swear that this is the case (as would other people I’ve talked to), but others insist that both nostrils are used together all of the time. Can anyone help?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nostril-or-two/186990/2 "2003-07-08T13:56:45Z")

</div>

The only time I breathe out of one nostril is when I have a plugged set of sinuses on one side of my head. After some quality time with an eye/ear/nose/throat specialist, I have that problem far less of the time. I breathe through both nostrils unless there is a specific disorder. If you find that you are breathing out of only one nostril at a time, consult a doctor and tell her about your handicap.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nostril-or-two/186990/3 "2003-07-08T14:09:08Z")

</div>

Hmmm. There are replies to both of these duplicate OPs. [Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196069) is the other one.

By the way, as I noted in the other thread, we only breathe out of one nostril at a time due to “swell bodies” in the nasal cavity.

I suggest that one of these two threads by closed.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nostril-or-two/186990/4 "2003-07-08T14:13:26Z")

</div>

Untill I had my deviated septum fixed most of my breathing was through my left nostrill. In any case, your nostrils join up inside your head.