Why is nose partially blocked in some cities but not others?

July 9, 2006 9:15 AM

Why is my nose blocked outside in LA and New York but not in Pittsburgh or Boston?

I know it's apparently normal for many people to only breathe out of one nostril at a time, and that certainly is the case when I'm sleeping. However, when I go outside, in many cities my nose completely clears up and I am able to breathe through both nostrils at once.

This is not true of all cities' outdoor air. I would have thought it may have something to do with pollution but then why do LA/New York not work while Pittsburgh (more polluted than New York) and Boston do?

Any ideas? Are there particular allergens that might be in the LA & New York air that are not in these other cities that keep one nostril blocked all the time?

posted by shivohum to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

You may have a deviated septum. Your family doc could check out your nose, or you could see an otolaryngologist. Makes a big difference to get this fixed.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:39 AM on July 9, 2006

The cities you mentioned have differing flora, so yes, the allergens are different. Also, depending on where you are, you may be in a valley or on top of a hill/plain where the wind patterns are different.
posted by Pocahontas at 12:15 PM on July 9, 2006

Pollution levels?
posted by blue_beetle at 3:11 PM on July 9, 2006

Most likely the weather & smog levels.

I just spent the last 9 days driving around the midwest and I was breathing great. Mere hours after I got back to the SF Bay Area, and my sinuses have been KILLING me.
posted by drstein at 12:01 PM on July 10, 2006