Smells And Stuffy Noses Explained With Science

It’s hard to imagine a person who sees any benefit to being sick — the chance for a day off notwithstanding. Sore throats, high fevers, weakened bodies, and of course runny noses are practically a package deal; even then, one of life’s great mysteries is that plenty of people tend to have one nostril that gets blocked up. Now that mystery has been solved — or at the very least, this video explains the nature of the average nose.

Apparently, most people tend to automatically use different nostrils at different points of the day, as a way to better take in smells and other olfactory necessities. Because of that, it’s common for the nostril currently at work to get congested before the other. By the same token, the clogging can switch out to give one of the nostrils a break.

It’s an interesting listen — and while the video doesn’t name any perfect cures for a congested nose, knowing the inner workings is the next best thing.