– When laying on one side, why does the opposite nostril clear and seem to shift the “stuffiness” to the side you’re laying on?

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I’ve always wondered this. Seems like you can constantly shift it from side to side without ever clearing both!

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This is actually a reflex to pressure applied to the underarm, rather than gravity moving your turbinates. Laying on your back and tilting your head will not produce as much of a shift as laying on your side, even if the total rotation of your head is the same.

Citation:
Wilde AD, Jones AS. The nasal response to axillary pressure. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 1996 Oct;21(5):442-4. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2273.1996.00823.x. PMID: 8932950.
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