Nasal strips have been around for decades, which somehow makes them one of the most misunderstood products on the pharmacy shelf. Here are six facts about how they really work that will surprise even people who have used them for years.
1. The narrowest part of your entire airway is in your nose, not your throat
Most people think the throat is the narrowest part of the entire airway because snoring and sleep apnea are discussed most often in that context. In reality, the nasal valve, a small, flexible area just behind the nostrils, is the narrowest point in the entire system. Narrower than your throat, your windpipe, or anywhere else that air has to pass through.
2. Your nose alternates which side is more open throughout the day and night
There is a documented process called the nasal cycle, in which blood flow alternates between the two nostrils. One side is more open at any given time, while the other is slightly more congested. Almost no one notices this consciously, even though it happens in the background every single day of your life.
3. Lying down is enough on its own to make your nose feel narrower
You don't have to be sick or have an allergy for your nose to feel more congested at night. Gravity redistributes your blood as soon as you lie flat, causing the tissue in your nose to swell slightly. This has nothing to do with a cold and everything to do with simple physics acting on the position of your body.
4. Your nose produces a gas that helps your lungs absorb oxygen
Nasal tissue produces nitric oxide, which travels into the lungs with the inhaled air and plays a role in how efficiently oxygen enters the bloodstream. Breathing through the mouth skips this step entirely because none of it is produced there. The same air can therefore be processed less efficiently, depending on which route it took into your body.
5. Studies have measured around 30 percent more airflow just from using a strip
This isn't an estimate from the marketing department. Studies have directly measured airflow with and without a strip using a procedure called peak nasal inspiratory flow, finding average increases in that range. A thin adhesive tape with a bent plastic core delivered a measurable, repeatable result, using nothing more complicated than tension.
6. Nasal strips do almost nothing for sleep apnea, despite decades of assumption
Because nasal strips and sleep apnea constantly come up in the same conversations about snoring, many assume that one treats the other. Research consistently says otherwise. Sleep apnea happens deep in the throat, in a completely different location than the nasal valve where a strip works. That is why studies find little to no relevant change in apnea severity from strips alone.