One of the main reasons people want rhinoplasty is to improve their breathing. You may have a problem with your septum, the lining of your nostrils, the size and shape of the nostrils, or a combination of all three conditions. Non-surgical and surgical treatment options can work, and hopefully your breathing will improve.

Your plastic surgeon will ask you for a detailed medical history. Nasal polyps, severe allergies, sinus problems, previous trauma, and other medical conditions can cause your breathing to become obstructed. Addressing this cause medically, Noson rather than surgically, can result in relief from your breathing problems.

A common problem you may have is a deviated septum. The septum is a piece of bone and cartilage that separates the right and left nostrils. In theory it should be straight, but in reality it can curve to one side or the other. If you’ve had a broken nose in the past, that trauma may have caused your septum to move left or right. Removing the portion of the septum blocking your nasal airway may be the surgical answer to easier breathing.

Another problem can be the lining of your nostrils. If you have nasal polyps, enlarged turbinates, or other problems that don’t respond to medical treatment, then you may be a candidate for surgical removal of these nasal problems.

Finally, the size and shape of your nostrils and the strength or weakness of your nasal cartilage can also affect your breathing. Some people simply have collapsible nostrils or weaker cartilage. While others may have a smaller nostril opening than normal. Nasal ventilation aids such as Breathe Right™ Strips can help. Surgery can also fix this problem to change the shape of your nostrils or strengthen the cartilage around them.

An interesting fact is that about 2/3 of patients who have had nose surgery experience breathing problems after their surgery. It is important to ensure that you have a full nasal exam with your plastic surgeon and that you maintain good communication prior to any potential surgery.

Good public speaking is all about your breathing

Good nasal breathing is key to effective public speaking. You would think that public speaking is all about content, but in fact it’s all about presentation. Even the best and most relevant content, if delivered incorrectly, is quickly rejected by listeners who feel the delivery wasn’t effective enough to maintain their interest. In other words, you got bored. Nobody wants to be boring, right?

So how do you keep your audience interested? You achieve this by inserting pauses at relevant points .

And what does that have to do with nasal breathing? Well, with nasal breathing, there are more opportunities for pauses, giving listeners a chance to actually focus and digest the information you are presenting.

Nasal breathing also means your throat never dries up, and this is an important factor in public speaking. Why? Because these small white spit spots on the corners of the mouth when entering the subject are really unattractive. And also because the need not to cough unexpectedly or have vocal and pitch modulations is vital when delivering a punchy delivery.

So how do you handle it? Instead of taking a big gulp of air into your mouth while giving a speech, try inhaling through your nose. A good way to practice this is to read aloud. Try a children’s story first and then follow something like business news. If you actually obey the commas and periods (by inserting the appropriate pauses), you’ll find that your speech slows down a bit. It makes you sound a lot more in control and knowledgeable and less like an excited maniac.

There are many other benefits of nasal breathing, such as ensuring that the air conditioning in conference rooms doesn’t dry out your airways too early. Nasal breathing also limits infection and helps boost immunity. Nasal breathing means air circulates through the sinuses first, which concentrates nitrogen from the air you breathe. Nitrogen is a powerful virus and germ killer, so you are less likely to suffer from immune system failure due to airborne germs Noson Nasen Dilatator circulating in the environment. It’s a good idea to make sure you’re only breathing through your nose on a plane or public transport so that you arrive feeling fresh and ready for the big speech.

Melody Mitchell is a qualified Buteyko practitioner who believes in empowering people about their health. She runs Buteyko programs in South Africa in all major centers . She also offers individual Buteyko Method sessions in Cape Town and Montagu. Buteyko teaches clients how to overcome and control their asthma and allergies naturally, without the use of drugs or devices, and is taught over four two-hour sessions. Buteyko is also good for nasal congestion, sinuses, insomnia, panic and chronic breathing problems. People who use buteyko find that they are more effective at public speaking.