Breathing through the nose provides 70% of the oxygen to the lungs, making nasal valve prolapse a serious problem.
Also known as nasal valve collapse, nasal valve prolapse usually occurs when there is a structural blockage caused by weak or overly flexible cartilage in the nasal wall. It is most common after rhinoplasties but can also be hereditary or created by scar tissue or blunt force.
The symptoms of nasal valve prolapse are bloody noses, congestion, crusting around the nose and nasal obstruction.
"The nostrils tend to be (the) narrowest part of the airway," Dr. Anthony D. Sanders of the Indiana Sinus Center said. "Just a small amount of narrowness at the tip of the nostril tends to cause a very noticeable sense of inability to breath well through your nose. This region just inside the nostrils is called the nasal valve."
Nasal valve prolapse can be measured using a technique called Cottle's Maneuver.
"It involves placing an index finger on the side of one or both nostrils and gently pulling each cheek outward, lightly spreading the nostrils open," James Nestor wrote in his book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. "If doing this improves the ease of nasal inhales, there’s a chance that the nostrils are too small or thin.”
For patients who suffer from nasal valve prolapse, Sanders said there are no minimally invasive procedures that can remedy the condition.
"Breathe Right strips have been used for this in the past as well as major nasal reconstructions," Sanders said. "Now there are in-office solutions to this problem including dissolvable implants injected subcutaneously that tend to support the nostril and keep it from collapsing with inspiration, as well as radiofrequency treatments that noninvasively remodeling the nasal cartilage to make inner airway larger. Both are in office interventions."
