Sara J. Mikkelson
Breathe through my nose? What do you mean? That’s the problem. I can’t breathe through my nose – it’s stuffy! These were my first thoughts when I heard about using certain breathing exercises to help relieve my seasonal allergies to pollen, dust, animals, and other things (in Texas, it’s called “Hay Fever”). The more I studied these methods, the more sense it made and the more I found out it actually seemed to be working. Learning more about it, I came to appreciate the amazing design of the human nose. The key point was learning how to breath the way our bodies were originally designed to do this essential function.
The smelling ability of your nose is pretty incredible, but there’s so much more to the nose than just smelling. Did you know that your nose is specially equipped to clean, warm, and humidify the air you breathe? Nitric Oxide is released when you breathe through your nose, sterilizing the air as it goes to your lungs, among other functions. As nasty as the topic may seem, nose hairs, mucus, and boogers have important functions to help defend your body and especially your lungs. As you breathe, nose hairs and mucus help collect harmful things in the air and tiny hair-like structures (called cilia) help move more of these tiny harmful things to a safe waste zone. Those potentially dangerous things usually get safely sneezed or swallowed.
The inside of the human nose is built in such a way that it can perfectly channel the direction and speed of the air coming in and out of the nose. These air streams are just turbulent enough to gently bring a sample of air to the smelling sensors, but smooth enough to go through the right processes it needs to get to the lungs. Your mouth is equipped to be able to breathe, too, but the mouth has a number of other important jobs, and the nose is best equipped for breathing.
If you’re ever temped to look in the mirror and criticize what your nose looks like – how big or small, pointed or flat, narrow or wide, freckled or not etc. – remember how incredibly designed it is. Remember how your Creator lovingly designed the way it works to protect and nourish you. He is a creative artist Who made you one of His grand, beautiful, unique masterpieces. He formed Adam from the dust and breathed the breath of life into him. God carefully crafted your flesh, and gave you life and breath. The stars, rocks, animal, and molecules are all spectacularly amazing works of God, but it was you that He sent His Son to rescue. And to those who have accepted that gift, He also gives the life-breath gift of His Holy Spirit, true life living inside us. As you breathe through your nose today, remember how carefully God made it, and all the ways He is using it to protect you, and remember to thank Him and praise Him for it.
©2017, Sara J. Bruegel
- Thomas, B. 2008. The Amazing Design of the Human Nose. Acts & Facts. 37 (8): 14.Institute for Creation Research http://www.icr.org/article/amazing-design-human-nose
- UpChurch, John. Getting Close to Gross. April 1, 2011; last featured March 6, 2011. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved 1-27-17 https://answersingenesis.org/human-body/getting-close-to-gross/
- Demick, David. The breath of life: God’s gift to all creatures. December 2004. Creation 27(1):42–45. Creation Ministries International. Retrieved 1-27-17
http://creation.com/the-breath-of-life - Research Australia. (2008, May 30). New Breathing Exercises Help Manage Asthma. ScienceDaily. Retrieved 1-27-17 www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080528095853.htm
- Williams,Amber. FYI: What’s the Point of Nose Hair? January 3, 2012. Popular Science. Retrieved 1-27-17 http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-12/fyi-whats-point-nose-hair
- Guliuzza, R. 2009. Made in His Image: Breath of Life. Acts & Facts. 38 (6): 10. Institute for Creation Research http://www.icr.org/article/breath-life
- Mercola, Dr. Joesph. Why Nose Breathing Is so Important for Optimal Health and Fitness. July 30, 2016.Retrieved 1-27-17. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/07/30/buteyko-breathing.aspx
- Mercola, Dr. Joseph.How the Buteyko Breathing Method Can Improve Your Health and Fitness. November 24, 2013. Retrieved 1-27-17 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/24/buteyko-breathing-method.aspx
