Obligate nasal breathing

When we have to breathe, we normally breathe through our nose or mouth. However, some people can only breathe through their nose, and this is called "obligate nasal breathing." This means that their nose has to work all the time to let air in and out of their body.

Our noses have tiny little hairs and mucus that help clean the air we breathe in by trapping dirt and germs, and keeping them out of our body. When we breathe through our nose, this helps to warm up the air we breathe in, so it doesn't feel so cold in our body. Our nose also helps to regulate the amount of air that we breathe in, so we don't take in too much or too little air at once.

If someone can only breathe through their nose, it might be because they have a medical condition that makes it difficult or impossible for them to breathe through their mouth. This can include things like a deviated septum or congestion.

So, obligate nasal breathing means that a person can only breathe through their nose, and their nose has to work really hard to do its job of keeping the air clean and regulating their breathing.