Doctor reveals surprising reason one nostril feels more blocked than the other when you have a cold

Having a cold is simply one of those unavoidable parts of winter that seemingly none of us are immune to.

Whether it's the scratchy throat, sweaty fever, restless sleeping, never-ending sniffles, sneezing-induced headaches, a void appetite or a super blocked nose - it's clear that the symptoms of the dreaded common cold are up there with the worst.

But why is that one nostril always feels way more blocked than the other when you're feeling under the weather?

Well, dear reader, there's actually a very scientific explanation behind the age-old wonder, as one doctor, Dr Amir Khan, has shared his expertise on the subject.

The NHS doctor, famous for his large social media following, was asked in a Lorraine clip shared last week: "So, when we have a cold, why is it that one nostril sometimes feels more blocked than the other?"

"Right, this is my favourite thing," Dr Amir beamed before instructing viewers at home to try and breathe through their nose.

"You're only breathing through one nostril," he explained as the host wowed in amazement. "Think about it, you are! The air's only going through one nostril."

But why does this happen?

Well, Dr Amir says it's all down to something called the 'nasal cycle'.

"Most air will be going through one nostril," he explained. "So the nasal cycle means your nostrils take it in shifts to work. So one side, the blood vessels and the tissues swell, and the other side will be breathing normally.

"And every two to six hours, they will switch shifts. And that keeps the nostrils healthy, keeps the air flowing, keeps it nice and moist, and keeps your nostrils filtering that air as well."

He added: "When you've got a cold, that still happens, but it happens more, so the swelling takes place more. So you generally breathe through one nose.

"If you try and blow your nose when you've got a cold, you'll notice the mucus only comes out of one side. And then over a few hours, it will come out the other side because they'll switch over. So there you go!"

After making the bombshell revelation, people rushed online to share their reactions with one Instagram user praising: "Well I never knew this! Thanks Amir. I’ll be telling everyone now!"

"Wow you learn something new everyday! Love Dr Amir," penned a second.

A third chimed in: "Today I was this old when I learned this! Why is this so mind blowing and fascinating?! We all sat doing this right? Right nostril on duty currently. I am now acutely aware!"

"This makes SO MUCH SENSE!" beamed another.

And a final viewer echoed: "Well that explains a lot, especially as I have a cold at the moment!"

Guess you could say Dr Amir nose a lot.