Sport Today

Many NFL players are wearing special band-aids on their noses which are
supposed to help their breathing by opening up their sinuses.

Has anyone ever used them?  Any comments in general?

Marc

Haven't used them, but according to my memory from one of the NFL
playoff/superbowl pre-game shows, they are called "Breathe-Easy" and are
actually a spring which pulls the nostrils open a little wider.  Sure
would make a funny looking tan line...

Pat

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: > Many NFL players are wearing special band-aids on their noses which are
: > supposed to help their breathing by opening up their sinuses.
: >
: > Has anyone ever used them?  Any comments in general?

: Haven't used them, but according to my memory from one of the NFL
: playoff/superbowl pre-game shows, they are called "Breathe-Easy" and are
: actually a spring which pulls the nostrils open a little wider.  Sure
: would make a funny looking tan line...

Close, but no cigar.  They are called "Breath Right" and were invented
in Minnesota (as was snow and cold weather).  

I can see a benefit from these things for sports like football (that is
real football, not soccer ;-) ).  Those guys breath through their noses
because they're biting down on mouth guards.  However, unless you spend
all your time sucking on your Bike Stream drinking tube, I don't think
they'll help us much.

Dave LaPorte
U. Minn.

PS. I certainly hope that no one finds the football comment too specific
    to the USA.  After all, they play football in Canada, too.  ;-)

I reviewed this product for the football team and quite frankly it is a
lot of nonsense. I tested it out and had my wife (an ear,nose, and throat
specialist) investigate as well. It is essentially a band aid with a
small metal wire inserted -- to function as a spring. It is supposed to
hold the "nasal passages" open. However, the device does not function to
make breathing any easier or decrease air resistance in the nose. The
design makes it purely cosmetic.
Players are using them because one or two famous players started and now
it is a "badge".
The human body is already equipped with a set of muscles that function to
flare the nostrils. In most people who have difficulty breathing through
their nose at rest it is because of congestion within the nasal passages.
This is often the result of allergies.
My advice -- save your money for something that really will make you
faster, like maybe some running shoes that have a little light in the
heel that flashes every time you step. Or a staple gun to keep those ears
flat against the head.
 :-)

                                        Mark A. Jenkins, M.D.
                                        specializing in triathlons,
                                        internal medicine,
                                        and sports medicine.

 This thing sounds like that Steve Martin eye glasses  invention featured
on the movie "The Jerk."

Geoff, first of all... You spell your name the wrong way mate! Second, if
you ever visit San Diego don't talk like that in  public or you will
certainly be ***ed or mugged, or worse by the die-hard Charger fans.
Super Bowl fever is still at fever pitch even thought the Chargers got
their collective ass kicked.

Gee from my 19 years in Minnesota, I was always trying to find ways to
keep the fridgid air out of my lungs, not bring more in. ;-)  

This also sounds like the start of some of those Swede-Norskie jokes on
Boone and Erickson (radio show for you non-Minnesotans).

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                            __-------__
   W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_
   Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-    
                              \     /

   cis:      72410,3372        /   \
-----------------..-^--^--..-.-     --^.-----
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<snip>
 I reviewed this product for the football team and quite frankly it is a

<snip>

Hey, how did you know I had elf ears? ;-)

Pat

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                            __-------__
   W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_
   Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-    
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   cis:      72410,3372        /   \
-----------------..-^--^--..-.-     --^.-----
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I wonder if the bandaid could be worn around the ***are to help with
constipation.  Not that I'm constipated or anything, but it could
theoretically help to keep that particular area open for free flowage.
Major :-)

OUCH!!!

:       Actually, a commentator during a hockey game mentioned that the "nose band
: aids" were especially beneficial to those who had misaligned septums due to
: broken noses, common no doubt in hockey and football.

:       So unless there are an awful lot of "aussie rules" swim starts in '95, I
: don't see how much good they would do for the triathlete.

:                                                                                               -Kev.

------> I can't believe it, but I actually saw a couple of people wearing
the stupid things at the Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K this weekend!
What some people won't do...

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| Jonathan Acey Albert             |
| University of Florida            |

| http://nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu/~acey |
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