Question of the Week: Breathe

When was the last time you listened to the sound of your own breathing?

Just now, only because this question got me thinking about it. Now I'm a little paranoid. Am I breathing normally? Should my lungs be making that kind of sound? Is that sound of my lungs or do I have too much hair in my nose? I don't normally take time out of my busy schedule to listen to my own breath. I don't need to hear myself breathing to know that I'm still breathing. That full feeling that I get in my lungs is generally good enough for me. Sometimes, when I'm having trouble sleeping, I'll listen to my steady breaths and I'll make a conscious effort to slow my breathing in an effort to calm myself. It never works and I remain a die hard insomniac. But, if we're talking about hearing our own breaths on the clinical level, I'd have to say I haven't listened to my own breathing since I was a little kid and managed to get my hands on Dr. Keagy's stethoscope while we sat in his office. I didn't hold on to them for very long before he snatched them back. Calm down doctor, it's just a stethoscope. You probably had a drawer full of them, the way other people keep socks or silverware in special drawers.