Just for perspective: I am a man in my mid-40s and for as long as i can remember i had this question… is it normal that i can shut my nose close just with some muscles?
I always wondered why some people hold their nose shut with their fingers while jumping into a pool or when exposed to some horrible smell… i never had this need. Changing my sons diapers? No problem! Cleaning the latrines while in the army? Just a breeze!
Ehm… yeah… just thought about this…


Blowing out candles is controlling your nasopharynx which every does so food and liquids don’t go up their nose while swallowing. Most everyone can breathe through their mouth instead of their nose.
The OP seems to be describing his nasal passage, not his throat. That seems unusual but I’ve never asked people to know.
At least not in my case. If I blow out a candle, my nose passage closes.
Maybe try the following:
It’s not the bottom end of the nose, but the top end of it. It’s certainly not the laryinx, at least not for me.
I just tried that and I can definitely say the closure happens at the pharynx for me, which is also what I do consciously when I hold my breath.
Strange. Ok, can you make a snorting sound at the front of your nose? If you can, try to make a knocking sound with your nose. For that, build up pressure inside your nose using your tongue and release the sound by opening your nose.
It’s similar to what you do when you have to sneeze and try to suppress it.