Nasal Obstruction

What is Nasal Obstruction?

Nasal obstruction is any blockage in the nose or nasal cavity. This limits the amount of air getting into your lungs. More than 20 million Americans suffer from nasal obstruction, making it hard for them to breathe and limiting their quality of life.

If you suffer from nasal obstruction or difficulty breathing you should get a diagnosis from Dr. Tadros to ensure proper treatment. Dr. Monica Tadros has successfully treated hundreds of patients with nasal obstruction and can help you find a cure and breathe easier again.

Causes of Nasal Obstruction

Nasal obstruction can be caused by various reasons. Some causes of nasal obstruction include:

• Enlarged inferior turbinates: The inferior turbinates are bony structures surrounded by spongy mucosa. They regulate the airflow from your nose and act as air filters. The turbinates can become enlarged because of the swelling of this mucus. The swelling happens because of rhinitis or just because of the abnormal position of the turbinates. The turbinates can also swell from allergies, dust, or smoke.
• Deviated septum: The septum is a structure inside your nose that separates your nostrils. If it is not straight it can become difficult to breathe.
• Choanal atresia: This is a condition you are born with that creates a blockage in the nose by tissue.
• Nasal polyps: Polyps are soft growth inside your nasal cavity. Sometimes they can grow large enough to block your nasal passage and obstruct your breathing.

Symptoms

The nasal obstruction causes difficulty breathing through your nose. This may cause problems in sleeping causing you to feel tired throughout the day. You may also find it harder to breathe while working out and feel like you can’t get enough air.

Diagnosis

To get the proper treatment it is important to get the right diagnosis. To get a diagnosis for your nasal obstruction your leading facial plastic surgeon Dr. Tadros needs to know your full medical history. She then performs a nasal examination using lighted scopes. Sometimes an MRI or a CT scan may be necessary to see the structure of your nose.

Treatment

Treatment for nasal obstruction may include medication to treat the underlying causes of the inflammation in your nasal cavity. This may include allergy medicine or a steroid nasal spray to reduce the size of your turbinates.

If these medications don’t work your doctor may recommend surgery to shrink your turbinates. Turbinate reduction surgery is rather simple with the new technologies available at the Center for Sleep, Sinus, and Plastic Surgery. Dr. Tadros uses radiofrequency waves to shrink the turbinates and you will be back to work the next day. The surgery takes about 10 minutes under local anesthesia and there is no pain involved.

If a deviated septum is the cause of your nasal obstruction your doctor may recommend a septoplasty. During septoplasty, your septum is straightened and aligned back to the middle of your nose to open up your nostrils for airflow and ease your breathing.

If you suffer from choanal atresia the back of your throat or nose is blocked making it difficult for you to breathe. To make sure you can breathe better this blockage needs to be opened.

To shrink nasal polyps, your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids. If medication doesn’t work you may need surgery to remove them.

If you have nasal obstruction or find it difficult to breathe, contact the nasal experts at the Center for Sinus, Sleep, and Facial Plastic Surgery in NY or NJ for a consultation.
This page was published on Sep 26, 2019, modified on Apr 8, 2021 by Dr. Monica Tadros, M.D., F.A.C.S. (Facial Plastic Surgeon)