Nasal Obstruction
Nasal obstruction can result from many causes:
- Allergies.
- Acute or Chronic sinusitis.
- Common cold.
- Decongestant nasal spray overuse.
- Deviated septum.
- Adenoids hypertrophy.
- Choanal stenosis.
- Naso-pharyngeal tumors.
- Dry weather conditions.
- Foreign bodies in the nose.
- Polyps/Nasal polyposis.
- Spicy foods.
- Pregnancy/Hormonal changes.
- Stress.
- Tobacco.
And the list is longer, however, there are three causes in general for nasal obstruction:
- Anatomic/mechanical obstruction like septal deviation, turbinates hypertrophy, sinus obstruction, collapsed nasal valves… And these can be corrected surgically. Please note that all these surgeries if not coupled with a cosmetic surgery for the nose, will NOT cause bruising and swelling, and the downtime is only 1-2 days.
- Functional nasal obstruction or congestion, like mucosal thickening, allergic turbinates, polyps…. And here oral, topical, systemic or immunotherapy would be the proper treatment of choice.
- Combination of Anatomic and functional would require treatment by both modalities, surgical and medical.