Nasal Obstruction & Congestion

Sinus anatomy of a woman

What is Nasal Obstruction?

Difficulty breathing through the nose, or a sensation of decreased air flow, is a common complaint. It can be a constant symptom, or severity can change based on factors such as environment, exercise and time of day. The inability to breathe well through the nose causes a significant decrease in quality of life, which may impact sleep, ability to focus, ability to exercise and may lead to mood changes. 

Common causes of nasal congestion or obstruction include:

  • trauma
  • surgery
  • genetics
  • seasonal or environmental allergies
  • enlargement of adenoids
  • overactive nerves within the nose

How is Nasal Obstruction Treated?

During a consultation with us, we will help you identify the likely source or sources of your symptoms. Treatment usually begins with optimizing medical management, such as topical nasal steroids and antihistamines. Depending on the source of your symptoms and your response to medical management, in-office versus surgical procedures may be an option. 

In-office procedures to help with nasal congestion and difficulty breathing include:

There are several surgical options to improve breathing to include septoplasty, rhinoplasty, sinus surgery and inferior turbinate reduction. Our goal is to create a collaborative treatment plan with you to improve your quality of life.

Epistaxis (Nosebleeds)

Woman with nose bleed and nurse

What is Epistaxis?

Epistaxis, or nose bleed, is a very common complaint. Symptoms tend to worsen in the fall/winter months with the drier, less humid air. During these drier months, the mucus membranes thin, exposing the blood vessels, which are close to the surface, causing nose bleeds. 

Other sources of nose bleeds can include:

  • trauma
  • digital trauma
  • benign tumors
  • blood-thinning medications
  • nasal sprays

 The severity and duration of the nose bleed can vary and can be quite severe, even requiring evaluation and management in the hospital.

How is Epistaxis Treated?

Obtaining a history and thorough nasal exam, to include possibly a nasal endoscopy, is needed to determine the source of epistaxis. For the majority of patients, initiating good nasal hygiene with nasal saline sprays and increasing moisture/humidity with a humidifier is often times sufficient. Avoiding trauma to the nose such as picking or scratching also plays a large role. While blood-thinning medications do not CAUSE a nose bleed, they do affect clotting, making the bleed more severe and difficult to control. Sometimes an area of the mucosal lining requires cautery and/or nasal packing in order to control the bleed, but this is not common.