Nasal congestion and the inferior turbinate

Many people suffer from chronic nasal congestion. One of the main contributors to nasal congestion is the inferior turbinate. The inferior turbinate is a vascular structure in the nose that swells from allergies or irritation. The inferior turbinate can also be chronically enlarged without an identifiable cause.

Patients that have allergies are treated with allergy medications or allergy shots in an effort to decrease their reactivity to allergens. One of the main tissues that benefits from this treatment is the inferior turbinate. Unfortunately, some patients with allergies continue to have nasal congestion or nasal obstruction despite appropriate treatments.

Many people also take oral decongestants or topical nasal decongestants such as phenylephrine and oxymetazoline. These medications directly shrink the blood vessels of the nose decreasing the nasal congestion. Unfortunately, these medicines are not intended to be long-term treatments and can have significant side effects.

A very effective treatment that many patients do not know about is a simple procedure called inferior turbinate reduction. Inferior turbinate reduction is performed under local anesthesia in the clinic and takes about five minutes. The inferior turbinate vasculature is directly reduced with a special instrument, significantly reducing symptoms of nasal congestion. Patient satisfaction rate is well over 90%.

Although inferior turbinate reduction does not cure allergies, it will most times resolve the nasal congestion symptoms that most allergy patients experience.

A simple physical exam at the Nasal and Sinus Center of Austin will determine whether you are a candidate for clinic turbinate reduction and a lifetime of improved breathing.