Nasal Obstruction
Breathing through the nose is the ideal way to bring air into the lungs. While you can breathe through your mouth, the nasal passages are designed to filter and moisturize the air before it goes into the lungs. When there are obstructions in the nasal passageways, you may be forced to mouth-breathe, which can impact your health. At Julie Zweig, MD Integrative Sleep & ENT, we provide treatment for nasal obstruction to improve patient health at our clinic in Alpharetta, GA.
Causes of Nasal Obstruction
Anything that restricts the nasal passageways on one or both sides of the nose can cause a nasal obstruction. There are both physical blockages and health conditions that can result in nasal obstruction. Some of the possible causes include:
- Deviated septum
- Enlarged turbinate
- Nasal polyps
- Allergies
- Acute rhinitis from colds/flu
- Enlarged adenoids
- Sinusitis
Inflammation in the nasal tissues from an upper respiratory illness like allergies, cold or sinus infection is the most common cause of nasal obstruction.
Symptoms and Complications of Nasal Obstruction
Most people know when they have a nasal obstruction. It is difficult or impossible to breathe through one or both nostrils. They may have trouble blowing their nose or smelling odors. There are also symptoms that may be related to the cause of the obstruction, such as sneezing, facial pain, headaches and a stuffy head feeling.
Nasal obstruction treatment addresses the specific cause to provide relief. Dr. Zweig and our ENT team provide a thorough exam and evaluation to determine the source of obstruction and the best treatment plan. Most nasal obstruction problems can be relieved with non-surgical treatments – we utilize integrative and functional medicine to achieve improved breathing. Only when conservative treatments are ineffective do we explore surgical procedures to open the airways. This can include adenoidectomy, septoplasty, turbinate reduction or VivAer® and other procedures that can improve your breathing ability.
If you have symptoms of nasal obstruction, come see us at Julie Zweig, MD Integrative Sleep & ENT. Contact our office in the Dunwoody, Roswell and Alpharetta, GA, area to schedule your appointment. We can book a nasal obstruction exam and consultation with one of our ENT specialists.
