What causes enlarged turbinates in nose?
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What causes enlarged turbinates in nose?
The turbinates are thin, bony plates inside your nose. Allergies or a lengthy cold can irritate them and cause them to swell, or enlarge. The swelling makes it hard for you to breathe. Another cause of the swelling is overuse of decongestant nasal sprays.
What is the best treatment for swollen turbinates?
If your turbinates are swollen, your doctor may prescribe medication (e.g., nasal corticosteroid and nasal antihistamine sprays) to reduce the swelling. If enlarged inferior turbinates are causing your nasal obstruction, surgery may be the recommended treatment.
How do you reduce nose turbinates?
Cauterization, coblation, and radiofrequency reduction In some cases, doctors recommend surgeries that shrink the turbinates without removing any underlying bone or tissue. To do this, a surgeon uses a special needle-like device that heats the turbinates using a heat source or energy waves.
Can enlarged turbinates be cured?
In most cases, the turbinates will return to their normal size after recovery. However, in some instances such as chronic sinusitis, the enlargement may be permanent.
What are the symptoms of turbinates?
The most common symptoms of turbinate hypertrophy include:
- Difficulty breathing.
- Congestion in alternating sides of the nose.
- Nasal stuffiness.
- Nasal blockage.
- Nasal congestion while lying down.
- Noisy breathing or breathing through the mouth during sleep.
- Increased nasal drainage.
Can enlarged turbinates cause problems?
The turbinates are also called the nasal conchae. If the turbinates are too large, they can actually block airflow. Doctors call this condition turbinate hypertrophy. This condition can cause breathing problems, frequent infections, and nosebleeds.
Do turbinates grow back?
The nasal turbinates will never grow back. Many techniques for reducing nasal turbinates exist, such as radiofrequency treatment. However, in a case like this, when the turbinates are very large, the appropriate technique is laser-assisted reduction.
Is turbinate surgery painful?
How painful is turbinate reduction? People who have turbinate reduction may experience discomfort for a few days, but it’s usually minimal. If your turbinate reduction was performed in combination with other procedures, you might have more discomfort.
How do you tell if your turbinates are swollen?
The most common symptoms of turbinate hypertrophy include:
- Difficulty breathing.
- Congestion in alternating sides of the nose.
- Nasal stuffiness.
- Nasal blockage.
- Nasal congestion while lying down.
- Noisy breathing or breathing through the mouth during sleep.
- Increased nasal drainage.
Is turbinate reduction surgery painful?
Is turbinate surgery safe?
While turbinate surgery is generally safe, there are a few risks. The main risk is removing too much tissue, which means the turbinates can’t warm and humidify the air you breathe. The result is a permanently dry, crusty nose that can be painful. This risk is less likely with the powered turbinoplasty method.
Will turbinates grow back?
The nasal turbinates will never grow back. Many techniques for reducing nasal turbinates exist, such as radiofrequency treatment.
Can enlarged turbinates cause shortness of breath?
Difficulty breathing is the most common symptom associated with turbinate hypertrophy. Some people with the condition describe it as a feeling of having a cold that won’t go away.