BLOCKED NOSE:
Common causes of Nasal Airway Obstruction include:
1) Septal deviation
2) Internal nose valve collapse
3) Turbinate enlargement or swelling, including allergy
4) Nasal trauma with nasal bone fracture or septal fracture
Common symptoms of nasal airway obstruction include:
1) Inability to breathe outwards or inwards easily through the nose
2) Mouth breathing (especially while sleeping)
3) Need for long term nasal spray or decongestant use
4) Change in nasal appearance (i.e. collapse)
You would need an assessment to determine the exact cause, which may be treatable with medicines or surgery.
Commonly performed operations to correct these problems include (click on the name to find further information):
CATARRH
Catarrh is an excessive build-up of mucus in one of the airways or cavities of the body. It is usually found inside the nose, but it can also occur in the throat, ears or chest. It is not a condition in itself, but a symptom of a condition such as:
- the common cold or another infection
- hay fever or other type of allergic rhinitis
- non-allergic rhinitis (sensitivity to environmental triggers)
- nasal polyps (fleshy swellings inside the nose)
Most cases of catarrh are acute, which means it will pass within a few days once the body fights off the underlying infection. However, some people have chronic (persistent) catarrh, either due to an allergy or because there is an abnormality inside their nose, such as nasal polyps.
The symptoms of acute catarrh can usually be relieved by taking a short-term course of decongestants. Treatment for chronic catarrh will depend on the underlying causes, and an assessment and possibly investigations will be needed.