Being able to breathe through your nose is easy to take for granted. But when structures within your nasal passageways swell and impede normal breathing, it’s impossible to ignore. Among those structures are turbinates.
Swollen turbinates make your nose feel stuffy, often forcing you to breathe through your mouth, which can be really uncomfortable. They can even contribute to headaches and sleep disorders like snoring and obstructive sleep apnea if left untreated.
Let’s take a closer look at congestion from swollen turbinates to determine why it happens and what you can do about it.
Turbinates are structures made of bone and soft tissue. They sit along your nasal walls opposite the septum, which separates your nostrils into right and left sides.
You might have noticed that the word “turbinate” is similar to the word “turbine.” That’s because, very basically, turbinates affect the airflow in the nose.
Each of your nostrils has three turbinates: inferior, middle, and superior. The inferior turbinates most directly affect airflow because they’re situated further down toward the opening of your nostrils. Normally, there’s a space between the septum and the turbinates that allows air to pass through your nose so you can breathe with no problems.
Turbinates serve an important function. Their job is to filter, moisten, and warm air as it passes through your nose to your throat. Without them, breathing would be much more uncomfortable, coming with a rush of cold as air passed through your nose. Not pleasant!
Everyone has a natural nasal cycle. One side of your nose will always be more congested than the other, and which side it is changes every few hours.
The problem begins when turbinates become so swollen that they prevent air from flowing in. At that point, they’ve become counterproductive. Since turbinates sit right in the midst of your nasal passages, any swelling can easily obstruct your breathing.
Several causes can trigger turbinate swelling, including:
ENT doctors typically treat swollen turbinates on a case-by-case basis. That means they look at your symptoms and the efficacy of previous treatments you’ve tried to develop an individualized treatment plan for you.
Most often, we start by treating allergies with medications like oral antihistamines, topical decongestants, or topical antihistamines.
Most antihistamine and decongestant combinations are available over the counter (OTC), but some require a prescription from your doctor. An ENT doctor can also give you detailed instructions on how and when to use these medications for the best results.
If allergies cause your turbinates to swell, you can limit your exposure to your allergens as much as possible. Some helpful tips include:
If these OTC treatments and environmental adjustments work to reduce the size of your swollen turbinates, you’ll be able to breathe normally through your nose, and surgery won’t be necessary.
Sometimes OTC treatments don’t work, and people still experience nasal congestion. If this is the case for you, it may be time to consider turbinate reduction surgery.
The following surgical treatments are minimally invasive, safe, and can address enlarged inferior turbinates:
Recovery from turbinate surgery usually takes about five to seven days. You might experience some nasal congestion during this time, but that’s normal. Nasal irrigation can help reduce congestion and speed up the recovery process.
You might also have some nasal discharge after surgery. If it’s yellow, green, or accompanied by a cough or fever, it may be a sign of infection and you should call your ENT doctor.
If you’re frequently stuffed up and can’t breathe through your nose, swollen turbinates may be the cause. An experienced ENT doctor can review your treatment options and help you determine which one is best for you. Getting rid of that pesky stuffy nose might be easier than you thought!