Nasal congestion affects your breathing, forcing you to inhale through your mouth. If you’re suffering from ongoing problems with a stuffy nose, call Vitale Ear, Nose & Throat in Wesley Chapel or Zephyrhills, Florida. The practice’s expert ENT doctors will determine the cause of your condition and provide treatments that open your nasal passages, enabling you to breathe freely. Call Vitale Ear, Nose & Throat today or book an appointment online to find a solution for your nasal congestion.
Nasal congestion is a formal way of saying you have a stuffy nose. In addition to a limited ability to breathe through your nose, you could have sinus pain, swollen nasal tissue, a runny nose, and/or postnasal drip.
In many cases, nasal congestion goes away when you get over the infection causing the condition. But some people suffer from long-term congestion that requires medical treatment.
Everyday infections like colds, flu, and sinusitis are the most common causes of nasal congestion. This nasal congestion usually disappears within a week or two once you recover from the infection.
If nasal congestion lasts longer or becomes an ongoing problem, it could be a symptom of an underlying health problem. Causes of chronic (long-term) nasal congestion include:
Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy can sometimes cause nasal congestion.
Your ENT doctor at Vitale Ear, Nose & Throat begins the diagnostic process by reviewing your medical history and symptoms. They examine the inside of your nose and throat to see if there are any abnormalities.
After your exam, you might need some tests. Depending on what they suspect is wrong, your doctor might take blood or swab the inside of your nose and throat. These samples are sent to a lab to identify any infection. Your doctor might also recommend skin prick allergy testing to see if allergies are causing your nasal congestion.
A nasal endoscopy could help determine the cause of your nasal congestion. This procedure involves inserting an endoscope (tiny camera on a flexible tube) into your nose and sinuses. Your doctor views the images the camera sends back on a screen. Some patients might need X-rays or an MRI.
Possible treatments for nasal congestion include:
Your doctor recommends the best treatment for your nasal congestion according to what’s causing the problem.
Call Vitale Ear, Nose & Throat today or book an appointment online to get fast, effective relief from ongoing nasal congestion.