A stuffy nose and difficulty breathing associated with nasal congestion can make you feel awful. At Atkins Expert Sinus Care in San Antonio, Texas, board-certified otolaryngologist James Atkins, MD, and his team offer a wide array of non-invasive and surgical procedures to treat the underlying cause of nasal congestion. Call Atkins Expert Sinus Care for congestion relief today, or use the online scheduler.
Nasal congestion, also known as a stuffy nose, occurs when nasal tissue gets swollen and holds excess fluid. With congestion, you might also experience a runny nose.
Nasal congestion can make it difficult to breathe through your nose, diminish your sense of taste and smell, and make getting a good night’s sleep difficult.
If you experience nasal congestion, it might be because of a cold, the flu, or another illness. In these cases, nasal congestion usually goes away on its own.
Chronic, or long-lasting, nasal congestion can negatively affect your everyday life. Possible causes include:
At Atkins Expert Sinus Care, Dr. Atkins and his team find the root cause of nasal congestion to develop an effective treatment plan.
To find out why you experience chronic nasal congestion, Dr. Atkins asks questions about the duration and severity of your symptoms. He reviews your medical history and might recommend you undergo asthma or allergy testing, nasal endoscopy, or in-house CT scans to develop a treatment plan that’s right for you.
Depending on the cause and severity of nasal congestion, Dr. Atkins might recommend one of the following treatments:
Making certain lifestyle changes can reduce nasal congestion. Avoid air pollution and cigarette smoke if you can. Use a saline solution to rinse your nasal passages, try a humidifier, and moisturize your sinuses.
If seasonal allergies contribute to nasal congestion, Dr. Atkins might recommend medications, nasal sprays, sublingual immunotherapy, or allergy shots to reduce unpleasant symptoms and optimize your quality of life.
Dr. Atkins may suggest you take certain medications to widen nasal passages, reduce inflammation, and help you breathe easier.
Dr. Atkins and his team specialize in minimally invasive sinus procedures to offer you long-lasting nasal congestion relief. He might recommend septoplasty, balloon sinuplasty (BSP), polyp removal, or other procedures.
FDA-approved ClariFix® reduces nasal congestion using cryotechnology by freezing a nerve in your nose under local or IV sedation. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), inferior turbinate reduction, and VivAer® treatment for nasal valve stenosis can also clear your sinuses. Post-surgery care with stents helps keep nasal passages open during your recovery.
The most effective nasal congestion treatment depends on your lifestyle, the cause of congestion, and your preferences. You have a voice in your care, and Dr. Atkins works with you to develop a treatment plan that optimizes your results. He recommends conservative treatment first and offers minimally invasive surgery as needed.
Don’t live with chronic nasal congestion when simple treatments can offer you relief. Call Atkins Expert Sinus Care, or use the online booking feature today.
