Nasal Congestion/Obstruction – Nasal Valve

Transcript

The other part of your airway, your nasal airway, that can be a problem, is called the nasal valve. The nasal valve is in the front part of the nose. And the structures that involve the nasal valve are the nasal septum, your turbinate, and then the side wall of your nose. For some patients, that side wall is not so strong, it’s a little weak. And so whenever they breathe in, that side wall collapses. When that side wall collapses, it causes a narrowing and difficulty with airflow. This is an area that’s often missed when examined by many physicians. There’s a surgical treatment that’s involved in removing cartilage from part of your septum and using that cartilage to reconstruct the side wall of your nose, giving it more structure and more firmness so that it’s less likely to collapse.