Nasal Congestion/Obstruction – When to see a Doctor

Transcript

Probably the most common reason my patients see me is for nasal obstruction and congestion. They’ll usually complain of difficulty breathing that’s extended, that’s not a short period of time. If you have difficulty breathing that’s temporary, usually it’s from an allergy attack, a possible upper respiratory infection or a sinus infection, that’s usually going to cause the tissues inside of your nose to swell up, increasing amount of mucus. And you might get some discolored mucus, yellow or green discharge. This is all treated with antibiotics, topical steroids, but other patients will come in for nasal obstruction and congestion that’s persistent, ongoing, and chronic. Sometimes the obstruction is only on one side of the nose. Sometimes it’s on both sides of the nose. Sometimes it’s chronic and it just comes and goes and varies. So the key with this is to have a good evaluation of the nasal cavity.