Rhinitis – Inferior Turbinate Reduction

Transcript

One of the main features of allergic and non allergic rhinitis is swelling of the inside of the nose, including the turbinates or the humidifiers, which are structures in both sides of the nose. There are generally three, sometimes four in each side of the nose. And they can swell and congest significantly due to rhinitis. Sometimes reducing the size of those turbinates allows the patient to still have somewhat of a reaction to the environmental triggers, but not swell to the extent that it’s causing breathing obstruction and the classic symptoms. Sometimes your physician may recommend a surgical reduction. There are many techniques that are used. Techniques that are called submucous resection, where you go inside the turbinate and you reduce the turbinate from the inside. There are techniques where you can actually remove part of the turbinates, although I personally do not recommend that specific technique. I think the submucous resection preserves the normal function of the turbinate yet while shrinking it down so that it reduces significantly the symptoms of rhinitis.