Nose
Treating Chronic Conditions of the Nose
At Virginia Ear Nose and Throat, our expert providers are proud to treat conditions of the nose, including nosebleeds, nasal congestion and more. Our providers evaluate your symptoms and review your medical history to treat congestion so that you can ultimately breathe easier and feel better.
Nasal Congestion
Feeling congested? The reason why may surprise you. While it’s true that allergies and viruses can contribute to feeling stuffy and unable to breathe properly through your nose, anatomic deformities such as a deviated nasal septum may also be at fault. Even routine medications can contribute to nasal congestion.
What Is A Deviated Septum?
A deviated septum refers to a condition in which your septum, or the thin skin that separates your left and right nasal passage, is off-center. When this happens, one nasal passage is smaller than the other, causing the nasal passage to swell and form a blockage. As a result, deviated septums can lead to trouble breathing, chronic nasal congestion and frequent sinus infections.
Our team is ready to help you breathe easy again! A physical exam of the inside of your nose will help your Ear, Nose and Throat provider determine the severity of your deviated nasal septum. Though symptoms may respond to decongestants and other therapies, surgery is the only way to correct a deviated septum.
Treating Deviated Nasal Septums
Surgery to straighten the septum is called a Septoplasty. During septoplasty, our experienced surgeon trims, repositions or replaces the cartilage to straighten the septum. All surgeries are performed at our surgery center on Broad Street.
During your surgery consultation, your surgeon will review the procedure with you and answer any questions you may have. On the day of surgery, our experienced team will administer anesthesia. Your surgeon will repair the deviated septum by making small incisions inside the nose.
While recovering from surgery, it is important to follow all aftercare instructions provided by your doctor. This could include limiting physical activity and avoiding touching the surgical area for several weeks. Full recovery from septoplasty can take several months, and over time successful surgery restores a patient’s ability to breathe more easily.
Nosebleeds
There are few things more inconvenient than a nosebleed. Unexpected and unpredictable, most nosebleeds are a result of the drying out of the sinus cavity, or nasal mucosa, but chronic nosebleeds can lead to heavy blood loss and point to more serious conditions. High blood pressure and blood thinning medications can contribute to nosebleeds. Very rarely, nosebleeds can be a symptom of a nose tumor.
Treating Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds caused by dry sinuses can be prevented by keeping the area from drying out, especially during the cold months, by using nasal spray, an ointment or a humidifier. We recommend the following for immediate relief from a nosebleed:
Fortunately, most nosebleeds resolve themselves with time. If the nosebleed lasts for over 30 minutes or if you start to feel sick, you should consider visiting an emergency care center.
If you frequently experience persistent nosebleeds or heavy blood loss, it’s time to make an appointment with us. Once we know the underlying issue, we will work with you to effectively treat it.
