There many potential causes of a blocked nose. Sometimes the lining of the inside of the nose can be swollen, and sometimes there are fixed blockages made by cartilage or bone inside the nose. Treatment can involve medicines or surgery.
There are multiple types of surgery that may help depending on the cause of blockage. Septoplasty is an operation to straighten the cartilage and bone inside of the nose. This makes it different from a septorhinoplasty, which is an operation to straighen the inside, and the bones of the outside of the nose. Sometimes, these operations may be combined with a procedure to shrink the turbinates – fleshy growths inside the nose that can also cause blockage if too large. Some people may have sinusitis or polyps blocking the nose that might benefit from sinus surgery. You can read, see and hear more about blocked noses, septoplasty, septorhinoplasty, turbinate operations, sinus surgery and nasal douching below.
Conditions
Blocked nose (Nasal obstruction) ENTUK
Blocked or runny nose in children (Rhinosinusitis) ENTUK
Nasal polyps ENTUK
Procedures
Surgery to unblock the nose by straightening the inside (Septoplasty) ENTUK
Surgery to unblock the nose by straightening the inside and outside (Septorhinoplasty) ENTUK
Surgery to unblock the nose by making the turbinates smaller (Turbinectomy / Turbinoplasty / Submucosal diathermy) University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
Sinus surgery for nasal polyps ENTUK
Sinus surgery for patients with rhinosinusitis without polyps ENTUK
Post procedure care
Procedure videos *Please be advised that this video contains graphic footage of surgery*
Endoscopic septoplasty Mayo Clinic
Inferior turbinate reduction Mayo Clinic
Endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis Mayo Clinic
Audio, large text and other language versions
Where is this information from?
ENTUK.org: “ENT UK is the professional membership body representing ear, nose and throat surgery and head, neck and thyroid surgery in the UK.” Its members include over 2300 ENT health professionals. Their patient information leaflets linked above are written and reviewed by named specialist consultant ENT surgeons.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust “Our Trust manages two major hospitals in Coventry and Rugby, which between them serve a population of over a million people. Every year we provide more than 800,000 episodes of care to patients from across Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond.”
“Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of “the needs of the patient come first.” Our headquarters are located in Rochester, MN, while we have campuses in Florida and Arizona.”