Do You Have Trouble Breathing Through Your Nose?

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Spring is here—which means allergy season for many—and while the season can make breathing through the nose difficult, other factors can cause problems all year.

Medical and structural problems that cause nasal airway obstructions like deviated septum, nasal valve collapse and chronic sinusitis affect the ability to breathe through the nose. These common conditions, which can be caused by injury or anatomical changes over time, can plague those who suffer from them.

“We’re designed to breathe through the nose, and there are many benefits,” said Ahmed Sufyan, MD, otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeon at Mid-Michigan Ear Nose & Throat in East Lansing. “The nose has structure that naturally filters and humidifies the air we breathe. When the nose is obstructed, we resort to getting oxygen the only other way we can, through the mouth, which is not healthy.”

In addition to contributing to poor dental health and halitosis, consistent mouth breathing can lead to non-restful sleep, snoring, chronic fatigue, difficulty exercising and an inability or reduction in the ability to smell or taste.

To treat these symptoms, many patients undergo medical therapy with their primary care physician, which may include the prescription of nasal sprays, nasal steroids, antihistamines, decongestants, allergy testing and treatments. “Antihistamines and decongestants are some of the most prescribed medicines in the world, with more than $7 billion spent per year medically treating patients,” said Dr. Sufyan. “In many cases it hasn’t helped their condition because they have a structural problem not a medical one.”

Nasal airway obstructions, which are typically present throughout the year, can worsen during the allergy season and cause more serious illness. “Breathing in through your nose creates a negative suction that allows mucus to drain to the stomach, so when the airway is blocked, mucous and other fluids stagnate,” said Dr. Sufyan. “The bacteria that are present will then lead to a sinus infection and can eventually lead to bronchitis.”

Dr. Sufyan treats structural nasal airway obstructions with a surgical procedure known as endonasal or closed rhinoplasty, a 45-minute minimally invasive procedure that corrects the nasal framework for form and function. Patients typically have a recovery time of a few days. “This is the new standard of care,” said Dr. Sufyan. “Many patients are hesitant to undergo rhinoplasties because of open rhinoplasties’ reputation for pain, recovery times of up to a year, uncomfortable nasal packing and other issues. With endonasal rhinoplasty, patients avoid those issues, and many patients who undergo the procedure wish they would have had it done sooner.”

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