Medical Treatments for Nasal Congestion

Allergy Management   |   Nonallergic Rhinitis Management   |   Chronic Nasal Congestion

Allergy Management

The physicians at the Nasal & Sinus Center of Austin have extensive training in allergy evaluation and management. It is important to have allergy testing to understand the different allergens that you may be sensitive to, and to what degree. Specific recommendations can then be made for avoiding or reducing exposure to these allergens. This allergy testing can be performed through our office with a simple blood test. The allergy testing results are combined with a thorough history and detailed endoscopic evaluation of the nasal cavity which is performed in our office. We can also perform high resolution CT scan imaging in our office to see if anatomical issues or infection are complicating the treatment of your allergies. Thorough evaluation to determine if the congestion and discharge may be from non-allergic causes is performed as well. A symptom-specific approach is then used to treat the allergy complaints and provide safe and effective control of even the worst allergy complaints.

Simple office-based procedures can also be used to correct difficult to control allergy congestion.

Septoplasty for small spurs that frequently block the nasal entrance can also be easily performed as a simple office based procedure under local anesthetic.

Balloon dilation of the natural sinus outflow tracks that block during allergy swelling can provide great relief during allergy attacks that cause sinus headache and pressure.

Intranasal injections using anti-inflammatory drugs and anesthetic can also provide great relief to get patients through a difficult season and also as a way to prevent these annual exacerbations.

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Nonallergic Rhinitis Management

Some of the most frustrated patients are those that have suffered from allergies their whole life just to be told when they finally get testing that they don't have any allergies.

This group of patients has a disease called non-allergic rhinitis. They suffer with all the same complaints of nasal congestion, pressure, sinus pain, and runny nose but they are not reacting to common allergens. They typically are responding to changes in temperature, humidity, barometric pressure as well as other environmental changes such as pollution. Sometimes this is combined with true allergic rhinitis making the patient suffer by two different mechanisms. These nonallergic patients require a different approach to be successfully managed.

Certain topical medications have been developed specifically to assist these patients. Some of the standard allergy medications can be helpful as well.

Many times the patient suffers from nasal obstruction and sinus headache that will not respond to any medications. These patients will often get significant relief with office-based turbinate reduction and balloon sinuplasty techniques. These minimally invasive procedures can typically be performed as a simple office procedure with quick recovery and fast results.

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Chronic Nasal Congestion

Our comprehensive evaluation allows us to find each and every cause of a patient's nasal congestion. It is all too common to find patients who have had extensive allergy treatment who really have a primarily anatomical problem causing their nasal obstruction. We see patients who have had recurring surgeries to clear polyps who have not had the primary infection that is causing the polyps identified and treated. We see patients with chronic infection being treated without cultures to identify the best antibiotic to use. At the Nasal and Sinus Center of Austin, we are experts in all of these areas and we have sophisticated office equipment such as nasal endoscopes and an office CT scanner to correctly identify the causes of your nasal congestion and get much needed relief.

To request an appointment at the Nasal and Sinus Center in Austin, TX, please call (512) 339-4040 or request an appointment online.

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