Nasal Obstruction

Nasal obstruction is bothersome because it impacts your ability to breathe comfortably through your nose.

Symptoms

Severe cases of nasal obstruction result in mouth breathing, which leads to snoring and in some patients is associated with sleep apnea.

Chronic mouth breathing at night also commonly results in the sensation of dry mouth in the morning.

Severe nasal obstruction may also be associated with loss of smell because of a lack of airflow to olfactory receptors.

Causes

Nasal obstruction, congestion and/or fullness are the most common symptoms in patients with sinusitis, but there are several anatomic causes of obstruction.

These anatomic factors are:

• Septal deviation may be a cause of nasal obstruction. This describes a crooked wall between both nasal cavities. This may be fixed by septoplasty.

• Turbinates, normal bones within the nasal cavity may be enlarged, causing nasal obstruction. This may be treated with medications or surgery.