They can be very big in people with colds or allergies and are often mistaken for polyps in the nose: but the turbinates will be tender if poked with a probe, while polyps (which are much less common) are not painful or tender.
However, the nasal turbinates arise from the lateral nasal wall and do not appear as midline swelling. Nasal polyps result from a profound inflammatory response, with resultant swelling of the respiratory epithelium of the nasal and sinus mucosa.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Turbinate Hypertrophy? This condition can result in the sensation of difficulty breathing through the nose. It can also cause snoring, difficulty sleeping, and nosebleeds (epistaxis) because of turbulent airflow.
Someone who has turbinate hypertrophy can feel like they have a stuffy nose or trouble breathing all the time. A nasal steroid may decrease inflammation (and therefore, the swelling) of the turbinates, or surgery can be performed to decrease their size.
Polyps can be confused with acute rhinosinusitis, CRS, allergic rhinitis, and nonallergic rhinitis. Sometimes, polyps can appear on only one side.
Check if you have nasal polyps
blocked nose. runny nose. constant need to swallow (post-nasal drip) reduced sense of smell or taste.
The most common symptoms of nasal polyps include: Stuffy nose (nasal congestion) Runny nose. Facial sinus fullness (but usually not pain)
Enlarged turbinates is a reversible condition in most cases. However, allergic reactions, chronic inflammation, and exposure to irritants can cause ongoing turbinate swelling or turbinate hypertrophy. This condition causes it to become more difficult to breathe through the nose.
If your turbinates are swollen, your doctor may prescribe medication (e.g., nasal corticosteroid and nasal antihistamine sprays) to reduce the swelling. If enlarged inferior turbinates are causing your nasal obstruction, surgery may be the recommended treatment.
Turbinates: normal and abnormal comparison
They are made by a bony structure surrounded by vascular tissue and a mucous membrane outside, and can become swollen and inflamed by allergies, irritation or infection, causing nasal obstruction and producing an excessive amount of mucous which leads to congestion.
Take prescribed meds as directed and consult with their doctor before taking alternatives or using remedies to ease their pain or discomfort. Nasal rinses are a must during the 2-3 weeks that it takes the turbinates to heal and to prevent infection or scar tissue formation.
Deviated Septum and Turbinate Hypertrophy
As the nasal septum deviates to one side of the nose, it can reduce airflow, create more difficulty breathing, leave you susceptible to chronic sinus infections, chronic post nasal drip, headaches, and can cause snoring and sleep apnea, bad breath, and tooth decay.
Complete recovery can take 1-2 months. Turbinates are scroll-like, shell-shaped networks of bones, vessels, and tissues within the nasal passageways.
If you think you might have nasal polyps, it's important to get them checked out by an ENT doctor. Swelling in the nose can have a few other (possibly more serious) causes. Rarely, nasal swelling can indicate a benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous) tumor in the nostril.
That's because nasal polyps typically have no feeling in them and, as we mentioned earlier, you may not be able to see one inside your nose. You may be able to feel a nasal polyp with your finger if it's close to your nostril, but it's generally not a good idea to put your finger up your nose.
Surgical Treatment
Polypetomy: If the polyps are in the nasal passages, your ENT will perform a Polypectomy. This is done under local or general anesthetic. The polyps are removed from the nasal passages and a saline spray may be recommended during the brief recovery process.
Allergy therapy, such as nasal steroids or antihistamines, may help reduce the turbinates' size. Over-the-counter oral antihistamines and allergy shots may also be beneficial. If these methods fail to reduce the size of the turbinates, then structural changes may be necessary.
If you have trouble breathing through your nose and frequent nasal congestion you may have a condition called turbinate hypertrophy. We recommend every patient start a trial of a nasal steroid spray such as Flonase, Nasonex, Nasacort, or Rhinocort. This may shrink the turbinate and also control nasal allergies.
They are covered with a special skin called mucosa, and they help filter, warm, and humidify the air as you breathe. The mucosa naturally swells during the normal nasal cycle and when you lie down. They also swell in response to allergens and other stimuli.
For turbinate swelling, medicines like Sudafed, Claritin, Flonase, or Benadyl usually stop the swelling.
Or you can make your own at home. Add 1 teaspoon of non-iodized salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 cups of distilled or boiled and cooled water. Fill a squeeze bottle or neti pot with the nasal wash. Then put the tip into your nostril, and lean over the sink.
In most cases, the turbinates will return to their normal size after recovery. However, in some instances such as chronic sinusitis, the enlargement may be permanent.
Nasal polyps should be diagnosed by your doctor, who will use a nasal endoscope, which is a small thin telescope with a camera on the end, to see inside your nose. In some cases your doctor may take a small sample, called a biopsy, of the growth.
Can you remove nasal polyps with tweezers? No, they must be surgically removed as they are under the deep skin layers of the nose. Removal of nasal polyps can cause bleeding and puncture of the surrounding nasal passage and should be performed by a trained surgeon.