Senior Consultant Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery – Facial and Rhinoplasty at American Mission Hospital Dr. Habib Mirza said that a blocked nose is a phenomenon that many people complain about, and it is indeed disturbing, as the nose is the path of air and oxygen to the body, and its obstruction may cause many complaints and complications on breathing and on the functions of the nose.
And he indicated that the nose is the path of air and oxygen to the body, and it is a complete air conditioner, as it moisturizes the air entering the lungs and heats it if it is cold. It also purifies the air, that is, it prevents sand and dirt particles from entering the throat and picking up microbes, while its obstruction disrupts the functions of the nose.
He added: There are many reasons behind nasal obstruction, the most important of which is deformity of the nasal septum, as the nose is formed from a left and right cavity, and the nasal septum is located in the middle between the two cavities and separates them. Deviation of the nasal septum means that the septum separating the two cavities is tilted towards the right or the left, and this causes a chronic obstruction in the side that is inclined towards it, and as a result, enlargement of the nasal corneas occurs on the other side, and obstruction occurs on both sides.
He continued: Deviation of the nasal septum causes headaches and chronic obstruction in the nose, and may cause chronic inflammation in the sinuses, and sometimes recurrent infections in the middle ear and throat, and the nasal septum is modified by an operation from inside the nose under general anesthesia.
He emphasized that enlarged corneas or adenoids are among the causes of nasal obstruction, as the nasal corneas are present inside the nose at both ends, and when they are enlarged, they are the size of a large date grain, and cause chronic obstruction in the right and left sides, and may cause chronic headaches, indicating that nasal obstruction is Sometimes because of nasal polyps, which people mistakenly call polyps. And he indicated that nasal polyps are oval or spherical growths in the color and shape of white grapes, and there is a substance hanging like a jellyfish inside the nose, which causes nasal obstruction, headache, weakness or loss of the sense of smell.
He added that continuous secretions from the nose and back to the throat and chest infections were frequent. One of the main causes of chronic allergies or chronic inflammation. This condition differs from the adenoids, as well as from the adenoids of children, which is a single glandular mass located behind the nose above the tonsils, in addition to the presence of tumors and masses inside the nose that cause obstruction, which is one of the rare cases.
He continued: One of the most important complications of nasal obstruction is chronic headache, especially in the frontal area and around the eye, and chronic pharyngitis, as due to nasal obstruction breathing is done through the mouth, especially at night, which results in air entering the mouth without filtering and moisturizing by the nose, which causes infections. Chronic in the throat, larynx and chest and an unpleasant odor from the mouth.
Among the most prominent accompanying complications is chronic snoring due to nasal obstruction and breathing through the mouth, in addition to recurrent middle ear infections, which occur due to deformation of the nasal septum or the presence of polyps in the nose, which causes obstruction of the canal from the nose to the ear and thus otitis media.
Dr. pointed out. Habib pointed out that one of the most prominent complications that a person suffers from due to a blocked nose is fatigue, drowsiness and lack of concentration. A blocked nose causes a continuous lack of oxygen, which leads to additional work from the heart to pump more oxygen to the body, which causes constant fatigue and exhaustion. Oxygen causes drowsiness and lack of concentration.
He said: Nasal obstruction also causes weakness or loss of the sense of smell, in addition to the distortion of the arrangement of the teeth and the shape of the jaw, due to the continuous opening of the mouth to breathe through the mouth, especially in children, in addition to the incidence of frequent chest infections and hoarseness due to inhaling air from the mouth directly to the chest without Purifying and moisturizing.
Dr. warned. Habib put nose drops, indicating that their frequent use is very harmful. Because the essence of its composition is characterized by the presence of a substance that constricts blood vessels, which leads to a reaction to blockage of the nose again to a greater degree than it was, in addition to that the frequent use of drops may turn into a habit such as drinking coffee and tea so that the patient carries it in his pocket wherever he goes. These drops should not be used except in the case of severe cold and for a period not exceeding 5 days.
He stressed that there are complications of nasal drops, as they may cause severe frontal headache, complete nasal obstruction, weak sense of smell, nasal atrophy with an unpleasant odor, poor nasal resistance, colds and frequent infections, stressing the need to see a specialist doctor to prevent complications and take appropriate treatment.
