{"id":2192,"date":"2023-06-22T21:28:07","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T01:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/?p=2192"},"modified":"2023-06-22T21:28:26","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T01:28:26","slug":"what-is-a-turbinate-reduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/what-is-a-turbinate-reduction\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Turbinate Reduction?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Spending time outdoors is a great way to spend summer in Kentucky, whether it\u2019s a pleasant stroll around your neighborhood or a hike through Moser Branch Double Falls. Unfortunately, symptoms like chronic <a href=\"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/ent\/congestion-stuffy-nose\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nasal congestion<\/a> and other nasal issues can make these activities much more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you find yourself suffering from these symptoms, you may be dealing with swollen turbinates and require a turbinate reduction procedure to correct it.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-are-turbinates\">What Are Turbinates? <\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/iStock-1055560846-1536x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Senior woman blowing her nose.\" class=\"wp-image-2195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/iStock-1055560846-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/iStock-1055560846-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/iStock-1055560846-scaled.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/iStock-1055560846-256x171.jpg 256w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Turbinates are three small bone structures in the nose. They work to warm, moisten and filter the air in the nasal passages and help regulate nasal airflow. It\u2019s not uncommon for turbinates to become swollen. At a certain point, this swelling can start to interfere with breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some causes of swollen turbinates include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Allergies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/ent\/sinusitis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sinus infection<\/a> or upper respiratory infection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A deviated septum<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inflammation or irritation in the nose<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"swollen-turbinate-symptoms\">Swollen Turbinate Symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>The primary symptoms of swollen turbinates are nasal congestion and difficulty breathing through your nose. This can lead to issues like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Chronic snoring and sleep apnea<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Difficulty sleeping<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Postnasal drip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nosebleeds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduced sense of smell<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"non-surgical-treatments\">Non-Surgical Treatments<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>If you have swollen turbinates, your ENT provider may first try non-surgical options like certain medications or allergy treatments. However, if those don\u2019t provide lasting relief, they will likely recommend turbinate reduction.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-expect-during-turbinate-reduction\">What To Expect During Turbinate Reduction<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Prior to your surgery, you may need to have bloodwork done and stop taking certain medications. Your doctor will inform you of your specific instructions, such as when to stop eating or drinking before surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With regards to the actual procedure, there are multiple surgical methods that can effectively reduce the size of turbinates, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Laser surgery<\/strong>\u2014Uses a laser beam on the inferior turbinate to create lesions that allow for removal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cryosurgery<\/strong>\u2014Similar to laser surgery but involves freezing the turbinate for removal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Radiofrequency<\/strong>\u2014Delivers heat from a high-frequency current to destroy the turbinate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Turbinate resection<\/strong>\u2014Removes all or part of the inferior turbinate and widens the nasal airway.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Data tells us that \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32453643\/\">all inferior <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32453643\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">turbinate<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32453643\/\"> surgery techniques lead to a significant improvement in the patient&#8217;s quality of life<\/a>, and no significant differences were found between the techniques.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since turbinate reduction is usually a same-day procedure, you should be able to go home after being monitored by medical staff for a little while after to ensure no complications. You\u2019ll be provided with recovery instructions and likely medication to help ease any pain or discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s common to experience increased nasal discharge as your turbinates heal. You can use a humidifier or saline spray to help moisten the nostrils and treat any dryness that might occur as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more about turbinate reduction or to have your symptoms evaluated by one of our specialists, call ENT &#038; Allergy Specialists &#8211; Ear Nose and Throat Physicians and Surgeons today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/whats-the-difference-between-hyperthyroidism-and-hypothyroidism\/\" class=\"related-post\">What\u2019s the Difference Between Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/adult-tonsillectomy-and-what-to-expect\/\" class=\"related-post\">Adult Tonsillectomy and What to Expect<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/how-much-earwax-is-too-much\/\" class=\"related-post\">How Much Earwax Is Too Much?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spending time outdoors is a great way to spend summer in Kentucky, whether it\u2019s a pleasant stroll around your neighborhood or a hike through Moser Branch Double Falls. Unfortunately, symptoms like chronic nasal congestion and other nasal issues can make these activities much more difficult. If you find yourself suffering from these symptoms, you may&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ent"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entandallergyspecialists.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}