Deviated Septum: Symptoms, Treatments, and Solutions - Otolaryngology

Dr. Ye Dawei reply Otolaryngology

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Student Lin.
1.
It may be a symptom of a deviated septum.
2.
Surgery is the best option.
3.
No.
4.
Medication can be used for treatment.
5.
No.
For your reference, please see the previous article.
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Yeh Da-Wei's ENT Clinic Medical Education ■　 ─── 2000/02/20 ┐ The leading dizziness specialist in the Zhuzhong-Miaoli area, a pioneer in online medical practice in Taiwan.
└─　Dr.
Yeh Da-Wei's ENT website: http://www.csie.nctu.edu.tw/~yehdawei ─┘ This article will be organized in the future on 【Dr.
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-----------------------------------------------------------【The 'Cure-All Surgery' for Nasal Diseases That Makes One's Nose Tingle】 In the outpatient clinic of an ENT specialist, symptoms such as cough, headache, dizziness, and nasal congestion are quite common.
However, due to their complex causes, treatment can be challenging, leading patients to be attracted to exaggerated advertisements promising "cure" and "complete treatment." In the past two years, many patients have come to the clinic after undergoing the so-called "five-minute nasal disease cure," resulting in issues like nasal mucosal adhesion, nasal vestibule inflammation, nasal passage narrowing, and nasal septum perforation, which are truly overwhelming and disheartening.
The causes of nasal congestion generally include "infection," "structural abnormalities of the nose," "allergic rhinitis," and "vasomotor rhinitis," each with its own pathogenic mechanisms and treatment options.
Of course, each condition has its limits in treatment efficacy, which has allowed these alternative practitioners to gain traction.
Below is a brief introduction to each condition based on this classification.
◎ Infection: The most common cause of nasal congestion is the common cold.
Once the cold resolves, the congestion typically improves.
Bacterial infections leading to sinusitis are more severe, presenting with nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and chronic nighttime cough, which can significantly affect children's sleep quality and academic performance.
If conservative treatments such as medication and nasal irrigation are ineffective, surgery may be recommended.
The previously common Luc's radical surgery, which involved incising the lip to remove the entire sinus mucosa, has now been completely replaced by endoscopic sinus surgery.
This technique allows for selective removal of obstructive mucosal tissue under good visualization, restoring normal sinus function.
◎ Structural Abnormalities of the Nose: A deviated septum and chronic hypertrophic rhinitis.
A "deviated septum" can occur naturally during birth or as a result of trauma causing cartilage bending.
The degree of deviation does not always correlate with nasal congestion, and the decision to surgically correct it can depend on the patient's subjective experience.
"Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis" refers to the hypertrophy of normal turbinate tissue, which can lead to nasal congestion symptoms.
The "turbinates," also known as "nasal conchae," are normal physiological structures located on the lateral wall of the nasal cavity, which patients can often see when examining their own nasal passages.
Sometimes, patients may be misinformed that these are nasal polyps and undergo inappropriate cauterization procedures.
◎ Allergic Rhinitis: Currently, there is no definitive cure for allergic rhinitis in medicine.
It is a disease caused by a specific predisposition, leading to nasal mucosal edema and congestion.
Treatment can be tailored based on the severity of symptoms, using oral medications, nasal sprays, or even surgery to alleviate nasal congestion.
◎ Vasomotor Rhinitis: Various factors can trigger vasomotor rhinitis, including work stress, hormonal changes during pregnancy, certain antihypertensive medications, and even irritants like perfumes, temperature and humidity changes, or cooking fumes.
These factors can cause vasodilation and congestion of the nasal mucosa, leading to symptoms of nasal congestion.
Whether it is chronic hypertrophic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, or vasomotor rhinitis, treatment options include conservative oral medications, nasal sprays, traditional inferior turbinate resection, and advanced laser surgery.
There are also techniques using thermal probes placed submucosally in the turbinates, where radiofrequency generates low heat to cause protein coagulation in the submucosal tissue, leading to fibrosis and reduction of the hypertrophied turbinates.
Nasal congestion is not classified as a disease, but it is a highly bothersome symptom.
It not only makes breathing difficult but can also lead to dizziness, headaches, difficulty concentrating, snoring, insomnia, or sleep apnea.
Consulting a professional ENT specialist to identify the true cause of nasal congestion and selecting appropriate symptomatic treatment is the right approach.
We sincerely hope not to see any more so-called "cure-all surgeries" for nasal diseases in the clinic.

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Reply Date: 2005/08/08