Nasal congestion has a host of potential causes, and you won't get good treatment without honest answers. Some potential questions your doctor will ask include:


Amount of time congested. If longer than seven days, see a doctor immediately.
Color of mucus
Other symptoms, including aches, fever, coughing, etc.
Any known allergies.
Whether or not you smoke., Most nasal congestion is a symptom of a cold or other infection. Accordingly, most doctors will start with drugs to fight the infection off.


Be sure to tell the doctor if you take any other drugs or medication regularly.
 It sounds uncomfortable, but topical anesthetic makes it pain-free and easy. A thin camera is snaked into your sinus to look for polyps, septum deviations, or infections. If your symptoms persists, expect this to be the doctor's first move after drugs.


The alternative, a radiologic (x-ray) study, is both expensive and impractical, but may be needed for extreme or difficult cases.
 This easy, 15-minute procedure uses heat to open up your sinuses and clear blockage. You will be put under local anesthetic and will likely be out the door within an hour.


While you will have hot needles in both nostrils, most patients hardly feel a thing.
There will be congestion for the first 1-2 weeks as you heal.
If the procedure does not work, it can be repeated several weeks later.
This is usually performed by an ENT doctor in their office, not at the hospital., If you have a major infection or blockage, you might need endoscopic sinus surgery. A rigid camera will be placed up your nose, which is used to guide a surgeon trying to remove diseased areas or opening up natural cavities.


Surgery is almost always outpatient. You will return home that day.
Pain is minimal, and you should feel as good as new within a week or less.
Revisions are occasionally necessary, though the success rate is high., Turbinates are the structures in your nose that cause congestion. Using CO2 or KTP lasers, they are shrunk down within 20 minutes. There is no packing needed and you can return to work the same day.


You may have light congestion for a week before everything clears up.
You will have mild local anesthetic -- no needles needed.
The drawback of LTS is the expense. It may not be offered at all clinics.
Be ready to answer several basic questions.
Expect the first line of defense to be antibiotics and prescription drugs.
Prepare for an endoscopy, when a camera is placed up your nose for diagnosis.
Ask about somnoplasty to cure some chronic cases of congestion.
Understand that your doctor will only recommend surgery in extreme cases.
Ask about laser turbinate surgery (LTS) for minimally invasive, extra-quick decongestion.
{"src": "wikihow-all_validation", "title": "How to Clear Nasal Congestion4"}