This site does not provide
medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency,
call your doctor or 911 immediately.
The
website is created and sponsored by Medtronic ENT as an
informational and educational resource for the general public.
The medical information contained within this website has been
reviewed to ensure its accuracy. Medtronic ENT has a financial
interest in the products sold in this medical field.
Do I Suffer from Nasal Obstruction?
This short quiz can help you determine if you may have a nasal obstruction. Click here to take the quiz.
Patient Stories
Debbe Cornitius - Her stuffy nose and sinus pressure became
constant companions. Read
her story.
Mechanics Of A
Breath
When you breathe in, the breath is forced to
pass through the narrowest portion of the nose, the nasal valve,
which increases air speed and pressure. Just after passing the
valves, the air expands into the nasal cavity, creating
turbulence.
This turbulence promotes contact between the air
and the moist mucosa tissue. Through this process, the breath is cleansed of
particles, humidified, and heated or cooled to near body
temperatures.
Causes of nasal obstruction - acute sinus infection
Inflammation from an acute sinus infection can cause swelling and narrow the sinus openings, resulting in nasal blockage. An acute sinus infection is a sinus infection that lasts two to four weeks and generally responds well to medical therapy. It's also called acute sinusitis and is usually initiated by an upper respiratory infection (the common cold).
In fact, computer tomography (CT) scans reveal that more than 80 percent of colds cause sinus inflammation. Typically, this inflammation—like the cold itself—resolves within two weeks. Acute sinusitis also may follow the inflammation associated with an allergy attack or environmental irritants.
Sometimes, an acute sinus infection is caused by the normally harmless bacteria that most healthy people have in their upper respiratory tracts. This type of acute sinus infection occurs in approximately 2 percent of adults and 20 percent of children who are suffering from a cold.
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These bacteria are kept in check until the body's defenses are weakened or a cold blocks drainage from the sinuses. When this happens, the bacteria can become trapped by swelling in the nose and narrow sinus passages. The trapped bacteria then begin to multiply, causing acute bacterial sinusitis.
Nasal blockage can result when the inflammation from an acute sinus infection causes swelling and the sinus openings narrow. If the inflammation and swelling do not improve with medical treatment or they recur, then your infection may have become chronic and you may need surgery.
