The normal and healthy thing to do is to breathe through the nose. Breathing the air through the nose provides heating, humidification and cleaning of the inhaled air. Thus, the air is made suitable for the lower respiratory tract. On the other hand, people with nasal congestion breathe through their mouths because they cannot breathe easily through their noses. Therefore, the air reaches the lower respiratory tract as drier and more polluted in these people. This situation predisposes chronic throat and lung diseases in the long term.
The nose also allows us to smell the surrounding odors and thus taste the food. These functions may also be impaired in people with nasal congestion. Anyone who has had a cold or flu knows more or less how this condition negatively affects their quality of life.
• Sleep with mouth open
• Drying in the throat in the morning
• Disruption of the sense of smell
• Disruption of the sense of taste
The most important information about determining the cause of nasal congestion is obtained by examining the nose. Nasal endoscopes can also be used during the examination when necessary. Endoscopes give very useful information especially in the detection of disorder of the back of the nose. Most of the time, nasal examination is sufficient to make a definitive diagnosis and no additional examination is needed. However, sometimes tests such as computed tomography and allergy tests may be required.
There are four main causes of nasal congestion. These reasons can cause nasal congestion on their own, or more than one cause can be found at the same time.
1. Structural causes
• Septum deviation
• Concha hypertrophy
• Adenoid enlargement (Adenoid hypertrophy)
• Foreign body in the nose
• Nasal tumors
• Common cold, flu, sinusitis
3. Allergic rhinitis
4. Vasomotor rhinitis