Enlarged turbinate treatment: Surgical options and other treatments

Turbinates are structures inside the nose. Swelling due to irritation, allergies, or infection can cause enlarged turbinates. A person can treat this by addressing the underlying reasons, certain medications, or rarely, with surgery.

Turbinates are small, curved, bony structures inside the nose that clean, warm, and humidify the air a person breathes. Enlarged turbinates can cause a person to experience nasal congestion and difficulty breathing through their nose. It can also cause headaches and increased facial pressure. Other symptoms of enlarged turbinates include snoring and a dry mouth.

Medical professionals sometimes refer to enlarged turbinates as turbinate hypertrophy. Treatment options may include lifestyle changes, medications, and surgery.

In some cases a person may develop enlarged turbinates when they come into contact with certain allergens and other substances. These can include:

If a person does develop enlarged turbinates due to contact with certain allergens, they may wish to reduce their contact with these allergens in order to reduce symptoms.

If a person develops enlarged turbinates due to contact with certain allergens and other substances, a medical professional may recommend treating the condition with intranasal steroid sprays.

These sprays contain steroids that have non-specific anti-inflammatory properties. These properties help reduce the volume of soft tissue within the nose, to help aid better airflow. However, medical professionals recommend that people do not use these steroid sprays for a prolonged period of time as this may lead to adverse effects.

Decongestants are a type of medication that can provide short-term relief for nasal congestion.

Medical professionals sometimes use the decongestant oxymetazoline to treat people with enlarged turbinates. Oxymetazoline works by narrowing the small blood vessels in the lining of the nose. This shrinks swollen nasal tissue creating more space for airflow.

Oxymetazoline specifically works on α1 and α2 receptors in these blood vessels, causing them to constrict. When the blood vessels shrink, the mucosa swells less and the nasal passages open up.

Silver nitrate cauterization is a non-surgical treatment for enlarged turbinates. During this treatment, a medical professional applies silver nitrate to a portion of the surface of both inferior turbinates. The silver nitrate then causes damage to the nasal mucosa and reduces the size of the turbinates.

Research notes that silver nitrate cauterization is effective for treating chronic rhinitis and chronic turbinate hypertrophy. Following the procedure, medical professionals may advise people to use an isotonic nasal spray and take antihistamines for 7 days.

The inferior turbinate bone is the largest of the turbinate bones. It is located in the lower section of the lateral nasal wall.

Inferior turbinate bone resection (ITBR) is a surgical procedure that involves removing some of the inferior turbinate bone. This procedure helps to improve airflow through the nose. During the procedure a surgeon injects medicine with adrenaline to reduce bleeding. They then make a small cut at the front of the turbinate to reach inside.

The surgeon removes extra soft tissue under the surface called the submucosa, but keeps the thin surface layer in place. Then the surgeon gently moves the turbinate bone outward to create more space and trims away any extra tissue.

Finally, the surgeon closes the cut with dissolvable stitches so the inside stays covered. After surgery, patients rinse their nose and place soft packing to keep it moist while healing.

Partial inferior turbinectomy (PIT) is another effective surgical procedure that medical professionals use to treat enlarged turbinates.

During this procedure a medical professional will remove part of the mucous membrane and the bone of the inferior turbinate. This process reduces the size of the turbinate, which helps clear the airway and improves breathing.

Submucosal diathermy (SMD) is a treatment for enlarged turbinates that doctors may suggest if medicines do not work.

During SMD, a medical professional uses a probe device to deliver controlled electrical currents to some of the tissues inside the turbinates. The current then produces heat inside these tissues, which damages them.

The damaged tissue then heals over time and scarring occurs. This scarring shrinks the turbinate, creating more space inside the nasal cavity to improve airflow. SMD is generally a safe, minimally invasive procedure. Complications of SMD are rare.

Enlarged turbinates can block the nose, making it hard for a person to breathe. This can also cause increased facial pressure, headaches, or snoring.

Treatments can include silver nitrate cauterization, reducing contact with allergens, intranasal steroid sprays, and decongestants. If ineffective, a doctor may suggest using surgery to treat the condition.

ITBR and PIT are two procedures that involve removing part of the turbinate bone and surrounding tissues to help increase airflow. SMD is another possible procedure that uses gentle electrical currents to shrink the turbinate tissue through scarring.