Nose
We are proud to provide patients with comprehensive nasal and sinus care.
Congestion & Stuffy Nose
Nasal complaints are among the most common conditions for which patients seek medical care, including nasal congestion, runny nose, postnasal drip, and nose bleeds. At Benjamin Liess, MD, LLC, we are highly skilled and use state of the art diagnostic techniques to arrive at a personalized treatment plan to resolve your nasal complaints.
Medical treatment for nasal obstruction and congestion include:
- Oral antihistamines or leukotrienes
- Nasal saline rinses
- Nasal steroid rinses
- Nasal steroid sprays
- Nasal steroid/antihistamine spray combination
- Allergen avoidance
- Immunotherapy (allergy shots or drops under the tongue)
Deviated Septum
Chronic nasal congestion can be the result of a deviated septum.
What Causes a Deviated Septum?
A deviated septum is often congenital but can be acquired from trauma to the nose. This can make it difficult to breathe correctly, especially when an upper respiratory infection is present. Symptoms of a deviated septum include snoring, facial pain, frequent nosebleeds, and difficulty sleeping.
Nosebleeds
Epistaxis (nose bleeding) is defined as bleeding from the nose, sinuses, or nasopharynx. The septum contains blood vessels that can be easily damaged. The most common etiology of a nosebleed is local trauma/irritation to the nose, frequently exacerbated by dryness in the nose.
What Causes a Nosebleed?
- Allergies, infections, or dryness that causes itching
- Vigorous nose blowing that ruptures superficial blood vessels
- Problems with bleeding caused by genetic or inherited clotting disorders
- Medications that prevent blood clotting
- Fractures of the nose or the base of the skull
- Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, a disorder involving birthmark-like blood vessel growths inside the nose
- Tumors, both malignant (cancerous) and nonmalignant (benign)
Nasal Polyps
Nasal Polyps are soft, fleshy growths that occur in the nasal passages and sinuses. When present, polyps can cause nasal obstruction, decreased sense of smell and blocked drainage. Occasionally, a single large polyp will grow and extend into the nose.
Treatment of nasal polyps has traditionally included medications designed to decrease the inflammation of the nasal and sinus mucous membranes in hopes of shrinking the polyps.
Nasal Fracture
Pain when touched, swelling of the nose and bleeding from the nose are common symptoms of a nasal fracture. If you have a nose injury accompanied by difficulty breathing, unstoppable bleeding and a noticeable change in the shape of your nose, you should seek medical attention as it is probably broken.
The treatment for a nasal fracture depends on the severity. A minor fracture that has not changed the shape of your nose may not require medical attention at all and will heal on its own. Larger breaks will require a manual realignment of your nose. This procedure is performed with injected anesthesia.
Balloon Sinuplasty
Balloon Sinuplasty™ technology is an FDA-approved, endoscopic, catheter-based system for patients suffering from sinusitis. The technology uses a small, flexible, sinus balloon catheter to open up blocked sinus passageways, restoring normal sinus drainage and function. When the sinus balloon is inflated, it gently restructures and widens the walls of the passageway while maintaining the integrity of the sinus lining.
Nasal Surgery
Nasal surgery may be necessary to correct conditions such as:
- Nasal blockage
- Chronic sinusitis
- Deviated septum
- Sinus or nasal trauma
- Nosebleeds
- Nasal polyps
- Enlarged turbinates
- Chronic stuffiness
- Chronic breathing issues
Turbinate Reduction
This procedure reduces airway obstruction and difficulties breathing caused by enlarged or swollen turbinates, which are small bones that clean and humidify air as it passes through your nose.
There are several types of turbinate surgery, including the turbinectomy (full or partial tissue removal), the turbinoplasty (tissue repositioning), radiofrequency or laser ablation surgery (tissue reduction) and submucous resection surgery (partial bone or cartilage removal).
Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure to repair or reshape the nose. It can change the size, width, and profile of your nose and correct a deviated septum. The most common reasons for Rhinoplasty include:
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Traditional sleep apnea treatments are not effective
- Severely deviated septum requires correction
- Cosmetic reshaping of the nose
- Reconstruction after a nasal fracture or other trauma
