What Is Nasal Congestion?
鼻塞是一种常见的情况下，鼻腔通道和附近的组织有限制气流通过他们的结构性变窄, swelling of the tissues and blood vessels, or both. This causes a “stuffy nose.鼻塞的人也可能有鼻分泌物（流鼻涕）或鼻窦堵塞. 鼻窦是颅骨上与鼻腔相连的空洞.
Nasal congestion can be annoying, but it also can cause other health problems, such as difficulty sleeping. It can be a sign of an underlying condition, such as nasal polyps, allergy, 或者鼻中隔偏曲（分隔鼻腔通道的鼻壁偏离中心）。.
在犹他健康大学，大发娱乐接受过奖学金培训 rhinologists 耳鼻喉科的专家是否接受过鼻腔和鼻窦方面的高级培训. 他们大发娱乐提供专家护理，包括广泛的评估和个性化的治疗计划.
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Nasal Congestion Causes
People develop nasal congestion for many reasons. These reasons can fall under two main categories:
- 结构性问题可能会导致鼻腔阻塞和
- 鼻炎不是由结构问题引起的鼻腔或鼻窦内的炎症状况.
结构性和炎症性问题可以分别发生，也可以同时发生.
Nasal tumors also can cause congestion. These tumors are usually not cancerous.
Structural Problems
鼻子内部和周围结构的问题会导致鼻塞. These problems can include:
- 鼻中隔（分隔鼻腔的墙）偏曲
- a hole in the septum
- 鼻甲骨增大（鼻甲骨是鼻子内部的结构，有助于温暖和湿润流经鼻孔的空气）, 鼻子外部软骨变窄或塌陷.
Inflammatory Conditions
鼻腔发炎的原因可能是：
- allergies;
- acute sinusitis (sinus infection);
- chronic sinusitis (ongoing sinus inflammation);
- 接触刺激物，如烟草烟雾、木屑或化学品；
- nasal polyps, which are soft, painless, 由持续的炎症引起的鼻粘膜或鼻窦的非癌性生长；
- swelling or irritation of tissues in the nose not related to allergies; and
- 由感冒或流感引起的病毒感染.
服用或过度使用某些药物也会导致鼻塞. This may happen when using decongestant sprays, blood pressure medications, or erectile dysfunction medications.
When to See A Doctor for This Condition
如果鼻塞持续10天以上, 考虑与你的初级保健大发娱乐提供者预约，特别是如果你有其他症状，例如：
- thick, discolored mucus;
- fever; or
- facial pain or pressure.
Your provider may recommend treatments such as:
- using a steroid nasal spray
- taking allergy medication
- taking an antibiotic,
- getting more rest, and
- rinsing your sinuses with a saline solution.
If your symptoms persist, 你可能需要预约专科医生, such as a rhinologist. U of U Health的鼻科医生是诊断和治疗鼻塞的专家.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
在你的第一次预约中，鼻科医生会和你谈谈：
- 你的症状和持续的时间
- what makes your nasal congestion better or worse,
- what treatments you have already tried, and
- 任何可能使你的症状恶化的潜在条件，比如过敏.
The doctor will do a nasal endoscopy, 它包括使用一根带有小摄像头和灯的细管来观察你的鼻子和鼻窦通道.
医生可能会要求进行检查，这些检查可能会在晚些时候进行. These may include:
- allergy testing and
- a computed tomography (CT) scan to get a better view of your sinuses.
鼻科医生会大发娱乐提供详细的诊断，并告诉你接下来的步骤. 这可能发生在你的第一次预约或在后续预约, depending on the timing of your tests.
Your treatment plan may include medicine, at-home therapies, surgery, or a combination of these therapies.
Non-Surgical Treatments
许多患有鼻塞的人可以通过非手术治疗减轻鼻塞，提高他们的生活质量. This may include the following:
- flushing your sinuses with a saline solution,
- 使用含有皮质类固醇（抗炎）药物的鼻腔喷雾剂，
- 使用抗组胺药物（口服或喷雾），
- 使用口服抗生素药物（如果你有感染），
- 改变生活方式，比如避免刺激物，
- treating any allergies, and
- 如果过度使用导致充血，停止使用减充血药.
不管鼻塞的原因是什么，这些疗法通常都是有用的.
用生理盐水冲洗缓解鼻塞
用生理盐水冲洗鼻窦是治疗鼻塞的常用方法，你可以在家里做. It can benefit you in many ways, including by:
- removing excess mucus from your nasal passages,
- 清除鼻腔中的过敏原和刺激物，
- humidifying your nasal passages, and
- 在你的鼻腔通道内创造空间，这样鼻腔喷雾剂就可以到达患处.
鼻科医生会向你详细说明如何进行生理盐水冲洗. 稍加练习，你可能会发现这种家庭疗法有助于缓解鼻塞.
Surgical Treatments
如果非手术治疗不起作用或不太可能在你的情况下起作用，鼻科医生可能会建议手术. 大多数鼻塞手术都是纠正结构性问题, such as a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates.
如果慢性鼻窦炎导致你鼻塞, 鼻医生可能会建议进行内窥镜鼻窦手术. 这个手术打开阻塞的鼻窦，使它们能更好地排水，消炎药可以更容易地到达你的鼻窦.
鼻塞的手术是在门诊进行的. Surgery alone is not necessarily a cure. 根据医生的指示，你可能需要使用含有抗炎药物的鼻腔喷雾剂或冲洗液, depending on the cause of your congestion.
Making an Appointment with a Rhinologist
推荐是受欢迎的，但不是必要的，当预约与一个鼻科医生在U的U健康. 预约，请致电801-587-8368或使用大发娱乐的 online form. 大发娱乐的团队将在您访问之前核实您的保险范围. 如果你有过与你的病情相关的医学检查, we will request the results from your provider. 大发娱乐的目标是使您的访问尽可能高效和有用.