Tag: nasal obstruction treatment

Breathe Easier This Holiday Season with VivAer®

Posted on November 15, 2022

A woman standing by a Christmas tree with decorations tired, rubbing her nose and eyes, feeling nasal obstruction.

Breathe Easier With VivAer®

The holidays are full of joyful occasions like office parties, family get-togethers, and even cozy moments at home. The last thing you want is difficulty breathing, headaches, and fatigue while celebrating the most wonderful time of the year. We understand how challenging it can be to enjoy the festivities when you don’t feel your best.

If you suffer from difficulty breathing through your nose, fatigue, and headaches, you may have chronic nasal obstruction. Thankfully, VivAer® Nasal Airway remodeling is an innovative, non-invasive treatment designed to improve all your symptoms. In this blog, the team of experts at Excel ENT discusses all you need to know about VivAer® treatment and how it can help you.

What Are the Symptoms of Nasal Obstruction?

Nasal obstruction is caused by the enlargement, or swelling, of certain structures in the nose, like the septum, lateral wall, or turbinates. As these structures swell, the airway size becomes smaller, causing difficulty breathing. If you frequently have trouble breathing through your nose, you may have chronic nasal obstruction.

Some of the common symptoms of nasal obstruction include:

  • Trouble breathing through your nose
  • A sensation of something blocking your nasal passage
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Fatigue
  • Inability to breathe through your nose during exercise
  • Loud snoring
  • Facial pain or pressure
  • Headaches

If you are experiencing these symptoms, we recommend you contact your primary care doctor. Your primary physician can refer you to an otolaryngologist, also known as an ear, throat, and nose doctor (ENT), who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of nasal obstruction.

How Can VivAer® Help Nasal Obstruction?

The VivAer® Nasal Airway remodeling procedure is an innovative technology that expands nasal passages. This non-invasive, safe treatment can significantly improve your quality of life and allow you to breathe easier.

After numbing the inside of your nose with a local anesthetic, your doctor will insert a small wand into the nasal passage. The low-temperature radiofrequency energy (RF) on the wand’s tip gently expands and remodels damaged or shrunken tissues and valves. With this procedure, doctors can also shrink turbinates, soft bony structures that often swell during cases of nasal allergies. Just a slight increase in surface area with the help of VivAer® can create significant relief and improve airflow for those suffering from chronic nasal obstruction.

What Are the Benefits of VivAer® for Nasal Obstruction?

There are a variety of benefits of the VivAer® procedure, including:

  • Non-invasive procedure: VivAer® involves no cutting and doesn’t damage any surrounding areas.
  • Comfortable treatment: Most people feel minimal to zero discomfort. Some describe a feeling of pressure if anything.
  • Clinically Proven: Over a 2-year clinical study, 97% of patients experienced vast improvements in nasal breathing.
  • No downtime: This treatment is quick and painless, and most people return to regular activities the same day.
  • The outer appearance isn’t affected: As opposed to other nasal surgeries, VivAer® doesn’t alter the appearance of your nose in any way.

Who Is a Candidate for VivAer®?

If you suffer from chronic nasal obstruction, you are most likely a candidate for the VivAer® procedure. Candidates typically have found treatments like medications and nasal dilator strips to be ineffective. Your provider may suggest the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) test and the Cottle Maneuver test to confirm a diagnosis.

The Cottle Mannuever is a test you can do at home and involves placing two fingertips on your cheek next to each side of your nose, then gently pressing and pulling outward. If you find relief from your nasal passage expanding, VivAer® is likely an excellent treatment option. Depending on your specific condition, there may be other criteria, but your ENT can provide more information about whether VivAer® is suitable for you.

Find the Relief You Deserve from Nasal Obstruction

Don’t settle for another night of nasal airstrips or frustration while trying to breathe through your nose; contact a provider to learn if the VivAer® procedure is right for you. This non-invasive, comfortable treatment can expand your airway in just minutes. Find the relief you deserve, just in time for the holidays, at Excel ENT in Birmingham!

Excel ENT: Sinus Experts in Birmingham AL

If you are suffering from chronic nasal obstruction or another sinus ailment, contact the sinus experts at Excel ENT. With years of experience, Dr. Davis and his team are experts in nose, throat, and ear treatments. Call us at 205-988-6858 or contact us online to find the relief you deserve!

Chronic Nasal Obstruction: its impacts, our convenient solutions

Posted on December 11, 2020

Chronic nasal obstructions cleared with Excel ENT

If you experience chronic nasal obstruction, otherwise known as chronic nasal congestion or continually having a “stuffy nose,” you likely already know this significantly impacts your overall wellbeing and happiness. 

Chronic nasal obstruction can often make it difficult to breathe, focus on work, perform daily activities, and even fully experience the world around you, as your attention is usually centered on merely trying to get air into your nostrils. 

Not to mention, this miserable condition can lead to serious health complications if not treated properly. Below we cover the different ways chronic nasal congestion negatively affects everyday life and how it may lead to other problems. 

Additionally, keep reading to discover an in-office treatment for chronic nasal obstruction we offer at Excel ENT. It’s minimally-invasive, completely safe, exceptionally effective, and often less scary than the more popular nasal congestion treatments available today. 

5 Ways Chronic Nasal Obstruction Negatively Impacts Everyday Life

Disrupted Sleep

No doubt, sleeping can seem impossible with nasal congestion problems. A healthy nasal pathway is essential for breathing properly through the night and getting optimal sleep. 

Over time, disrupted sleeping patterns, and years of inadequate rest can lead to chronic fatigue, elevated stress levels, higher chances of depression, weight gain, and more. 

Perpetual Breathing Problems 

The severity of how difficult it is to breathe depends on the type of nasal congestion one has. However, struggling to draw breath day in and day out is never a good feeling. And since this nasal congestion forces you to breathe through your mouth over time, several problems can arise, such as dental issues, dry mouth, poor sleep, mood fluctuations, and more. 

Constant Headaches

Depending on the severity of your condition, blocked nasal passages and chronic nasal obstruction often lead to mild to intense headaches. Without a doubt, what follows is a diminished quality of life, as headaches interfere with daily routine, concentration, work abilities, and sleeping patterns. 

Loss of Taste and Smell 

Considering the sense of smell and taste are connected, it’s no surprise that loss of taste often accompanies the loss of smell due to chronic nasal congestion. While there are several reasons this may occur, loss of taste and smell is usually a side effect of nasal polyps. However, if you have lost your sense of taste and smell, we recommend visiting an experienced ENT doctor for a thorough examination. 

Dwindling Quality of Life

If you are experiencing all the things mentioned above — sleep problems, breathing difficulties, constant headaches, loss of taste and smell — your quality of life is most likely dwindling. No doubt, these symptoms of chronic nasal obstruction put a strain on your physical and mental wellbeing. 

For these reasons, it’s critical to visit a specialized ENT doctor to address and effectively treat your chronic nasal obstruction. 

Now, we understand many nasal congestion treatments available today can often be perceived as invasive, painful, and scary. Thankfully, at Excel ENT, we offer an alternative option many of our previous patients have found effective at treating their chronic nasal obstruction. 

Introducing VivAer — The Nasal Obstruction Treatment at Excel ENT

VivAer is a minimally-invasive procedure that opens the nasal passages and delivers long-lasting results — all without invasive surgery, incisions, or excessive recovery time. 

If you suffer from debilitating chronic nasal obstruction, VivAer might be right for you. It’s clinically proven to help alleviate chronic nasal obstruction symptoms to significantly improve nasal breathing, help you get a better night’s sleep, and elevate your overall quality of life. 

At Excel ENT, we’re passionate about nasal passages and sinuses! 

Treating chronic nasal obstruction can be challenging. It often requires a combination of several methods, such as nasal irrigation, decongestants, and antibiotics. But sometimes, you need the help of a professional to get rid of chronic nasal congestion and chronic sinus infections for good. 

The expert team at Excel ENT of Alabama is passionate about sinus health and helping patients breathe better. If you’re suffering from chronic nasal obstruction, get in touch with Dr. Davis. He will get you feeling better in no time! Call 205-386-6453 or schedule an appointment here.