FUNCTIONAL NASAL SURGERY
If you have difficulty breathing through your nose, you are not alone. Many patients have difficulty breathing through their nose.
Dr Strecker is an experienced nasal surgeon and may be able to help your nasal breathing by advising you regarding medical treatments that can help or by offering surgery which can help.
The two most common problems that affect nasal breathing include:
a) Deviated nasal septum
b) Allergy issues
but there are many other issues that can affect your breathing and only a thorough consultation and examination can determine the cause of your difficulty breathing.
Assessment and treatment of difficulty breathing through your nose is covered by BC Medical Services Plan. Dr Strecker is able to see you following a referral from your General Practititoner.
If Dr Strecker feels that nasal surgery can improve your breathing, the surgery will likely consist of:
a) Septal reconstruction
This refers to the procedure where the dividing wall in the nose separating the two sides of the nose is straightened and repositioned. A deviated septum can result in nasal obstruction and achieving better position can be very helpful. Many patients with a deviated septum do not have difficulty breathing and do not require surgery.
b) Inferior Turbinate reduction
The turbinates are like air conditioners in the nose. Various procedures can be performed to reduce the size of the turbinates and this can provide improvement in nasal airway
c) Other procedures
In some cases, cartilage grafts are necessary to give support and structure to the nose to prevent it from collapsing during breathing. This type of support can be helpful to improve the breathing
Straightening the outside of the nose is sometimes necessary to achieve improvement inside the nose. Prior trauma may have resulted in a crooked nose; straightening the nose may be helpful for your breathing