Causes and treatment

Like a detective, a doctor has to search for the cause of the nasal breathing problems. The answers to the following questions provide valuable leads:

Is the problems with nasal breathing always present?
A permanently blocked nose points to anatomical causes such as a deflected nasal septum or adenoids. Symptoms which come and go are a sign of reactions by the mucous membranes caused by inflammations or allergies.

Does the person suffer from sneezing fits in the mornings?
Sneezing fits in the morning are particularly associated with allergic rhinitis caused by dust mites. However, they may also be caused by chronic inflammatory conditions.

Do the symptoms occur at particular times of the year or all year round?

Are they associated with headaches?
Headaches always raise the suspicion of paranasal sinusitis - an inflammation of the nasal sinuses. .

Is the sense of smell impaired?

A nasal endoscope, an optical instrument to examine the interior of a bodily orifice permits the doctor to assess the state of the mucous membrane of the nose and to identify constrictions, chronic inflammations or adenoids.

A comprehensive diagnostic test of impaired nasal breathing also includes an allergy test and an olfactory test. A range of modern examination techniques is available for this purpose.