Is surgery necessary for enlarged nasal turbinates?

Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
Updated on January 25, 2025
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Patients with enlarged turbinates do not necessarily need surgical treatment. The causes of turbinate hypertrophy are mainly related to long-term smoking and drinking, catching colds, as well as allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinitis. Patients experience turbinate growth, which affects nasal ventilation. Some patients may suffer from alternating nasal congestion, and in cases of significant enlargement, such as snoring and air holding during sleep at night, or complete nasal ventilation obstruction, surgical methods such as turbinate ablation or inferior turbinate fracture and outward movement surgery may be necessary to expand the nasal airflow. For general turbinate hypertrophy, patients can use hormone-based nasal sprays to relieve nasal mucosa swelling and thickening. (The use of medication should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Will turbinates that have been removed grow back?

Enlarged turbinates primarily refer to the enlargement of the inferior turbinates, and in rare cases, the middle and superior turbinates may also become enlarged. Clinically, the enlargement of the inferior turbinates is mainly caused by various chronic inflammatory stimuli in the nasal area, leading to nasal congestion, impaired secretion of nasal mucus, and even symptoms such as headaches in patients. Clinically, for turbinates, minimally invasive treatment methods are mainly used, such as plasma volume reduction surgery and submucosal partial resection of the inferior turbinates. Generally speaking, once the turbinates are removed, they cannot regrow; only the surface mucosa can regrow, but the turbinate bone cannot regrow. Therefore, after the removal of the turbinates, there is a significant increase in the spaciousness of the nasal cavity, which is beneficial for improving the patient's symptoms of nasal congestion.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Nasal turbinate hypertrophy treatment methods

Nasal turbinate hypertrophy is considered a clinical symptom rather than an independent disease. There are many causes for nasal turbinate hypertrophy, including physiological hypertrophy, chronic rhinitis, acute rhinitis, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, or exposure to external irritants. In terms of treatment, it is first necessary to examine the clinical symptoms. If it is only simple turbinate hypertrophy without any clinical manifestations, it is generally recommended to regularly check up without necessarily needing medication. If the hypertrophy is due to an inflammatory response with clear clinical symptoms, it may be necessary to consider the use of oral medications, nasal spray medications, and flushing the nasal cavity with saline solution, with regular check-ups to monitor the condition.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Does turbinate hypertrophy require surgery?

In clinical practice, hypertrophy of the nasal turbinates must be differentiated by various causes. If the hypertrophy is simple, such as due to nasal mucosal vasoconstrictors like ephedrine nasal drops or phenylephrine nasal drops, which show good shrinkage response, it suggests a simple hypertrophy, often mainly treated with medication. If the surface of the hypertrophied turbinate is uneven and unresponsive to vasoconstrictors, and if there is severe nasal congestion, reduced sense of smell or even loss of it, then medication may not effectively alleviate the condition. Surgical treatment, such as partial resection of the inferior nasal turbinate, would be needed to restore normal nasal airways.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Symptoms of turbinate hypertrophy

Turbinate hypertrophy is a relatively common disease, with significant individual differences in symptoms. Some patients simply have hypertrophy without obvious clinical manifestations, and it is only discovered during physical examinations or nasopharyngoscopy; Some patients may develop corresponding clinical symptoms, the most common being nasal congestion, runny nose, reduced sense of smell, snoring during sleep, and a foreign body sensation in the nasal cavity. In such cases, it is necessary to perform a sinus CT and nasopharyngoscopy to assess the severity of the condition. Generally, treatment options include oral medications and nasal sprays. Additionally, rinsing the nasal cavity with saline and regular follow-up observations to assess effectiveness are recommended.

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Written by Li Rui
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Is massage effective for enlarged turbinates?

Turbinate hypertrophy is a common clinical symptom of the turbinates. Generally speaking, the effect of treating turbinate hypertrophy through massage is not good, because it is difficult for massage to directly affect the inside of the nasal cavity, and there is no direct impact and effect on the hypertrophy of the turbinates. The first step in addressing turbinate hypertrophy is to examine the causes and the extent of the enlargement. If the enlargement is mild and there are no obvious clinical symptoms, it is generally advised to regularly review and observe changes. However, if the turbinate hypertrophy is more pronounced and accompanied by related clinical symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and reduced sense of smell, it is necessary to perform a nasopharyngoscope examination to investigate the specific causes of the condition. Treatment typically involves oral medications and nasal sprays, and regular check-ups are also necessary. (Please follow the guidance of a specialist doctor for specific medications and do not self-medicate.)