What should I do if my nasal turbinates are swollen, painful, and bleeding?

Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
Updated on April 28, 2025
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Turbinate hypertrophy accompanied by localized dryness and pain require symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment initially, utilizing antibiotics and nebulized inhalation to alleviate local symptoms. It’s also necessary to visit a hospital for an endoscopic nasal examination to determine the cause. Generally, such conditions arise from an acute rhinitis flare-up, a manifestation of decreased immunity and resistance, leading to viral or bacterial infections affecting the nasal turbinate mucosa. Patients may experience turbinate hypertrophy along with persistent nasal congestion and yellow nasal discharge. In severe cases, fever and headaches may occur. Treatment should first focus on symptomatic anti-inflammatory and antiviral therapies, along with the use of corticosteroids for nebulized inhalation. Drinking warm water and getting plenty of rest can gradually improve the condition.

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
1min 21sec home-news-image

Can hypertrophy of the nasal turbinates be reduced by taking anti-inflammatory drugs?

Whether taking anti-inflammatory drugs is needed for enlarged turbinates depends first on identifying the cause of the enlargement. If the enlargement of the turbinates is caused by bacterial infection, it is appropriate to take anti-inflammatory medication such as antibiotics. However, if it is caused by allergies, antibiotics will be ineffective. Generally, there are two reasons for enlarged turbinates. The first is due to symptoms caused by acute inflammatory infections, commonly seen in clinical cases of acute rhinitis or acute sinusitis. Clinically, these are most often caused by infections from hemolytic streptococci or Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in congested, swollen, and hypertrophic mucous membranes of the turbinates. Antibiotics such as penicillin or cephalosporin can be effective in treatment. However, antibiotics are ineffective for allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis occurs when the immune and resistance levels are low, and the nasal cavity comes into contact with related allergens. Patients will also experience enlarged turbinates, along with symptoms like sneezing and runny nose. Treatment should focus on symptomatic allergy treatment to shrink the turbinates and alleviate nasal congestion.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Is saline effective for turbinate hypertrophy?

Enlarged turbinates are a relatively common nasal disease. Rinsing the nasal cavity with saline solution has some therapeutic effects, but the specific effects vary greatly among individuals. Some patients experience good results, while others do not. In such cases, it is necessary to perform a nasal endoscopy and sinus CT scan to help assess the extent of the condition. If rinsing alone is ineffective, treatment should also include oral medications and nasal sprays. For a small number of patients who still do not respond well to standard conservative medication, surgical treatment might be considered, and long-term regular follow-ups are necessary to monitor for any recurrent episodes. (Please follow medical advice when using medications.)

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
1min 8sec home-news-image

Will turbinate hypertrophy surgery relapse?

After surgery for enlarged nasal turbinates, it generally does not recur. Enlarged nasal turbinates are commonly seen in cases of deviated nasal septum or chronic hypertrophic rhinitis. Patients with a deviated nasal septum may experience compensatory enlargement of the turbinates on both sides, where local surgical removal is needed for treatment. Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis is due to repeated episodes of simple rhinitis, causing persistent congestion and swelling in the lower turbinates on both sides, with a mulberry-like change on the surface. Treatment for these patients requires partial resection of the lower turbinates on both sides, but the surgery must adhere to principles; removing more than one-third of the lower turbinates should be avoided, as it can easily lead to empty nose syndrome. Postoperatively, patients also need to use antibiotics to prevent local infection. After complete recovery, patients should exercise regularly and avoid colds to prevent recurrent growth of the turbinates. (The use of medication should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
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Is hypertrophic turbinates easy to treat?

Enlarged turbinates are very treatable. Generally, turbinate enlargement is due to chronic rhinitis or allergic rhinitis inflammation. Patients may experience bilateral nasal congestion, alternating changes, turbinate congestion, edema, hyperplasia, and the presence of mucous or yellow secretions in the nasal cavity. In treatment, conservative treatments like microwave or laser therapy can be initially used with good effects. However, if a patient repeatedly suffers from colds and inflammation, this can lead to persistent turbinate growth, at which point localized surgical removal may be necessary. Surgery requires general anesthesia and involves partial removal of turbinates on both sides, but the lower third of the inferior turbinate should not be removed to avoid the risk of empty nose syndrome. Postoperative use of antibiotics is necessary to prevent local infections, and improvement can generally be expected within about a week. (Medication usage should be under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
1min 17sec home-news-image

Can medication cure nasal turbinate hypertrophy?

Turbinate hypertrophy can often be cured with medication, and if not cured, partial surgical removal of the hypertrophied turbinates can be curative. Turbinate hypertrophy is generally caused by chronic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis. It manifests due to lowered immunity and resistance in the body, leading to repeated inflammatory infections or allergic reactions in the nasal cavity, resulting in bilateral nasal turbinates swelling diffusely, becoming edematous, proliferating, and enlarging. After turbinate enlargement, it mainly causes the patient to experience persistent nasal congestion on both sides, accompanied by a foreign body sensation and swelling in the nasal cavity. Patients will also have mucous secretions from the nasal cavity and will require a detailed examination at the hospital, where tests such as nasal endoscopy, sinus CT, and allergen antibody tests can provide a diagnosis. For treatment, nebulized inhalation can be used with good effectiveness for chronic rhinitis. For allergic rhinitis, symptomatic anti-allergic treatment is needed to shrink the turbinates and relieve nasal congestion. If conservative treatment is ineffective, local surgical treatment may be necessary.