When should I seek medical attention for my blocked nose?

Top Doctors recently spoke to highly experienced and skilled ENT specialist, Mr Vikas Malik, who, here in our latest article below, tells us when immediate medical attention should be sought for a blocked nose, and explains how a blocked nose is typically treated.

Can a blocked nose be serious?

It could be a sign of something serious, such as a tumour, or an undiagnosed allergy.

Should I go to the hospital if I have a blocked nose?

Often, in order to identify the underlying cause, seeing your GP is definitely the right thing to do if you have a blocked nose. If symptoms are not being resolved, a specialist should be seen.

A bent septum or polyps could also be the cause, and these conditions almost always require surgery. Or, it could be due to something more sinister, like a tumour. In children, adenoids are common, and they prevent the child from being able to breathe properly, so, again, this is a serious condition that would require surgical removal.

How is a severely blocked nose treated?

It depends entirely on what’s causing the blocked nose. It is very important that patients learn how to use nasal sprays properly. Nasal drops are, if appropriate, very effective when it comes to unblocking a blocked nose. Surgical treatment, of course, is an option, but only if one hundred per cent necessary.

Is surgery always necessary?

Surgery is not always necessary. If the cause of the nasal blockage is due to a deviated septum, nasal polyps, or a tumour, then it is necessary.

Can nose blockage return after surgery?

Yes, it can indeed. If you have both a deviated septum and an allergy, the surgery will straighten the septum, but won’t cure the allergy.

Mr Vikas Malik is an incredibly well-regarded ENT specialist who can treat your nasal blockage. Consult with him today via his Top Doctors profile.