Turbinate

WHAT ARE YOUR TURBINATE’S?

You have probably heard been much talk about turbinate’s and what they do, but self-diagnosing yourself with a turbinate issue is not wise. They are very complicated and if you have an issue, an OTC regime may not solve and in fact, cause more damage to your already existing issue.

The turbinate’s are shelves on the side of the nose. The main ones are the middle and the inferior, which is a large structure that runs the length of the nasal airway. It is a highly vascular structure, about the size of your finger. You can almost touch the front part of it with your finger and it extends to the area where your adenoids are.

The turbinate’s divide the nasal airway into four groove-like air passages, and are responsible for forcing inhaled air to flow in a steady, regular pattern around the largest possible surface of cilia and climate-controlling tissue. A rapidly dilating arteriolar circulation to these bones may lead to a sharp increase in the pressure within, in response to acute cooling of the body core – the pain from this pressure is often referred to as “brain freeze”, and is frequently associated with the rapid consumption of ice cream.

They serve a major function – they warm inhaled air before it enters the lungs. They are covered by millions of cilia that defend the body against contagions and irritants in the inhaled air. They provide an environment for the good white blood cells, and a bacteria-fighting enzyme called lysozyme, to gather and fight infection. They act as a baffle to better direct the flow of air.

Also, turbinate’s normally enlarge and shrink. They especially enlarge with a cold or infection because blood is coming to the area to fight infection. They enlarge with allergy, and become pale and swollen.

A Turbinate Issue Can Affect Your Sleep

The turbinate’s are important for the sleep mechanism. When you sleep, you are supposed to turn some 50 times a night. This prevents you from getting pressure sores. What happens is that you sleep on the right side, with the right turbinate down. After a time, this right turbinate fills up with fluid, and expands so that it pushes against the septum in the mid line and this makes you turn on the left side until that side fills up and turns you again. This is why when you sleep cramped, where you can’t turn, you get achy muscles and bed sores.

A Turbinate Issue Can Cause Nasal Congestion

Nasal congestion can also be the result of enlarged inferior turbinate’s. A swollen and abnormally large inferior turbinate will also present with nasal congestion. In some cases, patients have deviated septums and enlarged turbinate’s.

TURBINATE RELIEF 

As a leading sinus doctor, Dr. Mariotti utilizes the latest technology for his patients for turbinate relief with ‘The Turbinator’ – a high tech that is no longer than a pen and that utilizes radio frequency.

The procedure can be safely and comfortably done in the office under local anesthesia. Once the nose is numb, the procedure usually takes less than 15 min. The patient goes home and can work the next day.

READY FOR TURBINATE REDUCTION?