Te Good Life - brought to you by APL Media • Wednesday 1 March 2023 Helping you breathe better


Dr Cheka R Spencer, ENT and facial plastic surgeon, tells us about the common causes of blocked nose and novel innovations to treat this


ENT surgeons, also known as otorhinolarygologists, deal with the medical and surgical management of conditions related to the ears, nose and throat, as well as the head and neck. It’s a varied speciality that treats patients from the beginning of life all the way to old age. It is estimated that up to 20%


of adult presentations and 40% of paediatric presentations at GP practices are ENT related, which makes it a popular speciality.


WHAT IS RHINITIS? Rhinitis — a common cause of blocked nose — is inflammation and irritation of the nasal cavity which can be caused by an allergen such as house dust mite or pollen. Sometimes, there’s no allergen and this is termed non-allergic rhinitis. The symptoms include blocked nose, runny nose and sneezing. In the first instance, it’s treated with a nasal steroid spray which can be prescribed by your GP. If this treatment fails, your GP can refer you to an ENT surgeon, who will consider surgical attention to the turbinates


DR CHEKA SPENCER


WHAT IS COBLATION TURBINOPLASTY? This is a minimally invasive procedure that uses radio frequency energy to


reduce the size of nasal turbinates and provides relief from blocked nose and its consequences, such as snoring.


WHAT IS CHRONIC RHINOSINUSITIS (CRS)? Chronic Rhinosinusitis is when the inside of your nose and sinuses are swollen for more than three months in spite of treatment.


WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR CRS? Traditional endoscopic sinus surgery is done under general anaesthesia and involves opening up the sinuses to improve drainage by debriding the inflamed tissue or polyps. A novel technique is balloon sinuplasty, which is a minimally invasive method of treating chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis.


WHAT IS BALLOON SINUPLASTY ? Balloon sinuplasty is a novel innovation that’s now available for the management of CRS without polyps where medical treatment has failed and patients complain of facial pain/pressure. This procedure causes less scarring than traditional endoscopic surgery. It can also be done under local anaesthesia in clinic or under sedation. A small


For further information


Royal Free private patients E: rf-tr.privateenquiries@nhs.net T: 020 7794 0500 ext 33896 The Harley Street Clinic E: contact@hcahealthcare.co.uk T: 020 7079 4344 St John and St Elizabeth Hospital E: outpatients@hje.org.uk T: 020 7806 4060 Twitter: @DrChekaSpencer Instagram: @radcliffespencer


wire with a balloon is inserted in the sinus opening and the balloon is inflated to dilate the sinus openings.


A novel technique is balloon sinuplasty, which is a minimally invasive method of treating chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis


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