Will Rhinoplasty Help Eliminate My Allergies?

Suffering from allergies? Desperate for relief from pesky or debilitating symptoms? If it feels like nothing is working to clear up your symptoms, more extreme treatment measures may seem appealing. Will rhinoplasty help eliminate allergies?

Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure to alter or repair the structure of the nose. Rhinoplasty is most commonly performed as a cosmetic procedure to change or enhance the appearance of the nose, hence its nickname of a “nose job.” Rhinoplasty can also correct injuries (like a broken nose that heals crooked) or anatomical abnormalities that cause breathing difficulties (such as a deviated septum).

Many allergy symptoms present through the nose, be it congestion or a runny nose, difficulty breathing, sneezing or sinus pressure. Sinus infections and nasal polyps go hand-in-hand with allergies too. While rhinoplasty can’t address nasal allergy symptoms directly, it can treat conditions that worsen symptoms, including:

• A deviated septum, an imbalance of the nasal septum that causes impaired breathing through the smaller nasal passage
• Nasal polyps, or benign growths in the nasal and sinus cavities that block airflow and the drainage of mucus, often leading to sinus infections
• Turbinate hypertrophy, an overgrowth or swelling of the small bony structures in the nose that causes inflammation through the nose

Rhinoplasty can repair or remove deviated septums, nasal polyps and turbinate hypertrophy, all of which will improve breathing and allergy symptoms. While rhinoplasty is an outpatient surgical procedure, there are other allergy treatments to consider first. Over-the-counter allergy medicines are widely available and highly effective; there are many options so allergy relief is often just a matter of finding the pill that works for you. There are also over-the-counter nasal sprays and skin creams to consider; once again, working with an allergist to find the best combination of treatments and products is almost sure to reduce or eliminate your allergy symptoms. For more severe allergies, inhalers can be prescribed or immunotherapy may be recommended. While surgery is generally considered a last resort, rhinoplasty can treat conditions that are worsening your allergies, even if it can’t impact the allergies themselves.

Have questions about allergy treatment or rhinoplasty? Want to know more about your options, or discuss if rhinoplasty is right for you? At Biltmore ENT, our physicians are specialists in all things ear, nose, and throat, including surgical procedures and allergy treatment. Call (602) 456-6639 to schedule an appointment today.