What do large turbinates imply?
The nose has 3-4 turbinates on each side. Their function is to humidify, warm and “filter” the air we inhale on its way to our lungs. Sometimes due to allergies or other inflammatory processes they become congested and swell to take up a lot of our nasal airway space. Often removal of the offending inflammatory cause will relieve this swelling, but if medical therapy fails surgical reduction of the turbinates may be needed. This can be performed by your ENT physician as an ambulatory procedure with minimal pain and recovery time.
